Sorrow of Sorrows

 

THE past few weeks, two crucifixes and a statue of Mary in our home have had their hands broken off—at least two of them inexplicably. In fact, just about every statue in our home has a missing hand. It reminded me of a writing I did on this on February 13th, 2007. I think it is no coincidence, especially in light of the continuing controversies surrounded the extraordinary Synod on the Family currently taking place in Rome. For it seems that we are watching—in real time—at least the first beginnings of part of the Storm that many of us have been warning for years would come: an emerging schism… 

Again, the following was first published on February 13th, 2007. I have updated it with current events…

 

BREAKING

Tears of sorrow. They have been welling up in me the past week, as the Lord has taken me through a series of interior “lights” which I will try to unfold here, with His grace.

Last year (2006), as the Lord was pouring forth what seemed to be strong prophetic words (which I have summarized in The Petals, and expounded upon in Trumpets of Warning!), I noticed a number of crucifixes in our home and tour bus had broken—almost always at the hands or arms. I felt there was a message… but I didn’t know what. 

Then during the past few weeks, three more crucifixes have broken, once again at the arms. I wrote the spiritual director of my writings, not wanting to read anything into what appeared to be simple accidents. He too relayed that crucifixes have broken at the arms in his home. But in his case, no one had touched them.

It wasn’t until I sat down to begin writing you that suddenly I understood: the Body of Christ is breaking, and about to be broken…

 

FALL FROM GRACE

A few years back, I had a vivid dream that repeated in various forms. ^[1]In the beginning of this writing apostolate, I had many strong, powerful dreams that later would make sense as I studied the Church’s teaching on eschatology. It would always begin with the stars in the sky beginning to circle and spin about. Suddenly they would fall. In one dream, the stars turned into balls of fire. There was a great earthquake. As I began to bolt for cover, I vividly remember running past a Church whose foundations had crumbled, its stained-glass windows now tilted toward the earth.

Last week, a brother in Christ happened to write me with the following account: 

Just before waking up this morning I heard a voice. This was not like the voice I heard years back saying “It has begun.” Instead, this voice was softer, not as commanding, but seemed loving and knowledgeable and quiet in tone. I would say more of a female’s voice than a male’s. What I heard was one sentence… these words were powerful (since this morning I have been trying to push them out of my mind and cannot):

“The stars will fall.”

Even writing this now I can hear the words still echo in my mind and the funny thing, it felt like sooner than later, whatever sooner really is.

In Revelation 12, it says:

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. (Revelations 12:1-4)

The “woman”, according to biblical exegesis and papal commentary, is a symbol for both Mary and the Church. ^[2]cf. Interpreting Revelation In his literary analysis of Revelation, the late author Steven Paul deduces that the “star” is a symbol for a member of the priesthood. ^[3]The Apocalypse—Letter by Letter; iUniverse, 2006

Recall that the Book of Revelation began with seven letters written to the seven Churches of Asia
(see Revelation Illumination)—the number “seven” again is symbolic of wholeness or perfection. Thus, the letters may apply to the whole Church. Though bearing words of encouragement, they also call the Church to repentance, for she is the light of the world who scatters the darkness, and in some ways—particularly the Holy Father himself—is also the restrainer ^[4]cf. 2 Thess 2:7 holding back the powers of darkness (read Removing the Restrainer).

Abraham, the father of faith, is by his faith the rock that holds back chaos, the onrushing primordial flood of destruction, and thus sustains creation. Simon, the first to confess Jesus as the Christ… now becomes by virtue of his Abrahamic faith, which is renewed in Christ, the rock that stands against the impure tide of unbelief and its destruction of man. —POPE BENEDICT XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger), Called to Communion, Understanding the Church Today, Adrian Walker, Tr., p. 55-56

Thus, the letters of Revelation set the stage for judgment, first of the Church, and then the world.

