Unholy Hour??

[A_Servant]

I heard a long time ago that 3am was the unholy hour. I was told this was because it was the “opposite” hour from the traditional time of Christ’s victory over sin and death…3 pm. Anyway I didn’t give this much thought…until my schedule got off. Now I am almost always up at this time…and I always get the creeps at this time. Is there any theological or historical significance to 3 am? And am I the only one who gets the “Heebie Jeebies” during that hour?

 

[flyingfish]

I heard a long time ago that 3am was the unholy hour. I was told this was because it was the “opposite” hour from the traditional time of Christ’s victory over sin and death…3 pm. Anyway I didn’t give this much thought…until my schedule got off. Now I am almost always up at this time…and I always get the creeps at this time. Is there any theological or historical significance to 3 am? And am I the only one who gets the “Heebie Jeebies” during that hour?

Keep in mind also that Jesus was in Israel’s time zone, Israel time is ~10 hours ahead of the US IIRC, so the unholy hour would be not at 3am but 5pm of the previous day in relation to Israel!

 

[puzzleannie]

I heard a long time ago that 3am was the unholy hour. I was told this was because it was the “opposite” hour from the traditional time of Christ’s victory over sin and death…3 pm. Anyway I didn’t give this much thought…until my schedule got off. Now I am almost always up at this time…and I always get the creeps at this time. Is there any theological or historical significance to 3 am? And am I the only one who gets the “Heebie Jeebies” during that hour?

I never heard the tradition, or if I did I have forgotten it, and I don’t believe there are any unholy hours for anyone who lives in Christ. There are certainly hours of temptation, depression, loneliness even despair, and yes that could very well be the middle of the night for many people. But yes I used to dread waking in the middle of the night in the years DH travelled on business and got very jumpy, there were a couple of times I loaded the kids into the car and went to Denny’s which was the only place open all night. They got to regard that as a special fun thing we would do when daddy was gone.

I discovered years later that when I wake in the middle of the night it is a call to prayer and while I am sure there are physical or other reasons, it is a fact that it happens almost always when I have been neglecting prayer. So even if I wake in pain or other physical disturbances, that is my first response. In fact that is when I pray the Office of Readings. Then usually I can fall back asleep. sometimes I also need a cup of tea, taking meds I forgot, something to eat if my sugar is low. If I still can’t sleep, well, look what time it is now. CAF is also open all night. So no, I don’t consider it unholy, but rather an occasion for grace.

Keep in mind also that Jesus was in Israel’s time zone, Israel time is ~10 hours ahead of the US IIRC, so the unholy hour would be not at 3am but 5pm of the previous day in relation to Israel!

whoa I can’t keep track, does that mean we have to pray the Divine Mercy on Israel time?

 

[flyingfish]

whoa I can’t keep track, does that mean we have to pray the Divine Mercy on Israel time?

I would not think so. After all, St. Faustina was not in Israel’s time zone either (Poland is an hour behind Israel), and if the revelation didn’t tell St. Faustina to do it on Israel’s time, I would not think you should do it either. Anyway, depending on where you live (Pacific time is 10 hours behind, Eastern time is 7 hours behind) it would be pretty impractical unless you go to bed really late or wake up really early.

I brought up the time zone mostly to help the OP with the creepy feelings.

 

[Michael_Saint]

Your heart was in the right place, flyingfish, but once his schedule changes again, he’ll be creeped out everyday at dinnertime.

I would think if there was such a thing as an Unholy Hour, Satan would be active at 3am local time. I would think he moves about from time zone to time zone. That is probably how it would work - Satan sending his legions to “make their rounds”, meaning they would always hit the new time zone at 3am local time.

I guess this wouldn’t be the place to tell my stories about stretches of time where I repeatedly woke up 3am or shortly after? :bigyikes:

 

[Peggy_in_Burien]

Just to lighten things up a bit (before I get the heebie jeebies), I always regarded 3 am as the “unholy hour,” because that is when I had to get up to go to work!!!

I agree, though, with a previous poster who reminded us that there are no “unholy” hours for those who live in Christ. That would be a little superstitious sounding to me.

Hope you sleep better.

 

[Dorothy]

There were times when I have been awake at or around 3:00 AM, and if I could not get back to sleep would pray the Divine Mercy .chaplet. Now, I just wake up before the time to get up, and so I pray the Divine Mercy chaplet at about 5:00 AM. I do have some friends who say they awaken regularly at the 3:00 o’clock hour, pray the chaplet, and then go back to sleep.

