The Great Revolution

AS promised, I want to share more words and thoughts that came to me during my time in Paray-le-Monial, France.

ON THE THRESHOLD… A GLOBAL REVOLUTION

I strongly sensed the Lord saying that we are upon the “threshold” of immense changes, changes that are both painful and good. The biblical imagery used over and over again is that of labor pains. As any mother knows, labor is a very turbulent time—contractions followed by rest followed by more intense contractions until finally the baby is born… and the pain quickly becomes a memory.

The labor pains of the Church have been occurring over centuries. Two large contractions occurred in the schism between Orthodox (East) and Catholics (West) at the turn of the first millennium, and then again in the Protestant Reformation 500 years later. These revolutions shook the foundations of the Church, cracking her very walls such that the “smoke of Satan” was able to slowly seep in.

…the smoke of Satan is seeping into the Church of God through the cracks in the walls. —POPE PAUL VI, first Homily during the Mass for Sts. Peter & Paul, June 29, 1972

This “smoke” is the sophistries of Satan, philosophies that have led mankind further and further away from the truth. These philosophies, which bloomed in the wake of the schisms, proposed an alternative world view to that of the Catholic Church’s that were said to “enlighten” the people. Yet, the term “enlightenment” is actually an irony:

Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools… (Rom 1:21-22)

The Enlightenment period culminated in the French Revolution (circa 1789-1799) when the “enlightened” rose up and rebelled against political and religious authority. ^[1]Aspects of the Revolution were just in that they attacked the injustices between rich and poor and the abuses of authority. Just as labor pains draw closer and closer together, so too more revolutions have followed in its wake: the Industrial Revolution, the Communist Revolution, the Sexual Revolution… etc., leading to our present day.

At the end of 2007, I interiorly sensed the Blessed Mother say that 2008 would be “the year of the unfolding.” In October, the month of Mary, the financial collapse of nations began, a collapse that we can see is continuing to unfold around the globe. Shortly after, the Lord began speaking in my heart about a coming “global revolution.” ^[2]cf. Revolution! I wrote about this in February of 2011 (see Global Revolution!).

While in France last week, I sensed the Lord say that what happened in the French Revolution is going to happen again, but now on a global scale. The monarchy and feudal system then, driven by aristocrats, was abruptly overthrown, bringing more of a balance of wealth and power between the peasants and the ruling class. However, the rebellion also targeted the Church for her perceived part in the corrupt system of authority.

Today, the conditions for this Global Revolution are ripe. ^[3]cf. Quest for Freedom At this moment, citizens across the globe are taking to the streets to denounce the corruption of the “ruling class.” In the Middle East, some rulers have already fallen beneath the revolutions there. Remarkably, there are other striking parallels to the French Revolution. High unemployment and food shortages provoked riots in 1789, the year the Revolution began. ^[4]cf. Macrohistory and World Report, The French Revolution, p. 1

Just a few recent headlines….

Nestle Chief Warns of New Food Riots (Oct 7th, 2011)

Global unemployment has reached dangerous levels (Jan 25th, 2011)

IMF in Global ‘Meltdown’ Warning (Oct 12th, 2011)

Another parallel, most notably, is the anger brewing against the Church, then, and now…

THE CHURCH WILL BE PERSECUTED

The Church will soon see a minor persecution burst out against her, particularly the clergy (see The Seven Seals of Revolution). The conditions for this are ripe as well, as we continue to see more and more protests wherever the Pope goes. ^[5]cf. The Pope: Thermometer of Apostasy Most notably is the global movement toward enshrining alternative forms of marriage into law, mandating homosexual indoctrination in schools, and silencing those who uphold the natural and moral law, putting the Catholic Church on a collision course with the State. ^[6]cf. Perseuction! … and The Moral Tsunami

Some are surprised to see the photo of a statue of Our Blessed Mother smashed upon the ground during the recent protests in Rome. What does the Blessed Mother have to do with high unemployment, asked one writer? It is necessary that we perceive what is happening: the Global Revolution that is here and coming is a rebellion against all corruption, whether perceived or real. Soon, the Catholic Church will be deemed the real terrorists in our brave new world—terrorists against “tolerance” and “equality.” ^[7]cf. The False Unity The grounds for this persecution have been prepared by not only the sexual scandals in the clergy, but by the liberal theology that has greatly lent to creating the atmosphere of moral relativism in our times. And this moral relativism has led to the fruition of the “culture of death.”

In one of the more sobering words I received in France, I sensed the Lord say: 

It is the time of the Apocalypse. These things have been written for your times also. The one with eyes can clearly see the days in which you are living—the final battle of this era between light and darkness…. “Wake up my people, wake up!” For death stands at your door. This is the guest you have invited. This is the one whom you have welcomed to dine with you…. My people have abandoned me, their one true God, to serve idols. In My place, the god of self has been erected whose companion is death, the dining guest of your hearts. Come back to Me before it is too late…

Every morning in Paray-le-Monial, the church bells rang, heralding the daily Mass. I marvelled at the beauty of this sound, a song of praise that has risen in the French countryside for centuries. But suddenly, I perceived that these bells were going to be silenced. ^[8]cf. “Silence the Bells”, www.atheistactivist.org Indeed, I learned a few days later that during the French Revolution the great bells of Notre Dame were cut down and destroyed, melted down in the fires of hatred. I felt very sad, but sensed in that moment the Lord saying:

Do not mourn the passing of these things. For the glory of these churches will crumble beneath the terror of the Antichrist who will seek to remove every vestige of My glory and presence. But his reign will be short, his eternity long.

