The Smoldering Candle

 

 

The truth appeared like a great candle
lighting the whole world with its brilliant flame.

—St. Bernadine of Siena

 

A POWERFUL image came to me… an image that carries both encouragement and warning.

Those who have been following these writings know that their purpose has been specifically to prepare us for the times which lay directly ahead of the Church and world. They are not so much about catechesis as calling us into a safe Refuge.

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The Incomparable Beauty


Milan Cathedral in Lombardy, Milan, Italy; photo by Prak Vanny

 

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

 

SINCE the last week of Advent, I have been in a perpetual state of contemplation of the incomparable beauty of the Catholic Church. On this solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God, I find my voice joining in with hers:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior… (Luke 1:46-47)

Earlier this week, I wrote about the stark contrast between the Christian martyrs and those extremists who are destroying families, towns, and lives in the name of “religion.” [1]cf. The Christian-Martyr Witness Once again, Christianity’s beauty is often most evident when the darkness increases, when the shadows of the day’s evil reveal the beauty of light. The lamentation that rose up in me during Lent in 2013 has been ringing in my ears at the same time (read Weep, O Children of Men). It is the dirge of a sun setting upon a world bewitched into believing that beauty lies solely within technology and science, reason and logic, rather than the life of faith that comes from believing in and following Jesus Christ.

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Footnotes

Joyful Greetings!

Family Christmas 2014Mallett Family, Christmas 2014

 

 

THANK you for every prayer, every letter,
every kind word, every gift this past year.

I am filled with a deep joy and sense of wonder
at the great gift of not only our Savior
but of His Church, which has spread to every nation.

JESUS CHRIST IS LORD.

Love and blessings from the Mallett clan
with gratitude and prayers for your joy, peace, and refuge in
Jesus Christ Our Savior.

 

 

 

 

The Nigerian Gift

 

IT was the last leg of my flight home from a speaking tour in the United States a few years ago. I was still lingering in the graces of Divine Mercy Sunday as I arrived at the Denver airport. I had some time to spare before my final flight, and so I walked around the concourse for awhile.

I noticed a shoe shine station along the wall. I looked down at my fading black footwear and thought to myself, “Nah, I’ll do it myself when I get home.” But when I returned past the shoe-shiners several minutes later, something inside was prodding me to go have my shoes done. And so, I finally stopped after passing them for a third time, and mounted one of the chairs.

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The Immaculata

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for December 19th-20th, 2014
of the Third Week of Advent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

THE Immaculate Conception of Mary is one of the most beautiful miracles in salvation history after the Incarnation—so much so, that the Fathers of the Eastern tradition celebrate her as “the All-Holy” (Panagia) who was…

…free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 493

But if Mary is a “type” of the Church, then it means that we too are called to become the Immaculate Conception as well.

 

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I Am Coming Soon


Gethsemane

 

THERE is no question that one of the aspects of this writing apostolate is to warn and prepare the reader for the colossal changes coming, and already begun in the world—what I sensed the Lord several years ago call a Great Storm. But the warning has less to do with the physical world—which is already changing dramatically—and more to do with the spiritual dangers that are beginning to sweep through humanity like a Spiritual Tsunami.

Like many of you, I sometimes want to run from these realities; I want to pretend that life will go on as normal, and I am sometimes tempted to believe it will. Who wouldn’t want it to? I often think of St. Paul’s words calling us to pray…

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The Reign of the Lion

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for December 17th, 2014
of the Third Week of Advent

Liturgical texts here

 

HOW are we to understand the prophetic texts of Scripture which imply that, with the coming of the Messiah, justice and peace would reign, and He would crush His enemies beneath His feet? For would it not appear that 2000 years later, these prophecies have utterly failed?

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The Spiritual Tsunami

 

NINE years ago today, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I wrote Persecution… and the Moral Tsunami. Today, during the Rosary, I sensed Our Lady once again moving me to write, but this time about the coming Spiritual Tsunami, which has been prepared by the former. I think it is no coincidence that this writing falls again on this feast… for what is coming has very much to do with the decisive battle between the Woman and the dragon.

Caution: the following contains mature themes that may not be suitable for younger readers.

