Elijah in the Desert, by Michael D. O’Brien

PART of the struggle many Catholics have with private revelation is that there is an improper understanding of the calling of seers and visionaries. If these “prophets” aren’t shunned altogether as fringe misfits in the culture of the Church, they are often the objects of envy by others who feel the seer must be more special than themselves. Both views do much harm to the central role of these individuals: to carry a message or mission from Heaven.

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The Dream, by Michael D. O’Brien

Within the past two hundred years, there have been more reported private revelations that have received some form of ecclesiastical approval than in any other period of the Church’s history. —Dr. Mark Miravalle, Private Revelation: Discerning with the Church, p. 3

STILL, there seems to be a deficit among many when it comes to understanding the role of private revelation in the Church. Out of all of the emails I have received over the course of the past few years, it is this area of private revelation which has produced the most fearful, confused, and mean-spirited letters that I have ever received. Perhaps it is the modern mind, trained as it were to shun the supernatural and only accept those things which are tangible. On the other hand, it could be a skepticism generated by the proliferation of private revelations this past century. Or it could be the work of Satan to discredit genuine revelations by sowing lies, fear, and division.

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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…

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MY recent article called Dead End probably elicited the most email responses from anything I’ve ever written.

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WHAT about those who aren’t Catholic or Christian? Are they damned?

How often have I heard people say that some of the nicest folk they know are "atheists" or "don’t go to church." It’s true, there are many "good" people out there.

But no one is good enough to get to Heaven on his own.

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Fork Lake, Alberta, Canada

(Reprinted here from August 1oth, 2006…) I felt on my heart today that we must not forget to return to the foundations time and again… especially in these days of urgency. I believe we should waste no time in availing ourselves of this Sacrament, which bestows great graces to overcome our faults, restores the gift of eternal life to the mortal sinner, and snaps the chains which the evil one binds us with. 

NEXT to the Eucharist, weekly Confession has provided the most powerful experience of God’s love and presence in my life.

Confession is to the soul, what a sunset is to the senses…

Confession, which is the purification of the soul, should be made no later than every eight days; I cannot bear to keep souls away from confession for more than eight days. —St. Pio of Pietrelcina

It would be an illusion to seek after holiness, according to the vocation one has received from God, without partaking frequently of this sacrament of conversion and reconciliation. —Pope John Paul the Great; Vatican, Mar. 29 (CWNews.com)

SEE ALSO: 

• Confession… Necessary?

• Confession Passé?

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THE common mantra today is, “You have no right to judge me!”

This statement alone has driven many Christians into hiding, afraid to speak out, afraid to challenge or reason with others for fear of sounding “judgmental.” Because of this, the Church in many places has become impotent, and the silence of fear has allowed many to go astray. 

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IN my travels across North America, I have met many priests who tell me of the wrath they incur if Mass goes past one hour. I have witnessed many priests apologize profusely for having inconvenienced parishioners by a few minutes. As a result of this trepidation, many liturgies have taken on a robotic quality—a spiritual machine which never changes gears, pulsing to the clock with the efficiency of a factory.

And thus, we have created the one hour prison.

Because of this imaginary deadline, imposed primarily by the lay people, but acquiesced to by the clergy, we have in my opinion stifled the Holy Spirit.

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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. 

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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… 

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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.

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AFTER one of my concerts, the hosting priest invited me to the rectory for a late supper.

For dessert, he went on to boast how he hadn’t heard confessions in his parish for two years. “You see,” he grinned, “during the penitential prayers in Mass, the sinner is forgiven. As well, when one receives the Eucharist, his sins are removed.” I was in agreement. But then he said, “One only needs to come to confession when he has committed a mortal sin. I’ve had parishioners come to confession without mortal sin, and told them to go away. In fact, I really doubt any of my parishioners have really committed a mortal sin…”

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Rembrandt van Rijn, “The return of the prodigal son”; c.1662
 

OF course, one can ask God directly to forgive one’s venial sins, and He will (provided of course, we forgive others. Jesus was clear on this.) We can immediately, on the spot as it were, stop the bleeding from the wound of our transgression.

But this is where the Sacrament of Confession is so necessary.  For the wound, though not bleeding, may still be infected with “self”. Confession draws the puss of pride to the surface where Christ, in the person of the priest (John 20:23), wipes it away and applies the healing balm of the Father through the words, “…may God grant you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins….” Unseen graces bathe the injury as—with the Sign of the Cross—the priest applies the dressing of God’s mercy.

When you go to a medical doctor for a bad cut, does he only stop the bleeding, or does he not suture, cleanse, and dress your wound? Christ, the Great Physician, knew we would need that, and more attention to our spiritual wounds.

Thus, this Sacrament was his antidote to our sin.

While he is in the flesh, man cannot help but have at least some light sins. But do not despise these sins which we call “light”: if you take them for light when you weigh them, tremble when you count them. A number of light objects makes a great mass; a number of drops fills a river; a number of grains makes a heap. What then is our hope? Above all, confession. —St. Augustine, Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1863

Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit.—Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1458

AFTER Confession today, the image of a battlefield came to mind.

The enemy fires missiles and bullets at us, bombarding us with deceptions, temptations, and accusations. We often find ourselves wounded, bleeding, and disabled, cowering in the trenches.

But Christ draws us into the Bunker of Confession, and then… lets the bomb of his grace explode in the spiritual realm, destroying the enemy’s gains, reclaiming our terrorities, and re-outfitting us in that spiritual armor which enables us to engage once again those "principalities and powers," through faith and the Holy Spirit.

We are in a war. It is wisdom, not cowardice, to frequent the Bunker.

RESPECT for diversity and peoples is what the Christian faith teaches, no, demands. However, this does not mean “tolerance” of sin.’

…[our] vocation is to deliver the whole world from evil and to transform it in God: by prayer, by penance, by charity, and, above all, by mercy. —Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island

It is charity to not only clothe the naked, comfort the sick, and visit the prisoner, but to help one’s brother not to become naked, sick, or imprisoned to begin with. Hence, the Church’s mission is also to define that which is evil, so good may be chosen.

Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.  —POPE JOHN PAUL II