The Rising Morning Star

MISSING from nearly all Protestant prophecy is what we Catholics call the “Triumph of the Immaculate Heart.” That’s because Evangelical Christians almost universally omit the intrinsic role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in salvation history beyond Christ’s birth—something Scripture itself does not even do. Her role, designated from the very beginning of creation, is closely linked to that of the Church, and like the Church, is oriented entirely toward the glorification of Jesus in the Holy Trinity.

As you will read, the “Flame of Love” of her Immaculate Heart is the rising morning star that will have the dual purpose of crushing Satan and establishing the reign of Christ on earth, as it is in Heaven…

 

FROM THE BEGINNING…

From the very beginning, we see that the introduction of evil into the human race was given an unexpected anti-dote. God says to Satan:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and your seed and her seed: she shall crush your head, and you shall lie in wait for her heel. (Gen 3:15)

Modern biblical transcripts read: “they will strike at your head.” But the meaning is the same because it is through the woman’s offspring that she crushes. Who is that offspring? Of course, it is Jesus Christ. But Scripture itself testifies that He is the “firstborn among many brothers,” ^[1]cf. Rom 8:29 and to them also He bestows His own authority:

Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. (Luke 10:19)

Thus, the “offspring” that crushes includes the Church, Christ’s “body”: they share in His victory. Therefore, logically, Mary is the mother of all the offspring, she who “gave birth to her firstborn son”, ^[2]cf. Luke 2:7 Christ, our Head—but also to His mystical body, the Church. She is mother of both Head and body: ^[3]“Christ and his Church thus together make up the “whole Christ” (Christus totus).” —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 795

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son”… A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun… She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth… Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus. (John 19:26; Rev 12:1-2, 17)

Thus, she too shares in the triumph over evil, and in fact, is the gateway by which it comes—the gateway by which Jesus comes….

 

JESUS IS COMING

…through the tender mercy of our God… the day shall dawn upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:78-79)

This Scripture was fulfilled with Christ’s birth—but not completely.

Christ’s redemptive act did not of itself restore all things, it simply made the work of redemption possible, it began our redemption. —Fr. Walter Ciszek, He Leadeth Me, pg. 116-117

Thus, Jesus continues to come to increase His reign, and soon, in a singular, powerful, era-changing way. St. Bernard describes this as a “middle coming” of Christ.

In his first coming Our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit and power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty… —St. Bernard, Liturgy of the Hours, Vol I, p. 169

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI affirmed that this “middle coming” is in keeping with Catholic theology.

Whereas people had previously spoken only of a twofold coming of Christ—once in Bethlehem and again at the end of time—Saint Bernard of Clairvaux spoke of an adventus medius, an intermediate coming, thanks to which he periodically renews His intervention in history. I believe that Bernard’s distinction strikes just the right note… —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Light of the World, p.182-183, A Conversation With Peter Seewald

The right note is that this “intermediate coming,” says Bernard, “is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved.” ^[4]cf. Liturgy of the Hours, Vol I, p. 169

Why not ask him to send us new witnesses of his presence today, in whom he himself will come to us? And this prayer, while it is not directly focused on the end of the world, is nevertheless a real prayer for his coming; it contains the full breadth of the prayer that he himself taught us: “Your kingdom come!” Come, Lord Jesus! —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, p. 292, Ignatius Press

 

LOOK TO THE EAST!

Jesus comes to us in many ways: in the Eucharist, in the Word, where “two or three are gathered,” in the “least of the brothers,” in the person of the sacramental priest… and in these last times, He is being given to us once again, through the Mother, as a “Flame of Love” emerging from her Immaculate Heart. As Our Lady revealed to Elizabeth Kindelmann in her approved messages:

…my Flame of Love… is Jesus Christ himself. —The Flame of Love, p. 38, from Elizabeth Kindelmann’s diary; 1962; Imprimatur Archbishop Charles Chaput

Although the language of “second” and “middle” is interchanged in the following passage, this is what St. Louis de Montfort referred to in his classic treatise on devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary:

