THE present moment is that place to which we must bring our mind, to focus our being. Jesus said, “seek first the kingdom,” and in the present moment is where we will find it (see The Sacrament of the Present Moment).
In this way, the process of transformation into holiness begins. Jesus said “the truth will set you free,” and thus to live in the past or the future is to live, not in truth, but in an illusion—an illusion which chains us through anxiety.
WHAT about those who aren’t Catholic or Christian? Are they damned?
How often have I heard people say that some of the nicest folk they know are "atheists" or "don’t go to church." It’s true, there are many "good" people out there.
But no one is good enough to get to Heaven on his own.
The Prodigal Son, by Liz Lemon Swindle
AFTER reading the merciful invitation from Christ in “To Those In Mortal Sin” a few people have written with great concern that friends and family members who have fallen away from the faith “don’t even know they’re in sin, let alone mortal sin.”
DEAR friends,
In this next month or so, our ministry will be releasing some very significant projects including (click on titles to go to link):
THE COMING ERA OF PEACE — PART II
WHY? Why an Era of Peace? Why doesn’t Jesus just put an end to evil and return once and for all after destroying the “lawless one?” [1]See, The Coming Era of Peace
Footnotes
| ↑1 | See, The Coming Era of Peace |
|---|
WHEN I wrote The Great Meshing before Christmas, I concluded saying,
…the Lord began to reveal to me the counter-plan: The Woman Clothed with the Sun (Rev 12). I was so full of joy by the time the Lord was finished speaking, that the plans of the enemy seemed minuscule in comparison. My feelings of discouragement and a sense of hopelessness vanished like fog on a summer morning.
Those “plans” have hung in my heart for over a month now as I’ve eagerly awaited the Lord’s timing to write of these things. Yesterday, I spoke of the veil lifting, of the Lord granting us fresh understandings of what is approaching. The last word is not darkness! It is not hopelessness… for just as the Sun is quickly setting on this era, it is racing toward a new Dawn…
WE are living in extraordinary days. There is no question. Even the secular world is caught up in the pregnant sense of change in the air.
What is different, perhaps, is that many people who often shrugged off the notion of any discussion of “end times,” or Divine purification, are taking a second look. A second hard look.
It seems to me that a corner of the veil is lifting and we are understanding the Scriptures that deal with “end times” in newer lights and colors. There is no question the writings and words which I have shared here portend great changes on the horizon. I have, under the direction of my spiritual director, written and spoken of those things which the Lord has put in my heart, often with a sense of great weight or burning. But I too have asked the question, “Are these the times?” Indeed, at best, we are given just glimpses.
Fork Lake, Alberta, Canada
(Reprinted here from August 1oth, 2006…) I felt on my heart today that we must not forget to return to the foundations time and again… especially in these days of urgency. I believe we should waste no time in availing ourselves of this Sacrament, which bestows great graces to overcome our faults, restores the gift of eternal life to the mortal sinner, and snaps the chains which the evil one binds us with.
NEXT to the Eucharist, weekly Confession has provided the most powerful experience of God’s love and presence in my life.
Confession is to the soul, what a sunset is to the senses…
Confession, which is the purification of the soul, should be made no later than every eight days; I cannot bear to keep souls away from confession for more than eight days. —St. Pio of Pietrelcina
It would be an illusion to seek after holiness, according to the vocation one has received from God, without partaking frequently of this sacrament of conversion and reconciliation. —Pope John Paul the Great; Vatican, Mar. 29 (CWNews.com)
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THE common mantra today is, “You have no right to judge me!”
This statement alone has driven many Christians into hiding, afraid to speak out, afraid to challenge or reason with others for fear of sounding “judgmental.” Because of this, the Church in many places has become impotent, and the silence of fear has allowed many to go astray.
From The Passion of the Christ
COMFORT. Where in the bible does it say that the Christian is to seek out comfort? Where even in the Catholic Church’s history of saints and mystics do we see that comfort is the goal of the soul?
Now, most of you are thinking material comfort. Certainly, that is a troubling locus of the modern mind. But there is something deeper…
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May God’s peace be with you.
