EASTER
IN the year of the Great Jubilee, 2000, the Lord impressed a Scripture upon me that penetrated my soul so deeply, I was left on my knees weeping. That Scripture, I believe, is for our time.
In His Footsteps
GOOD FRIDAY
Christ Grieving, by Michael D. O’Brien
Christ embraces the whole world, yet hearts have grown cold, faith is eroded, violence increases. The cosmos reels, the earth is in darkness. The farmlands, the wilderness, and the cities of man no longer reverence the Blood of the Lamb. Jesus grieves over the world. How will mankind awake? What will it take to shatter our indifference? —Artist’s Commentary
THE premise of all these writings is based on the teaching of the Church that the Body of Christ will follow its Lord, the Head, through a passion of its own.
Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers… The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 672, 677
Therefore, I want to put into context my most recent writings on the Eucharist.
A Refuge Has Been Prepared
The Two Deaths, by Michael D. O’Brien
In this symbolic work, both Christ and Antichrist are depicted, and the people of the times are faced with a choice. Which path to follow? There is much confusion, much fear. Most of the figures do not comprehend where the roads will lead; only a few little children have eyes to see. Those who seek to save their life will lose it; those who lose their life for Christ’s sake will save it. —Artist’s commentary
ONCE again, I hear clearly in my heart this week words which rang out last winter—the sense of an angel in the mid-heavens crying out:
Keeping in mind always that Christ is the victor, I also hear again the words:
You are entering the most painful part of the purification.
The Eucharist, and The Final Hour Mercy
FEAST OF ST. PATRICK
THOSE who have read and meditated upon the message of Mercy that Jesus gave to St. Faustina understand its significance for our times.
You have to speak to the world about His great mercy and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Him who will come, not as a merciful Savior, but as a just Judge. Oh, how terrible is that day! Determined is the day of justice, the day of divine wrath. The angels tremble before it. Speak to souls about this great mercy while it is still the time for [granting] mercy. —Virgin Mary speaking to St. Faustina, Diary of St. Faustina, n. 635
What I want to point out is that the Divine Mercy message is inextricably tied to the Eucharist. And the Eucharist, as I wrote in Meeting Face to Face, is the centerpiece of St. John’s Revelation, a book which intermingles Liturgy and apocalyptic imagery to prepare the Church, in part, for the Second Coming of Christ.Continue reading
The Final Confrontation
FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH
THIS writing was first published on October 5th, 2007. I am compelled to republish it here today, which is the Feast of St. Joseph. One of his many titles as a patron saint is “Protector of the Church.” I doubt the timing of the inspiration to re-post this article is a coincidence.
Most striking below are the words which accompany Michael D. O’Brien’s marvelous painting, “The New Exodus”. The words are prophetic, and a confirmation of the writings on the Eucharist which I have been inspired with this past week.
There has been an intensification in my heart of warning. It seems clear to me that all around us the collapse of “Babylon” which the Lord has spoken to me of, and which I consequently wrote about in Trumpets of Warning–Part I and elsewhere, is rapidly progressing. As I was pondering this the other day, an email arrived from Steve Jalsevac of LifeSiteNews.com, a news service dedicated to reporting the battles between the “culture of life” and the “culture of death.” He writes,
We have been doing this work for over 10 years but even we are astonished at the pace of developments in the world today. Every day it is amazing how the battle between good and evil is intensifying. —Email news summary, March 13th, 2008
It is an exciting time to be alive as a Christian. We know the outcome of this battle, for one. Second, we were born for these times, and so we know that God has a plan for each of us that is one of victory, if we remain docile to the Holy Spirit.
Other writings which are jumping off the screen at me today, and which I recommend to those who want to refresh their memories, are found at the bottom of this page under “Further Reading”.
Let us continue to hold one another in communion of prayer… for these are profound days which require that we continue to stay sober and alert, to “watch and pray.”
St. Joseph, pray for us.
The New Exodus, by Michael D. O’Brien
As in the Passover and Exodus of the Old Testament, God’s people must cross the desert toward the Promised Land. In the New Testament era, the “pillar of fire” is the presence of our Eucharistic Lord. In this painting, ominous storm clouds gather and an army approaches, intent on destroying the children of the new covenant. The people are in confusion and terror, but a priest lifts high a monstrance in which the Body of Christ is exposed, the Lord rallying to Himself all those who hunger for truth. Soon the light will scatter the darkness, divide the waters, and open an impossible path to the promised land of Paradise. —Michael D. O’Brien, commentary on the painting The New Exodus
The Battle Cry
I WROTE not long ago about Our Lady’s Battle, and the role that a “remnant” is being urgently prepared for. There is one other aspect to this Battle I wish to point out.
BATTLE CRY
In the battle of Gideon—a metaphor of Our Lady’s Battle—the soldiers are handed:
Horns and empty jars, and torches inside the jars. (Judges 7:17)
When it was time, the jars were broken and Gideon’s army sounded their horns. That is, the battle began with music.
Meeting Face To Face — Part II
The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene, by Alexander Ivanov, 1834-1836
THERE is one other way in which Jesus reveals Himself after the Resurrection.Continue reading
Meeting Face to Face
IN my travels throughout North America, I have been hearing remarkable conversion stories from young people. They are telling me about conferences or retreats they’ve attended, and how they are being transformed by an encounter with Jesus—in the Eucharist. The stories are almost identical:
I was having a difficult weekend, not really getting much out of it. But when the priest walked in carrying the monstrance with Jesus in the Eucharist, something happened. I have been changed ever since….
Come Down Zacchaeus!
LOVE REVEALS ITSELF
HE was not a righteous man. He was a liar, a thief, and everyone knew it. Yet, in Zacchaeus, there was a hunger for the truth which sets us free, even if he did not know it. And so, when he heard that Jesus was passing by, he climbed a tree to catch a glimpse.
Of all the hundreds, perhaps thousands that were following Christ that day, Jesus stopped at that tree.
Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house. (Luke 19:5)
Jesus did not stop there because He found a worthy soul, or because he found a soul full of faith, or even a repentant heart. He stopped because His Heart was filled with compassion for a man who was out on a limb—spiritually speaking.
More On Prayer
THE body constantly needs a source of energy, even for simple tasks such as breathing. So, too, the soul has essential needs. Thus, Jesus commanded us:
Pray always. (Luke 18:1)
The spirit needs the constant life of God, much the way grapes need to hang on the vine, not just once a day or on Sunday mornings for an hour. The grapes should be on the vine “without ceasing” in order to ripen to maturity.