Posted on March 30, 2023March 30, 2023 by Rick Blaine

Mark Mallett

A LESSON ON THE POWER OF THE CROSS

Posted on March 29, 2023by Mark

IT was one of the most powerful lessons in my life. I want to share with you what happened to me on my recent silent retreat…

Wounds and Warfare

A year ago, the Lord called me and my family out of the “desert” in Saskatchewan, Canada back to Alberta. That move began a process of healing in my soul — one that really culminated during the Triumphretreat earlier this month. “9 Days to Freedom” says their website. They’re not kidding. I watched many souls transform before my eyes during the course of the retreat — my own included.

During those days, I recalled a memory of my kindergarten year. There was a gift exchange between us — but I was forgotten. I remember standing there feeling set apart, embarrassed, even ashamed. I never really put much stock in that… but as I began to reflect on my life, I realized that, since that moment, I had always felt apart. As I grew in my faith as a young child, I felt even more isolated as most of the kids in my Catholic schools never attended Mass. So I never really formed strong friendships during my school years. My brother was my best friend; his friends were my friends. And this continued as I left home, throughout my career, and then my ministry years. It then began to bleed into my family life. I started to doubt my own wife’s love for me and even that of my children. There was no truth to it, but the insecurity only grew, the lies became bigger and more believable and this only brought tension between us.

A week before the retreat, it all came to a head. I knew without a doubt that I was being spiritually attacked at that point, but the lies were so real, so persistent, and so oppressive, that I said to my spiritual director last week: “If Padre Pio was tossed about his room physically by demons, I was going through the mental equivalent.” All the tools I used in the past were seemingly starting to fail: prayer, fasting, the rosary, etc. It wasn’t until I went to Confession the day before the retreat that the attacks immediately stopped. But I knew that they would come back… and with that, I set out for the retreat.

Delivered from Darkness

I won’t get too much into the retreat except to say that it weaves together Ignatian discernment and Thérèsian spirituality, blended with the Sacraments, Our Lady’s intercession, and more. The process allowed me to enter into both the wounds and the pattern of lies that emerged from them. During the first few days, I wept many tears as the Lord’s presence descended upon my little room and my conscience became illumined to the truth. The tender words He poured out in my journal were powerful and liberating. Yes, as we heard in the Gospel today:

If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32)

I encountered the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity distinctly and more than I ever have in my life. I was overwhelmed with God’s love. He was revealing to me how I had subtly bought into the falsehoods of the “father of lies,”[1] and with each illumination, I was being set free from a spirit of negativity that had put a pall over my life and relationships.

On the eighth day of the retreat, I shared with the rest of the group how I was being overwhelmed with the Father’s love — like the prodigal son. But as soon as I spoke it, it was as though a pinhole opened up in my soul, and the supernatural peace I was experiencing began to drain. I began to feel restless and irritated. During the break, I went into the hallway. Suddenly, tears of healing were being replaced by tears of anxiety — again. I couldn’t understand what was going on. I invoked Our Lady, the angels and the saints. I even “saw” in my mind’s eye the Archangels beside me, but still, I was being gripped by fear to the point of trembling.

It was at that moment, I saw them…

A Counter-Attack

Standing outside the glass doors across from me, I “saw” in a blink Satan standing there as a large red wolf.[2] Behind him were smaller red wolves. Then I “heard” in my soul the words: “We will devour you when you leave here.” I was so startled I literally backpedaled.

During the next talk, I could hardly focus. The memories of being mentally tossed around like a rag doll the week before came rushing back. I began to fear that I would fall back into the old patterns, insecurities, and anxiety. I prayed, I rebuked, and I prayed some more… but to no avail. This time, the Lord wanted me to learn a crucial lesson.

I picked up my phone and sent a text to one of the retreat leaders. “Jerry, I’ve been blindsided.” Ten minutes later, I was sitting in his office. As I explained to him what had just unfolded, he stopped me and said, “Mark, you’ve fallen into a fear of the devil.” I was surprised at first to hear him say this. I mean, for years I have rebuked this mortal enemy. As a father and head of my home, I have taken authority over evil spirits when attacking my family. I’ve literally seen my children rolling on the floor with stomach pain in the middle of the night to then being completely fine two minutes later after a blessing with Holy Water and a few prayers rebuking the enemy.

