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The Winds of Change

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“Mary’s Pope”; photo by Gabriel Bouys/Getty Images

 

First published May 10th, 2007… It’s interesting to note what is said at the end of this—the sense of a “pause” coming before the “Storm” would begin to swirl in greater and greater chaos as we begin to approach the “Eye.” I believe we are entering that chaos now, which also serves a purpose. More on that tomorrow… 

 

IN our last few concert tours of the United States and Canada, [1]My wife and our children at that time we have noticed that no matter where we go, strong sustained winds have followed us. At home now, these winds have barely taken a break. Others I have spoken to have also noticed an increase of winds.

It is a sign, I believe, of the presence of our Blessed Mother and her Spouse, the Holy Spirit. From the story of Our Lady of Fatima:

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 My wife and our children at that time

Creation Reborn

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THE “culture of death”, that Great Culling and The Great Poisoning, are not the final word. The havoc wreaked upon the planet by man is not the final say on human affairs. For neither the New nor the Old Testament speak of the end of the world after the influence and reign of the “beast.” Rather, they speak of a divine renovation of the earth where true peace and justice will reign for a time as the “knowledge of the Lord” spreads from sea to sea (cf. Is 11:4-9; Jer 31:1-6; Ezek 36:10-11; Mic 4:1-7; Zech 9:10; Matt 24:14; Rev 20:4).

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD; all the families of nations will bow low before him. (Ps 22:28)

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And So, It Comes

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for February 13th-15th, 2017

Liturgical texts here

Cain slaying Abel, Titian, c. 1487—1576

 

This is an important writing for you and your family. It is an address to the hour in which humanity is now living. I have combined three meditations in one so that the flow of thought remains unbroken.There are some serious and powerful prophetic words here worth discerning at this hour….

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The Great Poisoning

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FEW writings have ever led me to the point of tears, as this one has. Three years ago, the Lord put it on my heart to write about The Great Poisoning. Since then, the poisoning of our world has only increased exponentially. The bottom line is that much of what we consume, drink, breathe, bathe and clean with, is toxic. The health and well-being of people all over the world are being compromised as cancer rates, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, allergies, auto-immune conditions and drug-resistant diseases continue to sky-rocket at alarming rates. And the cause of much of this is within an arm’s length of most people.

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A Catholic Answer to the Refugee Crisis

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Refugees, courtesy Associated Press

 

IT is one of the most volatile topics in the world right now—and one of the least balanced discussions at that: refugees, and what do with the overwhelming exodus. St. John Paul II called the issue “perhaps the greatest tragedy of all the human tragedies of our time.” [1]Address to Refugees in Exile at Morong, Philippines, Feb. 21st, 1981 For some, the answer is simple: take them in, whenever, however many they are, and whomever they may be. For others, it is more complex, thereby demanding a more measured and restrained response; at stake, they say, is not only the safety and wellbeing of individuals fleeing violence and persecution, but the safety and stability of nations. If that is the case, what is the middle road, one that safeguards the dignity and lives of genuine refugees while at the same time safeguarding the common good? What is our response as Catholics to be?

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Address to Refugees in Exile at Morong, Philippines, Feb. 21st, 1981

Come Away With Me

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While writing about the Storm of Fear, Temptation, Division, and Confusion recently, the writing below was lingering in the back of my mind. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says to the Apostles, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” [1]Mark 6:31 There is so much happening, so fast in our world as we approach the Eye of the Storm, that we risk getting disoriented and “lost” if we don’t heed our Master’s words… and enter into the solitude of prayer where He can, as the Psalmist says, give “me repose beside restful waters”. 

First published April 28th, 2015…

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Mark 6:31

A Matter of the Heart

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday, January 30th, 2017

Liturgical texts here

A monk praying; photo by Tony O’Brien, Christ in the Desert Monastery

 

THE Lord has put many things on my heart to write you in just the past few days. Again, there is a certain sense that time is of the essence. Since God is in eternity, I know this sense of urgency, then, is merely a nudge to wake us up, to stir us again to vigilance and Christ’s perennial words to “watch and pray.” Many of us do a fairly thorough job of watching… but if we do not also pray, things will go badly, very badly in these times (see Hell Unleashed). For what is needed most at this hour is not knowledge so much as divine wisdom. And this, dear friends, is a matter of the heart.

