THE second Sunday of Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday. It is a day that Jesus promised to pour out immeasurable graces to the degree that, for some, it is “the last hope of salvation.” Still, many Catholics have no idea what this feast is or never hear about it from the pulpit. As you’ll see, this is no ordinary day…
First published March 20th, 2011.
WHENEVER I write of “chastisements” or “divine justice,” I always cringe, because so often these terms are misunderstood. Because of our own woundedness, and thus distorted views of “justice”, we project our misconceptions on God. We see justice as “hitting back” or others getting “what they deserve.” But what we often don’t understand is that the “chastisements” of God, the “punishments” of the Father, are rooted always, always, always, in love.Continue reading
HAS the “time of mercy closed”, as said this past week in one of Heaven’s messages? If so, what does this mean?Continue reading
SAINTS and mystics call it the “great day of change”, the “hour of decision for mankind.” Join Mark Mallett and Prof. Daniel O’Connor as they show how the coming “Warning,” which is drawing nearer, appears to be the same event in the Sixth Seal in the Book of Revelation.Continue reading
IN this second webcast on the Timeline of events unfolding on the earth, Mark Mallett and Prof. Daniel O’Connor breakdown the “first seal” in the Book of Revelation. A compelling explanation of why it heralds the “time of mercy” we are living now, and why it may soon expire…Continue reading
THE Great Storm I spoke of in Spiraling Toward the Eye has three essential components according to the Early Church Fathers, Scripture, and confirmed in credible prophetic revelations. The first part of the Storm is essentially man-made: humanity reaping what it has sown (cf. Seven Seals of Revolution). Then comes the Eye of the Storm followed by the last half of the Storm which will culminate in God Himself directly intervening through a Judgment of the Living.
Continue reading
IN truth, I think most of us are very tired… tired of not only seeing the spirit of violence, impurity, and division sweeping over the world, but tired of having to hear about it—perhaps from people like me too. Yes, I know, I make some people very uncomfortable, even angry. Well, I can assure you that I have been tempted to flee to the “normal life” many times… but I realize that in the temptation to escape this strange writing apostolate is the seed of pride, a wounded pride that does not want to be “that prophet of doom and gloom.” But at the end of every day, I say “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. How can I say ‘no’ to You who did not say ‘no’ to me on the Cross?” The temptation is to simply close my eyes, fall asleep, and pretend that things are not what they really are. And then, Jesus comes with a tear in His eye and gently pokes me, saying:Continue reading
The Heart of Jesus Christ, Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta; R. Mulata (20th century)
WHAT you are about to read has the potential to not only set women, but in particular, men free from undue burden, and radically change the course of your life. That’s the power of God’s Word…
If there is a Storm in our times, will God provide an “ark”? The answer is “Yes!” But perhaps never before have Christians doubted this provision so much as in our times as controversy over Pope Francis rages, and the rational minds of our post-modern era must grapple with the mystical. Nonetheless, here is the Ark Jesus is providing for us at this hour. I will also address “what to do” in the Ark in the days ahead. First published May 11th, 2011.
JESUS said that the period before His eventual return would be “as it was in the days of Noah…” That is, many would be oblivious to the Storm gathering around them: “They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.” [1]Matt 24:37-29 St. Paul indicated that the coming of the “Day of the Lord” would be “like a thief in the night.” [2]1 These 5:2 This Storm, as the Church teaches, contains the Passion of the Church, who will follow her Head in her own passage through a corporate “death” and resurrection. [3]Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 675 Just as many of the “leaders” of the temple and even the Apostles themselves seemed unaware, even to the last moment, that Jesus had to truly suffer and die, so too many in the Church seem oblivious to the consistent prophetic warnings of the popes and the Blessed Mother—warnings that announce and signal a…
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. (Acts 2:1-2)
THROUGHOUT salvation history, God has not only used the wind in his divine action, but He Himself comes like the wind (cf. Jn 3:8). The Greek word pneuma as well as the Hebrew ruah means both “wind” and “spirit.” God comes as a wind to empower, purify, or procure judgment (see The Winds of Change).