The Holy Spirit speaking through the Fathers of the Church, also calls our Lady the Eastern Gate, through which the High Priest, Jesus Christ, enters and goes out into the world. Through this gate he entered the world the first time and through this same gate he will come the second time. —St. Louis de Montfort, Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, n. 262

This “hidden” coming of Jesus in Spirit is the equivalent to the coming of the Kingdom of God. This is what is meant by the “triumph of the Immaculate Heart” that Our Lady promised at Fatima. Indeed, Pope Benedict prayed four years ago that God would “hasten the fulfillment of the prophecy of the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” ^[5]cf. Homily, Fatima, Portugal, May 13th, 2010 He qualified this statement in an interview with Peter Seewald:

I said the “triumph” will draw closer. This is equivalent in meaning to our praying for the coming of God’s Kingdom… the triumph of God, the triumph of Mary, are quiet, they are real nonetheless. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Light of the World, p. 166, A Conversation With Peter Seewald

It may even be… that the Kingdom of God means Christ himself, whom we daily desire to come, and whose coming we wish to be manifested quickly to us… —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2816

So now we see coming into focus what the Flame of Love is: it is the coming and increase of Christ’s Kingdom, from Mary’s heart, to our hearts—like a new Pentecost—that will suppress evil and establish his reign of peace and justice to the ends of the earth. Scripture, in fact, speaks explicitly of this coming of Christ that is clearly not the parousia at the end of time, but an intermediate stage.

Then I saw the heavens opened, and there was a white horse; its rider was called “Faithful and True”… Out of his mouth came a sharp sword to strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod… She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod… [The martyrs] came to life and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (Rev 19:11, 15; 12:5; 20:4)

…he can also be understood as the Kingdom of God, for in him we shall reign. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 764

 

THE MORNING STAR

The “Flame of Love” that is coming is, according to the revelations to Elizabeth Kindelmann, a grace that will bring about a ‘new world.’ This is in perfect harmony with the Church Fathers who foresaw that, after the destruction of the “lawless one”, Isaiah’s prophecy of an “era of peace” would be fulfilled when “the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea.” ^[6]cf. Isa 11:9

St. Thomas and St. John Chrysostom explain the words quem Dominus Jesus destruet illustratione adventus sui (“whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the brightness of His coming” [2 Thess 2:8]) in the sense that Christ will strike the Antichrist by dazzling him with a brightness that will be like an omen and sign of His Second Coming… The most authoritative view, and the one that appears to be most in harmony with Holy Scripture, is that, after the fall of the Antichrist, the Catholic Church will once again enter upon a period of prosperity and triumph. —The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life, Fr. Charles Arminjon (1824-1885), p. 56-57; Sophia Institute Press

The Flame of Love that is here and coming upon the Church is first of all the “brightness” of the coming of her Son that Our Lady herself is “clothed” with in Revelation 12.

Ever since the Word became Flesh, I have not undertaken a greater movement than the Flame of Love from My Heart who rushes to you. Till now, nothing could blind Satan as much. —Our Lady to Elizabeth Kindelmann, The Flame of Love

It is the brightness of a new dawn rising quietly in hearts, Christ “the morning star” (Rev 22:16).

…we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (2 Pet 2:19)

This Flame of Love, or “morning star,” is given to those who open their hearts to it through conversion, obedience, and expectant prayer. Indeed, no one really notices the morning star rise before dawn unless they look for it. Jesus promises that these expectant souls will share in His reign—using precisely the language that refers to Himself:

To the victor, who keeps to my ways until the end, I will give authority over the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. Like clay vessels will they be smashed, just as I received authority from my Father. And to him I will give the morning star. (Rev 2:26-28)

Jesus, who calls himself “the morning star,” says He will give to the victor “the morning star.” What does this mean? Again, that He—His Kingdom—will be given as an inheritance, a Kingdom that will reign for a time throughout all the nations before the end of the world.