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The Great Ark

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Look Up by Michael D. O’Brien

 

If there is a Storm in our times, will God provide an “ark”? The answer is “Yes!” But perhaps never before have Christians doubted this provision so much as in our times as controversy over Pope Francis rages, and the rational minds of our post-modern era must grapple with the mystical. Nonetheless, here is the Ark Jesus is providing for us at this hour. I will also address “what to do” in the Ark in the days ahead. First published May 11th, 2011. 

 

JESUS said that the period before His eventual return would be “as it was in the days of Noah…” That is, many would be oblivious to the Storm gathering around them: “They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.” [1]Matt 24:37-29 St. Paul indicated that the coming of the “Day of the Lord” would be “like a thief in the night.” [2]1 These 5:2 This Storm, as the Church teaches, contains the Passion of the Church, who will follow her Head in her own passage through a corporate “death” and resurrection. [3]Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 675 Just as many of the “leaders” of the temple and even the Apostles themselves seemed unaware, even to the last moment, that Jesus had to truly suffer and die, so too many in the Church seem oblivious to the consistent prophetic warnings of the popes and the Blessed Mother—warnings that announce and signal a…

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Matt 24:37-29
↑2 1 These 5:2
↑3 Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 675

The Storm of Confusion

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“You are the light of the world” (Matt 5:14)

 

AS I attempt to pen this writing to you today, I confess, I have had to start over several times. The reason is that The Storm of Fear to doubt God and His promises, The Storm of Temptation to turn to worldly solutions and security, and The Storm of Division that has sown judgments and suspicions in people’s hearts… means that many are losing their capacity to trust as they are engulfed in a whirlwind of confusion. And so, I ask you to bear with me, to be patient as I too pick the dust and debris from my eyes (it’s awfully windy up here on the wall!). There is a way through this Storm of Confusion, but it will demand your trust—not in me—but in Jesus, and the Ark He is providing. There are crucial and practical things I will address. But first, a few “now words” on the present moment and the big picture…

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The Storm of Division

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Hurricane Sandy, Photograph by Ken Cedeno, Corbis Images

 

WHETHER it has been global politics, the recent American presidential campaign, or family relationships, we are living in a time when divisions are becoming more glaring, intense and bitter. In fact, the more we are connected by social media, the more divided we seem to be as Facebook, forums, and comment sections become a platform by which to disparage the other—even one’s own kin… even one’s own pope. I receive letters from all over the world that mourn the terrible divisions that many are experiencing, particularly within their families. And now we are seeing the remarkable and perhaps even prophesied disunity of “cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops” as foretold by Our Lady of Akita in 1973.

The question, then, is how to bring yourself, and hopefully your family, through this Storm of Division?

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The Storm of Temptation

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Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images

 

TEMPTATION is as old as human history. But what is new about temptation in our times is that sin has never been so accessible, so pervasive, and so acceptable. It could rightly be said that there is a veritable deluge of impurity sweeping through the world. And this has a profound effect upon us in three ways. One, is that it attacks the innocence of the soul just to be exposed to the most egregious evils; second, the constant near occasion of sin leads to weariness; and thirdly, the frequent fall of the Christian into these sins, even venial, begins to whittle away contentment and his or her confidence in God leading to anxiety, discouragement, and depression, thereby obscuring the joyful counter-witness of the Christian in the world.

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Why Faith?

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Artist Unknown

 

For by grace you have been saved
through faith… (Eph 2:8)

 

HAVE you ever wondered why it is through “faith” that we are saved? Why doesn’t Jesus just appear to the world announcing that He has reconciled us to the Father, and call us to repent? Why does He often seem so distant, so untouchable, intangible, such that we sometimes have to wrestle with doubts? Why doesn’t He walk among us again, producing many miracles and letting us look into His eyes of love?  

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The Storm of Fear

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IT can be almost fruitless to speak of how to battle against the storms of temptation, division, confusion, oppression, and such unless we have an unshakable confidence in God’s love for us. That is the context for not only this discussion, but for the entire Gospel.

