I can’t really blame non-Catholics from scratching their heads every now and then when confronted with some of my fellow believers’ more colourful quirks. I was watching this devout yet laid-back American middle-aged couple being interviewed on a Marian-focused podcast about some impending prophecies they’d received.

While they were deadly serious about the coming end times, they were also so humorous in their practical advice to the flock around how best to deal with Our Lady’s warnings. One of these was a directive not to travel after 1 October.

“But of course we still have free choice so if you want to travel, it’s up to you. I would just make sure to take out travel insurance,” the lady being interviewed said, entirely without irony.

I can’t help but thinking any travel insurance company would easily be able to get out of awarding any claim by asserting the Apocalypse is an act of God.

She also said the couple had been instructed to prepare refuges where the faithful would be protected from the impending onslaught by Satan.

Preparations included getting foodstocks, tents et cetera. “Just don’t start complaining about the food,” she added, this time with a chuckle.

“Remember how the Israelites starting whingeing about the food the moment they’d been liberated from the grip of Pharaoh and spent the next forty years in the desert?”

You’ve got to have a laugh, Armageddon or no Armageddon ..