Mark Mallett
Music Ministry: www.markmallett.com
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St. Joseph with Christ Child, Michael D. O’Brien
SINCE Christmas is also a time in which we give gifts to one another as a sign of the perpetual giving of God, I want to share with you a letter I received yesterday. As I wrote recently in Ox and Ass, God wants us to let go of our pride which holds on to old sins and guilt.
Here is a powerful word a brother received which expounds on the Lord’s Mercy in this regard:
AS I wrote the Hard Truths the past two weeks, like many of you, I openly wept—struck with a deep horror of not only what is happening in our world, but also the realization of my own silence. If "perfect love casts out all fear" as the Apostle John writes, then perhaps perfect fear casts out all love.
Unholy silence is the sound of fear.
THE SENTENCE
I admit that when I wrote The Hard Truth letters, I had a very odd feeling later on that I was unwittingly writing out the charges against this generation—nay, the cumulative charges of a society which has, for several centuries now, fallen asleep. Our day is merely the fruit of a very old tree.
YOU know, I don’t even know why there’s a Christmas tree in my living room. We’ve had one each year—it’s just what we do. But I like it… the smell of pine, the glow of the lights, the memories of mom decorating…
Beyond an elaborate parking stall for gifts, meaning for our Christmas tree began to emerge while at Mass the other day….
IN my travels across North America, I have met many priests who tell me of the wrath they incur if Mass goes past one hour. I have witnessed many priests apologize profusely for having inconvenienced parishioners by a few minutes. As a result of this trepidation, many liturgies have taken on a robotic quality—a spiritual machine which never changes gears, pulsing to the clock with the efficiency of a factory.
And thus, we have created the one hour prison.
Because of this imaginary deadline, imposed primarily by the lay people, but acquiesced to by the clergy, we have in my opinion stifled the Holy Spirit.
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
OUR youngest daughter was about five years old at the time. We felt helpless as her personality progressively changed, her mood swinging like the back gate.
Ottawa, Canada
First published April 14th, 2006.
If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes, and takes any one of them; that man is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. (Ezekiel 33:6)
I AM not one to go looking for supernatural experiences. But what happened last week as I entered Ottawa, Canada seemed an unmistakable visitation of the Lord. A confirmation of a powerful word and warning.
As my concert tour took my family and I through the United States this Lent, I had a sense of expectation from the beginning… that God was going to show us “something.”
Unborn baby at five months
I HAVE never sat down, inspired to address a subject, and yet had nothing to say. Today, I am speechless.
I thought after all these years, that I heard everything there was to hear about abortion. But I was wrong. I thought the horror of "partial birth abortion" would be the limit to our "free and democratic" society’s permissiveness of exterminating unborn life (partial birth abortion explained here). But I was wrong. There is another method called "live birth abortion" practiced in the USA. I will simply let former nurse, Jill Stanek, tell you her *story:
SOME of my friends have either been been involved in the gay lifestyle, or are in it now. I love them no less (though I cannot morally agree with some of their choices.) For each of them is also made in the image of God.
Unborn Baby at Eleven Weeks
WHEN U.S. pro-life activist Gregg Cunningham presented graphic photos of aborted babies at some Canadian high schools a few years back, abortion "champion" Henry Morgentaler was quick to denounce the presentation as "propaganda that is completely repulsive."
I OPENED the scriptures recently to a word which quickened my spirit.
Actually, it was November 8th, the day the Democrats took power in the American House and Senate. Now, I’m a Canadian, so I don’t follow their politics much… but I do follow their trends. And that day, it was clear to many who defend the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, that powers had just shifted out of their favor.
WE can also turn the suffering caused by our sinfulness into prayer. All suffering is, after all, the fruit of the fall of Adam. Whether it is the mental anguish caused by sin or its life-long consequences, these too can be united to the suffering of Christ, who does not will that we sin, but who desires that…
…all things work for good for those who love God. (Rom 8:28)
There is nothing left untouched by the Cross. All suffering, if endured patiently and united to Christ’s sacrifice, has the power to move mountains.
WORDS which have been circling my heart…
As the darkness gets darker, the Stars get brighter.
