I AM finally back from Europe. I wanted to share with you the photos from the writing A Day of Grace… (which you can read here).
Thank you all so much for your prayers! (Click "Read More" to see the photos.)
HOME
Homeward…
AS I embark on the last leg of my pilgrimage homeward bound (standing here at a computer terminal in Germany), I want to tell you that each day I have prayed for all of you my readers and those whom I promised to carry in my heart. No… I have stormed heaven for you, lifting you up at Masses and praying countless Rosaries. In many ways, I feel this journey was also for you. God is doing and speaking much in my heart. I have many things bubbling up in my heart to write you!
I pray to God that this day also, you will give your whole heart to Him. What does this mean to give Him your whole heart, to "open wide your heart"? It means to give over to God every detail of your life, even the smallest. Our day is not just one big glob of time—it is made up of each moment. Can you not see then that in order to have a blessed day, a holy day, a "good" day, then each moment must be consecrated (given over) to Him?
It is as though each day we sit down to make a white garment. But if we neglect each stitch, choosing this color or that, it will not be a white shirt. Or if the whole shirt is white, but one thread runs through that is black, then it stands out. See then how each moment counts as we weave through each event of the day.
So, have you?
THROUGH a series of divine interchanges, I was to play a concert tonight in a war refugee camp near Mostar, Bosnia-Hercegovina. These are families that, because they were driven from their villages by ethnic cleansing, have had nothing to live in but little tin shacks with curtains for doors (more on that soon).
Sr. Josephine Walsh—an indominable Irish nun who has been helping the refugees—was my contact. I was to meet her at 3:30pm outside her residence. But she didn’t show up. I sat there on the sidewalk beside my guitar until 4:00. She was not coming.
The Sin of the Century
The Roman Coliseum
DEAR friends,
I write you tonight from Bosnia-Hercegovina, formerly Yugoslavia. But I still carry with me thoughts from Rome…
THE COLISEUM
I knelt down and prayed, asking for their intercession: the prayers of the martyrs who shed their blood in this very place centuries ago. The Roman Coliseum, Flavius Ampitheatre, soil of the seed of the Church.
It was another powerful moment, standing in this place where popes have prayed and little layman have aroused their courage. But as the tourists whisked by, cameras clicking and tour guides chattering, other thoughts came to mind…
The Road to Rome
Road to St. Pietro "St. Peters Basilica", Rome, Italy
I AM off to Rome. In just a few days, I will have the honor of singing in front of some of Pope John Paul II’s closest friends… if not Pope Benedict himself. And yet, I feel this pilgrimage has a deeper purpose, an expanded mission…
I have been pondering about all that has unfolded in writing here the past year… The Petals, The Trumpets of Warning, the invitation to those in mortal sin, the encouragement to overcome fear in these times, and lastly, the summons to "the rock" and refuge of Peter in the coming storm.
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The Unfolding Splendour of Truth
Photo by Declan McCullagh
TRADITION is like a flower.
With each generation, it further unfolds; new petals of understanding appear, and the splendor of truth spills forth new fragrances of freedom.
The Pope is like a guardian, or rather gardener—and the bishops co-gardeners with him. They tend to this flower which sprung in the womb of Mary, stretched heavenward through the ministry of Christ, sprouted thorns upon the Cross, became a bud in the tomb, and opened in the Upper Room of Pentecost.
And it has been blossoming ever since.
You've Got to be Kidding!
SCANDALS, shortcomings, and sinfulness.
When many people look at Catholics and the priesthood in particular (especially through the biased lens of the secular media), the Church seems to them anything but Christian.
A Personal Testimony
Rembrandt van Rinj, 1631, Apostle Peter Kneeling
MEMORIAL OF ST. BRUNO
ABOUT thirteen years ago, my wife and I, both cradle-Catholics, were invited to a Baptist church by a friend of ours who was once a Catholic.
We took in the Sunday morning service. When we arrived, we were immediately struck by all the young couples. It dawned on us suddenly how few young people there were back in our own Catholic parish.
Mountains, Foothills, and Plains
Photo by Michael Buehler
MEMORIAL OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
I HAVE many Protestant readers. One of them wrote me regarding the recent article My Sheep Will Know My Voice in the Storm, and asked:
Where does this leave me as a Protestant?
AN ANALOGY
Jesus said He would build His Church on “rock”—that is, Peter—or in Christ’s Aramaic language: “Cephas”, which means “rock”. So, think of the Church then as a Mountain.
Foothills precede a mountain, and so I think of them as “Baptism”. One passes through the Foothills to reach the Mountain.