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Comfort My People

 

THE words have been on my heart for some time,

Comfort My People.

They are drawn from Isaiah 40—those prophetic words from which the people of Israel drew their comfort knowing that, indeed, a Savior would come. It was to them, “a people in darkness”, [1]cf. Isa 9:2 that the Messiah would visit from on high.

Are we any different today? In fact, this generation is arguably in more darkness that any before it for the fact that we have already seen the Messiah.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 cf. Isa 9:2

Strayed

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for December 9th, 2014
Memorial of St. Juan Diego

Liturgical texts here

 

IT was almost midnight when I arrived at our farm after a trip to the city a few weeks ago.

“The calf is out,” my wife said. “The boys and I went out and looked, but couldn’t find her. I could hear her bawling towards the north, but the sound was getting further away.”

So I got in my truck and started to drive through the pastures, which had nearly a foot of snow in places. Any more snow, and this would be pushing it, I thought to myself. I put the truck in 4×4 and started driving around tree groves, bushes, and along fencelines. But there was no calf. Even more puzzling, there were no tracks. After a half hour, I resigned myself to waiting till morning.

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So Why are You Afraid?


sowhyareyouafraid_Fotor2

 

 

JESUS said, “Father, they are your gift to me.” [1]John 17:24

      So how does one treat a precious gift?

Jesus said, “You are my friends.” [2]John 15:14

      So how does one support his friends?

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 John 17:24
2 John 15:14

Becoming God's Fragrance

 

WHEN you walk into a room with fresh flowers, they are essentially just sitting there. Yet, their fragrance reaches you and fills your senses with delight. So too, a holy man or woman may not need to say or do much in another’s presence, for the aroma of their holiness is enough to touch one’s spirit.

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The Last Judgments

 


 

I believe that the vast majority of the Book of Revelation refers, not to the end of the world, but to the end of this era. Only the last few chapters really look at the very end of the world while everything else before mostly describes a “final confrontation” between the “woman” and the “dragon”, and all the terrible effects in nature and society of a general rebellion that accompanies it. What divides that final confrontation from the end of the world is a judgment of the nations—what we are primarily hearing in this week’s Mass readings as we approach the first week of Advent, the preparation for Christ’s coming.

For the past two weeks I keep hearing the words in my heart, “Like a thief in the night.” It is the sense that events are coming upon the world that are going to take many of us by surprise, if not many of us home. We need to be in a “state of grace,” but not a state of fear, for anyone of us could be called home at any moment. With that, I feel compelled to republish this timely writing from December 7th, 2010…

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Knowing Jesus

 

HAVE you ever met someone who is passionate about their subject? A skydiver, horse-back rider, a sports fan, or an anthropologist, scientist, or antique restorer who lives and breathes their hobby or career? While they can inspire us, and even spark an interest in us toward their subject, Christianity is different. For it is not about the passion of yet another lifestyle, philosophy, or even religious ideal.

The essence of Christianity is not an idea but a Person. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, spontaneous speech to the clergy of Rome; Zenit, May 20th, 2005

 

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Hell is for Real

 

THERE is one terrible truth in Christianity that in our times, even more than in previous centuries, arouses implacable horror in the heart of man. That truth is of the eternal pains of hell. At the mere allusion to this dogma, minds become troubled, hearts tighten up and tremble, passions become rigid and inflamed against the doctrine and the unwelcome voices that proclaim it.” [1]The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life, by Fr. Charles Arminjon, p. 173; Sophia Institute Press

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life, by Fr. Charles Arminjon, p. 173; Sophia Institute Press

What it Means to Welcome Sinners

 

THE call of the Holy Father for the Church to become more of a “field hospital” to “heal the wounded” is a very beautiful, timely, and perceptive pastoral vision. But what exactly needs healing? What are the wounds? What does it mean to “welcome” sinners aboard the Barque of Peter?

Essentially, what is “Church” for?

