Our Lady of Akita weeping statue (approved apparition)
I RECEIVE letters from time to time from readers who are very upset about the possibility of chastisements coming to the earth. One gentleman recently commented that his girlfriend thought they shouldn’t marry because of the possibility of having a child during coming tribulations.
The answer to this is one word: faith.
First published December 13th, 2007, I have updated this writing.
First published November 19th, 2007.
TWO things. The future is one of hope; and second—the world is not about to end.
St. John Bosco’s Dream of the Two Pillars
THE possibility that there will be an “Era of Peace” after this time of trial which the world has entered into is something the early Church Father’s spoke of. I believe it will ultimately be “the triumph of the Immaculate Heart” which Mary foretold in Fatima. What applies to her also applies to the Church: that is, there is a coming triumph of the Church. It is a hope which has existed from the time of Christ…
First published June 21, 2007:
Set the trumpet to your lips,
for a vulture is over the house of the Lord. (Hosea 8:1)
PARTICULARLY for my new readers, this writing gives a very broad picture of what I feel the Spirit is saying to the Church today. I am filled with great hope, because this present storm will not last. At the same time, I feel the Lord continually urging me on (despite my protests) to prepare us for the realities which we face. It is not a time for fear, but for strengthening; not a time for despair, but preparation for a victorious battle.
But a battle nonetheless!
The Christian attitude is twofold: one that recognizes and discerns the struggle, but always hopes in the victory attained through faith, even in suffering. That is not fluffy optimism, but the fruit of those who live as priests, prophets, and kings, participating in the life, passion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For Christians, the moment has arrived to free themselves from a false inferiority complex… to be valiant witnesses of Christ. —Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, LifeSiteNews.com, Nov. 20th, 2008
I have updated the following writing:
The Rescuer by Michael D. O’Brien
Because you have kept my message of endurance, I will keep you safe in the time of trial that is going to come to the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. I am coming quickly. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may take your crown. (Rev 3:10-11)
First published April 24th, 2008.
BEFORE the Day of Justice, Jesus promises us a "Day of Mercy". But is this mercy not available to us each second of the day right now? It is, but the world, particularly the West, has fallen into a deathly coma… a hypnotic trance, fixated upon the material, the tangible, the sexual; upon reason alone, and science and technology and all the dazzling innovations and false light it brings. It is:
A society which seems to have forgotten God and to resent even the most elementary demands of Christian morality. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, U.S. visit, BBC News, April 20th,2008
In just the past 10 years alone, we have seen a proliferation of temples for these gods erected all over North America: a veritable explosion of casinos, box stores, and "adult" shops.
St. Michael the Archangel — Michael D. O’Brien
THIS writing was first posted in December of 2005. It is one of the core writings on this site which has unfolded into the others. I have updated it and resubmit it today. This is a very important word… it places into context so many things unfolding rapidly in the world today; and I hear this word again with fresh ears.
IF the writing is on the wall, a line is quickly being drawn "in the sand." That is, the line between the Gospel and the anti-Gospel, the Church and the anti-Church. It is clear that world leaders are quickly leaving their Christian roots behind. As the new U.S. government prepares to embrace unrestricted abortion and unfettered embryonic stem cell research—profiting from another form of abortion—there is virtually no one left standing between the culture of death and the culture of life.
Except the Church.
Jesus and the Children by Michael D. O’Brien
THERE has been a tremendous response to my letter written to you a couple weeks ago called It’s Time. I wrote how, over a year ago, I received an interior word from the Lord that He wanted me to produce a television show to speak the "now word" to His people. The sense was that this show would come at a time when major events are unfolding and other events would be imminent. Again, recently, I heard a clear word in my heart:
It’s time.
IN the wake of the U.S. and Canadian elections, many of you have written, tears in your eyes, broken-hearted that genocide will continue in your country in the “war on the womb.” Others are feeling the pain of division which has entered their families and the sting of hurtful words as the sifting between the wheat and chaff becomes more evident. I woke up this morning with the writing below on my heart.
Two things Jesus gently asks of you this day: to love your enemies and to be a fool for Him.
Will you say yes?