But here I was… yes, actually shaken and afraid. We prayed together, and I repented of this fear. To be clear, the (fallen) angels are more powerful than us humans — on our own. But…

You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

My peace began to return, but not completely. Something still wasn’t right. I was about to leave when Jerry said to me: “Do you have a cross?” Yes, I said, pointing to the one around my neck. “You must wear this at all times,” he said. “The Cross must always go before you and behind you.” When he said that, something in my soul sparked. I knew Jesus was speaking to me…

The Lesson

When I left his office, I clutched my cross. Now, I have to say something rather sad. That beautiful Catholic retreat center we were in, like so many others, has become host to many New Age seminars and practices like Reiki, etc. As I walked down the hall toward my room, I clutched my cross. And as I did I saw, like shadows, evil spirits begin to line the hallway. As I passed them, they bowed before the cross around my neck. I was speechless.

When I returned to my room, my soul was on fire. I did something that I would never normally do, nor do I recommend that anyone do it. But a holy anger rose up in me. I grabbed the crucifix hanging on the wall and went over to the window. Words rose up in me that I couldn’t have stopped if I wanted, as I felt the power of the Holy Spirit welling up. I held up the Cross and said: “Satan, in the name of Jesus, I command you to come to this window and bow before this Cross.” I repeated it… and I “saw” him quickly come and bow at the corner outside my window. This time, he was much smaller. Then I said, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord! I command you to confess that He is Lord!” And I heard in my heart him say, “He is Lord” — almost pathetically. And with that, I rebuked him and he fled.

I sat down and every trace of fear had utterly disappeared. I then sensed the Lord wanting to speak — as He has a thousand times in this ministry. So I picked up my pen, and this is what flowed into my heart: “Satan must kneel before My Cross because what he thought was victory became his defeat. He must always kneel before My Cross because it is the instrument of My Power and the symbol of My love — and Love never fails. I AM LOVE, and therefore, the Cross symbolizes the love of the Holy Trinity that has gone out into the world to gather the lost lambs of Israel.”

And with that, Jesus poured out a beautiful “litany” to the Cross:

The Cross, the Cross! O, My Sweet Cross, how I love you,
for I swing you as a scythe to gather

a harvest of souls to Myself.

The Cross, the Cross! With it you have cast, not shadow,
but Light upon a people in darkness.

The Cross, the Cross! You, so humble and insignificant
— two beams of wood —

held the fate of the world upon your fibres,
and thus, nailed the condemnation of all upon this Tree.

The Cross, the Cross! You are the Font of Life,
the Tree of Life, the Source of Life.

Plain and unattractive, you held the Savior
and thus became the most fruitful tree of all.

From your dead limbs have sprouted every grace
and every spiritual blessing.

O Cross, O Cross! Your wood is soaked in every vein
with the Blood of the Lamb.

O Sweet altar of the cosmos,
upon your splinters lay the Son of Man,
the brother of all, the God of creation.

O come to Me, come to this Cross,
which is the key that unlocks all chains, that snaps their links,

that scatters darkness and causes every demon to flee.
For them, the Cross is their condemnation; it is their sentence;
it is their mirror in which they see
the perfect reflection of their rebellion.

Then Jesus paused and I sensed Him say, “And so my beloved child, I wanted you to know the new power I am placing in your hands, the power of the Cross. Let it go before everything you do, let it stand with you at all times; cast your glance upon it frequently. Love My Cross, sleep with My Cross, eat, live, and exist always with My Cross. Let it be your rear guard. Let it be your holy defence. Never, ever fear the enemy who just bowed before the Cross in your hands.” Then He continued:

Yes, the Cross, the Cross! The greatest power against evil,
for with it, I ransomed the souls of My brethren,

and emptied the bowels of Hell. [3]

And then Jesus said so tenderly: “My child, forgive Me for this painful lesson. But now you understand how important it will be for you to carry the Cross, on your body, in your heart, and on your mind. Always. Love, your Jesus.” (Never in all my years of journaling do I recall Jesus ending His words in that way).

I put my pen down and took a deep breath. That peace “that surpasses all understanding”[4] returned. I stood up and went over to the window where moments before the enemy had bowed.

I looked down into the fresh snow. There, beneath the sill, were pawprintsthat led straight to the window — and stopped.

Closing thoughts

There is more to say, but that’s for another time. I have returned home renewed, and the love between my wife and my children has multiplied. The clinginess and insecurity that I felt for years is now gone. The fear I had that I am not loved has vanished. I am free to love, and be loved, in the way He intended. The prayer and fasting and rosaries that seemed futile? They were actually preparing me for the grace-filled moment of Christ’s healing love. God wastes nothing and none of our tears, when brought to Him, fall to the ground.