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The Thin Line Between Mercy and Heresy – Part III

 

PART III — FEARS REVEALED

 

SHE fed and clothed the poor with love; she nurtured minds and hearts with the Word. Catherine Doherty, foundress of the Madonna House apostolate, was a woman who took on the “smell of the sheep” without taking on the “stench of sin.” She constantly walked the thin line between mercy and heresy by embracing the greatest of sinners while calling them to holiness. She used to say,

Go without fears into the depths of men’s hearts… the Lord shall be with you. —from The Little Mandate

This is one of those “words” from the Lord that is able to penetrate “between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” [1]cf. Heb 4:12 Catherine uncovers the very root of the problem with both so-called “conservatives” and “liberals” in the Church: it is our fear to enter men’s hearts as Christ did.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 cf. Heb 4:12

The Thin Line Between Mercy & Heresy – Part II

 

PART II — Reaching the Wounded

 

WE have watched a rapid cultural and sexual revolution that in five short decades has decimated the family as divorce, abortion, redefinition of marriage, euthanasia, pornography, adultery, and many other ills have become not only acceptable, but deemed a social “good” or “right.” However, an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases, drug use, alcohol abuse, suicide, and ever multiplying psychoses tell a different story: we are a generation that is bleeding profusely from the effects of sin.

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The Thin Line Between Mercy & Heresy – Part I

 


IN
all the controversies that unfolded in the wake of the recent Synod in Rome, the reason for the gathering seemed to have been lost altogether. It was convened under the theme: “Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization.” How do we evangelize families given the pastoral challenges we face due to high divorce rates, single mothers, secularization, and so forth?

What we learned very quickly (as proposals of some Cardinals were made known to the public) is that there is a a thin line between mercy and heresy.

The following three part series is intended to not only get back to the heart of the matter—evangelizing families in our times—but to do so by bringing to the forefront the man who is really at the center of the controversies: Jesus Christ. Because no one walked that thin line more than Him—and Pope Francis seems to be pointing that path to us once again.

We need to blow away the “smoke of satan” so we can clearly identify this narrow red line, drawn in Christ’s blood… because we are called to walk it ourselves.

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The Spirit of Trust

 

SO much has been said this past week on the spirit of fear that has been flooding many souls. I have been blessed that so many of you have entrusted your own vulnerability to me as you have been trying to sift through the confusion that has become a staple of the times. But to assume that what is called confusion is immediately, therefore, “from the evil one” would be incorrect. Because in the life of Jesus, we know that so often his followers, the teachers of the law, the Apostles, and even Mary were left confused as to the meaning and actions of the Lord.

And out of all of these followers, two responses stand out that are like two pillars rising on the sea of turmoil. If we begin to imitate these examples, we can affix ourselves to both of these pillars, and be drawn into the internal calm that is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

It is my prayer that your faith in Jesus will be renewed in this meditation…

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The Spirit of Suspicion


Getty Images

 

 

ONCE again, the Mass readings today are blowing over my soul like a trumpet blast. In the Gospel, Jesus warns His listeners to pay attention to the signs of the times

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The Persecution From Within

 

If you had problems subscribing, that has now been resolved. Thanks! 
 

WHEN I changed the format of my writings last week, there was no intention on my part to cease commenting on the Mass readings. In fact, as I told subscribers to the Now Word, I believe the Lord asked me to begin writing meditations on the Mass readings precisely because He is speaking to us through them, as prophecy now seems to be unfolding in real time. During the week of the Synod, it was incredible to read how, at the very same time that some Cardinals were proposing heresies as pastoral initiatives, St. Paul was affirming his absolute commitment to the Revelation of Christ in Tradition.

There are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! (Gal 1:7-8)

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Can a Pope Become a Heretic?

APTOPIX VATICAN PALM SUNDAY

 

by Rev. Joseph L. Iannuzzi, STD, Ph.D.

 

IN recent months the Roman Pontiff’s teaching authority has been openly challenged and his supreme, full and immediate authority questioned. Particular exception has been taken to his non ex cathedra pronouncements in light of modern “prophecies.” The following article by Rev. Joseph Iannuzzi asks the question increasingly being asked by others: Can a Pope Become a Heretic?

 

Steady as She Goes

 

 

 

I have spent the day mostly in prayer, listening, speaking with my spiritual director, praying, going to Mass, listening some more… and these are the thoughts and words which have been coming to me since I wrote The Synod and the Spirit.