My Sheep Will Know My Voice in the Storm
Vast sectors of society are confused about what is right and what is wrong, and are at the mercy of those with the power to “create” opinion and impose it on others. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Cherry Creek State Park Homily, Denver, Colorado, 1993
AS I wrote in Trumpets of Warning! – Part V, there is a great storm coming, and it is already here. A massive storm of confusion. As Jesus said,
…the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered… (John 16:31)
Evaporation: A Sign of the Times
MEMORIAL OF THE GUARDIAN ANGELS
80 countries now have water shortages that threaten health and economies while 40 percent of the world — more than 2 billion people — have no access to clean water or sanitation. —The World Bank; Arizona Water Source, Nov-Dec 1999
WHY is our water evaporating? Part of the reason is consumption, the other part is dramatic changes in climate. Whatever the reasons are, I believe it is a sign of the times…
This Generation?
BILLIONS of people have come and gone in the past two millennium. Those who were Christians awaited and hoped to see the Second Coming of Christ… but instead, passed through the doorway of death to see Him face to face.
It is estimated that some 155 000 people die each day, and slightly more than that are born. The world is a revolving door of souls.
Have you ever wondered why Christ’s promise of His return has been delayed? Why billions have come and gone in the period since His Incarnation, this 2000-year-long “final hour” of waiting? And what makes this generation any more likely to see His coming before it passes away?
Paralyzed by Fear — Part III
Artist Unknown
FEAST OF THE ARCHANGELS MICHAEL, GABRIEL, AND RAPHAEL
THE CHILD OF FEAR
FEAR comes in many forms: feelings of inadequacy, insecurity in one’s gifts, procrastination, lack of faith, loss of hope, and erosion of love. This fear, when married to the mind, begets a child. It’s name is Complacency.
I want to share a profound letter I received the other day:
Paralyzed by Fear — Part II
Transfiguration of Christ — St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. (Luke 9:30-31)
WHERE TO FIX YOUR EYES
JESUS’s transfiguration on the mountain was preparation for His coming passion, death, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven. Or as the two prophets Moses and Elijah called it, "his exodus".
So too, it seems as though God is sending our generation prophets once again to prepare us for the coming trials of the Church. This has many a soul rattled; others prefer to ignore the signs around them and pretend nothing is coming at all.
PROLOGUE (How To Know When a Chastisement is Near)
Jesus Mocked, by Gustave Doré, 1832-1883
MEMORIAL OF
SAINTS COSMAS AND DAMIAN, MARTYRS
Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. (Mark 9:42)
WE would do well to let these words of Christ sink into our collective minds—especially given a worldwide trend gaining momentum.
Graphic sex-education programs and materials are finding their way into many schools across the globe. Brazil, Scotland, Mexico, the United States, and several provinces in Canada are among them. The most recent example…
Spiritual Armor
LAST week, I outlined four ways in which one can enter the spiritual battle for one’s self, family and friends, or others in these tumultuous times: the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Fasting, and Praise. These prayers and devotions are powerful for they form a spiritual armor.*
On the Mark
POPE BENEDICT XVI
“If I get hold of the pope, I will hang him,” Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a senior MMA leader, told protesters in Islamabad, who carried placards reading “Terrorist, extremist Pope be hanged!” and “Down with Muslims’ enemies!” —AP News, Sept 22, 2006
“The violent reactions in many parts of the Islamic world justified one of Pope Benedict’s main fears . . . They show the link for many Islamists between religion and violence, their refusal to respond to criticism with rational arguments, but only with demonstrations, threats, and actual violence.” —Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney; www.timesonline.co.uk, September 19, 2006
TODAY’S Sunday Mass readings remarkably call to mind Pope Benedict XVI and the events of this past week:
Praise to Freedom
MEMORIAL OF ST. PIO OF PIETRELCIAN
ONE of the most tragic elements in the modern Catholic Church, particularly in the West, is the loss of worship. It seems today as though singing (one form of praise) in Church is optional, rather than an integral part of the liturgical prayer.
When the Lord poured out His Holy Spirit on the Catholic Church in the late sixties in what became known as the “charismatic renewal”, worship and praise of God exploded! I witnessed over the decades how so many souls were transformed as they went beyond their comfort zones and began to worship God from the heart (I will share my own testimony below). I even witnessed physical healings just through simple praise!