During the day, when time allows, I say the chaplet during the 3:00 o’clock hour. Sometimes I say it at a later hour.

It is a discipline to say it at the 3:00 0’clock hour, but I am sure the Lord accepts it being said at any time.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

And am I the only one who gets the “Heebie Jeebies” during that hour?

Oh no. My family gets it too. It’s when the resident ghoul wakes up… oh wait, it’s just me.

 

[Reynardus]

From what I’ve read on Demonology, 3 AM is a favored time for demonic activity, which usually comes in three’s in some manner in mockery of the Trinity.

 

[puzzleannie]

I would think if there was such a thing as an Unholy Hour, Satan would be active at 3am local time. I would think he moves about from time zone to time zone. That is probably how it would work - Satan sending his legions to “make their rounds”, meaning they would always hit the new time zone at 3am local time.

I

well I check the news each morning before I come here, and Satan is alive and kicking at all hours of the day or night around here

 

[baltobetsy]

I would think if there was such a thing as an Unholy Hour, Satan would be active at 3am local time. I would think he moves about from time zone to time zone. That is probably how it would work - Satan sending his legions to “make their rounds”, meaning they would always hit the new time zone at 3am local time.

Like Santa Claus?

 

[Chopstick]

I can’t remember ever feeling creeped at 3, but I’m usually sleeping at that hour. And once I hit the sack, the devil’d need an air horn and a jackhammer to wake me back up.

 

[Miserys_Fence]

I’ve heard just the opposite–that the early morning hours (3-4 am) are best for prayer and meditation. Some people believe the “veil” between the physical world and the spiritual world (or Heaven and Earth) is thinnest at this time.

As for me…I get up early enough as it is, and so far God seems to hear my prayers at all hours of the day, so I don’t bother.

Miz

 

[Called]

There is nothing to fear!

Have a good rest =]

 

[A_Servant]

Your heart was in the right place, flyingfish, but once his schedule changes again, he’ll be creeped out everyday at dinnertime.

I would think if there was such a thing as an Unholy Hour, Satan would be active at 3am local time. I would think he moves about from time zone to time zone. That is probably how it would work - Satan sending his legions to “make their rounds”, meaning they would always hit the new time zone at 3am local time.

I guess this wouldn’t be the place to tell my stories about stretches of time where I repeatedly woke up 3am or shortly after? :bigyikes:

First off…it’s only at 3 am dinner time isn’t at all creepy. Anyway, that is a very “physical” interpretation of Satan’s “movements” demons are spirits and so is Satan, they are not limited to the laws of Physics. This unfortunately means they can be many places at once. Since he is a spirit (a fallen angel in this sense), I doubt he’d care much about time zones

 

[NPC]

I think this is an idea which is mentioned in the film The Exorcism of Emily Rose - although I’ve seen the film, I can’t remember this, but I recall someone mentioning it on another CAF thread about 2 years ago!

As some others have said, I don’t think you should worry. I really don’t think that the devil is bound by time-zones… That, however, doesn’t mean that one should be complacent - I do believe in demonic activity: my point is that if a demon is going to affect a person or a situation, he will not have to keep an eye on the clock waiting for 3a.m. in time-zone x, y, or z.

Make sure you turn to prayer if you become fearful. Christ is the best armour and protection against the devil. Others might suggest praying some or all of the rosary, and I would certainly recommend the prayer to St Michael.

 

[Loboto-Me]

Funny I get the creeps at 3:00 am as well, but I always associated it with what I heard (that demonology thing). I didn’t think I took it seriously though until there came a time that I would always wake up in the middle of the night to pee. The old bladder doesn’t hold things as well as it used to.

I’d get up and go to the washroom and couldn’t figure out why I had the creeps because the 3:00 am thing isn’t something that I dwell on at all. I don’t always wake up at 3:00 but it’s pretty close. Now I’ve noticed that my sleep is always disturbed near that time… either a quick wake up and back to sleep or the bathroom thing.

Last night, during the night I was woken up by a “Hey You!” That freaked me a bit, so I prayed a prayer which I don’t remember what because I was still half asleep lol! I just hope it was my husband yelling in his sleep LOL!