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The Synod and the Spirit

 

 

AS I wrote in my daily Mass meditation today (see here), there is a certain panic in some quarters of the Church on the heels of the Synod’s somewhat abstract post discussion report (relatio post disceptationem). People are asking, “What are the bishops doing in Rome? What is the Pope doing?” But the real question is what is the Holy Spirit doing? For the Spirit is the one Jesus sent to “teach you all truth.” [1]John 16:13 The Spirit is our advocate, our help, our consoler, our strength, our wisdom… but also the one who convicts, enlightens, and exposes our hearts so that we have the opportunity to always move deeper toward the truth that sets us free.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 John 16:13

Important Changes

 

 

BROTHERS and sisters, things are beginning to move very fast in the world with events, one on top of the other… like the winds of a hurricane nearest the eye of the Storm. [1]cf. The Seven Seals of Revolution This is what the Lord showed me would happen several years ago. But who of us can prepare for these things outside of God’s grace?

As such, I have been inundated with emails, texts, phone calls…. and I can’t keep up. Furthermore, I sense the Lord is calling me to more prayer and listening. I feel I am not keeping up with what He wants me to say! Something has to give…

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Footnotes

We are God's Possession

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 16th, 2014
Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch

Liturgical texts here

 


from Brian Jekel’s Consider the Sparrows

 

 

‘WHAT is the Pope doing? What are the bishops doing?” Many are asking these questions on the heels of confusing language and abstract statements emerging from the Synod on Family Life. But the question on my heart today is what is the Holy Spirit doing? Because Jesus sent the Spirit to guide the Church to “all truth.” [1]John 16:13 Either Christ’s promise is trustworthy or it’s not. So what is the Holy Spirit doing? I will write more about this in another writing.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 John 16:13

Without a Vision

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 16th, 2014
Opt. Memorial of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Liturgical texts here

 

 

 

THE confusion we are seeing envelop Rome today in the wake of the Synod document released to the public is, really, no surprise. Modernism, liberalism, and homosexuality were rampant in seminaries at the time many of these bishops and cardinals attended them. It was a time when the Scriptures where de-mystified, dismantled, and stripped of their power; a time when the Liturgy was being turned into a celebration of the community rather than Christ’s Sacrifice; when theologians ceased studying on their knees; when churches were being stripped of icons and statues; when confessionals were being turned into broom closets; when the Tabernacle was being shuffled off into corners; when catechesis virtually dried up; when abortion became legalized; when priests were abusing children; when the sexual revolution turned nearly everyone against Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae; when no-fault divorce was implemented… when the family began to fall apart.

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Sin that Keeps us from the Kingdom

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 15th, 2014
Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Liturgical texts here

 

 

 

Genuine freedom is an outstanding manifestation of the divine image in man. —SAINT JOHN PAUL II, Veritatis Splendor, n. 34

 

TODAY, Paul moves from explaining how Christ has set us free for freedom, to being specific as to those sins that lead us, not only into slavery, but even eternal separation from God: immorality, impurity, drinking bouts, envy, etc.

I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (First reading)

How popular was Paul for saying these things? Paul didn’t care. As he said himself earlier in his letter to the Galatians:

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The Inside Must Match the Outside

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 14th, 2014
Opt. Memorial of St. Callistus I, Pope and Martyr

Liturgical texs here

 

 

IT is often said that Jesus was tolerant towards “sinners” but intolerant of the Pharisees. But this isn’t quite true. Jesus often rebuked the Apostles as well, and in fact in yesterday’s Gospel, it was the entire crowd to whom He was very blunt, warning that they would be shown less mercy than the Ninevites:

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For Freedom

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 13th, 2014

Liturgical texts here

 

 

ONE of the reasons I felt the Lord wanted me to write the “Now Word” on the Mass readings at this time, was precisely because there is a now word in the readings that is speaking directly to what is happening in the Church and the world. The readings of the Mass are arranged in three year cycles, and so are different each year. Personally, I think it is a “sign of the times” how this year’s readings are lining up with our times…. Just saying.

