Priests, and the Coming Triumph

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Procession of Our Lady in Fatima, Portugal (Reuters)

 

The long-prepared and ongoing process of dissolution of the Christian concept of morality was, as I have tried to show, marked by an unprecedented radicalism in the 1960s… In various seminaries, homosexual cliques were established…
—EMERITUS POPE BENEDICT, essay on the current crisis of faith in the Church, Apr 10, 2019; Catholic News Agency

…the darkest clouds gather over the Catholic Church. As though out of a deep abyss, countless incomprehensible cases of sexual abuse from the past come to light—acts committed by priests and religious. The clouds cast their shadows even on the Chair of Peter. Now no one is talking anymore about the moral authority for the world that is usually granted a Pope. How great is this crisis? Is it really, as we occasionally read, one of the greatest in the history of the Church?
—Peter Seewald’s question to Pope Benedict XVI, from Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times (Ignatius Press), p. 23Continue reading →

Recovering Who We Are

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Nothing remains for Us, therefore, but to invite this poor world that has shed so much blood, has dug so many graves, has destroyed so many works, has deprived so many men of bread and labor, nothing else remains for us, We say, but to invite it in the loving words of the sacred Liturgy: “Be thou converted to the Lord thy God.” —POPE PIUS XI, Caritate Christi Compulsi, May 3rd, 1932; vatican.va

…we cannot forget that evangelization is first and foremost about preaching the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ or who have always rejected him. Many of them are quietly seeking God, led by a yearning to see his face, even in countries of ancient Christian tradition. All of them have a right to receive the Gospel. Christians have the duty to proclaim the Gospel without excluding anyone… John Paul II asked us to recognize that “there must be no lessening of the impetus to preach the Gospel” to those who are far from Christ, “because this is the first task of the Church”. —POPE FRANCIS, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 15; vatican.va

 

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Climate Confusion

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THE Catechism states that “Christ endowed the Church’s shepherds with the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals.” [1]cf. CCC, n. 890 However, when it comes to matters of science, politics, economics, etc., the Church generally steps aside, limiting herself to being a guiding voice in terms of ethics and morality as pertains to the development and dignity of the person and stewardship of the earth.  Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. CCC, n. 890

The Divine Arrow

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My time in the Ottawa/Kingston region in Canada was powerful over the course of six evenings with hundreds of people attending from the area. I came without prepared talks or notes with only the desire to speak the “now word” to God’s children. Thanks in part to your prayers, many experienced Christ’s unconditional love and presence more deeply as their eyes were opened again to the power of the Sacraments and His Word. Among many of the lingering memories is a talk I gave to a group of junior high students. Afterward, one girl came up to me and said she was experiencing the Presence and healing of Jesus in a profound way… and then broke down and wept in my arms in front of her classmates.

The message of the Gospel is perennially good, always powerful, always relevant. The power of God’s love is always capable of piercing even the hardest of hearts. With that in mind, the following “now word” was on my heart all last week… Continue reading →

Practically Speaking

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IN response to my article On Criticism of the Clergy, one reader asked:

Are we to be silent when there is injustice? When good religious men and women and laity are silent, I believe it is more sinful than what is taking place. Hiding behind false religious piety is a slippery slope. I find too many in the Church strive for sainthood by being silent, out of fear of what or how they are going to say it. I’d rather be vocal and miss the mark knowing there may be a better chance of change. My fear for what you wrote, not that you are advocating for silence, but for the one who may have been ready to speak up either eloquently or not, will become silent out of fear of missing the mark or sin.  I say step out and retreat into repentance if you must…  I know you’d like everyone to get along and be nice but…

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On Criticizing the Clergy

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WE are living in super-charged times. The ability to exchange thoughts and ideas, to differ and debate, is nearly a bygone era. [1]see Surviving Our Toxic Culture and Going to Extremes It’s part of the Great Storm and Diabolical Disorientation that is sweeping over the world like an intensifying hurricane. The Church is no exception as anger and frustration against the clergy continues to mount. Healthy discourse and debate have their place. But all too often, especially on social media, it is anything but healthy. Continue reading →