A Footnote to "Wars and Rumors of War"
Our Lady of Guadalupe
"We shall break the cross and spill the wine. … God will (help) Muslims to conquer Rome. …God enable us to slit their throats, and make their money and descendants the bounty of the mujahideen." —Mujahideen Shura Council, an umbrella group led by Iraq’s branch of al Qaeda, in a statement on the Pope’s recent speech; CNN Online, Sept. 22, 2006
Fasting for Family
HEAVEN has given us such practical means to enter the battle for souls. I’ve mentioned two thus far, the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
For when we’re talking about family members who are caught in mortal sin, spouses who are battling addictions, or relationships bound in bitterness, anger, and division, we are most often dealing with a battle against strongholds:
Hour of Rescue
FEAST OF ST. MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
EVERYDAY, soup kitchens, whether in tents or in inner city buildings, whether in Africa or New York, open up to offer edible salvation: soup, bread, and sometimes a little dessert.
Few people realize, however, that everyday at 3pm, a "divine soup kitchen" opens from which pours forth heavenly graces to feed the spiritually poor in our world.
So many of us have family members wandering about the inner streets of their hearts, hungry, tired, and cold—freezing from the winter of sin. In fact, that describes most of us. But, there is a place to go…
Wars and Rumors of Wars
THE explosion of division, divorce, and violence this past year is striking.
The letters I’ve received of Christian marriages disintegrating, children abandoning their moral roots, family members falling away from the faith, spouses and siblings caught in addictions, and startling outbursts of anger and divisiveness among relatives is grievous.
And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is not yet. (Mark 13:7)
Courage!
MEMORIAL OF THE MARTYRDOM OF SAINTS CYPRIAN AND POPE CORNELIUS
From the Office Readings for today:
Divine providence has now prepared us. God’s merciful design has warned us that the day of our own struggle, our own contest, is at hand. By that shared love which binds us closely together, we are doing all we can to exhort our congregation, to give ourselves unceasingly to fastings, vigils, and prayers in common. These are the heavenly weapons which give us the strength to stand firm and endure; they are the spiritual defenses, the God-given armaments that protect us. —St. Cyprian, Letter to Pope Cornelius; The Liturgy of the Hours, Vol IV, p. 1407
The Readings continue with the account of St. Cyprian’s martyrdom:
“It is decided that Thascius Cyprian should die by the sword.” Cyprian responded: “Thanks be to God!”
After the sentence was passed, a crowd of his fellow Christians said: “We should also be killed with him!” There arose an uproar among the Christians, and a great mob followed after him.
May a great mob of Christians follow after Pope Benedict this day, with prayers, fasting, and support for a man who, with the courage of Cyprian, has been unafraid to speak the truth.
Why So Long?
St. James Parish, Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina
AS the controversy surrounding the alleged apparitions of the Blesssed Virgin Mary at Medjugorje began to heat up again earlier this year, I asked the Lord, "If the apparitions are really authentic, why is it taking so long for prophesied "things" to happen?"
The answer was as swift as the question:
Because you’re taking so long.
There are many arguments surrounding the phenomenon of Medjugorje (which is currently under Church investigation). But there’s no arguing the answer I received that day.
The World Needs Jesus
There is not only a physical deafness … there is also a ‘hardness of hearing’ where God is concerned, and this is something from which we particularly suffer in our own time. Put simply, we are no longer able to hear God—there are too many different frequencies filling our ears. —Pope Benedict XVI, Homily; Munich, Germany, September 10, 2006; Zenit
When this happens, there is nothing left for God to do, but speak louder than us! He is doing it now, through His Pope.
The world needs God. We need God, but what God? The definitive explanation is to be found in the one who died on the Cross: in Jesus, the Son of God incarnate … love to the end. —Ibid.
If we fail to listen to "Peter", Christ’s vicar, what then?
Our God comes, he keeps silence no longer… (Psalm 50:3)
The Winds of Change Are Blowing Again…
LAST NIGHT, I had this tremendous urge to get in the car and drive. As I headed out of town, I saw a red harvest moon resurrecting over the hill.
I parked on a country road, and stood and watched the rising as a strong east wind blew across my face. And the following words dropped into my heart:
The winds of change have begun to blow again.
Last spring, as I traveled across North America in a concert tour in which I preached to thousands of souls to prepare for the times ahead, a strong wind literally followed us across the continent, from the day we left to the day we returned. I’ve never experienced anything like it.
As the summer began, I had the sense that this was going to be a time of peace, preparation, and blessing. The calm before the storm. Indeed, the days have been hot, calm, and peaceful.
But a new harvest begins.
The winds of change have begun to blow again.
We Are Witnesses
Dead whales on New Zealand’s Opoutere Beach
"It’s horrific that this is happening on such a large scale," —Mark Norman, Curator of the Museum of Victoria
IT is very possible that we are witnessing those eschatological elements of the Old Testament prophets beginning to unfold. As both regional and international lawlessness continue to escalate, we are witnessing the earth, its climate, and its animal species go through "convulsions".