All light in the heavens will be extinguished, and there will be great darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the openings where the hands and the feet of the Savior were nailed will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of time. This will take place shortly before the last day. —Divine Mercy in My Soul, Jesus to St. Faustina, n. 83
AFTER the Sixth Seal is broken, the world experiences an “illumination of conscience”—a moment of reckoning (see The Seven Seals of Revolution). St. John then writes that the Seventh Seal is broken and there is silence in heaven “for about half an hour.” It is a pause before the Eye of the Storm passes over, and the winds of purification begin to blow again.
Silence in the presence of the Lord GOD! For near is the day of the LORD… (Zeph 1:7)
It is a pause of grace, of Divine Mercy, before the Day of Justice arrives…
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of the Third Week of Lent, March 14th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
Due to the surprise announcement by Pope Francis yesterday, today’s reflection is slightly longer. However, I think you will find its contents worth reflecting on…
THERE is a certain sense building, not only among my readers, but also of mystics with whom I’ve been privileged to be in contact with, that the next few years are significant. Yesterday in my daily Mass meditation, [1]cf. Sheathing the Sword I wrote how Heaven itself has revealed that this present generation is living in a “time of mercy.” As if to underline this divine warning (and it is a warning that humanity is on borrowed time), Pope Francis announced yesterday that Dec. 8th, 2015 to Nov. 20th, 2016 will be a “Jubilee of Mercy.” [2]cf. Zenit, March 13th, 2015 When I read this announcement, the words from St. Faustina’s diary came immediately to mind:
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Sheathing the Sword |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | cf. Zenit, March 13th, 2015 |
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent, March 10th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
THERE is a key to God’s heart, a key that can be held by anyone from the greatest sinner to the greatest saint. With this key, the heart of God can be opened, and not only His heart, but the very treasuries of Heaven.
And that key is humility.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday after Ash Wednesday, February 20th, 2015
Liturgical texts here
THE animal kingdom is essentially content. Birds are content. Fish are content. But the human heart is not. We are restless and unsatisfied, constantly searching for fulfillment in myriad forms. We are in an endless pursuit of pleasure as the world spins its advertisements promising happiness, but delivering only pleasure—fleeting pleasure, as if that were an end in itself. Why then, after buying the lie, do we inevitably continue seeking, searching, hunting for meaning and worth?
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…
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for December 4th, 2013
Liturgical texts here
THE lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute… these are the ones who gathered around the feet of Jesus. And today’s Gospel says, “he cured them.” Minutes before, one could not walk, another could not see, one could not work, another could not speak… and all of sudden, they could. Perhaps a moment before, they were complaining, “Why has this happened to me? What did I ever do to you, God? Why have you abandoned me…?” Yet, moments later, it says “they glorified the God of Israel.” That is, suddenly these souls had a testimony.
BACK in June of 2013, I wrote to you of changes that I have been discerning regarding my ministry, how it is presented, what is presented etc. in the writing called The Watchman’s Song. After several months now of reflection, I would like to share with you my observations from what is happening in our world, things I have discussed with my spiritual director, and where I feel I am being led now. I also want to invite your direct input with a quick survey below.
O LORD, we were once companions.
You and I,
walking hand in hand in the garden of my heart.
But now, where are you my Lord?
I seek you,
but find only the faded corners where once we loved
and you revealed to me your secrets.
There too, I found your Mother
and felt her intimate touch to my brow.
But now, where are you?
Continue reading
THERE is a new breeze blowing through my soul. In the darkest of nights these past several months, it has been barely a whisper. But now it is beginning to sail through my soul, lifting my heart toward Heaven in a new way. I sense the love of Jesus for this little flock gathered here daily for Spiritual Food. It is a love that conquers. A love that has overcome the world. A love that will overcome all that is coming against us in the times ahead. You who are coming here, be of courage! Jesus is going to feed and strengthen us! He is going to equip us for the Great Trials that now loom over the world like a woman about to enter hard labour.
GOD wants to slow us down. More than that, He wants us to rest, even in chaos. Jesus never rushed to His Passion. He took the time to have a last meal, a last teaching, an intimate moment of washing another’s feet. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He set aside time to pray, to gather His strength, to seek the will of the Father. So as the Church approaches her own Passion, we too should imitate our Savior and become a people of rest. In fact, only in this way can we possibly offer ourselves as true instruments of “salt and light.”