OPEN DOORS
I believe Jesus is empowering those who are humble and open to His Holy Spirit to grow rapidly in holiness. Yes, the doors of Heaven are open. Pope John Paul II’s Jubilee celebration of 2000, in which he pushed open the doors of St. Peter’s Basilica, is symbolic of this. Heaven has literally opened its doors to us.
But the reception of these graces is dependent upon this: that we open the doors of our hearts. Those were the first words of JPII when he was elected…
"Passion of the Christ"
I HAD thirty minutes before my meeting with the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration at the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama. These are the nuns founded by Mother Angelica (EWTN) who lives with them there at the Shrine.
After spending time in prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, I wandered outside to get some evening air. I came across a life-size crucifix which was very graphic, portraying the wounds of Christ as they would have been. I knelt before the cross… and suddenly felt myself drawn into a deep place of sorrow.
Canadian Catholic singer/songwriter and evangelist
MARK MALLETT
appeared as a guest of Life on the Rock on EWTN, Thursday, November 9th.
Check EWTN’s Program Schedule for a rebroadcast: "Life on the Rock Encore"
Sun setting on "Apparition Hill" –— Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina
IT was my fourth, and last day in Medjugorje—that little village in the war-torn mountains of Bosnia-Herzegovina where the Blessed Mother has allegedly been appearing to six children (now, grown adults).
I had heard of this place for years, yet never felt the need to go there. But when I was asked to sing in Rome, something within me said, "Now, now you must go to Medjugorje."
St. James Parish, Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina
SHORTLY before my flight from Rome to Bosnia, I caught a news story quoting Archbishop Harry Flynn of Minnesota, USA on his recent trip to Medjugorje. The Archbishop was speaking of a luncheon he had with Pope John Paul II and other American bishops in 1988:
Soup was being served. Bishop Stanley Ott of Baton Rouge, LA., who has since gone to God, asked the Holy Father: “Holy Father, what do you think of Medjugorje?”
The Holy Father kept eating his soup and responded: “Medjugorje? Medjugorje? Medjugorje? Only good things are happening at Medjugorje. People are praying there. People are going to Confession. People are adoring the Eucharist, and people are turning to God. And, only good things seem to be happening at Medjugorje.” —www.spiritdaily.com, October 24th, 2006
Indeed, that’s what I’d heard coming from that Medjugorje… miracles, especially miracles of the heart. I’d had a number of family members experience profound conversions and healings after visiting this place.
I AM finally back from Europe. I wanted to share with you the photos from the writing A Day of Grace… (which you can read here).
Thank you all so much for your prayers! (Click "Read More" to see the photos.)
AS I embark on the last leg of my pilgrimage homeward bound (standing here at a computer terminal in Germany), I want to tell you that each day I have prayed for all of you my readers and those whom I promised to carry in my heart. No… I have stormed heaven for you, lifting you up at Masses and praying countless Rosaries. In many ways, I feel this journey was also for you. God is doing and speaking much in my heart. I have many things bubbling up in my heart to write you!
I pray to God that this day also, you will give your whole heart to Him. What does this mean to give Him your whole heart, to "open wide your heart"? It means to give over to God every detail of your life, even the smallest. Our day is not just one big glob of time—it is made up of each moment. Can you not see then that in order to have a blessed day, a holy day, a "good" day, then each moment must be consecrated (given over) to Him?
It is as though each day we sit down to make a white garment. But if we neglect each stitch, choosing this color or that, it will not be a white shirt. Or if the whole shirt is white, but one thread runs through that is black, then it stands out. See then how each moment counts as we weave through each event of the day.
THROUGH a series of divine interchanges, I was to play a concert tonight in a war refugee camp near Mostar, Bosnia-Hercegovina. These are families that, because they were driven from their villages by ethnic cleansing, have had nothing to live in but little tin shacks with curtains for doors (more on that soon).
Sr. Josephine Walsh—an indominable Irish nun who has been helping the refugees—was my contact. I was to meet her at 3:30pm outside her residence. But she didn’t show up. I sat there on the sidewalk beside my guitar until 4:00. She was not coming.
The Roman Coliseum
DEAR friends,
I write you tonight from Bosnia-Hercegovina, formerly Yugoslavia. But I still carry with me thoughts from Rome…
THE COLISEUM
I knelt down and prayed, asking for their intercession: the prayers of the martyrs who shed their blood in this very place centuries ago. The Roman Coliseum, Flavius Ampitheatre, soil of the seed of the Church.