Footnotes

Walk With the Church

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THERE is a bit of a sinking feeling in my gut. I’ve been processing it all week before writing today. After reading public comments from even well-known Catholics, to “conservative” media to the average layperson… it’s clear that the chickens have come home to roost. The lack of catechesis, moral formation, critical thinking and basic virtues in Western Catholic culture is rearing its dysfunctional head. In the words of Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia:Continue reading →

The Divine Orientation

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An apostle of love and presence, St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552)
by my daughter
Tianna (Mallett) Williams 
ti-spark.ca

 

THE Diabolical Disorientation I wrote about seeks to drag everyone and everything into a sea of confusion, including (if not especially) Christians. It is the gales of the Great Storm I have written about that is like a hurricane; the closer you get to the Eye, the more fierce and blinding the winds become, disorientating everyone and everything to the point that much is turned upside down, and remaining “balanced” becomes difficult. I am constantly on the receiving end of letters from both clergy and laity that speak of their personal confusion, disillusion, and suffering in what is taking place at an increasingly exponential rate. To that end, I gave seven steps you can take to diffuse this diabolical disorientation in your personal and family life. However, that comes with a caveat: anything we do must be undertaken with the Divine Orientation.Continue reading →

The Spirit of Control

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WHILE praying before the Blessed Sacrament in 2007, I had a sudden and strong impression of an angel in the mid-heavens hovering above the world and shouting,

“Control! Control!”

As man tries to banish Christ’s presence from the world, wherever they succeed, chaos takes His place. And with chaos, comes fear. And with fear, comes the opportunity to control. But the spirit of Control is not only in the world at large, it is operating in the Church as well… Continue reading →

Faustina’s Creed

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BEFORE the Blessed Sacrament, the words “Faustina’s Creed” came to mind as I read the following from St. Faustina’s Diary. I have edited the original entry to make it more succinct and general for all vocations. It is a beautiful “rule” especially for lay men and women, indeed anyone who strives to live these tenets…

 

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The King Comes

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Before I come as the just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy. 
—Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 83

 

SOMETHING stunning, powerful, hopeful, sobering, and inspiring emerges once we filter the message of Jesus to St. Faustina through Sacred Tradition. That, and we simply take Jesus at His word—that with these revelations to St. Faustina, they mark a period known as the “end times”:Continue reading →

The Great Day of Light

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Now I am sending to you Elijah the prophet,
before the day of the Lord comes,
the great and terrible day;
He will turn the heart of fathers to their sons,
and the heart of sons to their fathers,
lest I come and strike the land with utter destruction.
(Mal 3:23-24)

 

PARENTS understand that, even when you have a rebellious prodigal, your love for that child never ends. It only hurts that much more. You just want that child to “come home” and find themselves again. That’s why, before the Day of Justice, God, our loving Father, is going to give the prodigals of this generation one last opportunity to return home—to board “the Ark”—before this present Storm purifies the earth.Continue reading →

The Day of Justice

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I saw the Lord Jesus, like a king in great majesty, looking down upon our earth with great severity; but because of His Mother’s intercession, He prolonged the time of His mercy… I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart. I use punishment when they themselves force Me to do so; My hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice. Before the Day of Justice, I am sending the Day of Mercy… I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of [sinners]. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation… 
—Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 126I, 1588, 1160

 

AS the first light of dawn passed through my window this morning, I found myself borrowing St. Faustina’s prayer: “O my Jesus, speak to souls Yourself, because my words are insignificant.”[1]Diary, n. 1588 This is a difficult subject but one we cannot avoid without doing damage to the entire message of the Gospels and Sacred Tradition. I will draw from dozens of my writings to give a summary of the nearing Day of Justice. Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Diary, n. 1588

The Last Hour

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Italian Earthquake, May 20th, 2012, Associated Press

 

LIKE it’s happened in the past, I felt called by Our Lord to go and pray before the Blessed Sacrament. It was intense, deep, sorrowful… I sensed the Lord had a word this time, not for me, but for you… for the Church. After giving it to my spiritual director, I share it now with you…

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The Hour of Great Mercy

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EVERY day, an extraordinary grace is made available to us that previous generations did not have or were not aware of. It is a grace tailored for our generation who, since the early 20th century, is now living in a “time of mercy.” Continue reading →

