SHE looked at me like I was crazy. As I spoke at a conference about the Church’s mission to evangelize and the power of the Gospel, a woman seated near the back had a contorted look on her face. She would occasionally whisper mockingly to her sister sitting beside her and then return to me with a stupefied gaze. It was hard not to notice. But then, it was hard not to notice her sister’s expression, which was markedly different; her eyes spoke of a soul searching, processing, and yet, not certain.Continue reading →

AS the world becomes more unstable and the times more uncertain, people are looking for answers. Some of those answers are found at Countdown to the Kingdom where “Heaven’s Messages” are being provided for the faithful’s discernment. While this has borne many good fruits, some people are also afraid.Continue reading →

Against the Wind, by Liz Lemon Swindle, 2003

WE have entered the decisive struggle with the powers of darkness. I wrote in When the Stars Fall how the popes believe we are living the hour of Revelation 12, but especially verse four, where the devil sweeps to the earth a “third of the stars of heaven.” These “fallen stars,” according to biblical exegesis, are the hierarchy of the Church—and that, according to private revelation as well. A reader brought to my attention the following message, allegedly from Our Lady, that carries the Magisterium’s Imprimatur. What is remarkable about this locution is that it refers to the falling of these stars in the same period that Marxist ideologies are spreading—that is, the underpinning ideology of Socialism and Communism that are gaining traction again, especially in the West.^[1]cf. When Communism Returns Continue reading →

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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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday, June 30th, 2015
Opt. Memorial of The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

Liturgical texts here

“Peace Be Still” by Arnold Friberg

LAST week, I took some time off to take my family camping, something we rarely get to do. I set aside the Pope’s new encyclical, grabbed a fishing rod, and pushed away from shore. As I floated on the lake in a small boat, the words swam through my mind:

Keeper of the Storm…

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Belle

SHE’s my horse. She’s adorable. She tries so hard to please, to do the right thing… but Belle is scared of just about everything. Well, that makes two of us.

You see, almost thirty years ago, my only sister was killed in a car accident. From that day on, I began to be afraid of just about everything: afraid to lose those I love, afraid to fail, afraid that I wasn’t pleasing God, and the list goes on. Over the years, that underlying fear has continued to unfold in so many ways… afraid that I might lose my spouse, afraid my kids might be hurt, afraid that those close to me don’t love me, afraid of debt, afraid that I’m always making the wrong decisions… In my ministry, I’ve been afraid to lead others astray, afraid to fail the Lord, and yes, afraid too at times of the billowing black clouds quickly gathering over the world.

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WHEN Heaven promises “refuge” to us in this present Storm (see The Great Storm), what does that mean? For Scripture appears to be contradictory.

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Jesus Prays in the Garden, by Gustave Doré,  1832-1883

First published September 27th, 2006. I have updated this writing…

WHAT is this fear that has gripped the Church?

In my writing How To Know When a Chastisment is Near, it’s as though the Body of Christ, or at least parts of it, are paralyzed when it comes to defending the truth, defending life, or defending the innocent.

We are afraid. Afraid to be mocked, insulted, or excluded from our friends, family, or the office circle.

Fear is the disease of our age. —Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, March 21, 2009, Catholic News Agency

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In the face of totalitarianism… 

Originally posted May 23, 2006:

A letter from a reader: 

I want to voice some concerns about what you write on your site. You keep implying that “The End [of the age] Is Near.” You keep implying that the Antichrist will inevitably come within my lifetime (I am twenty-four). You keep implying that it is too late for [chastisements to be averted]. I may be oversimplifying, but that’s the impression I get. If that is the case, then what’s the point of going on?

For instance, look at me. Ever since my Baptism, I have dreamed of being a storyteller for God’s greater glory. I have recently decided I am best as a writer of novels and such, so now I have just started to focus on developing prose skills. I dream of creating literary works that will touch people’s hearts for decades to come. At times like this I feel like I’ve been born in the worst possible time. Do you recommend that I throw away my dream? Do you recommend that I throw away my creative gifts? Do you recommend that I never look forward to the future?

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Artist Unknown

I have updated this writing which I first published October 19th, 2007:

I HAVE written often that we need to stay awake, to watch and pray, unlike the slumbering apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane. How critical this vigilance has become! Perhaps many of you feel a great fear that you are either asleep, or perhaps that you will fall asleep, or that you will even run from the Garden! 

But there is one crucial difference between the apostles of today, and the Apostles of the Garden: Pentecost. Before Pentecost, the Apostles were fearful men, full of doubt, denial, and timidity. But after Pentecost, they were transformed. Suddenly, these once ineffectual men burst into the streets of Jerusalem before their persecutors, preaching the Gospel without compromise! The difference?

Pentecost.

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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. 

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First published November 19th, 2007. 

TWO things. The future is one of hope; and second—the world is not about to end.

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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.

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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

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AS I prepare to write more of the vision of hope that’s been laid upon my heart, I want to share with you some very crucial words, to bring both the darkness and light into focus.

In Prophetic Perspective (Part I), I wrote how important it is for us to grasp the big picture, that prophetic words and images, though they bear a sense of imminence, carry broader meanings and often cover vast periods of time. The danger is that we become caught up in their sense of imminence, and lose perspective… that the will of God is our food, that we are to ask only for “our daily bread,” and that Jesus commands us not to be anxious about tomorrow, but to seek first the Kingdom today.

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OVER the past couple of weeks in particular, the meditations here have likely been difficult for you to read—and truthfully, for me to write. While pondering this in my heart, I heard:

I am giving these words so as to warn and move hearts to repentance.

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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:

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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. 

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Jesus Mocked, by Gustave Doré,  1832-1883

MEMORIAL OF
SAINTS COSMAS AND DAMIAN, MARTYRS

 
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…

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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…

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AS I walked the aisle to Communion this morning, I felt as though the cross I was carrying was made of concrete.

As I continued back to the pew, my eye was drawn to an icon of the paralyzed man being lowered in his stretcher to Jesus. Immediately I felt that I was the paralyzed man.

The men who lowered the paralytic through the ceiling into Christ’s presence did so through hard work, faith, and perseverance. But it was only the paralytic–who did nothing but gaze at Jesus in helplessness and hope–to whom Christ said,

“Your sins are forgiven…. rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”