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Coming Through the Storm

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Fort Lauderdale Airport aftermath… when will the madness end?  Courtesy nydailynews.com

 

THERE has been a great deal of attention on this website to the exterior dimensions of the Storm that has descended upon the world… a Storm that has been in the making for centuries, if not millenia. However, what is most important is being aware of the interior aspects of the Storm that are raging in many souls that are becoming more evident by the day: the storm surge of temptation, the winds of division, the rainfall of errors, the roar of oppression, and so forth. Nearly every red-blooded male I encounter these days is struggling against pornography. Families and marriages everywhere are being torn asunder by divisions and fighting. Errors and confusion are spreading regarding moral absolutes and the nature of authentic love… Few, it seems, realize what is happening, and it can be explained in one simple Scripture:

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Christmas is Never Over

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CHRISTMAS is over? You’d think so by the world’s standards. The “top forty” has replaced Christmas music; sales signs have replaced ornaments; lights have been dimmed and Christmas trees kicked to the curb. But for us as Catholic Christians, we are still in the midst of a contemplative gaze at the Word who has become flesh—God become man. Or at least, it should be so. We still await the revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles, to those Magi who travel from afar to see the Messiah, the one who is to “shepherd” God’s people. This “epiphany” (commemorated this Sunday) is, in fact, the pinnacle of Christmas, because it reveals that Jesus is no longer “just” for the Jews, but for every man, woman and child who wanders in darkness.

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Jesus

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday, December 31st, 2016
The Seventh Day of the Nativity of Our Lord and
Vigil of the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of God

Liturgical texts here


Embracing Hope, by Léa Mallett

 

THERE is one word on my heart on this eve of the Solemnity of the Mother of God:

Jesus.

This is the “now word” on the threshold of 2017, the “now word” I hear Our Lady prophesying over the nations and the Church, over families and souls:

JESUS.

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The Sifted

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday, December 26th, 2016
Feast of St. Stephen the Martyr

Liturgical texts here

St. Stephen the Martyr, Bernardo Cavallino (d. 1656)

 

To be a martyr is to feel the storm coming and willingly to endure it at the call of duty, for Christ’s sake, and for the good of the brethren. —Blessed John Henry Newman, from Magnificat, Dec. 26th, 2016

 

IT may seem odd that, the very next day after the joyful feast of Christmas Day, we commemorate the martyrdom of the first professed Christian. And yet, it is most fitting, because this Babe whom we adore is also a Babe whom we must follow—from the crib to the Cross. While the world races to the nearest stores for “Boxing Day” sales, Christians are called on this day to flee from the world and refocus their eyes and hearts upon eternity. And that requires a renewed renunciation of self—most especially, the renunciation of being liked, accepted, and blended into the landscape of the world. And this all the more as those who hold fast to moral absolutes and Sacred Tradition today are being labeled as “haters”, “rigid”, “intolerant”, “dangerous”, and “terrorists” of the common good.

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Prisoner of Love

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“Baby Jesus” by Deborah Woodall

 

HE comes to us as a baby… gently, quietly, helplessly. He does not arrive with a retinue of guards or with an overwhelming apparition. He comes as an infant, his hands and feet powerless to hurt anyone. He comes as if to say,

I have not come to condemn you, but to give you life.

A baby. A prisoner of love. 

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Our Compass

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday, December 21st, 2016

Liturgical texts here

 

IN the Spring of 2014, I went through a terrible darkness. I felt tremendous doubts, surges of fear, despair, terror, and abandonment. I began one day with prayer as usual, and then… she came.

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The Kingdom Will Never End

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday, December 20th, 2016

Liturgical texts here

The Annunciation; Sandro Botticelli; 1485

 

AMONG the most powerful and prophetic words spoken to Mary by the angel Gabriel was the promise that her Son’s Kingdom would never end. This is good news for those who fear that the Catholic Church is in its death throws…

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Capitalism and the Beast

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YES, God’s Word will be vindicated… but standing in the way, or at least trying to, will be what St. John calls a “beast.” It is a false kingdom offering to the world a false hope and false security through technology, transhumanism, and a generic spirituality that makes “a pretense of religion but denies its power.” [1]2 Tim 3:5 That is, it will be Satan’s version of the kingdom of God—without God. It will be so convincing, so seemingly reasonable, so irresistible, that the world in general will “worship” it. [2]Rev 13:12 The word for worship here in the Latin is adorare: people will “adore” the Beast.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 2 Tim 3:5
↑2 Rev 13:12

Vindication and Glory

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday, December 13th, 2016
Opt. Memorial of St. John of the Cross

Liturgical texts here


From the Creation of Adam, Michelangelo, c. 1511

 

“OH well, I tried.”