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Trumpets of Warning! — Part I


LadyJustice_Fotor

 

 

This was among the first words or “trumpets” that I felt the Lord wanted me to blow, beginning in 2006. Many words were coming to me in prayer this morning that, when I went back and re-read this below, made more sense than ever in light of what is happening with Rome, Islam, and everything else in this present Storm. The veil is lifting, and the Lord is revealing to us more and more the times we are in. Don’t be afraid then, because God is with us, shepherding us in the “valley of the shadow of death.” For as Jesus said, “I will be with you until the end…” This writing forms the backdrop for my meditation on the Synod, which my spiritual director has asked me to write.

First published on August 23rd, 2006:

 

I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry. (Jer 4:19)

 

I can no longer hold in the “word” which has been welling up within me for a week. The weight of it has moved me to tears several times. However, the readings from the Mass this morning were a powerful confirmation — “a go ahead”, so to speak.
 

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A House Divided

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 10th, 2014

Liturgical texts here

 

 

“EVERY kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.” These are Christ’s words in today’s Gospel that must surely reverberate among the Synod of Bishops gathered in Rome. As we listen to the presentations coming forth on how to deal with today’s moral challenges facing families, it is clear that there are great gulfs between some prelates as to how to deal with sin. My spiritual director has asked me to speak about this, and so I will in another writing. But perhaps we should conclude this week’s meditations on the infallibility of the papacy by listening carefully to Our Lord’s words today.

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Who Has Bewitched You?

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 9th, 2014
Opt. Memorial of St. Denis and Companions, Martyrs

Liturgical texts here

 

 

“O stupid Galatians! Who has bewitched you…?”

These are the opening words of today’s first reading. And I wonder if St. Paul would repeat them to us as well were he in our midst. For even though Jesus has promised to build His Church on rock, many are convinced today that it’s really just sand. I have received a few letters that essentially say, okay, I hear what you’re saying about the Pope, but I’m still afraid he is saying one thing and doing another. Yes, there is a persistent fear among the ranks that this Pope is going to lead us all into apostasy.

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Can the Pope Betray Us?

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 8th, 2014

Liturgical texts here

 

The subject matter of this meditation is so important, that I am sending this to both my daily readers of the Now Word, and those who are on the Spiritual Food for Thought mailing list. If you receive duplicates, that’s why. Because of today’s subject, this writing is a bit longer than usual for my daily readers… but I believe necessary.

 

I couldn’t sleep last night. I woke up in what the Romans would call the “fourth watch”, that period of time before dawn. I began to think about all the emails I’m receiving, the rumors I’m hearing, the doubts and confusion that are creeping in… like wolves on the edge of the forest. Yes, I heard the warnings clearly in my heart shortly after Pope Benedict resigned, that we were going to enter into times of great confusion. And now, I feel a bit like a shepherd, tension in my back and arms, my staff raised as shadows move about this precious flock that God has entrusted me to feed with “spiritual food.” I feel protective today.

The wolves are here.

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The Two Parts

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 7th, 2014
Our Lady of the Rosary

Liturgical texts here


Jesus with Martha and Mary from Anton Laurids Johannes Dorph (1831-1914)

 

 

THERE is no such thing as a Christian without the Church. But there is no Church without authentic Christians…

Today, St. Paul continues to give his testimony of how he was given the Gospel, not by man, but by a “revelation of Jesus Christ.” [1]Yesterday’s first reading Yet, Paul is not a lone ranger; he brings himself and his message into and under the authority that Jesus conferred upon the Church, beginning with the “rock”, Cephas, the first pope:

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 Yesterday’s first reading

The Two Guardrails

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 6th, 2014
Opt. Memorial for St. Bruno and Blessed Marie Rose Durocher

Liturgical texts here


Photo by Les Cunliffe

 

 

THE readings today could not be more timely for the opening sessions of the Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family. For they provide the two guardrails along the “constricted road that leads to life” [1]cf. Matt 7:14 that the Church, and all us as individuals, must travel.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 cf. Matt 7:14

The Coming “Lord of the Flies” Moment


Scene from “Lord of the Flies”, Nelson Entertainment

 

IT is perhaps one of the most augury and revealing movies in recent times. The Lord of the Flies (1989) is the story of a group of boys who are the survivors of a shipwreck. As they settle in to their island surroundings, power struggles ensue until the boys devolve into essentially a totalitarian state where the powerful control the weak—and eliminate the elements that don’t “fit in.” It is, in fact, a parable of what has happened over and over again in the history of mankind, and is repeating itself again today before our very eyes as the nations reject the vision of the Gospel put forth by the Church.

