In His Footsteps

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GOOD FRIDAY 


Christ Grieving, by Michael D. O’Brien

Christ embraces the whole world, yet hearts have grown cold, faith is eroded, violence increases. The cosmos reels, the earth is in darkness. The farmlands, the wilderness, and the cities of man no longer reverence the Blood of the Lamb. Jesus grieves over the world. How will mankind awake? What will it take to shatter our indifference? —Artist’s Commentary 

 

THE premise of all these writings is based on the teaching of the Church that the Body of Christ will follow its Lord, the Head, through a passion of its own.

Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers… 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. 672, 677

Therefore, I want to put into context my most recent writings on the Eucharist. 

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A Refuge Has Been Prepared

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The Two Deaths, by Michael D. O’Brien

In this symbolic work, both Christ and Antichrist are depicted, and the people of the times are faced with a choice. Which path to follow? There is much confusion, much fear. Most of the figures do not comprehend where the roads will lead; only a few little children have eyes to see. Those who seek to save their life will lose it; those who lose their life for Christ’s sake will save it. —Artist’s commentary

 

ONCE again, I hear clearly in my heart this week words which rang out last winter—the sense of an angel in the mid-heavens crying out:

Control! Control!

Keeping in mind always that Christ is the victor, I also hear again the words:

You are entering the most painful part of the purification. 

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The Eucharist, and The Final Hour Mercy

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FEAST OF ST. PATRICK

 

THOSE who have read and meditated upon the message of Mercy that Jesus gave to St. Faustina understand its significance for our times. 

You have to speak to the world about His great mercy and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Him who will come, not as a merciful Savior, but as a just Judge. Oh, how terrible is that day! Determined is the day of justice, the day of divine wrath. The angels tremble before it. Speak to souls about this great mercy while it is still the time for [granting] mercy. —Virgin Mary speaking to St. Faustina, Diary of St. Faustina, n. 635

What I want to point out is that the Divine Mercy message is inextricably tied to the Eucharist. And the Eucharist, as I wrote in Meeting Face to Face, is the centerpiece of St. John’s Revelation, a book which intermingles Liturgy and apocalyptic imagery to prepare the Church, in part, for the Second Coming of Christ.Continue reading →

The Final Confrontation

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FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH

THIS writing was first published on October 5th, 2007. I am compelled to republish it here today, which is the Feast of St. Joseph. One of his many titles as a patron saint is “Protector of the Church.” I doubt the timing of the inspiration to re-post this article is a coincidence.

Most striking below are the words which accompany Michael D. O’Brien’s marvelous painting, “The New Exodus”. The words are prophetic, and a confirmation of the writings on the Eucharist which I have been inspired with this past week.

There has been an intensification in my heart of warning. It seems clear to me that all around us the collapse of “Babylon” which the Lord has spoken to me of, and which I consequently wrote about in Trumpets of Warning–Part I and elsewhere, is rapidly progressing. As I was pondering this the other day, an email arrived from Steve Jalsevac of LifeSiteNews.com, a news service dedicated to reporting the battles between the “culture of life” and the “culture of death.” He writes,

We have been doing this work for over 10 years but even we are astonished at the pace of developments in the world today. Every day it is amazing how the battle between good and evil is intensifying. —Email news summary, March 13th, 2008

It is an exciting time to be alive as a Christian. We know the outcome of this battle, for one. Second, we were born for these times, and so we know that God has a plan for each of us that is one of victory, if we remain docile to the Holy Spirit.

Other writings which are jumping off the screen at me today, and which I recommend to those who want to refresh their memories, are found at the bottom of this page under “Further Reading”.

Let us continue to hold one another in communion of prayer… for these are profound days which require that we continue to stay sober and alert, to “watch and pray.”

St. Joseph, pray for us. 

 


The New Exodus, by Michael D. O’Brien

 

As in the Passover and Exodus of the Old Testament, God’s people must cross the desert toward the Promised Land. In the New Testament era, the “pillar of fire” is the presence of our Eucharistic Lord. In this painting, ominous storm clouds gather and an army approaches, intent on destroying the children of the new covenant. The people are in confusion and terror, but a priest lifts high a monstrance in which the Body of Christ is exposed, the Lord rallying to Himself all those who hunger for truth. Soon the light will scatter the darkness, divide the waters, and open an impossible path to the promised land of Paradise. —Michael D. O’Brien, commentary on the painting The New Exodus

 

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The Battle Cry

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I WROTE not long ago about Our Lady’s Battle, and the role that a “remnant” is being urgently prepared for. There is one other aspect to this Battle I wish to point out.