Wait for the LORD, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the LORD! (Psalms 27:14)

In my morning prayer this week, I came to a scriptural passage in Wisdom that beautifully states why the Cross is so powerful. It was written about the Israelites who, in their negative spirit, were sent a chastisement of poisonous serpents. Many died. So they cried out to God that they were wrong to complain and be so lacking in faith. So the Lord instructed Moses to hoist a bronze serpent on his staff. Anyone who looked upon it would be healed of a snakebite. This, of course, prefigured the Cross of Christ.[5]

For when the dire venom of beasts came upon them and they were dying from the bite of crooked serpents, your anger endured not to the end. But as a warning, for a short time they were terrorized, though they had a sign of salvation, to remind them of the precept of your law. For the one who turned toward it was saved, not by what was seen, but by you, the savior of all. By this also you convinced our foes that you are the one who delivers from all evil. (Wisdom 16:5-8)

There is almost nothing to add to that, except perhaps one more little lesson. A distant cousin of mine, a Lutheran, told me many years ago how they were praying over a woman in their church. The woman suddenly began to hiss and growl and manifest a demon. The group was so terrified, they didn’t know what to do. Suddenly, the woman leapt out of her chair toward them. My cousin, remembering how Catholics make the sign of the cross, quickly raised her hand and traced the cross in the air. The woman suddenly flew backwards across the room.

You see, it is “the Savior of all” who stands behind this Cross. It is His power, not the wood or metal that drives out the enemy. It is my strong sense that Jesus gave me this lesson, not only for myself, but for you who form Our Lady’s Little Rabble.

But what will they be like, these servants, these slaves, these children of Mary? …They will have the two-edged sword of the word of God in their mouths and the blood-stained standard of the Cross on their shoulders. They will carry the crucifix in their right hand and the rosary in their left, and the holy names of Jesus and Mary on their heart. —St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary, n. 56,59

Keep the Cross with you always. Venerate it. Love it. And above all, live its message faithfully. No, we do not need to fear the enemy, for greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.

…He brought you to life along with him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions;
obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims,
which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst,
nailing it to the cross;
despoiling the principalities and the powers,
he made a public spectacle of them,
leading them away in triumph by it.
(Col 2:13-15)

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Posted on March 23, 2023 by Rick Blaine

Mark Mallett

THE DEW OF THE DIVINE WILL

Posted on March 22, 2023 by Mark

HAVE you ever wondered what good it is to pray and “live in the Divine Will”?^[1] How does it affect others, if at all?

Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta wondered this herself. She faithfully prayed “in the Divine Will”, offering to God her “I love You”, “Thank You” and “I bless You” upon all created things. Jesus affirmed that “all the acts done in my Will diffuse over all, and all take part in them” ^[2] in this way:

See, when, at daybreak, you were saying: ‘May my mind rise in the Supreme Will, in order to cover all the intelligences of creatures with your Will, so that all may rise in It; and in the name of all I give You the adoration, the love, the submission of all created intelligences…’ – while you were saying this, a celestial dew poured upon all creatures, covering them, to bring the requital of your act to all. Oh! how beautiful it was to see all creatures covered by this celestial dew which my Will formed, symbolized by the night dew which can be found in the morning over all plants, to embellish them, to fecundate them, and to prevent those which are about to wither from drying up. With its celestial touch, it seems to place a touch of life in order to make them vegetate. How enchanting is the dew at daybreak. But much more enchanting and beautiful is the dew of the acts which the soul forms in my Will. —November 22, 1925, Volume 18

But Luisa replied:

Yet, My Love and my Life, with all this dew, creatures do not change.

And Jesus:

If the night dew does so much good to the plants, unless it falls on dry wood, severed from the plants, or upon things which contain no life, such that, even though they remain covered with dew and somehow embellished, the dew is as though dead for them, and as the sun rises, little by little It withdraws it from them – much more good does the dew which my Will makes descend upon souls, unless they are completely dead to grace. And yet, by the vivifying virtue It possesses, even if they are dead, It tries to infuse in them a breath of life. But all others, some more, some less, according to their dispositions, feel the effects of this beneficial dew.