The Signs of Our Times

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Notre Dame on Fire, Thomas Samson/Agence France-Presse

 

IT was the coldest day on our visit to Jerusalem last month. The breeze was merciless as the sun fought against the clouds for dominion. It was here on the Mount of Olives that Jesus wept over that ancient city. Our pilgrim group entered the chapel there, rising above the Garden of Gethsemane, to say Mass.Continue reading →

Sleeping While the House Burns

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THERE is a scene from the 1980’s comedy series The Naked Gun where a car chase ends with a fireworks factory blowing up, people running in every direction, and general mayhem. The main cop played by Leslie Nielsen makes his way through the crowd of gawkers and, with explosions going off behind him, states calmly, “Nothing to see here, please disperse. Nothing to see here, please.”
Continue reading →

Ashamed of Jesus

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Photo from The Passion of the Christ

 

SINCE my trip to the Holy Land, something deep within has been stirring, a holy fire, a holy desire to make Jesus loved and known again. I say “again” because, not only has the Holy Land barely retained a Christian presence, but the entire Western world is in a rapid collapse of Christian belief and values,[1]cf. All the Difference and hence, the destruction of its moral compass.Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. All the Difference

The Eighth Sacrament

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THERE is a little “now word” that has been stuck in my thoughts for years, if not decades. And that is the growing need for authentic Christian community. While we have seven sacraments in the Church, which are essentially “encounters” with the Lord, I believe one could also speak of an “eighth sacrament” based on Jesus’ teaching:Continue reading →

All the Difference

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CARDINAL Sarah was blunt: “A West that denies its faith, its history, its roots, and its identity is destined for contempt, for death, and disappearance.” [1]cf. The African Now Word Statistics reveal that this is not a prophetic warning—it’s a prophetic fulfillment:Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. The African Now Word

The African Now Word

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Cardinal Sarah kneels before the Blessed Sacrament in Toronto (University of St Michael’s College)
Photo: Catholic Herald

 

CARDINAL Robert Sarah has given a stunning, perceptive and prescient interview in the Catholic Herald today. It not only repeats “the now word” in terms of the warning that I have been compelled to speak for over a decade, but most especially and importantly, the solutions. Here are some of the key thoughts from Cardinal Sarah’s interview along with links for new readers to some of my writings that parallel and expand his observations:Continue reading →

Lightening the Cross

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The secret of happiness is docility to God and generosity to the needy…
—POPE BENEDICT XVI, Nov 2nd, 2005, Zenit

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other…
—Saint Teresa of Calcutta

 

WE speak so much of how heavy our crosses are. But did you know that crosses can be light? Do you know what makes them lighter? It is love. The kind of love that Jesus spoke about:Continue reading →

The Cross is Love

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WHENEVER we see someone suffering, we often say “Oh, that person’s cross is heavy.” Or I might think that my own circumstances, be they unexpected sorrows, reversals, trials, breakdowns, health issues, etc. are my “cross to carry.” Moreover, we might seek out certain mortifications, fasts, and observances to add to our “cross.” While it is true that suffering is part of one’s cross, to reduce it to this is to miss what the Cross truly signifies: love. Continue reading →

Loving Jesus

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FRANKLY, I feel unworthy of writing on the present subject, as one who has loved the Lord so poorly. Everyday I set out to love Him, but by the time I enter an examination of conscience, I find that I have loved myself more. And the words of St. Paul become my own:Continue reading →

Finding Jesus

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WALKING along the Sea of Galilee one morning, I wondered how it was possible that Jesus was so rejected and even tortured and killed. I mean, here was One who not only loved, but was love itself: “for God is love.” [1]1 John 4:8 Every breath then, every word, every glance, every thought, every moment was imbued with Divine Love, so much so that hardened sinners would simply leave everything at once at the mere sound of his voice.Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 1 John 4:8

The Crisis Behind the Crisis

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To repent is to not just acknowledge that I have done wrong;
it is to turn my back on the wrong and start incarnating the Gospel.
On this hinges the future of Christianity in the world today.
The world does not believe what Christ taught
because we do not incarnate it. 
—Servant of God Catherine Doherty, from Kiss of Christ