 

BATTLE CRY

In the battle of Gideon—a metaphor of Our Lady’s Battle—the soldiers are handed:

Horns and empty jars, and torches inside the jars. (Judges 7:17)

When it was time, the jars were broken and Gideon’s army sounded their horns. That is, the battle began with music.

 

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Meeting Face to Face

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IN my travels throughout North America, I have been hearing remarkable conversion stories from young people. They are telling me about conferences or retreats they’ve attended, and how they are being transformed by an encounter with Jesus—in the Eucharist. The stories are almost identical:

 

I was having a difficult weekend, not really getting much out of it. But when the priest walked in carrying the monstrance with Jesus in the Eucharist, something happened. I have been changed ever since….

  

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Come Down Zacchaeus!

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LOVE REVEALS ITSELF

HE was not a righteous man. He was a liar, a thief, and everyone knew it. Yet, in Zacchaeus, there was a hunger for the truth which sets us free, even if he did not know it. And so, when he heard that Jesus was passing by, he climbed a tree to catch a glimpse. 

Of all the hundreds, perhaps thousands that were following Christ that day, Jesus stopped at that tree.  

Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house. (Luke 19:5)

Jesus did not stop there because He found a worthy soul, or because he found a soul full of faith, or even a repentant heart. He stopped because His Heart was filled with compassion for a man who was out on a limb—spiritually speaking.

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More On Prayer

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THE body constantly needs a source of energy, even for simple tasks such as breathing. So, too, the soul has essential needs. Thus, Jesus commanded us:

Pray always. (Luke 18:1)

The spirit needs the constant life of God, much the way grapes need to hang on the vine, not just once a day or on Sunday mornings for an hour. The grapes should be on the vine “without ceasing” in order to ripen to maturity.

 

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On Prayer

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AS the body needs food for energy, so too does the soul need spiritual food to climb the Mountain of Faith. Food is as important to the body as is breath. But what about the soul?

 

SPIRITUAL FOOD

From the Catechism:

Prayer is the life of the new heart. —CCC, n.2697

If prayer is the life of the new heart, then the death of the new heart is no prayer—just as lack of food starves the body. This explains why so many of us Catholics are not ascending the Mountain, not growing in holiness and virtue. We come to Mass every Sunday, drop two bucks in the basket, and forget about God the rest of the week. The soul, lacking spiritual nourishment, begins to die.

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The Mountain of Faith

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PERHAPS you are overwhelmed by the plethora of spiritual paths you’ve heard and read about. Is growing in holiness really that complicated?

Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt18:3)

If Jesus commands us to be like children, then the path to Heaven must be reachable by a child.  It must be attainable in the simplest of ways.

It is.

Jesus said that we are to abide in Him as a branch abides on the vine, for without Him, we can do nothing. How does the branch abide on the vine?

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Video for Pope John Paul II

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S O N G    F O R    K A R O L 

 
WHEN I met Pope Benedict in October of 2006,  I presented him a copy of Song For Karol which I had written the night Pope John Paul II died.

I recently finished a video tribute to the late Holy Father. Pope John Paul’s words and life have laid the foundation for the times which we live in. They have often inspired my writings and preaching. I often sense his presence very near me in my ministry…

The final words of this song are more urgent now than ever. Here is my tribute to Papa…

 

CLICK ON THE COVER TO SEE THE VIDEO

 

 

The Prodigal Hour

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The Prodigal Son, by Liz Lemon Swindle

 

ASH WEDNESDAY

 

THE so-called “illumination of conscience” referred to by saints and mystics is sometimes called a “warning.” It is a warning because it will present a clear choice for this generation to either choose or reject the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ before a necessary judgment. The choice to either return home or remain lost, perhaps forever.

 

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The Birds and the Bees

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OF significant note in the media is the alarming disappearance of honeybees (a harbinger of famine?). But there is another story that’s been brewing as well: the sudden disappearance of tens of millions of birds.