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On Angel’s Wings

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 2nd, 2014
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels,

Liturgical texts here

 

IT is remarkable to think that, this very moment, beside me, is an angelic being who is not only ministering to me, but beholding the face of the Father at the same time:

Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven… See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. (Today’s Gospel)

Few, I think, really pay attention to this angelic guardian assigned to them, let alone converse with them. But many of the saints such as Henry, Veronica, Gemma and Pio regularly spoke with and saw their angels. I shared a story with you how I was awakened one morning to an interior voice that, I seemed to know intuitively, was my guardian angel (read Speak Lord, I am Listening). And then there is that stranger who appeared that one Christmas (read A True Christmas Tale).

There was one other time that stands out to me as an inexplicable example of the angel’s presence among us…

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Resolute

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 30th, 2014
Memorial of St. Jerome

Liturgical texts here

 

 

ONE man laments his sufferings. The other goes straight toward them. One man questions why he was born. Another fulfills His destiny. Both men long for their deaths.

The difference being that Job wants to die to end his suffering. But Jesus wants to die to end our suffering. And thus…

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The Everlasting Dominion

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 29th, 2014
Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

Liturgical texts here


The Fig Tree

 

 

BOTH Daniel and St. John write of a terrible beast that rises to overwhelm the entire world for a short time… but is followed by the establishment of God’s Kingdom, “an everlasting dominion.” It is given not only to the one “like a son of man”, [1]cf. First reading but…

…the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. (Dan 7:27)

This sounds like Heaven, which is why many mistakenly speak of the end of the world after the fall of this beast. But the Apostles and Church Fathers understood it differently. They anticipated that, at some point in the future, God’s Kingdom would come in a profound and universal way before the end of time.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 cf. First reading

Hell Unleashed

 

 

WHEN I wrote this last week, I decided to sit on it and pray some more because of the very serious nature of this writing. But nearly every day since, I have been getting clear confirmations that this is a word of warning to all of us.

There are many new readers coming aboard each day. Let me briefly recap then… When this writing apostolate began some eight years ago, I felt the Lord asking me to “watch and pray”. [1]At WYD in Toronto in 2003, Pope John Paul II likewise asked us youth to become “the watchmen of the morning who announce the coming of the sun who is the Risen Christ!” —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Message of the Holy Father to the Youth of the World, XVII World Youth Day, n. 3; (cf. Is 21:11-12). Following the headlines, it seemed that there was an escalation of world events by the month. Then it began to be by the week. And now, it is daily. It is exactly as I felt the Lord was showing me it would happen (oh, how I wish in some ways I was wrong about this!)

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 At WYD in Toronto in 2003, Pope John Paul II likewise asked us youth to become “the watchmen of the morning who announce the coming of the sun who is the Risen Christ!” —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Message of the Holy Father to the Youth of the World, XVII World Youth Day, n. 3; (cf. Is 21:11-12).

The Timeless

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 26th, 2014
Opt. Memorial Saints Cosmas and Damian

Liturgical texts here

passage_Fotor

 

 

THERE is an appointed time for everything. But strangely, it was never meant to be this way.

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. (First reading)

What the scriptural writer speaks of here is not an imperative or injunction that we must carry out; rather, it is the realization that the human condition, like the ebb and flow of the tide, rises into glory… only to descend into sorrow.

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Beheading God

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 25th, 2014

Liturgical texts here


by Kyu Erien

 

 

AS I wrote last year, perhaps the most short-sighted aspect of our modern culture is the notion that we are on a linear path of advancement. That we are leaving behind, in the wake of human achievement, the barbarism and narrow-minded thinking of past generations and cultures. That we are loosening the shackles of prejudice and intolerance and marching toward a more democratic, free, and civilized world. [1]cf. The Progression of Man

We couldn’t be more wrong.

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Footnotes