Somehow, after thousands of years of salvation history, the suffering, death and Resurrection of the Son of God, the arduous journey of the Church and her saints through the centuries… I doubt those will be the Lord’s words in the end. Scripture tells us otherwise:

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The Great Deliverance

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday, December 13th, 2016
Opt. Memorial of St. Lucy

Liturgical texts here

 

AMONG the Old Testament prophets who foretell a great purification of the world followed by an era of peace is Zephaniah. He echoes what Isaiah, Ezekiel and others foresee: that a Messiah will come and judge the nations and establish His reign on earth. What they did not realize is that His reign would be spiritual in nature in order to fulfil the words that the Messiah would one day teach God’s people to pray: Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

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Living the Book of Revelation

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The Woman Clothed with the Sun, by John Collier

ON THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

 

This writing is an important backdrop to what I want to write next on the “beast”. The last three popes (and Benedict XVI and John Paul II in particular) have indicated rather explicitly that we are living the Book of Revelation. But first, a letter I received from a beautiful young priest:

I rarely miss a Now Word post.  I’ve found your writing to be very balanced, well researched, and pointing each reader toward something very important: faithfulness to Christ and His Church. Over the course of this past year I’ve been experiencing (I can’t really explain it) a sense that we are living in the end times (I know you’ve been writing about this for awhile but it’s really only been the last year and half that it’s been hitting me).  There are too many signs that seem to indicate that something is about to happen.  Lot’s to pray about that’s for sure! But a deep sense above all to trust and to draw close to the Lord and our Blessed Mother.

The following was first published November 24th, 2010…

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Jesus, the Wise Builder

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As I continue to study the “beast” of Revelation 13, some fascinating things are emerging which I wish to pray and reflect on further before writing them. In the meantime, I am receiving letters of concern again about the growing division in the Church over Amoris Laetitia, the Pope’s recent Apostolic Exhortation. For the moment, I want to republish these important points, lest we forget…

 

SAINT John Paul II once wrote:

…the future of the world stands in peril unless wiser people are forthcoming. —Familiaris Consortio, n. 8

We need to pray for wisdom in these times, especially when the Church is under attack from all sides. In my lifetime, I have never seen such doubt, fears, and reservations from Catholics regarding the future of the Church, and in particular, the Holy Father. Not in little part due to some heretical private revelation, but also at times to some incomplete or abstruse statements from the Pope himself. As such, not a few persist in the belief that Pope Francis is going to “destroy” the Church—and the rhetoric against him is becoming increasingly acrimonious. And so once again, without turning a blind eye to the growing divisions in the Church, my top seven reasons why many of these fears are baseless…

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Hiding in Plain Sight

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NOT long after we were married, my wife planted our first garden. She took me for a tour pointing out the potatoes, beans, cucumbers, lettuce, corn, etc. After she finished showing me the rows, I turned to her and said, “But where’s the pickles?” She looked at me, pointed to a row and said, “The cucumbers are there.”

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Comfort in His Coming

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday, December 6th, 2016
Opt. Memorial of St. Nicholas

Liturgical texts here

jesusspirit

 

IS it possible that, this Advent, we are truly preparing for the coming of Jesus? If we listen to what the popes have been saying (The Popes, and the Dawning Era), to what Our Lady is saying (Is Jesus Really Coming?), to what the Church Fathers are saying (The Middle Coming), and put all the pieces together (Dear Holy Father… He is Coming!), the answer is an emphatic “yes!” Not that Jesus is coming this December 25th. And nor is He coming in a way that evangelical movie flicks have been suggesting, preceded by a rapture, etc. It is a coming of Christ within the hearts of the faithful to bring to fulfillment all the promises of Scripture that we are reading this month in the book of Isaiah.

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Can We Have This Discussion?

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wontlisten

 

SEVERAL weeks ago, I wrote that it is time for me ‘to speak directly, boldly, and without apology to the “remnant” who are listening. It is only a remnant of readers now, not because they are special, but chosen; it is a remnant, not because all are not invited, but few respond.’ [1]cf. The Convergence and the Blessing That is, I have spent ten years writing about the times we live in, constantly referencing Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium so as to bring balance to a discussion that perhaps too frequently relies only on private revelation. Nonetheless, there are some who simply feel any discussion of the “end times” or the crises we face is too gloomy, negative, or fanatical—and so they simply delete and unsubscribe. So be it. Pope Benedict was pretty straightforward about such souls:

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Footnotes

The Tiger in the Cage

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The following meditation is based on today’s second Mass reading of the first day of Advent 2016. In order to be an effective player in the Counter-Revolution, we must first have a real revolution of the heart… 

 

I am like a tiger in a cage.

