Pray We Don't Have Grubs Inside of Us

When I was a child I opened an acorn and found a pair of “maggots.”

I have since learned that what I saw were not maggots, but the larvae of acorn weevil grubs. “The acorns of various oak trees are often infested by acorn weevil grubs, Curculio glandium.” (Baker 2024)

I thought acorns were secure. But that’s not the case.

“The larvae can eat out the entire nut inside an acorn or hickory nut, making it worthless…” (Iowa State University Extension n.d.)

I didn’t know that acorns could be so easily corrupted.

I didn’t know about the grubs.

We may not know about dangers that we cannot see, e.g. carbon monoxide.

Or even worse—spiritual dangers that cause interior damage.

In fourth grade at my public school, I had a school-issued agenda. I remember the tiny motivational quotes on the corners of the pages. I remember, “The mighty oak was once a little nut that stood its ground.”

I planned to conclude this post with that quote, and add something to the effect of…

“May we put our trust in God so that we can stand our ground against the corruption of sin and grow strong under God’s sunshine.”

But I wanted to source the nut quote. I looked it up and learned it is from Anodea Judith's book, Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self.

Our Catholic faith does not permit New Age practices (Pontifical Council for Culture 2003; USCCB 2009).

The nut quote is still a nice expression. Variations of the saying have been attributed to different sources, but the exact wording from my school agenda is attributed to Anodea Judith. 

Anodea Judith is a "Pagan priestess and former president of the Church of All Worlds," according to Encyclopedia.com. 

Evidently, my public elementary school-issued agenda used a quote from a New Age book. Of course, Bible verses were not used in the agenda that my public school issued me.

That it was mandated that I use.

So instead of ending with the nut quote, I will end with this...

I highly recommend the Slaying Dragons book series from author Charles Fraune. Available here and on Amazon. Charles Fraune sheds light on the dangers of the occult (e.g. chakra) and other pertinent topics for Catholics. Charles Fraune is available for parish visits. 

May we pray for protection against the grubs that want to eat us from the inside out.

WORKS CITED

Baker, James. 2024. "Acorn Weevil." NC State Extension Publications. Reviewed 2024. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/acorn-weevil.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. n.d. "Acorn and Nut Weevils." Yard and Garden Encyclopedia. Accessed July 1, 2026. https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/acorn-and-nut-weevils.

Pontifical Council for Culture, and Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. 2003. Jesus Christ, The Bearer of the Water of Life: A Christian Reflection on the "New Age". https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/interelg/documents/rc_pc_interelg_doc_20030203_new-age_en.html.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine. 2009. Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy. https://www.usccb.org/resources/guidelines-evaluating-reiki-alternative-therapy.