This passage from Hosea continues to jump off the page—one of dozens in which suddenly, there is a fire beneath the words:
Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel, for the LORD has a grievance against the inhabitants of the land: There is no fidelity, no mercy, no knowledge of God in the land. False swearing, lying, murder, stealing and adultery! In their lawlessness, bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and everything that dwells in it languishes: The beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and even the fish of the sea perish. (Hosea 4:1-3; cf. Romans 8:19-23)
But let us not fail to heed the words of the prophets, that even then, flowed from the merciful heart of God, amidst the warnings:
Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain salvation upon you. (Hosea 10:12)
Week of Miracles
Jesus Calms the Storm—Artist Unknown
FEAST OF THE BIRTH OF MARY
IT has been an overwhelming week of encouragement for many of you, as well as me. God has been banding us together, confirming our hearts, and healing them too—calming those storms which have been raging in our minds and spirits.
I have been so deeply moved by the many letters I’ve received. Among them, are many miracles…
Time Out!
Sacred Heart of Jesus by Michael D. O’Brien
I HAVE been overwhelmed with a tremendous number of emails the past week from priests, deacons, layman, Catholics, and Protestants alike, and nearly all of them confirming the "prophetic" sense in "Trumpets of Warning!"
I did receive one tonight from a woman who is shaken and afraid. I want to respond to that letter here, and hope you will take a moment to read this. I hope it will keep perspectives in balance, and hearts in the right place…
It Is Time!!
THERE has been a shift in the spiritual realm this past week, and it has been felt in the souls of many people.
Last week, a strong word came to me:
I am banding together my prophets.
I have had a remarkable inflow of letters from all quarters of the Church with a sense that, "Now is the time to speak!"
There seems to be a common thread of "heaviness" or "burden" being carried among God’s evangelists and prophets, and I assume many others. It is a sense of foreboding and grief, and yet, an inner strength to maintain hope in God.
Indeed! He is our strength, and his love and mercy endures forever! I wish to encourage you right now to not be afraid to raise your voice in a spirit of love and truth. Christ is with you, and the Spirit He has given you is not one of cowardice, but of power and love and self-control (2 Tim 1:6-7).
It’s time for all of us to rise up—and with our combined lungs, help blast the trumpets of warning. —From a reader in central Canada
Trumpets of Warning! — Part III
AFTER Mass several weeks ago, I was meditating on the deep sense I’ve had the past few years that God is gathering souls to himself, one by one… one here, one there, whoever will hear His urgent plea to receive the gift of His Son’s life… as though we evangelists are fishing with hooks now, rather than nets.
Suddenly, the words popped into my mind:
The number of Gentiles is nearly filled.
The "M" Word
Artist Unknown
LETTER from a reader:
Hi Mark,
Mark, I feel we need to be careful when we talk about mortal sins. For addicts who are Catholic, fear of mortal sins can cause deepened feelings of guilt, shame, and hopelessness which exacerbate the addiction cycle. I’ve heard many recovering addicts speak negatively of their Catholic experience because they felt judged by their church and could not sense love behind the warnings. Most people simply do not understand what makes certain sins mortal sins…
MegaChurches?
Dear Mark,
I am a convert to the Catholic Faith from the Lutheran Church. I was wondering if you could give me more information on “MegaChurches”? It seems to me that they are more like rock concerts and places of entertainment rather than worship, I know some people in these churches. It seems that they preach more of a “self-help” gospel than anything else.
The New Streets of Calcutta
CALCUTTA, the city of the “poorest of the poor”, said Blessed Mother Theresa.
But they no longer hold this distinction. No, the poorest of the poor are to be found in a very different place…
The new streets of Calcutta are lined with high-rises and espresso shops. The poor wear ties and the hungry don high heels. At night, they wander the gutters of television, looking for a morsel of pleasure here, or a bite of fulfillment there. Or you’ll find them begging on the lonely streets of the Internet, with words barely audible behind the clicks of a mouse:
“I thirst…”
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ (Matt 25:38-40)
I see Christ in the new streets of Calcutta, for from these gutters He found me, and to them, He now sends.
Trumpets of Warning! — Part II
AFTER Mass this morning, my heart was burdened again with the grief of the Lord.
MY LOST SHEEP!
Speaking about the shepherds of the Church last week, the Lord began to impress words on my heart, this time, about the sheep.