Through Baptism, Jesus has thrown open the door of my prison and set me free… and yet, I find myself pacing back and forth in the same rut of sin. The door is open, but I do not run headlong into the Wilderness of Freedom… the plains of joy, the mountains of wisdom, the waters of refreshment… I can see them in the distance, and yet I remain a prisoner of my own accord. Why? Why don’t I run? Why am I hesitating? Why do I stay in this shallow rut of sin, of dirt, bones, and waste, pacing back and forth, back and forth?

Why?

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The Counter-Revolution

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St. Maximillian Kolbe

 

I concluded Trajectory saying that we are being prepared for a new evangelization. This is what we must pre-occupy ourselves with—not building bunkers and storing food. There is a “restoration” coming. Our Lady speaks of it, as well as the popes (see The Popes, and the Dawning Era). So do not dwell on the labour pains, but the birth to come. The purification of the world is but a small part of the masterplan unfolding, even if it is to emerge from the blood of martyrs…

 

IT is the hour of the Counter-Revolution to begin. The hour when each of us, according to the graces, faith, and gifts accorded us by the Holy Spirit are being called forth into this present darkness as flames of love and light. For, as Pope Benedict once said:

We cannot calmly accept the rest of humanity falling back again into paganism. —Cardinal Ratzinger (POPE BENEDICT XVI), The New Evangelization, Building the Civilization of Love; Address to Catechists and Religion Teachers, December 12, 2000

…you shall not stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake. (cf. Lev 19:16)

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Trajectory

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DO you have plans, dreams, and desires for the future unfolding before you? And yet, do you sense that “something” is near? That the signs of the times point toward great changes in the world, and that to move forward with your plans would be a contradiction?

 

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Is It Too Late for Me?

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pfcloses2Pope Francis Closes the “Door of Mercy”, Rome, Nov. 20th, 2016,
Photo by Tiziana Fabi/ AFP POOL / AFP

 

THE “Door of Mercy” has closed. All across the world, the special plenary indulgence offered at cathedrals, basilicas and other designated places, has expired. But what about the mercy of God in this “time of mercy” in which we are living? Is it too late? A reader put it this way:

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Powerful Notes and Letters

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mailbag

 

SOME powerful and moving notes and letters from readers over the past couple of days. We want to thank everyone who has responded to our appeal with your generosity and prayers. So far, about 1% of our readers have responded… so if you are able, please pray about supporting this full-time ministry dedicated to listening and proclaiming the “now word” to the Church at this hour. Know, brothers and sisters, that when you donate to this ministry, you are essentially donating to readers like Andrea…

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The Great Dance

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday, November 18th, 2016
Memorial of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

Liturgical texts here

ballet

 

I want to tell you a secret. But it’s really not a secret at all because it’s in the wide open. And it is this: the source and wellspring of your happiness is the will of God. Would you agree that, if God’s Kingdom reigned in your home and your heart, you would be happy, that there would be peace and harmony? The coming of God’s Kingdom, dear reader, is synonymous with the welcoming of His will. In truth, we pray for it every day:

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Toward 2017

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markleaWith my wife Léa outside the “Door of Mercy” at St. Joseph’s Cathedral Basilica in San Jose, CA, October 2016, on our 25th Wedding Anniversary

 

THERE’s been a whole lot of thinkin’, a whole lot of prayin’ goin’ on these past couple of months. I have had a sense of anticipation followed by a curious “unknowing” as to what my role will be in these times. I have really been living day to day not knowing what God wants of me as we enter into winter. But the past couple of days, I sensed Our Lord simply saying, “Stay where you are and be My voice crying out in the wilderness…”

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Come Down Quickly!

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday, November 15th, 2016
Memorial of St. Albert the Great

Liturgical texts here

 

WHEN Jesus passes by Zacchaeus, He not only tells him to come down from his tree, but Jesus says: Come down quickly! Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, one that few of us exercise perfectly. But when it comes to pursuing God, we should be impatient! We should never hesitate to follow Him, to run toward Him, to assail Him with a thousand tears and prayers. After all, this is what lovers do…

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Unless the Lord Build It

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fallingdown

 

I received a number of letters and comments over the weekend from my American friends, nearly all of them cordial and hopeful. I get the sense that some feel I am a bit of a “wet rag” in suggesting that the revolutionary spirit afoot in our world today has not nearly run its course, and that America is still facing a great upheaval, as is every nation in the world. This, at least, is the “prophetic consensus” spanning centuries, and frankly, a simple viewing of the “signs of the times”, if not the headlines. But I will also say that, beyond the hard labor pains, a new era of true justice and peace awaits us. There is always hope… but God help me should I offer you a false hope.