SINCE this was first posted, September 7th, 2008, the decision has been made in Canada: there will be no protection for the unborn, no end to abortion in sight. And now, America faces its greatest decision ever. I have added the video below which I just recorded. It is a supplement to the writing below, in this hour of decision. (Note: the date of the election is November 4th, not the 2nd, as stated in the video.)
This writing has been on the forefront of my thoughts since the day it was written (and it was written in fear and trembling!) It is perhaps a summary of where we are at, and where we are about to go. The Seals of Revelation are likened to the “labor pains” Jesus spoke of. They are a harbinger of the proximity of the “Day of the Lord”, of retribution and reward on a cosmic scale. This was first published September 14th, 2007. It is the starting point for the Seven Year Trial series which was written earlier this year…
FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS/
VIGIL OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS
THERE is a word which has come to me, a rather strong word:
The seals are about to be broken.
That is, the seals of the Book of Revelation.
“The Perfect Storm”, source unknown
First published March 26th, 2008.
From subsistence farmers eating rice in Ecuador to gourmets feasting on escargot in France, consumers worldwide face rising food prices in what analysts call a perfect storm of conditions. Freak weather is a factor. But so are dramatic changes in the global economy, including higher oil prices, lower food reserves and growing consumer demand in China and India. —NBC News online, March 24th, 2008
Stock market brokers responding to turmoil
THE COLLAPSE OF THE ORDER
As I drove through the United States two years ago on a concert tour, I marveled at the quality of living I witnessed in nearly every state, from the caliber of the roads, to the abundance of material wealth. But I was taken aback by the words I heard in my heart:
It is an illusion, a lifestyle which has been borrowed.
I was left with the sense that it was all about to come crashing down.
Baby Brad in his big brother’s arms
SHE did it! My bride gave birth to our eighth child, and fifth son: Bradley Gabriel Mallett. The little duffer weighed in at 9 pounds and 3 ounces. He’s the spitting image of his older sister Denise when she was born. Everyone’s very excited, very amazed at the blessing which came home last night. Both Lea and I thank you for your letters and prayers!
"Be Not Afraid", by Tommy Christopher Canning
This writing was placed on my heart last night… the woman clothed with the sun appearing in our times, labouring, about to give birth. What I didn’t know was that this morning, my wife was going into labour! I will let you know the outcome…
There is much on my heart these days, but the battle is very thick, and writing has been as easy as jogging in a neck-high swamp. The winds of change are blowing hard, and this writing, I believe, may explain why… Peace be with you! Let us hold one another in prayer that in these times of change, we will shine with the holiness proper to our calling as sons and daughters of a victorious and humble King!
First published July 19th, 2007…
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. (Rev 11:19)
THE sign of this ark of the covenant appears before a great battle between the dragon and the Church, that is, a persecution. This ark, and the symbolism it carries, is all part of that "sign."
I KNOW many of you—according to your letters—are going through tremendous battles right now. This seems consistent with just about anyone I know who is striving for holiness. I think it is a good sign, a sign of the times… the dragon, thrashing his tail at the Woman-Church as the final confrontation enters its most pivotal moments. Although this was written for Lent, the meditation below is likely as pertinent now as it was then… if not more.
First published February 11th, 2008:
I want to share with you a portion of a letter I just received:
I’ve been feeling destroyed over recent weaknesses… Things have been going great and I was excited with joy in my heart for Lent. And then as soon as Lent began, I felt unworthy and undeserving to be in any relationship with Christ. I fell into sin and then self-hatred set in. I was feeling that I might as well do nothing for Lent because I am a hypocrite. I drove up our driveway and was feeling this emptiness…
First published August 11th, 2007.
AS you try to respond to Jesus’ call to follow him in these chaotic times, to renounce your earthly attachments, to voluntarily dispossess yourself of unneeded things and material pursuits, to resist the temptations which are boldly advertised everywhere, expect to enter into a fierce battle. But do not let this discourage you!