For it is time for the judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, how will it end for those who fail to obey the gospel of God? (1 Pet 4:17)

As I wrote in 2014 after the opening session of the Synod of the Family, I sensed that we are “living the letters of Revelation.” ^[5]see The Five Corrections So I was stunned when I realized that Pope Francis’ five rebukes to the bishops at the end of the Synod were a direct parallel of the five rebukes that Jesus gave to the churches in Revelation (see The Five Corrections). Again, brothers and sisters, it seems to me that we are living the eschatological aspect of the Book of Revelation in real time. ^[6]cf. Living the Book of Revelation

 

FALLING STARS

The letters are addressed to the “seven stars” who appear in Jesus’ hand at the beginning of the vision to St. John:

This is the secret meaning of the seven stars you saw in my right hand, and of the seven gold lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (Rev 1:20)

The “angels” here again likely means the pastors of the Church. As The Navarre Bible commentary notes:

The angels of the seven churches may stand for the bishops in charge of them, or else the guardian angels who watch over them… Whichever is the case, the best things is to see the angels of the churches, to whom the letters are addressed, as meaning those who rule and protect each church in Christ’s name. —The Book of Revelation, “The Navarre Bible”, p. 36

Some have seen in the “angel” of each of the seven churches its pastor or a personification of the spirit of the congregation. —New American Bible, footnote for Rev. 1:20

Here is the main point: Scripture tells us that a portion of these “stars” will fall away or be cast out ^[7]cf. The Seven Year Trial — Part IV in an “apostasy”. ^[8]cf. 2 Thess 2:3

Heaven is the Church which in the night of this present life, the while it possesses in itself the countless virtues of the saints, shines like the radiant heavenly stars; but the dragon’s tail sweeps the stars down to the earth… The stars which fall from heaven are those who have lost hope in heavenly things and covet, under the devil’s guidance, the sphere of earthly glory. —St. Gregory the Great, Moralia, 32, 13

Here, the words of Pope Paul VI take on a powerful relevance.

The tail of the devil is functioning in the disintegration of the Catholic world. The darkness of Satan has entered and spread throughout the Catholic Church even to its summit. Apostasy, the loss of the faith, is spreading throughout the world and into the highest levels within the Church. —Address on the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Fatima Apparitions, October 13, 1977

St. John is given further visions of falling celestial objects that are called “trumpets”. First, there falls from the sky “hail and fire mixed with blood” then a “burning mountain” and then a “star burning like a torch”. ^[9]Rev 8:6-12 Are these “trumpets” symbolic of a third of priests, bishops, and cardinals? Indeed, the Dragon “swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth.” ^[10]Rev 12:4 The dragon—who works through a conglomeration of powers, both hidden and organized ^[11]cf. Global Revolution! and Mystery Babylon—sweeps a third of the stars from Heaven. That is, perhaps, a third of the Church hierarchy is swept away in an apostasy, along with those who follow them. ^[12]cf. Wormwood

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition. (2 Thess 2:1-3) 

 

COMING SCHISM

Already, as I have written in Trumpets of Warning!-Part I, it seems that we are witnessing the “prologue” to this coming schism. Confusion reigns among the sheepfolds of the Church: moral doctrines are ignored by many of the laity, disregarded by several clergy, and now—as we are hearing in the Synod on the Family—being pushed aside by some Cardinals in favor of a more “pastoral” approach. But as Pope Francis warned last year, this line of thinking is a…

…temptation to a destructive tendency to goodness, that in the name of a deceptive mercy binds the wounds without first curing them and treating them; that treats the symptoms and not the causes and the roots. It is the temptation of the “do-gooders,” of the fearful, and also of the so-called “progressives and liberals.” —POPE FRANCIS, closing remarks at first sessions of the Synod, Catholic News Agency, October 18th, 2014

It calls to mind the words of Ezekiel 34:

Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost… So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts.

Could we not say that the soil for this temptation has been prepared for decades now by a Church that has been lulled to sleep by modernism, consumerism, and now moral relativism?

Satan may adopt the more alarming weapons of deceit—he may hide himself—he may attempt to seduce us in little things, and so to move the Church, not all at once, but by little and little from her true position.—Blessed John Henry Newman, Sermon IV: The Persecution of Antichrist

Now, suddenly, there is strange language being used by clerics ^[13]cf. Anti-Mercy that is thoroughly un-Catholic as they propose a divorce between doctrine and pastoral practice. It is Protestantism in a zucchetto. ^[14]A “zucchetto” is the skullcap or “beanie” the Cardinals wear.