What does it mean to “rest”?
When you die, all worrying, all restlessness, all passions cease, and the soul is suspended in a state of stillness… a state of rest. Meditate on this, for that should be our state in this life, since Jesus calls us to a state of “dying” while we live:
Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it…. I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. (Matt 16:24-25; John 12:24)
Of course, in this life, we cannot help but wrestle with our passions and struggle with our weaknesses. The key, then, is not to let yourself be caught up in the rushing currents and impulses of the flesh, in the tossing waves of the passions. Rather, dive deep into the soul where the Waters of the Spirit are still.
We do this by living in a state of trust.
World Youth Day
WE are entering a most profound period of purification of the Church and the planet. The signs of the times are all around us as the upheaval in nature, the economy, and social and political stability speaks of a world on the verge of a Global Revolution. Thus, I believe we are also approaching the hour of God’s “last effort” before the “day of justice” arrives (see The Last Effort), as St. Faustina recorded in her diary. Not the end of the world, but the end of an era:
Speak to the world about My mercy; let all mankind recognize My unfathomable mercy. It is a sign for the end times; after it will come the day of justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of My mercy; let them profit from the Blood and Water which gushed forth for them. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 848
Blood and Water is pouring forth this moment from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is this mercy gushing forth from the Heart of the Savior that is the final effort to…
…withdraw [mankind] from the empire of Satan which He desired to destroy, and thus to introduce them into the sweet liberty of the rule of His love, which He wished to restore in the hearts of all those who should embrace this devotion.—St. Margaret Mary (1647-1690), sacredheartdevotion.com
It is for this that I believe we have been called into The Bastion—a time of intense prayer, focus, and preparation as the Winds of Change gather strength. For the heavens and earth are going to shake, and God is going to concentrate His love into one last moment of grace before the world is purified. [1]see The Eye of the Storm and The Great Earthquake It is for this time that God has prepared a little army, primarily of the laity.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | see The Eye of the Storm and The Great Earthquake |
|---|
Christ Grieving Over the World, by Michael D. O’Brien
I feel strongly compelled to re-post this writing here tonight. We are living in a precarious moment, the calm before the Storm, when many are tempted to fall asleep. But we must remain vigilant, that is, our eyes focused on building the Kingdom of Christ in our hearts and then in the world around us. In this way, we will be living in the Father’s constant care and grace, His protection and anointing. We will be living in the Ark, and we must be there now, for soon it will begin to rain justice upon a world that is cracked and dry and thirsting for God. First published April 30th, 2011.
CHRIST IS RISEN, ALLELUIA!
INDEED He is risen, alleluia! I am writing you today from San Francisco, USA on the eve and Vigil of Divine Mercy, and Beatification of John Paul II. In the home where I am staying, the sounds of the prayer service taking place in Rome, where the Luminous mysteries are being prayed, are flowing into the room with the gentleness of a trickling spring and the force of a waterfall. One cannot help but be overwhelmed with the fruits of the Resurrection so evident as the Universal Church prays in one voice before the beatification of St. Peter’s successor. The power of the Church—the power of Jesus—is present, both in the visible witness of this event, and in the presence of the communion of Saints. The Holy Spirit is hovering…
Where I am staying, the front room has a wall lined with icons and statues: St. Pio, the Sacred Heart, Our Lady of Fatima and Guadalupe, St. Therese de Liseux…. all of them are stained with either tears of oil or blood that have fallen from their eyes in past months. The spiritual director of the couple who lives here is Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, the vice-postulator of St. Faustina’s canonization process. A picture of him meeting John Paul II sits at the feet of one of the statues. A tangible peace and presence of the Blessed Mother seems to pervade the room…
And so, it is in the midst of these two worlds that I write you. On the one hand, I see tears of joy falling from the faces of those praying in Rome; on the other, tears of sorrow falling from the eyes of Our Lord and Lady in this home. And so I ask once again, “Jesus, what do you want me to say to your people?” And I sense in my heart the words,
Tell my children that I love them. That I am Mercy itself. And Mercy calls My children to wake up.
Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Ludolf Backhuysen, 1695
IT felt like the last straw. Our vehicles have been breaking down costing a small fortune, the farm animals have been getting sick and mysteriously injured, the machinery has been failing, the garden isn’t growing, windstorms have ravaged the fruit trees, and our apostolate has run out of money. As I raced last week to catch my flight to California for a Marian conference, I cried out in distress to my wife standing in the driveway: Doesn’t the Lord see we are in a free-fall?
I felt abandoned, and let the Lord know it. Two hours later, I arrived at the airport, passed through the gates, and settled down into my seat in the aircraft. I looked out my window as the earth and the chaos of the last month fell away beneath the clouds. “Lord,” I whispered, “to whom shall I go? You have the words of eternal life…”
ONE of the great graces of the Illumination is going to be the revelation of the Father’s love. For the great crisis of our time—the destruction of the family unit—is the loss of our identity as sons and daughters of God:
The crisis of fatherhood we are living today is an element, perhaps the most important, threatening man in his humanity. The dissolution of fatherhood and motherhood is linked to the dissolution of our being sons and daughters. —POPE BENEDICT XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger), Palermo, March 15th, 2000
At Paray-le-Monial, France, during the Sacred Heart Congress, I sensed the Lord saying that this moment of the prodigal son, the moment of the Father of Mercies is coming. Even though mystics speak of the Illumination as a moment of seeing the crucified Lamb or an illuminated cross, [1]cf. Revelation Illumination Jesus will reveal to us the Father’s love:
He who sees me sees the Father. (John 14:9)
It is “God, who is rich in mercy” whom Jesus Christ has revealed to us as Father: it is His very Son who, in Himself, has manifested Him and made Him known to us… It is especially for[sinners] that the Messiah becomes a particularly clear sign of God who is love, a sign of the Father. In this visible sign the people of our own time, just like the people then, can see the Father. —BLESSED JOHN PAUL II, Dives in misercordia, n. 1
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Revelation Illumination |
|---|
THE “Illumination” will be an incredible gift to the world. This “Eye of the Storm“—this opening in the storm—is the penultimate “door of mercy” that will be open to all of humanity before the “door of justice” is the only door left open. Both St. John in his Apocalypse and St. Faustina have written of these doors…
AS promised, I want to share more words and thoughts that came to me during my time in Paray-le-Monial, France.
ON THE THRESHOLD… A GLOBAL REVOLUTION
I strongly sensed the Lord saying that we are upon the “threshold” of immense changes, changes that are both painful and good. The biblical imagery used over and over again is that of labor pains. As any mother knows, labor is a very turbulent time—contractions followed by rest followed by more intense contractions until finally the baby is born… and the pain quickly becomes a memory.
The labor pains of the Church have been occurring over centuries. Two large contractions occurred in the schism between Orthodox (East) and Catholics (West) at the turn of the first millennium, and then again in the Protestant Reformation 500 years later. These revolutions shook the foundations of the Church, cracking her very walls such that the “smoke of Satan” was able to slowly seep in.
…the smoke of Satan is seeping into the Church of God through the cracks in the walls. —POPE PAUL VI, first Homily during the Mass for Sts. Peter & Paul, June 29, 1972
I think we’ve got the whole "saint thing" wrong in our generation. Many think that becoming a Saint is this extraordinary ideal that only a handful of souls will ever be capable of achieving. That sanctity is a pious thought far out of reach. That as long as one avoids mortal sin and keeps his nose clean, he’ll still "make it" to Heaven—and that is good enough.
But in truth, friends, that is a terrible lie that keeps the children of God in bondage, that keeps souls in a state of unhappiness and dysfunction. It’s as big a lie as telling a goose that it cannot migrate.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
This fall, I will be leading two conferences, one in Canada and the other in the United States:
SPIRITUAL RENEWAL AND HEALING CONFERENCE
September 16-17th, 2011
St. Lambert Parish, Sioux Falls, South Daktoa, U.S.
For more information on registration, contact:
Kevin Lehan
605-413-9492
Email: [email protected]
Brochure: click here
A TIME FOR MERCY
5th Men’s Annual Retreat
September 23-25th, 2011
Annapolis Basin Conference Centre
Cornwallis Park, Nova Scotia, Canada
For more info:
Phone:
(902) 678-3303
Email:
[email protected]
NEW ALBUM
This past weekend, we wrapped up the "bed sessions" for my next album. I am absolutely thrilled with where this is going and am looking forward to releasing this new CD early next year. It’s a gentle blend of story and love songs, as well as some spiritual tunes on Mary and of course Jesus. While that may seem like a strange mix, I don’t think so at all. The ballads on the album deal with the common themes of loss, remembering, love, suffering… and give an answer to it all: Jesus.