It was another powerful moment, standing in this place where popes have prayed and little layman have aroused their courage. But as the tourists whisked by, cameras clicking and tour guides chattering, other thoughts came to mind…
Road to St. Pietro "St. Peters Basilica", Rome, Italy
I AM off to Rome. In just a few days, I will have the honor of singing in front of some of Pope John Paul II’s closest friends… if not Pope Benedict himself. And yet, I feel this pilgrimage has a deeper purpose, an expanded mission…
I have been pondering about all that has unfolded in writing here the past year… The Petals, The Trumpets of Warning, the invitation to those in mortal sin, the encouragement to overcome fear in these times, and lastly, the summons to "the rock" and refuge of Peter in the coming storm.
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Photo by Declan McCullagh
TRADITION is like a flower.
With each generation, it further unfolds; new petals of understanding appear, and the splendor of truth spills forth new fragrances of freedom.
The Pope is like a guardian, or rather gardener—and the bishops co-gardeners with him. They tend to this flower which sprung in the womb of Mary, stretched heavenward through the ministry of Christ, sprouted thorns upon the Cross, became a bud in the tomb, and opened in the Upper Room of Pentecost.
And it has been blossoming ever since.
SCANDALS, shortcomings, and sinfulness.
When many people look at Catholics and the priesthood in particular (especially through the biased lens of the secular media), the Church seems to them anything but Christian.
Rembrandt van Rinj, 1631, Apostle Peter Kneeling
MEMORIAL OF ST. BRUNO
ABOUT thirteen years ago, my wife and I, both cradle-Catholics, were invited to a Baptist church by a friend of ours who was once a Catholic.
We took in the Sunday morning service. When we arrived, we were immediately struck by all the young couples. It dawned on us suddenly how few young people there were back in our own Catholic parish.
Photo by Michael Buehler
MEMORIAL OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
I HAVE many Protestant readers. One of them wrote me regarding the recent article My Sheep Will Know My Voice in the Storm, and asked:
Where does this leave me as a Protestant?
AN ANALOGY
Jesus said He would build His Church on “rock”—that is, Peter—or in Christ’s Aramaic language: “Cephas”, which means “rock”. So, think of the Church then as a Mountain.
Foothills precede a mountain, and so I think of them as “Baptism”. One passes through the Foothills to reach the Mountain.
Vast sectors of society are confused about what is right and what is wrong, and are at the mercy of those with the power to “create” opinion and impose it on others. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Cherry Creek State Park Homily, Denver, Colorado, 1993
AS I wrote in Trumpets of Warning! – Part V, there is a great storm coming, and it is already here. A massive storm of confusion. As Jesus said,
…the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered… (John 16:31)
MEMORIAL OF THE GUARDIAN ANGELS
80 countries now have water shortages that threaten health and economies while 40 percent of the world — more than 2 billion people — have no access to clean water or sanitation. —The World Bank; Arizona Water Source, Nov-Dec 1999
WHY is our water evaporating? Part of the reason is consumption, the other part is dramatic changes in climate. Whatever the reasons are, I believe it is a sign of the times…
BILLIONS of people have come and gone in the past two millennium. Those who were Christians awaited and hoped to see the Second Coming of Christ… but instead, passed through the doorway of death to see Him face to face.
It is estimated that some 155 000 people die each day, and slightly more than that are born. The world is a revolving door of souls.
Have you ever wondered why Christ’s promise of His return has been delayed? Why billions have come and gone in the period since His Incarnation, this 2000-year-long “final hour” of waiting? And what makes this generation any more likely to see His coming before it passes away?
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:
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.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
September 25th, 2006
VATICAN PERFORMANCE
Canadian singer Mark Mallett has been invited to perform in the Vatican, October 22nd, 2006. The event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the John Paul II Foundation will feature several artists who have contributed to the life of the late Pope through music & the arts.
Jesus Mocked, by Gustave Doré, 1832-1883
MEMORIAL OF
SAINTS COSMAS AND DAMIAN, MARTYRS
Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. (Mark 9:42)
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…