Mark presenting his music to Pope Benedict XVI
JUST over a year ago, my wife and I suddenly felt called to move from our home to a different province in Canada. Within weeks, we found a small town where we felt drawn to a particular home. We sold our house and whatever possessions we didn’t need, loaded up our seven children, and were followed by a thunderstorm the entire six hour journey. When we arrived at our home, the storm stopped directly over our house, and remained there for three hours, putting on a spectacular lightning show. It seemed symbolic of the Great Storm gathering on the horizon of the world… a storm for which Heaven has been preparing us, and which now, has arrived.
ONE month ago, I published The Hour of Decision. In it, I stated that the coming elections in North America are pivotal based primarily upon one issue: abortion. As I write this, Psalm 95 comes to mind again:
Forty years I endured that generation. I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know my ways." So I swore in my anger, "They shall not enter my rest."
It was forty years ago in 1968 that Pope Paul VI presented Humanae Vitae. In that encyclical letter, there is a prophetic warning which I believe is about to come to pass in its fullness. The Holy Father said:
THE COMING ERA OF PEACE — PART III
THE first Mass reading this past Sunday (October 5th, 2008) resounded in my heart like thunder. I heard the sigh of a God mourning over the state of His Betrothed:
What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done? Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? Now, I will let you know what I mean to do with my vineyard: take away its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall, let it be trampled! (Isaiah 5:4-5)
But this too is an act of love. Read on to understand why the purification which has now arrived is not only necessary, but part of God’s divine plan…
First published April 24th, 2007. There are several items on my heart which the Lord has been speaking to me, and I realize that many of them are summarized in this previous writing. Society is reaching a boiling point, particularly with anti-Christian sentiment. For Christians, it means that we are entering the hour of glory, a moment of heroic witness to those who hate us by conquering them with love.
The following writing is a prologue to a very important subject I want to address shortly regarding the popular idea of a “black pope” (as in evil) assuming the papacy. But first…
Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you. (John 17:1)
I believe the Church is approaching the time when it will pass through the Garden of Gethsemane and enter fully into its passion. This, however, will not be the hour of her shame—rather, it will be the hour of her glory.
It was the Lord’s will that… we who have been redeemed by His precious blood should constantly be sanctified according to the pattern of His own passion. —St. Gaudentius of Brescia, Liturgy of the Hours, Vol II, P. 669
FROM a letter I recently received:
I have read your writings for 2 years and feel they are so on track. My wife receives locutions and so much of what she writes down is parallel to yours.
But I have to share with you that both my wife and I have been so disheartened over the past several months. We feel as if we are losing the battle and the war. Look around and see all of the evil. It is as if Satan is winning in all areas. We feel so ineffective and so full of despair. We feel like giving up, at a time when the Lord and Blessed Mother need us and our prayers the most!! We feel like we are becoming "a deserter", as it said in one of your writings. I have fasted every week for almost 9 years, but in the past 3 months I have only been able to do it twice.
You speak of hope and the victory that is coming in the battle Mark. Do you have any words of encouragement ? How long are we going to have to endure and suffer in this world we live in ?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
MANY of my writings have focused on the hope which is dawning in our world. But I am also compelled to address the darkness which proceeds the Dawn. It is so that when these things happen, you will not lose faith. It has never been my intention to frighten or depress my readers. But neither is it my intention to paint this present darkness in false shades of yellow. Christ is our victory! But He commanded us to be “wise as serpents” for the battle is not yet over. Watch and pray, He said.
You are the little flock given to my care, and I intend to stay awake on my watch, despite the cost…
Artist Unknown
First published May 16th, 2007. I have added some thoughts which came to me last week as the scientific community launched experiments with its underground “atom-smasher.” With economic foundations beginning to crumble (the current “rebound” in stocks are an illusion), this writing is more timely than ever.
I realize that the nature of these writings this past week are difficult. But the truth sets us free. Always, always bring yourself back to the present moment and be anxious about nothing. Simply, stay awake… watch and pray!
The Tower of Babel
THE past couple weeks, those words have been on my heart.
WHEN I wrote Part I of this series two weeks ago, the image of Queen Esther came to mind, standing in the gap for her people. I felt there was something more significant about this. And I believe this email I received explains why:
The recent fire near the broken statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje
THE emails continue to roll in on the seeming phenomenon of hands breaking off of Marian statues, sometimes without any apparent reason. Here’s one more sampling of letters:
I HAVE received a landslide of replies to my last two meditations on the unborn. There is a strong sense from nearly all those who have written that these images are necessary in the battle to end infanticide within the womb.