… more visions and dreams
SEVERAL people have felt compelled to send me their dreams or visions. I share one here, because when I heard it, I felt it was not just for me. A woman relayed the following to me after Mass Sunday morning…
True Tales of Our Lady
SO few, it seems, understand the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Church. I want to share with you two true stories to shed light on this most honored member of the Body of Christ. One story is my own… but first, from a reader…
WHY MARY? A CONVERT’S VISION…
The Catholic teaching on Mary has been the most difficult doctrine of the Church for me to accept. Being a convert, I had been taught the “fear of Mary worship.” It was instilled deep within me!
After my conversion, I would pray, asking Mary to intercede for me, but then doubt would assail me and I would, so to speak, (put her aside for a while.) I would pray the Rosary, then I would stop praying the Rosary, this went on for some time!
Then one day I prayed fervently to God, “Please, Lord, I beg you, show me the truth about Mary.”
It Is Time…
Ag0ny In The Garden
AS a senior citizen put it to me today, "The news headlines are unbelievable."
Indeed, as stories of increasing pedophilia, violence, and attacks on the family and freedom of speech descend like a heavy rainfall, the temptation is to run for cover and see all as gloomy. Today, I could barely concentrate at Mass… the sorrow was so thick.
Let’s not water-down reality: it is gloomy, though the occasional ray of hope pierces the gray clouds of this moral storm. What I hear the Lord saying to us is this:
I know you are carrying a heavy cross. I know you are heavily burdened. But remember, you are only sharing in my Cross. Therefore, I am always carrying it with you. Would I abandon you, My beloved?
Remain as a little child. Give not into anxiety. Trust in me. I will supply your every need, whenever you need it, at the right moment. But you must go through this Passion—the whole Church must follow the Head. It is time to drink the cup of My suffering. But as I was strengthened by an angel, so too, will I strengthen you.
Be of courage—I have already overcome the world!
Do not be afraid of anything you are going to suffer... remain faithful until death, I will give you the crown of life.(Rev 2:9-10)
On the 'morning-after' pill…
THE United States has just approved the ‘morning-after’ pill. It has been legal in Canada for over a year. The drug prevents the embryo from attaching to the wall of the uterus, starving it of blood, oxygen, and nutrients.
The little life simply dies.
The fruit of abortion is nuclear war. —Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
The Dam is Bursting
THIS week, the Lord is speaking some very heavy things in my heart. I am praying and fasting for clearer direction. But the sense is that the "dam" is about to burst. And it comes with a warning:
"Peace, peace!" they say, though there is no peace. (Jer 6:14)
I pray it is the dam of Divine Mercy, and not Justice.
Look to the Star…
Polaris: The North Star
MEMORIAL OF THE QUEENSHIP OF
THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
I HAVE been transfixed with the Northern Star the past few weeks. I confess, I did not know where it was until my brother-in-law pointed it out one starry night in the mountains.
Something in me tells me I will need to know where this star is in the future. And so tonight, once again, I gazed up at the sky mentally noting it. Then logging onto my computer, I read these words a cousin had just emailed me:
Whoever you are that perceive yourself during this mortal existence to be rather drifting in treacherous waters, at the mercy of the winds and the waves, than walking on firm ground, turn not away your eyes from the splendor of this guiding star, unless thou wish to be submerged by the storm.
Look at the star, call upon Mary. … With her for guide, you shall not go astray, while invoking her, you shall never lose heart … if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal. —St. Bernard of Clarivaux, as quoted this week by Pope Benedict XVI
“Star of the New Evangelization” —title given Our Lady of Guadalupe by Pope John Paul II
Mary, Our Mother
Mother and Child reading the Word—Michael D. O’brien
WHY do “Catholics” say they need Mary?
One can only answer this by posing another question: why did Jesus need Mary? Couldn’t Christ have materialized in the flesh, emerging from the desert, proclaiming the good news? Certainly. But God chose to come through a human creature, a virgin, a teenage girl.
The Harvest of Hardening
DURING a discussion this week with family, my father-in-law suddenly interjected,
There is a great division occurring. You can see it. People are hardening their hearts to the good…
I was taken aback by his comments, as this was a “word” the Lord had spoken in my heart some time ago (see Persecution: The Second Petal.)
It is fitting hearing this word again, this time from a farmer’s mouth, as we enter the season when combines begin to separate the wheat from the chaff.
The Calm…
Fork Lake, Alberta; August, 2006
LET us not be lulled asleep by a false sense of peace and comfort. The past few weeks, the words continue to ring in my heart:
The calm before the storm…
I sense an urgency once again to keep my heart right with God at all times. Or as one person shared a "word" with me this week,
Quick—circumcise your hearts!
Indeed, this is the time to cut away the desires of the flesh which are at war with the Spirit. Frequent Confession and the Eucharist are like two blades of a pair of spiritual scissors.
Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered… In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world. (John 16:33)
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. (Rom 13:14)