Nature is intimately tied to man insofar as he is its steward. When man no longer abides by God’s laws, this impacts nature as well, perhaps in ways we do not fully understand. 

So that said, the disappearance of the birds and the bees may indeed be a reflection of man’s disregard for… well, "the birds and the bees." The past forty years have been an unprecedented experiment with human sexuality which has led to an explosion of STD’s, abortion, and pornography.

We have destroyed the fundamental truths of "the birds and the bees." Is nature telling us something? 

 

How Cold is it in Your House?

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War-torn district in Bosnia  

 

WHEN I visited former Yugoslavia just over a year ago, I was taken to a little make-shift village where war refugees were living. They came there by rail-car, fleeing the devastating bombs and bullets which still mark many of the apartments and businesses of Bosnia’s cities and towns.

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Prophetic Perspective — Part II

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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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Exorcism of the Dragon

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St. Michael the Archangel by Michael D. O’Brien

 

AS we come to see and better understand the vast scope of the enemy’s plan, The Great Deception, we should not be overwhelmed, for his plan will not succeed. God is revealing a far greater Masterplan—a victory already won by Christ as we enter the time of the Final Battles. Again, let me turn to a phrase from Hope is Dawning:

When Jesus comes, much will come to light, and the darkness will be scattered.

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Send Me Daughters

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PERHAPS it’s because she’s about the same height. Maybe it’s because her order is seeking the helpless. Whatever it is, when I met Mother Paul Marie, she reminded me of Mother Teresa. Indeed, her territory is the "new streets of Calcutta."

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State of Emergency

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THE "word" below is from an American priest at whose parish I gave a mission. It is a message which restates what I have written here several times: the critical need at this juncture in time for regular Confession, prayer, time spent before the Blessed Sacrament, reading of the Word of God, and devotion to Mary, the Ark of Refuge.

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Year of The Unfolding

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VIGIL OF THE FEAST OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY,
THE MOTHER OF GOD 


AMID the din of Christmas feasting and family frolicking, these words continue to float above the noise with persistence:

This is the Year of The Unfolding… 

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Those Hands

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First published December 25th, 2006…

 

THOSE hands. So tiny, so small, so harmless. They were God’s hands. Yes, we could look at God’s hands, touch them, feel them… tender, warm, gentle. They were not a clenched fist, determined to bring justice. They were hands open, willing to grab whomever would hold them. The message was this: 

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O Humble Visitor

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THERE was so little time. A stable was all Mary and Joseph could find. What went through Mary’s mind? She knew she was giving birth to the Savior, the Messiah… but in a little barn? Embracing God’s will once more, she entered the stable and began to prepare a little manger for her Lord.

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To The End

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Forgiveness lets us begin again.

Humility helps us continue.

Love brings us to the end. 

 

 

 

Total and Absolute Trust

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THESE are the days when Jesus is asking us to have total and absolute trust. It may sound like a cliché, but I hear this with all seriousness in my heart. We must totally and absolutely trust Jesus, because the days are coming when He is all we will have to lean on.

  

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The Woman About To Give Birth

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FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

 

POPE John Paul II called her the Star of the New Evangelization. Indeed, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Morning Star of the New Evangelization which precedes the Day of the Lord. 

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. (Rev 12:1-2)

I hear the words,

There is coming a powerful release of the Holy Spirit. 

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Miracle of the Immaculate

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I rose at 3:30 am on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception this past December 8th. I had to catch an early flight on my way to New Hampshire in the U.S. to give two parish missions. 

Yes, another border crossing into the States. As many of you know, these crossings have been difficult for us lately and nothing short of a spiritual battle.

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What Time Is it? — Part II

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“The Pill”
 

Man cannot attain that true happiness for which he yearns with all the strength of his spirit, unless he keeps the laws which the Most High God has engraved in his very nature. —POPE PAUL VI, Humanae Vitae, Encyclical, n. 31; July 25th, 1968

 
IT was nearly forty years ago on July 25th, 1968, that Pope Paul VI issued the controversial encyclical Humanae Vitae. It is a document in which the Holy Father, exercising his role as chief shepherd and guardian of the faith, decreed that artificial birth control is contrary to the laws of God and nature.