Here are a few samples of the many moving and emotional letters I received which are a testimony to the power of telling—and showing the truth…
Scene from The Passion of the Christ
EVERY day as I comb the news headlines, I am faced with the violence and evil of this world. I find it exhausting, but also recognize it as my duty as a "watchman" to try and sift through this stuff to find the "word" hidden in the world’s events. But the other day, the face of evil really got to me when I entered the video store for the first time in months to rent a movie for my daughter’s birthday. As I scanned the shelves for a family movie, I was faced with image after image of dismembered bodies, half-naked women, demonic faces, and other violent images. I was looking into the mirror of a culture obsessed with sex and violence.
And yet, no one seems to openly object to this gruesome display which is scanned each day by young and old alike, and yet, when a picture of the reality of abortion is shown, some people are deeply offended. People pay to see violent movies, even rousing dramas such as Braveheart, Schindler’s List, or Saving Private Ryan where the reality of evil is graphically portrayed; or they play video games depicting unbelievable brutality and gruesome violence, and yet, somehow this is acceptable—but a photo giving voice to the voiceless is not.
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Artist Unknown
MORE letters continue to come in from reader’s whose Marian statues have a broken left hand. Some can explain why their statue broke, while others cannot. But perhaps that is not the point. I think what is significant is that it is always a hand.
I received several letters in response to my last meditation. As usual, God speaks through the Body. Here is what some readers have to say:
Blow the trumpet through the land, summon the recruits!… Bear the standard to Zion, seek refuge without delay!… I cannot keep silent, for I have heard the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. (Jeremiah 4:5-6, 19)
THIS spring, my heart began to anticipate an event which would occur this July or August of 2008. This anticipation was accompanied by a word: “War.”
First published January 18th, 2008…
IT is important to understand that the words I speak here are merely echoes of one of the central warnings Heaven has been sounding through the Holy Fathers this past century: the light of truth is being extinguished in the world. That Truth is Jesus Christ, the light of the world. And humanity cannot survive without Him.
First published January 15th, 2008…
WHILE this generation is being spiritually deceived, so too has it been materially and physically duped.
Hansel & Gretel by Kay Nielsen
First published January 15th, 2008. Very important to read again…
WE are being duped.
Many Christians believe that Satan has triumphed as society continues in a free-fall toward materialism, lust, and lawlessness. But if we think this is Satan’s ultimate goal, we have been deceived.
YES, this is the time to truly wait and pray in The Bastion. The waiting is the hardest part, especially when it seems as though we are on the cusp of enormous change… But timing is everything. The temptations to rush God, to question His delay, to doubt His presence—will only intensify as we reach deeper into the days of change.
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard "delay," but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Pt 3:9)
Be prepared to put your life on the line in order to enlighten the world with the truth of Christ; to respond with love to hatred and disregard for life; to proclaim the hope of the risen Christ in every corner of the earth. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Message to the Young People of the World, World Youth Day, 2008
First published September 25th, 2007:
BASTION: part of a fortification built into a rock or castle which allows defensive fire in several directions.
IT BEGINS
These words came to a dear friend of ours during prayer, through a soft voice which spoke to her:
Tell Mark it is time to write about the bastion.
"My Secret Place", by Yvonne Ward
DEAR brothers and sisters,
Warm greetings in the love and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For almost three years now, I have been writing on a regular basis the words which I feel the Lord has placed in my heart for you. The journey has been a remarkable one, and has affected me deeply.
THERE is more coming on the Seven Year Trial series which I am continuing to write and pray about. In the meantime, more signs of the times…
A child in His mother’s arms… (artist unknown)
YES, we must find joy in the midst of this present darkness. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and therefore, ever-present to the Church. Yet, it is natural to be afraid of losing one’s security, or fearful of persecution or martyrdom. Jesus felt this human quality so intensely that He sweat drops of blood. But then, God sent Him an angel to strengthen Him, and Jesus’ fear was replaced by a quiet, docile peace.