Who can fathom the myriad ways that our prayer in the Divine Will may dispose a heart to grace through a memory, a glance, the warmth of the sun, the smile of a stranger, the chuckle of baby… to even a subtle opening of another’s heart to the transcendent truth of the present moment, where Jesus is waiting, clamoring to embrace the soul?^[3]

And so, dear brothers and sisters (especially you who are just getting your feet wet with the dew of “living in the Divine Will”), don’t be discouraged when you are praying these acts of love and adoration in return for God’s love expressed in the fiats of Creation, Redemption, and Sanctification. It’s not about what we feel but we do in faith, trusting in His Word. Jesus assures both Luisa and us that what we do in the Divine Will is not wasted but has cosmic ramifications.

In today’s Psalm, it says:

Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable… Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. (Psalm 145)

Of course, not all God’s works — that is we humans who are made “in His image” — give Him thanks and praise. However, the one who lives and prays “in the Divine Will” offers to the Holy Trinity the adoration, blessing, and love They are due on behalf of all, for all. In return, all of creation receives the dew of grace —whether disposed to it or not — and creation inches ever closer toward the perfection for which it is groaning.

To human beings, God even gives the power of freely sharing in His providence by entrusting them with the responsibility of “subduing” the earth and having dominion over it. God thus enables men to be intelligent and free causes in order to complete the work of creation, to perfect its harmony for their own good and that of their neighbors. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, 307; cf. Creation Reborn

Do not be discouraged, then, if you do not fully grasp the science of the Divine Will.^[4] Do not let your Morning (Prevenient) Prayer become rote; do not think that you — small and insignificant in the eyes of the world — are having no impact. Bookmark this page; re-read the words of Jesus; and persevere in this Gift until it becomes a real act of love, blessing, and adoration; until you delight in seeing everything as your own possession^[5] to give it back to God with praise and thanksgiving.^[6] For He assures you… you are impacting all of creation.

Footnotes

↑1	cf. How to Live in the Divine Will
↑2	November 22, 1925, Volume 18
↑3	“The flames of mercy are burning Me—clamoring to be spent; I want to keep pouring them out upon souls; souls just don’t want to believe in My goodness.” (Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 177)
↑4	Jesus describes His teachings as “the Science of sciences, which is my Will, a science all of Heaven”, November 12, 1925, Volume 18
↑5	Jesus: “…one must look at all things as one’s own, and have all the care for them.” (November 22, 1925, Volume 18)
↑6	“Through Him, then, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name.” (Hebrews 13:15)

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Posted in HOME, THE DIVINE WILL and tagged luisa Piccarreta, luisa, divine will.

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Rick Blaine

Mark Mallett

REVIVAL

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Mark

THIS morning, I dreamt I was in a church sitting off to the side, next to my wife. The music being played were songs I had written, though I’d never heard them until this dream. The entire church was quiet, no one was singing. Suddenly, I began to quietly sing along spontaneously, raising up the name of Jesus. As I did, others began to sing and praise, and the power of the Holy Spirit began to descend. It was beautiful. After the song ended, I heard a word in my heart: Revival.

And I woke up.

Revival

The word “revival” is a phrase often used by Evangelical Christians when the Holy Spirit has moved powerfully through churches and entire regions. And yes, my dear Catholic, God often moves wonderously in churches separated from Rome because He loves all His children. In fact, were it not for the preaching of the Gospel and pouring out of the Holy Spirit in some of these evangelical churches, many Catholics would not have come to love Jesus and let Him be their Savior. For it is no secret that evangelization has almost ceased entirely in many Catholic quarters. Therefore, as Jesus said:

I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out! (Luke 19:40)

And again,

The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)

The Spirit blows where He wills.

Recently, you may have heard of the “Asbury Revival” or “awakening” taking place at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. There was an evening service last month that, basically, didn’t end. People just continued worshiping, praising God — and repentance and conversions began to flow, night, after night, after night for weeks.