We have 11 songs left that can be sponsored by individuals, families, etc. In sponsoring a song, you can help me raise more funds to finish this album. Your name, if you wish, and a short message of dedication, will appear in the CD insert. You can sponsor a song for $1000. If you are interested, contact Colette:
GOD is infinite. He is ever-present. He is all-knowing…. and He is stoppable.
A word came to me in prayer this morning that I feel compelled to share with you:
WHEN my spiritual director asked me to write further about “false prophets,” I pondered on how they are often defined in our day. Usually, people view “false prophets” as those who predict the future incorrectly. But when Jesus or the Apostles spoke of false prophets, they were usually speaking about those within the Church who led others astray by either failing to speak the truth, watering it down, or preaching a different gospel altogether…
Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)
Crucifixion, by Michael D. O’Brien
AS I watched again the powerful movie The Passion of the Christ, I was struck by Peter’s pledge that he would go to prison, and even die for Jesus! But only hours later, Peter vehemently denied Him three times. At that moment, I sensed my own poverty: “Lord, without your grace, I will betray you too…”
How can we be faithful to Jesus in these days of confusion, scandal, and apostasy? [1]cf. The Pope, a Condom, and the Purification of the Church How can we be assured that we too will not flee the Cross? Because it’s happening all around us already. Since the beginning of this writing apostolate, I have sensed the Lord speaking of a Great Sifting of the “weeds from among the wheat.” [2]cf. Weeds Among the Wheat That in fact a schism is already forming in the Church, though not yet fully in the open. [3]cf. Sorrow of Sorrows This week, the Holy Father spoke of this sifting at Holy Thursday Mass.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. The Pope, a Condom, and the Purification of the Church |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | cf. Weeds Among the Wheat |
| ↑3 | cf. Sorrow of Sorrows |
IF you read Custody of the Heart, then you know by now how often we fail to keep it! How easily we are distracted by the smallest thing, pulled away from peace, and derailed from our holy desires. Again, with St. Paul we cry out:
I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate…! (Rom 7:14)
But we need to hear again the words of St. James:
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)
Grace is not cheap, handed over like fast-food or at the click of a mouse. We have to fight for it! Recollection, which is taking custody again of the heart, is often a struggle between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit. And so, we have to learn to follow the ways of the Spirit…
Photographers in Staffordshire
WHY is God letting me suffer in this way? Why are there so many obstacles to happiness and growing in holiness? Why does life have to be so painful? It feels as though I go from valley to valley (even though I know there are peaks in between). Why, God?
WATCH this gripping episode which warns of a coming deception after the "Illumination of Conscience." Following the Vatican’s document on the New Age, Part VII deals with the difficult subjects of an antichrist and persecution. Part of the preparation is knowing beforehand what is coming…
To watch Part VII, go to: www.embracinghope.tv
Also, note that beneath each video there is a "Related Reading" section that links the writings on this website to the webcast for easy cross-reference.
Thanks to everyone who has been clicking the little "Donation" button! We depend upon donations to fund this full-time ministry, and are blessed that so many of you in these difficult economic times understand the importance of these messages. Your donations enable me to continue writing and sharing my message through the internet in these days of preparation… this time of mercy.
THERE is a powerful moment coming for the world, what saints and mystics have called an "illumination of conscience." Part VI of Embracing Hope shows how this "eye of the storm" is a moment of grace… and a coming moment of decision for the world.
Remember: there is no cost to view these webcasts now!
To watch Part VI, click here: Embracing Hope TV
Ralph Martin meeting with Pope Paul VI, 1973
IT is a powerful prophecy, given in the presence of Pope Paul VI, that resonates with the "sense of the faithful" in our days. In Episode 11 of Embracing Hope, Mark begins to examine sentence by sentence the prophecy given in Rome in 1975. To view the latest webcast, visit www.embracinghope.tv
Please read the important information below for all my readers…
