This article was inspired by the video of Fr. Mark-Mary Ames and Br. Isaiah Maria Hofmann, C.F.R., entitled “The Spiritual and Biblical Significance of Donkeys” (Ascension Presents).
In the spiritual life, there seem to be many animal companions. The Franciscans have the donkey for its strength and humility, the Dominicans have the dog because of its loyalty (the name Dominican is also a pun on the Latin for “Hounds of the Lord”), and the Benedictines have the raven for intelligence (it saved St. Benedict from poisoned bread). Scripture even uses animals as a metaphor for God. Christ is a mother hen gathering the chicks of Israel, or He is a sacrificial lamb. The Holy Spirit appears as a dove. The list could go on forever.
However, there is one animal that is very special to me that seems to get no attention from Scriptures or saints. I am talking about the American alligator. As a Florida man, this pains me. As a student of a Jesuit institution, it is my duty to find God in all things, and it seems that God has not yet been found in the alligator. The alligator, while monstrous in appearance, can be a fitting analogy for the Church and the spiritual life.
About 37 million years ago, the alligator first appeared on earth. If you ever want to know what they looked like 37 million years ago, just look at them now; they haven’t changed much. The evolutionary line of alligators survived the K/T extinction, the same event that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Much like the alligator, the Catholic Church has a long history of survival. The Church survived the persecution of the Romans, the Goths, the French Revolution, and many more. Like the alligator, the Church continues to survive and cling to the characteristics of its ancestors. Thus, the alligator represents the endurance and timelessness of the Catholic Church.
The alligator is also the perfect example of perseverance. The bite force of an alligator is about 2,125 psi. That number is too high to even fathom, so let’s just say they can easily disintegrate a whole watermelon in one bite. When an alligator bites something, it does not let go. It will hold on to its prey and drag it down. While this may seem violent, I think our spiritual lives could benefit from this strength and tenacity. Like an alligator, we must bite onto hope and never let go. We must lock our jaws onto faith and continuously drag it into mind and heart. People may try to tear my faith away from me, much like how the alligator’s prey will try to escape, but by God’s grace I can truly emulate the alligator and hold ever stronger.
The alligator also has a thick hide. The scales on an alligator are so durable it acts closer to armor than skin. Surprisingly, they also have one of the sharpest sensitivities to touch. This means the alligator is acutely aware while still being as strong as a Sherman tank. Conversely, in the spiritual life we must have a thick skin. There will be insults and challenges that could weaken the faith; however, we are called to acknowledge these struggles while remaining anchored by the armor of God. By the virtue of fortitude, we can endure all things while maintaining awareness of the struggles. We must emulate the armor of an alligator, standing stalwart against any attacks from the world, while still being sensitive.
In nature, it suits a creature to be highly adaptable. The alligator is no exception. It is the master of land and water, able to hold its breath for up to 24 hours. I find this to be a perfect analogy for the hylomorphic reality of the human existence. We are both spiritual and physical, much like how the alligator is both terrestrial and aquatic. An alligator needs the water to hunt and the land to breath, requiring both to survive. Likewise, the human person needs both the physical and the spiritual reality to thrive. While we may experience the immediate stimulation of the physical, it is truly the spiritual that sustains a relationship with the divine and finds meaning in existence.
The alligator truly is a beast; however, I see a creature of great antiquity, persistence, and fortitude. I hope people look at this imposing creature and find the mystery and subtle divine attributes it symbolizes. In the end, if I were to have any animal companion in the spiritual life, it would be the one that could eat all the others.
Featured image courtesy of Clément Bardot via Wikimedia
- Gossip in Bridgerton - March 25, 2021
- Attack on Titan and Its Lessons on Just War Theory - February 15, 2021
- Playing ‘Among Us’ as a Saint - November 26, 2020