Herein lies the root of the tree which bears the fruit of joy: total abandonment to God.
He who ‘fears’ the Lord is ‘not afraid.’ —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Vatican City, June 22, 2008; Zenit.org
“The Two Hearts” by Tommy Christopher Canning
PART III examines the beginning of the Seven Year Trial following the Illumination.
Apocalypse, by Michael D. O’Brien
When the seven days were over,
the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
(Genesis 7:10)
I want to speak from the heart for a moment to frame the rest of this series.
The past three years have been a remarkable journey for me, one I never intended to embark upon. I do not claim to be prophet… just a simple missionary who feels a call to shed a little more light upon the days we live in and the days which are coming. Needless to say, this has been an overwhelming task, and one which is done with much fear and trembling. At least that much I share with the prophets! But it is also done with the tremendous prayer support so many of you have graciously offered on my behalf. I feel it. I need it. And I am so grateful.
The test of democracy is freedom of criticism. —David Ben Gurion, the first Israeli Prime Minister
CANADA’S national anthem rings out:
…the true north strong and free…
To which I add:
…so long as you agree.
Agree with the state, that is. Agree with the new high priests of this once great nation, the judges and their deacons, the Human Rights Tribunals. This writing is a wake-up call not just for Canadians, but for all Christians in the West to recognize what has arrived at the doorstep of the "first world" nations.
2006 Lebanese victims of war
First published May 30th, 2007. As I continue to pray about what the Lord is showing me in the Seven Year Trial, I feel the nudge to reprint this message.
There are two very prominent things occurring in the world the past few weeks. One, are the continuing headlines of brutal violence towards children and babies. Second is the growing imposition of new forms of marriage upon the unwanting masses. The latter point has to do with two words the Lord gave me while I was writing The Coming Counterfeit: “Population Control.” Since then, there have been numerous headlines describing the world food shortage as an over-population problem. This is not true, of course. It is a matter of poor management and distribution of our resources due in large part to greed and neglect, including the use of corn to make fuel. I also wonder about the manipulation of weather through new technologies… The Vatican has been fighting these over-population gurus who for many years now have been trying to impose abortion, birth-control, and sterilization upon poor nations. If it were not for the Vatican’s voice in the United Nations, these proponents of the culture of death would be much further ahead than they are.
The writing below puts all the pieces together…
Apparition Hill at Dawn, Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina
WHILE only the Public Revelation of Jesus Christ requires the assent of faith, the Church teaches that it would be imprudent to ignore the prophetic voice of God or “despise prophecy,” as St. Paul says. After all, authentic “words” from the Lord, are, from the Lord:
One can therefore simply ask why God provides them continuously [in the first place if] they hardly need to be heeded by the Church. —Hans Urs von Balthasar, Mistica oggettiva, n. 35
Even controversial theologian, Karl Rahner, also asked…
…whether anything God reveals can be unimportant. —Karl Rahner, Visions and Prophecies, p. 25
The Vatican has insisted upon remaining open to the alleged apparition thus far as it continues to discern the authenticity of the phenomena there. (If that’s good enough for Rome, it’s good enough for me.)
As a former television reporter, the facts surrounding Medjugorje do concern me. I know they concern many people. I have taken the same position on Medjugorje as Blessed John Paul II (as witnessed to by Bishops who have discussed the apparitions with him). That position is to celebrate the wonderful fruits flowing from this place, namely conversion and an intense sacramental life. This is not an ooey-gooey-warm-fuzzy opinion, but a hard fact based on the testimonies of thousands of Catholic clergy and countless laymen.
ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART
[China] is on the road to fascism, or maybe is heading towards a dictatorial regime with strong nationalist tendencies. —Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, Catholic News Agency, May 28, 2008
AN American Veteran said to a friend, “China will invade America, and they will do it without firing a single bullet.”
That may or may not be true. But as we look at our store shelves, there is something strange in that nearly everything we buy, even some food and pharmaceuticals, is being “Made in China” (one could say that North Americans have already given away “industrial sovereignty.”) These goods are becoming increasingly cheaper to buy, fueling more consumerism.