 

THE Church’s greatest moral crisis continues to escalate in our times. This has resulted in “lay inquisitions” led by Catholic media, calls for sweeping reforms, an overhaul of alert systems, updated procedures, the excommunication of bishops, and so forth. But all of this fails to recognize the real root of the problem and why every “fix” proposed thus far, no matter how backed by righteous indignation and sound reason, fails to deal with the crisis within the crisis.Continue reading →

Co-workers in Christ’s Vineyard

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Mark Mallett by the Sea of Galilee

 

Now is above all the hour of the lay faithful,
who, by their specific vocation to shape the secular world in accordance with the Gospel,
are called to carry forward the Church’s prophetic mission
by evangelizing the various spheres of family,
social, professional and cultural life.
—POPE JOHN PAUL II, Address to the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Indianapolis, Chicago
and Milwaukee on their “Ad Limina” visit, May 28th, 2004

 

I want to continue to reflect on the theme of evangelization as we move forward. But before I do, there is a practical message I need to repeat.Continue reading →

In the Footsteps of St. John

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St. John resting on the breast of Christ, (John 13:23)

 

AS you read this, I am on a flight to the Holy Land to embark on a pilgrimage. I am going to take the next twelve days to lean upon the breast of Christ at His Last Supper… to enter Gethsemane to “watch and pray”… and to stand in the silence of Calvary to draw strength from the Cross and Our Lady. This will be my last writing until I return.Continue reading →

Resurrection, not Reform…

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…the Church is in such a state of crisis, such a state of needing massive reform…
—John-Henry Westen, Editor of LifeSiteNews;
from the video “Is Pope Francis Driving the Agenda?”, Feb. 24th, 2019

The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover,
when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection.
—Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 677

You know how to judge the appearance of the sky,
but you cannot judge the signs of the times. (Matt 16:3)

Continue reading →

Fear Not!

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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 →

Footnotes

When the Stars Fall

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POPE FRANCIS and bishops from around the world have gathered this week to face what is arguably the gravest trial in the history of the Catholic Church. It is not just a sexual abuse crisis of those entrusted with Christ’s flock; it is a crisis of faith. For men entrusted with the Gospel ought not only preach it, but above all live it. When they—or we—don’t, then we fall from grace like stars from the firmament.

St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and St. Paul VI all felt that we are presently living the twelfth chapter of Revelation like no other generation, and I submit, in a startling way…Continue reading →

Only Jesus Walks On Water

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Be Not Afraid, Liz Lemon Swindle

 

…has it not been thus throughout the history of the Church that the Pope,
the successor of Peter, has been at once
Petra and Skandalon—
both the rock of God and a stumbling block?
—POPE BENEDICT XIV, from Das neue Volk Gottes, p. 80ff

 

IN Last Call: Prophets Arise!, I said that the role of all of us at this hour is simply to speak the truth in love, in season or out, without attachment to the results. That is a call to boldness, a new boldness… Continue reading →

Last Call: Prophets Arise!

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AS the weekend Mass readings rolled by, I sensed the Lord saying once again: it is time for the prophets to arise! Let me repeat that:

It is time for the prophets to arise!

But don’t start Googling to find out who they are… just look in the mirror.Continue reading →

On Weaponizing the Mass

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THERE are serious seismic changes occurring in the world and our culture almost on an hourly basis. It doesn’t take a keen eye to recognize that the prophetic warnings foretold over many centuries are unfolding now in real time. So why have I focused on the radical conservatism in the Church this week (not to mention radical liberalism through abortion)? Because one of the foretold events is a coming schism. “A house divided against itself will fall,” Jesus warned.Continue reading →

The Bloody Red Herring

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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam,  (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

 

THERE is a collective gasp rising from America, and rightly so. Politicians have begun to move in several States to repeal restrictions on abortion that would then allow the procedure up until the moment of birth. But more than that. Today, the Governor of Virginia defended a proposed bill that would let mothers and their abortion provider decide whether a baby whose mother is in labor, or a baby born alive through a botched abortion, can still be killed.

This is a debate on legalizing infanticide.Continue reading →