Ask it of me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, and, as your possession, the ends of the earth. With an iron rod you will shepherd them, like a potter’s vessel you will shatter them. (Psalm 2:8)

In case anyone thinks this is a departure from Church teachings, listen again to the words of the Magisterium:

“And they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.” May God… shortly bring to fulfillment His prophecy for transforming this consoling vision of the future into a present reality… It is God’s task to bring about this happy hour and to make it known to all… When it does arrive, it will turn out to be a solemn hour, one big with consequences not only for the restoration of the Kingdom of Christ, but for the pacification of… the world. We pray most fervently, and ask others likewise to pray for this much-desired pacification of society. —POPE PIUS XI, Ubi Arcani dei Consilioi “On the Peace of Christ in his Kingdom”, December 23, 1922

We do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven, only in another state of existence… —Tertullian (155–240 A.D.), Nicene Church Father; Adversus Marcion, Ante-Nicene Fathers, Henrickson Publishers, 1995, Vol. 3, pp. 342-343)

 

THE TRIUMPH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART

This coming or outpouring of the Kingdom has the effect of “breaking” the power of Satan who, notably, once himself held the title “Morning Star, son of the dawn.” ^[7]cf. Isa 14:12 No wonder Satan is so enraged against Our Lady, for the Church is going to shine with the refulgence that was once his, that now is hers, and is to be ours! For ‘Mary is the symbol and the most perfect realization of the Church.’ ^[8]cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 507

The soft light of my Flame of Love will light up spreading fire over the entire surface of the earth, humiliating Satan rendering him powerless, completely disabled. Do not contribute to prolong the pains of childbirth. —Our Lady to Elizabeth Kindelmann; The Flame of Love, Imprimatur from Archbishop Charles Chaput

Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon… The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it… 

Note how after Satan’s power is diminished, ^[9]This is not a reference to the primordial battle when Lucifer fell from God’s presence, taking with him other fallen angels. “Heaven” in this sense refers to the domain that Satan still has a “ruler of the world.” St. Paul tells us that we do not battle with flesh and blood, but with “the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. (Eph 6:12) St. John hears a loud voice declare:

Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out… But woe to you, earth and sea, for the Devil has come down to you in great fury, for he knows he has but a short time. (Rev 12:10, 12)

This breaking of Satan’s power causes him to concentrate into the “beast” what’s left of his authority. But whether they live or whether they die, those who have welcomed the Flame of Love rejoice because they will reign with Christ in the new Era. Our Lady’s triumph is the establishment of the reign of her Son among the nations in one flock under one shepherd.

…the Spirit of Pentecost will flood the earth with his power… People will believe and will create a new world… The face of the earth will be renewed because something like this has not happened since the Word became flesh. —Jesus to Elizabeth Kindelmann, The Flame of Love, p. 61

St. Louis de Montfort summarizes this triumph beautifully:

As it was through Mary that God came into the world the first time in a state of self-abasement and privation, may we not say that it will be again through Mary that he will come the second time? For does not the whole Church expect him to come and reign over all the earth and to judge the living and the dead? No one knows how and when this will come to pass, but we do know that God, whose thoughts are further from ours than heaven is from earth, will come at a time and in a manner least expected, even by the most scholarly of men and those most versed in Holy Scripture, which gives no clear guidance on this subject.

We are given reason to believe that, towards the end of time and perhaps sooner than we expect, God will raise up great men filled with the Holy Spirit and imbued with the spirit of Mary. Through them Mary, Queen most powerful, will work great wonders in the world, destroying sin and setting up the kingdom of Jesus her Son upon the ruins of the corrupt kingdom of the world. These holy men will accomplish this by means of the devotion [ie. Marian consecration]… —St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of Mary, n. 58-59

Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us waste no time in joining Our Lady and praying for this “new Pentecost”, her triumph, that her Son may reign in us, like a living Flame of Love—and quickly!

Can we pray, therefore, for the coming of Jesus? Can we sincerely say: “Marantha! Come Lord Jesus!”? Yes, we can. And not only for that: we must! We pray for anticipations of his world-changing presence. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, p. 292, Ignatius Press

 

First published June 5th, 2014

 

RELATED READING

• Is Jesus Really Coming? A look at the remarkable “big picture” emerging…

• The Triumph – Part I, Part II, Part III

• Dear Holy Father… He is Coming

Introductory writings on the Flame of Love:

• The Convergence and the Blessing

• More on the Flame of Love

• The New Gideon