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This Revolutionary Spirit

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revolutionspirit1

trump-protestPhoto by John Blanding courtesy of The Boston Globe/Getty Images

 

This wasn’t an election. It was a revolution… Midnight has passed. A new day has come. And everything is about to change.
—Daniel Greenfield from “America Rising”, November 9th, 2016; Israelrisiing.com

 

OR is it about to change, and for the better?

Many Christians in the United States are celebrating today, celebrating as if the “midnight has passed” and a new day has come. I pray with all my heart that, in America at least, this would be true. That the Christian roots of that nation would have a chance to flourish once again. That all women will be respected, including those in the womb. That religious freedom will be restored, and that peace will fill her borders.

But without Jesus Christ and His Gospel as the source of the country’s liberty, it will be but a false peace and a false security.

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In This Vigil

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vigil3a

 

A word that has given me strength for many years now came from Our Lady in the famed apparitions of Medjugorje. Mirroring the urging of Vatican II and the contemporary popes, she also called us to look at the “signs of the times”, as she implored in 2006:

My children, do you not recognize the signs of the times? Do you not speak of them? —April 2nd, 2006, quoted in My Heart Will Triumph by Mirjana Soldo, p. 299

It was in this same year that the Lord called me in a powerful experience to begin speaking of the signs of the times. [1]see Words and Warnings I was terrified because, at that time, I was being awakened to the possibility that the Church was entering the “end times”—not the end of the world, but that period that would eventually usher in the final things. To speak of the “end times”, though, immediately opens one to rejection, misunderstanding, and ridicule. However, the Lord was asking me to be nailed to this cross.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 see Words and Warnings

The Fate of the World is Teetering

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earthdark33

 

“THE fate of the world is teetering,” claimed U.S. President Barack Obama,  as he actively campaigned recently for presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. [1]cf. Business Insider, Nov. 2nd, 2016  He was referring to the possible election of Donald Trump—an anti-establishment candidate—and suggested that the world’s fate is hanging in the balance, were the real estate magnate to be elected.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Business Insider, Nov. 2nd, 2016

The Last Grace

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purgatoryangelAn Angel, Freeing the Souls from Purgatory by Ludovico Carracci, c1612

 

ALL SOULS’ DAY

 

Having been away from home for most of the past two months, I am still catching up on many things, and so am out of a rhythm with my writing. I hope to be on a better track by next week.

I am watching and praying with all of you, especially my American friends as a painful election looms…

 

HEAVEN is only for the perfect. It is true!

But then one might ask, “How can I get to Heaven, then, for I am far from perfect?” Another might answer saying, “The Blood of Jesus will wash you clean!” And this too is true whenever we sincerely ask forgiveness: Jesus’ Blood takes away our sins. But does that suddenly make me perfectly selfless, humble, and charitable—ie. fully restored to the image of God in whom I am created? The honest person knows that this is rarely the case. Usually, even after Confession, there are still remnants of the “old self”—a need for deeper healing of sinful wounds and cleansing of intention and desires. In a word, few of us truly love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and strength, as we are commanded to.

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Mama!

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mamanursingFrancisco de Zurbaran (1598-1664)

 

HER presence was tangible, her voice clear as she spoke in my heart after I received the Blessed Sacrament at Mass. It was the next day after the Flame of Love conference in Philadelphia where I spoke to a packed room about the need to entrust oneself totally to Mary. But as I knelt after Communion, contemplating the Crucifix hanging over the sanctuary, I pondered about the meaning of “consecrating” oneself to Mary. “What does it mean to give myself totally to Mary? How does one consecrate all his goods, past and present, to the Mother? What does it really mean? What are the right words when I feel so helpless?”

It was at that moment I sensed an inaudible voice speak in my heart.

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With All Prayer

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday, October 27th, 2016

Liturgical texts here

arturo-mariSt. John Paul II on a prayer walk near Edmonton, Alberta
(Arturo Mari; The Canadian Press)

 

IT came to me a few years ago, as clear as a flash of lightning: it will only be by God’s grace that His children will pass through this valley of the shadow of death. It is only through prayer, which draws down these graces, that the Church will safely navigate the treacherous seas that are swelling all around her. That is to say that all our own scheming, survivalist instincts, ingenuity and preparations—if undertaken without the guidance of divine wisdom—will fall tragically short in the days to come. For God is stripping His Church at this hour, stripping her of her self-assurance and those pillars of complacency and false security upon which she has been leaning.

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