Dear Friends of the Kolbe Center,
Glory to Jesus Christ!
We have often reflected that one of the ways that the Mosaic account of creation corresponds with our experience of created reality is by its symphonic character. In the evolutionary account of origins, there is a linear development from one or a few one-celled organisms, spanning a period of hundreds of millions of years. Yet this mythological account of human origins flies in the face of the symphonic character of the natural world. For example, in evolutionary mythology, insects evolve tens of millions of years before birds. However, six thousand years of human experience in the real world tell us that the vegetation necessary to support human life could not survive for a single year without birds—much less for the tens of millions of years of evolutionary mythology.
A recent article in Springer’s journal reported that:
Birds around the world eat 400 to 500 million metric tonnes of beetles, flies, ants, moths, aphids, grasshoppers, crickets and other anthropods per year. These numbers have been calculated in a study led by Martin Nyffeler of the University of Basel in Switzerland. The research, published in Springer’s journal The Science of Nature, highlights the important role birds play in keeping plant-eating insect populations under control.
Nyffeler and his colleagues based their figures on 103 studies that highlighted the volume of prey that insect-eating birds consume in seven of the world’s major ecological communities known as biomes. According to their estimations, this amounts to between 400 and 500 million tonnes of insects per year but is most likely to be on the lower end of the range. Their calculations are supported by a large number of experimental studies conducted by many different research teams in a variety of habitats in different parts of the world.
According to the sacred history of Genesis, birds and insects were created on the same day—Day Five of the Hexameron. That makes perfect sense, since from the beginning, God designed plants to be food for insects, animals and humans, while insects were designed to be food for birds and pollinators for plants. Each of these groups of creatures depended on the others from the beginning.
The newest member of our advisory council, Dr. Kenneth Stein, is an expert on insects. Indeed, he holds graduate degrees in entomology, the study of insects, having earned a Master of Science from The Ohio State University and a Doctor of Philosophy from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Ken is retired from the US Navy Reserve, having served as a medical planner for the US Marine Corps, and held the rank of Commander. Throughout his career, he conducted extensive research and scientific investigations in the Middle East and Africa. He worked with and investigated many organisms of public health importance, including ticks, mosquitoes, sandflies, hornets, yellowjackets, and snakes. Ken is the author of two medical crime thrillers and continues to author science textbooks for Seton Home Study School. He is a published researcher, an elected member of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Honorary Research Society, and a published photographer.
At our annual leadership retreat in July, Ken will give two presentations, including one on “The Mysteries of Insects” which will demonstrate the truth of St. Paul’s words in his Letter to the Romans that “the invisible things of God are clearly revealed in the things He has made”! We have waited until now to post the leadership retreat on our Events page because the leadership retreat is not a regular Kolbe seminar. Our regular seminars are open to anyone, believer or unbeliever, but our leadership retreat is specifically for clergy and laity who are convinced of the truth and fundamental importance of the traditional Catholic reading of Genesis and who want to advance our mission within their spheres of influence. As an example of the kind of insect wonders that Ken will unveil at our leadership retreat, I would like to quote from a fascinating article on thebiblemadeplain.com about the coccus ilicis, The Crimson Worm.
“I Am a Worm and No Man”
Psalm 22 is a prophecy about the suffering the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would endure at the hands of men. So, the real author of the Psalm is Jesus Christ Himself. In verse 6 He says, “I am a worm”. Why did Jesus say this of Himself? What did He mean by it?
Psa 22:6 But I am a worm [tolaw], and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
The Hebrew word translated worm is tolaw. It is a crimson grub. This word is often translated as scarlet in the Old Testament, because a red dye was extracted from the worm. This dye was used for the curtains of the tabernacle.
Exo 26:1 “Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet [tolaw] thread; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them.
The Crimson Worm (whose scientific name is coccus ilicis) looks more like a grub than a worm. Its life-cycle reveals a hidden meaning that points to the sacrifice of Jesus.
When the female worm is ready to lay her eggs (which happens only once in her life), she climbs up a tree or fence and attaches herself to it. She particularly likes a specific type of oak tree. Once the worm is attached to the wood, a hard crimson shell forms. The shell is so hard and so secured to the wood that it can only be removed by tearing apart the body which would kill the worm.
Under her protective shell, the female Crimson Worm lays her eggs under her body. When her larvae hatch they remain under her protective shell and feed on the living body of the mother worm for three days. Not only does the mother’s body give protection for her babies, but it also provides them with food. The babies feed on the LIVING body of the mother. Then the mother worm dies, and her body excretes a crimson or scarlet dye that stains both the wood to which she is attached and her baby worms. They remain crimson coloured for their entire life. On day four, body of the mother worm loses its crimson colour and turns into a snow-white wax which falls to the ground like snow.
Isa 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
With this understanding of the life cycle of the tolaw, the crimson worm, we can see several ways in which Jesus was a “Crimson Worm”.
1) Just as the mother worm attaches herself to the tree or fence, Jesus willingly allowed himself to be hung on a tree or cross.
Php 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
2) Just as the mother worm, when crushed, excretes a scarlet dye that covers the baby worms and stains them, Jesus was bruised for our iniquities.
Isa 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
His scourging and death brought forth His scarlet blood that both washes away our sins and marks us as His own.
3) Just as the baby worm is dependent on the mother worm for the crimson dye to mark it, a Christian depends on the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, to receive new life and be marked as His own.
Mat 26:27 Then He [Jesus] took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
Mat 26:28 For this is My Blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
1Pe 1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
1Pe 1:19 but with the Precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
4) Just as the baby worm is dependent on the mother worm to give it life, a Christian depends on Jesus for spiritual nourishment.
Joh 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you.
Joh 6:54 Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:55 For My Flesh is food indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed.
Joh 6:56 He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him.
This is why Jesus said of Himself, “I am a worm”.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, and of all the Holy Angels and Saints, may the Holy Ghost guide us all into all the Truth!
In Domino,
Hugh Owen
P.S. In a prior newsletter, I explained the serious and diabolical nature of the use of abortion-tainted pharmaceutical products. At this time, I would like to encourage as many people as possible to offer Holy Communions of reparation for those who choose to use these abortion-tainted products, and in particular in reparation for those who use them despite knowing their diabolical origins. If you are able to attend Holy Mass frequently, please consider offering at least one Holy Communion each week for this intention. If you are able to attend Holy Mass more rarely, please consider offering at least one Holy Communion of reparation each month.
P.P.S. I hope to be able to give a presentation on “Creation-Based Science vs. Evolution-Based Scientism” in the St. Louis area on Thursday evening, August 7, on my way to visit my daughter at St. Joseph’s Priory of the Benedictines of Mary. If any of our readers would be willing and able to help with publicity or with set-up, clean-up, and logistics for the event, please contact me at howen@shentel.net as soon as possible.