Behold, I will rebuild My house, and she will be more glorious than the latter.

The house the Lord is speaking of is not that which is built with brick and mortar, but the temple of the Holy Spirit, the Body of Christ.  ^[9]cf. The Prophecy at Rome The Church must pass through the thresher so as to sift the weeds from the wheat at the end of this age. But the grain that is purified will become a perfect sacrifice of praise. ^[10]cf. Wedding Preparations

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. 677

LABOURERS ARE FEW

As we approach the harvest at the end of this age, once again the Lord’s words ring true: “the harvest is plenty but laborers are few…” ^[11]Matt 9:37 This blog exists for the main purpose of preparing you to be one of the laborers of this great harvest. In fact, the Holy Father is optimistic that the secular nations will once again return to Christ. His optimism, though, is also rooted in reality. He has warned time and again that the “eclipse of reason” in our times has placed “the very future of the world” at stake. ^[12]cf. On the Eve And yet, it is this very darkness which can stir the soul—like the prodigal son—to begin the journey home.

“Modern man is often confused and cannot find answers to the many questions which trouble his mind in reference to the meaning of life,” said the Pope. And yet, he observed, man “cannot avoid these questions which touch on the very meaning of self and of reality.” Consequently, modern man often despairs and simply withdraws from “the search for the essential meaning of life,” settling instead for “things which give him fleeting happiness, a moment’s satisfaction, but which soon leave him unhappy and unsatisfied.” —Vatican City, October 15th, 2011, Catholic News Agency

I have written about this Great Vaccum, and how the prophetic warnings of Benedict are to be taken seriously. Man is essentially religious, ^[13]cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 28 and thus, he will always seek to worship something, even if it is his intellect (as is the case with the new atheists). The danger is that we know Satan will seek to fill that void that man is attempting to cast off in this Great Revolution. 

They worshiped the dragon because it gave its authority to the beast; they also worshiped the beast and said, “Who can compare with the beast or who can fight against it?” (Rev 13:4)

But he and his followers will ultimately fail, and the nations will at last embrace Christ and the Gospel for a time. ^[14]see The Popes, and the Dawning Era This, at least, is the vision of the Early Church Fathers in their interpretation of Revelation and the words of our Lord. ^[15]cf. The Coming Dominion of the Church and The Coming of the Kingdom of God

The more noteworthy of the prophecies bearing upon “latter times” seem to have one common end, to announce great calamities impending over mankind, the triumph of the Church, and the renovation of the world. —Catholic Encyclopedia, “Prophecy”, www.newadvent.org

What is the timeline of all this? I have no idea. What is essential, however, is that we Prepare! There are a few ways to respond to all of this, of course. What is yours?

Admiring the beautiful rose-shaped stained-glass windows in Notre Dame, a nun accompanying us on our journey leaned over and explained a bit of history. “When it was discovered that the Germans were going to bomb Paris,” she whispered, “workers were sent up to remove these windows, which were then stored deep in underground vaults.” Dear reader, we can either ignore the warnings on this site (and I am speaking not of my own, but that of the pontiffs—see Why Aren’t the Popes Shouting?) and pretend that our broken civilization will continue along as it is… or prepare our hearts for the difficult yet hopeful times ahead. As they protected the windows of Notre Dame by taking them underground, so too, the Church has to, even now, enter “underground.” That is, we need to prepare for these times by entering into the interior of the heart where God dwells, and there, converse with Him frequently, love Him, and let Him love us. For unless we are connected to God, in love with Him, letting Him transform us, how can we be witnesses of His love and mercy to the world? In fact, as truth disappears from the horizion of humanity ^[16]In our days, when in vast areas of the world the faith is in danger of dying out like a flame which no longer has fuel, the overriding priority is to make God present in this world and to show men and women the way to God… The real problem at this moment of our history is that God is disappearing from the human horizon, and, with the dimming of the light which comes from God, humanity is losing its bearings, with increasingly evident destructive effects. —Letter of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to All the Bishops of the World, March 10, 2009; Catholic Online it is precisely within the hearts of His remnant where truth is being preserved. It is up to us individually now to continually fan into flame the embers through prayer and devotion to His will, lest they die out. ^[17]see The Smoldering Candle, Custody of the Heart, and Recollection

Indeed, this preparation for the most part is no different than how we should prepare for the end of our personal lives, which could very well be this night. The best way to prepare for the future is to be grounded in the present, living the will of God with love, surrender, trust and joy. ^[18]cf. Sacrament of the Present Moment In this way, we can truly be…

…signs of hope, able to look to the future with the certainty that comes from the Lord Jesus, who has conquered death and gave us eternal life. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Vatican City, October 15th, 2011, Catholic News Agency