Generation Z has been marred as the generation of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. A number of students spoke directly during Thursday night’s national event about their struggles with these issues, telling of the new measures of freedom and hope they’ve found — that Jesus is changing them from the inside out and they no longer need to let these struggles define who they are. It was genuine, and it was powerful. —Benjamin Gill, CBN News, February 23, 2023

‘The Asbury phenomenon is “pure” and “definitely of God, definitely of the Holy Spirit,’ said Fr. Norman Fischer, pastor of St. Peter Claver Church in Lexington, Kentucky. He checked out what was going on and felt himself caught up in the praise and worship in that “upper room.” Since then, he has heard confessions and has offered healing prayers for some attendees — including one young man struggling with addiction, whom the priest said has since been able to maintain several days of sobriety.^[1]

Those are just some of the many profound fruits. Another priest, inspired by events there, launched an event himself and found the Holy Spirit being poured out upon his community as well. Listen to Fr. Vincent Druding below:

Inner Revival

Perhaps my dream is a mere sub-conscious reflection of recent events. At the same time, however, I have experienced the power of praise and “revival” in my own ministry. In fact, that’s how my ministry began in the early 1990’s, with a praise and worship group in Edmonton, Alberta. We would set up a picture of the Divine Mercy Image of Jesus in the middle of the sanctuary and simply praise him (a forerunner of what would come later — praise and worship in Eucharist Adoration). The conversions have been long-lasting and many ministries were birthed from those days that are still serving the Church today.

I have written a couple of articles already on the power of praise and what it releases in the spiritual realm, in our hearts, and our communities (see The Power of Praise and Praise to Freedom.) It is summed up in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Blessing expresses the basic movement of Christian prayer: it is an encounter between God and man…our prayer ascends in the Holy Spirit through Christ to the Father—we bless him for having blessed us; it implores the grace of the Holy Spirit that descends through Christ from the Father—he blesses us.—Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), 2626; 2627

There is a lack of authentic praise and worship of the Lord in the Church in general, a sign, really, of our lack of faith. Yes, the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass is our greatest act of worship… but if it is offered without our hearts, then the exchange of “blessing” is not met; graces do not flow as they should, and in fact, are withheld:

…if there is anyone else in such a heart, I cannot bear it and quickly leave that heart, taking with Me all the gifts and graces I have prepared for the soul. And the soul does not even notice My going. After some time, inner emptiness and dissatisfaction will come to her attention. Oh, if only she would turn to Me then, I would help her to cleanse her heart, and I would fulfill everything in her soul; but without her knowledge and consent, I cannot be the Master of her heart. —Jesus to St. Faustina on Communion; Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1683

In other words, we will experience in our lives little if any transformation, growth, and healing if we do not love and pray with the heart! For…

God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth. (John 4:24)

…if we close ourselves in formality, our prayer becomes cold and sterile… David’s prayer of praise brought him to leave all form of composure and to dance in front of the Lord with all his strength. This is the prayer of praise!”… ‘But, Father, this is for those of Renewal in the Spirit (the Charismatic movement), not for all Christians.’ No, the prayer of praise is a Christian prayer for all of us! —POPE FRANCIS, Jan. 28th, 2014; Zenit.org

Are recent events in Kentucky a sign of God taking the offensive, or is it simply the inevitable response of a generation that is so hungry and thirsty — like parched desert soil — that the blessing (and cry) that has risen has simply drawn down the thundershowers of the Holy Spirit? I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. Because what you and I should be doing is offering praise and thanksgiving “always” throughout our day, no matter how difficult the trials.^[2]

Rejoice always, pray constantly and give thanks in all situations, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus… let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His Name. (1Thessalonians 5:16, Hebrews 13:15; cf. St. Paul’s Little Way)

For this is how we pass through the heavenly gates and enter into God’s presence, into the “holy of holies” where we truly encounter Jesus:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. (Psalm 100:4)

Our prayer, in fact, is united to His own before the Father:

The thanksgiving of the members of the Body participates in that of their Head. —CCC 2637

Yes, make sure you read Praise to Freedom, especially if you are passing through a “valley of the shadow of death”, assaulted by trials and temptations.

This coming week, the Spirit is leading me into solitude for a 9-day silent retreat. While it means that I am going to be mostly off the internet, I feel this time of refreshment, healing, and grace will only benefit you, too, not only in my daily intercession for my readers, but I pray, in new fruits for this writing apostolate. I feel God has heard “the cry of the poor”, the cry of His People under the oppression of this Final Revolution spreading across the globe. The Prodigal Hour of the world is approaching, the so-called “Warning.” Are these revivals merely the first rays of this “illumination of conscience” breaking across our horizon? Are they the first stirrings of this rebellious generation, now asking, “Why did I leave my Father’s House?”^[3]

All I know is that today, right now, in the enclosure of my heart, I need to begin praising and worshiping Jesus with all my “heart, soul and strength”… and revival will most certainly come.