God will permit a great evil against the Church: heretics and tyrants will come suddenly and unexpectedly; they will break into the Church while bishops, prelates, and priests are asleep. —Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (1613-1658 A.D.); Antichrist and the End Times, Rev. Joseph Iannuzzi, p.30

 

THE ATTACK AGAINST PETER

As I wrote some time ago, the attack on the Chair of Peter is a thermometer of apostasy. ^[15]cf. The Pope: Thermometer of Apostasy And today, that attack has reached extraordinary levels. Confusion abounds as many false prophets have arisen to suggest that our validly elected Pope is himself a “false prophet”, the “beast” of Revelation 13, a “destroyer” of the faith. These allegations arise from an internal blindness, if not vanity, that has not only lost sight of Christ’s Petrine promises, but has become a self-fulfilling prophecy in forging a new schism among conservative Catholics. In this regard, St. Leopold’s prophecy takes on a new light; was he referring to an “ultra-conservative” schism?

Be careful to preserve your faith, because in the future, the Church in the U.S.A. will be separated from Rome. —Antichrist and the End Times, Fr. Joseph Iannuzzi, St. Andrew’s Productions, P. 31

Or—if the prophecy is authentic—was he referring to those who will follow the progressive thinking of the spiritual zeitgeist of our times who are essentially abandoning the Holy Father? Or both? Regardless, I have never read a prophecy from an approved source that speaks of a validly elected pontiff becoming a heretic—which would be in contradiction to Matthew 16:18 where Christ declares Peter to be “rock.” ^[16]read Can a Pope Become a Heretic by Fr. Joseph Iannuzzi Indeed, at the end of the first synodal sessions last year, Pope Francis made a thunderous pronouncement in defence of Sacred Tradition. 

The Pope, in this context, is not the supreme lord, but rather the supreme servant – the “servant of the servants of God”; the guarantor of the obedience and the conformity of the Church to the will of God, to the Gospel of Christ, and to the Tradition of the Church, putting aside every personal whim, despite being – by the will of Christ Himself – the “supreme Pastor and Teacher of all the faithful” and despite enjoying “supreme, full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church”. —POPE FRANCIS, closing remarks on the Synod; Catholic News Agency, October 18th, 2014

Several prophecies, on the contrary, point to a time when the chief shepherd, the pope, will be struck in one form or another by his enemies, leaving the Catholic Church to appear shepherdless.

Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered. (Zec 13:7)

Religion shall be persecuted, and priests massacred. Churches shall be closed, but only for a short time. The Holy Father shall be obliged to leave Rome. —Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi, Catholic Prophecy 

I saw one of my successors taking to flight over the bodies of his brethren. He will take refuge in disguise somewhere; after a short retirement he will die a cruel death. The present wickedness of the world is only the beginning of the sorrows which must take place before the end of the world. —POPE PIUS X, Catholic Prophecy, p. 22

Those sorrows, said one saint, appear to be, in part, the result of a terrible division… 

I had another vision of the great tribulation… It seems to me that a concession was demanded from the clergy that could not be granted. I saw many older priests, especially one, who wept bitterly. A few younger ones were also weeping… It was as if people were splitting into two camps. —Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, The Life and Revelations of Anne Catherine Emmerich

 

THE NEW DIVIDE

As I wrote in Persecution!… and the Moral Tsunami, I believe the concession demanded could very well be the legal obligation of an “international body” insisting that the Catholic Church accept alternative forms of marriage, among other things.

…speaking in defense of the life and the rights of the family is becoming, in some societies, a type of crime against the State, a form of disobedience to the Government… —Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, former President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Vatican City, June 28, 2006

The Church’s teachings on contraception, euthanasia, and abortion are continuing to drive a deep gulf, not only between it and the political direction of many countries, but most especially between the Church and lawmakers and those who interpret the law. We are already seeing in lower courts, on regional levels, a willingness to prosecute Christians who maintain orthodox views. Could those “stars” that fall from the Church be those who simply fall in line with the “new religion” of the encroaching totalitarian State?