 

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What Time Is It?

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DOES this Scripture have anything to do with the sense of urgency which I am hearing in letters from around the world:

Forty years I endured that generation. I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know My ways.” So I swore in My anger, “They shall not enter into My rest.” (Psalm 95)

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Contradictions?

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PEOPLE have been predicting the day of Christ’s return for as long as Jesus said that He would. As a result, people get cynical—to the point where any discussion of the signs of the times is considered "fundamentalist" and fringe.

Did Jesus say we would not know when He was returning? This has to be answered carefully. Because within the answer lies another answer to the question: How I am to respond to the signs of the times?

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Call of the Prophets!

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Elijah in the Desert, Michael D. O’Brien

Artist Commentary: Elijah the Prophet is exhausted and in flight from the queen, who seeks to take his life. He is discouraged, convinced that his mission from God has come to an end. He wishes to die in the desert. The greater part of his work is about to begin.

 

COME FORTH

IN that place of quiet before falling asleep, I heard what I felt was Our Lady, saying,

Prophets come forth! 

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Refiner’s Fire

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But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire… (Mal 3:2)

 
I BELIEVE we are drawing nearer and nearer to the dawning of The Day of the Lord. As a sign of this, we are beginning to feel the heat of the approaching Sun of Justice. That is, there seems to be a growing intensity in purifying trials as we near the Refiner’s Fire… just as one does not need to touch the flames to feel the fire’s heat.

 

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Dead End

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On your return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put in your power. I will make him obstinate, however, so that he will not let the people go. (Ex 4:21)

 

I COULD feel it in my soul as we drove up to the U.S. border last night. I looked over at my wife and said, "It feels like we’re approaching East Germany." Just a feeling.

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More on The Rider…

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The Conversion of Saint Paul, by Caravaggio, c.1600/01,

 

THERE are three words which I feel describe the current battle many of us are going through: Distraction, Discouragement, and Distress. I will write about these shortly. But first, I want to share with you some confirmations I have received.

 

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The Day of The Lord

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Morning Star by Greg Mort

 

 

The young have shown themselves to be for Rome and for the Church a special gift of the Spirit of God… I did not hesitate to ask them to make a radical choice of faith and life and present them with a stupendous task: to become “morning watchmen” at the dawn of the new millennium. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Novo Millennio Inuente, n.9; (cf. Is 21:11-12)

AS one of these “young”, one of the “children of John Paul II,” I have tried to respond to this overwhelming task asked of us by the Holy Father.

I will stand at my guard post, and station myself upon the rampart, and keep watch to see what he will say to me… Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily.(Habb 2:1-2)

And so I wish to speak what I hear, and write what I see: 

We are approaching the dawn and are crossing the threshold of hope into the The Day of the Lord.

Keep in mind, however, that the “morning” begins at midnight—the darkest part of the day. The night preceeds the dawn.

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The Spiral of Time

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AFTER I wrote A Circle yesterday, the image of a spiral came to mind. Yes, of course, as Scripture circles through each age being fulfilled on more and more dimensions, it is like a spiral.

But there is something more to this… Lately, several of us have been talking about how time seems to be accelerating rapidly, that time to do even the basic duty of the moment seems elusive. I wrote about this in The Shortening of Days. A friend in the south also addressed this recently (see Michael Brown’s article here.)

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A Circle… A Spiral

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IT may seem that to apply the words of the Old Testament prophets as well as the book of Revelation to our day is perhaps presumptuous or even fundamentalist. I have often wondered this myself as I have written about coming events in light of the Sacred Scriptures. Yet, there is something about the words of prophets such as Ezekiel, Isaiah, Malachi and St. John, to name but a few, that is now burning in my heart in a way they did not in the past.

 

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Keep Your Lantern Lit

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THE past few days, my spirit has felt as if an anchor is tied around it… as if I am looking up towards the surface of the ocean at fading Sunlight, as I sink deeper and deeper into weariness. 

At the same time, I hear a voice in my heart saying, 

 Don’t give up! Stay awake… these are the temptations of the Garden, of the ten Virgins who fell asleep before their Bridegroom’s return… 

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