A new intolerance is spreading… an abstract, negative religion is being made into a tyrannical standard that everyone must follow. In reality, however, this development increasingly leads to an intolerant claim of a new religion… which knows all and, therefore, defines the frame of reference that is now supposed to apply to everyone. In the name of tolerance, tolerance is being abolished. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Light of the World, A Conversation with Peter Seewald, p. 52

If there were hidden divisions in the past, they seem to be manifesting now before our very eyes in Rome, much the way a volcano shows signs of erupting. Already, we see “the smoke of Satan” pouring out… 

The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres…. churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord. —Message given through an apparition to Sr. Agnes Sasagawa of Akita, Japan, October 13th, 1973; approved in June of 1988 by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

 

GLIMPSES

The Lord has been giving me interior glimpses of the confusion and bitter division which will ensue. (Note: that last sentence was written in 2007. As I have written frequently this past year, that confusion has now come as the first winds of the Great Storm). I can only say that it will be a time of great sorrows. It leads me to speak a word of warning in love:  NOW IS THE TIME TO PUT YOUR HEART RIGHT WITH GOD.

Those who feel that they can simply wait until the end to get their house in order are making, I believe, a grave error. As it was too late once the door of Noah’s ark was shut, it will be too late then. Now is the time when Jesus is working supernaturally and secretly, preparing souls who have come to Him, urging us on to persevere through the days ahead. God has permitted a deceiving spirit in our world, and those who put off opening their eyes today may be too blind tomorrow to follow the directions God will be giving His people in the midst of chaos. ^[17]cf. Wisdom and the Convergence of Chaos With love, and a sense of utmost urgency, I repeat:

Today is the day of salvation! Put your heart right with God. Get your spiritual house in order.

“Why do you sleep? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” While [Jesus] was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them.  (Luke 22:46-47)

 

JOHN, AND THE HIDDEN PREPARATION

During the years of Christ’s ministry, the Apostle John never imagined that he would one day stand beneath the Cross of Jesus. As it turns out, he was the only one of the Twelve who did. Why? Scripture notes that Jesus considered John the “beloved” disciple. And we see why at the Last Supper:

One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was lying close to the breast of Jesus. (John 13:23)

John had his ear to the Heart of Jesus. He heard Love whispering to him, a whisper which reached the depths of his soul in ways that He did not comprehend. It was this same apostle who later penned the words, “God is love.”

John found strength to remain beneath the Cross while all the others fled because he was prepared by the Heart of Jesus. For us Catholics, that is the Eucharist. But it is not just a matter of receiving the Eucharist on our tongues, but also in our hearts. For didn’t the betrayer of Christ also partake of the Last Supper?

He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me… one of you will betray me… It is he to whom I shall give this morsel when I have dipped it. (John 13:18, 21, 26)

Indeed, the times are coming when many with whom we have shared the Eucharistic banquet will be set against those who remain faithful to Christ through His authentic pope… division upon division, sorrow of sorrows. 

And so now is the time to prepare our hearts, opening them wide to Jesus so that the graces of the Eucharist, the Scriptures, and our interior prayer penetrate and transform our being. How else can the spirit be strong when the flesh is so weak? Indeed, one betrayed him, one stood by Him—the one who leaned upon the “Body” of Jesus.

Also, I want to note that John stood beneath the Cross with Mary. Perhaps it was seeing her strength, standing there alone, that drew him to her side. Indeed, Mary’s strength, her fortitude, and her faithfulness will always draw you to the feet of Jesus for all her virtues “magnify the Lord.” ^[18]cf. Luke 1:46 And so brothers and sisters, take up the Rosary and pray; do not let go of our Mother’s hand. And with your whole heart receive her Son, our Eucharistic Savior.  In this way, you will acquire the graces necessary to stand with Jesus in the days ahead… the days of sorrow in which the body of Christ will be broken.

He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you.” …Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom… and the earth shook, and the rocks were split. (Luke 22:19; Mark 15:37-38; Matt 27:51) 

But broken only for a time.

Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: I swear I am coming against these shepherds, I will save my sheep, that they may no longer be food for their mouths… For thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark… (Ezekiel 34:1-11; 11-12)

 

RELATED READING:

• The Great Scattering

• Wormwood

• Wormwood and Loyalty

• The Spiritual Tsunami

• The Black Ship – Part I

• The Black Ship – Part II

• Persecution! …and the Moral Tsunami

• The Collapse of America and the New Persecution

• The Seven Year Trial — Part VII

 

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