Some songs to get you going…

Footnotes

↑1	cf. oursundayvisitor.com
↑2	cf. St. Paul’s Little Way
↑3	cf. Luke 15:17-19

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Posted in HOME, SPIRITUALITY and tagged revival, eucharist, worship, praise, adoration.

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Rick Blaine

Mark Mallett

THE GREAT REFUGE AND SAFE HARBOUR

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Mark

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.

He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him takes care to chastise him… For whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges. (Proverbs 13:24, Hebrews 12:6)

Yes, perhaps we do deserve our “just deserts” as they say. But that’s precisely why Jesus has come: literally, to take the punishment due humanity upon Himself, something only God could do.

He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. (1 Peter 2:24-25)

O, the love of Jesus for you is the greatest love story ever told. If you have seriously messed up your life, He awaits to heal you, to be your Shepherd and the Guardian of your soul. That is why we call the gospels “good news.”

Scripture does not say that God is loving, but that He is love. He is the very “substance” of that which every human heart longs for. And love sometimes must act in a way to save us from ourselves. So when we speak of chastisements befalling the earth, really, we are speaking of his His merciful justice.

I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart. I use punishment when they themselves force Me to do so; My hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice. Before the Day of Justice I am sending the Day of Mercy. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1588

For some, that impetus to repent may only come in the very midst of coming chastisements, even moments before they take their last breath (see Mercy in Chaos). But what terrible risks souls take in staying out upon the sea of sin as this Great Hurricane in our times approaches! It is time to find true shelter in this coming Storm. I am speaking most especially to you who feel as though you are damned and beyond hope.

You are not, unless you wish to be.

God does not want to crush abortionists, pornographers, adulterers, drunkards, liars, slanderers, and souls consumed in self-love, riches, and greed. He wants to turn them back to His Heart. He wants all of us to recognize that He is our true pole. He, the “Substance” called Love, is the true longing of our hearts; He is the true Refuge and Safe Harbour in the present and coming Storm beginning to shake the world… and He welcomes every single sinner upon the face of the earth to find shelter there. That is to say, His Mercy is our refuge.

The flames of mercy are burning Me—clamoring to be spent; I want to keep pouring them out upon souls; souls just don’t want to believe in My goodness. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 177

In fact, dear reader, He is urgently begging us to enter into this Refuge before it is too late.

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. —Mother of God to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 635

COME, O DOUBTING SINNER…

To you who believe God is merciful, but doubt His goodness and love for you, ^[1] who feel that He has forgotten and abandoned you, He says…

…the Lord comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted. But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. (Isaiah 49:13-15)

He looks upon you now, as He did upon His Apostles who feared and doubted because of the waves of a storm^[2] — even though Jesus was with them in the boat —and He says:

My child, all your sins have not wounded My Heart as painfully as your present lack of trust does that after so many efforts of My love and mercy, you should still doubt My goodness. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1486

You think that your sins are an obstacle to God. But it is precisely because of your sins that He rushes to open up His Heart to you.

The sinner who feels within himself a total deprivation of all that is holy, pure, and solemn because of sin, the sinner who in his own eyes is in utter darkness, severed from the hope of salvation, from the light of life, and from the communion of saints, is himself the friend whom Jesus invited to dinner, the one who was asked to come out from behind the hedges, the one asked to be a partner in His wedding and an heir to God… Whoever is poor, hungry, sinful, fallen or ignorant is the guest of Christ. —Matthew the Poor, The Communion of Love, p.93

Through confession of your faults^[3] and trusting in His goodness, an ocean of graces becomes available to you. No, your sins are not a stumbling block for God; they are a stumbling block for you when you do not trust in His Mercy.

The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is—trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is My desire to give much, very much. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow their hearts. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1578

The Lord listens to the needy and does not spurn his servants in their chains. (Psalm 69:3)

COME, O DISCOURAGED SINNER…

To you who are striving to be good, and yet fall and fall, denying Him as Peter denied Him,^[4] He says:

Do not be absorbed in your misery—you are still too weak to speak of it—but, rather, gaze on My Heart filled with goodness, and be imbued with My sentiments. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1486

With the same mercy and confidence He showed in Peter after his denial, Jesus says to you now:

My child, know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety. These will deprive you of the ability to practice virtue. All temptations united together ought not disturb your interior peace, not even momentarily. Sensitiveness and discouragement are the fruits of self-love. You should not become discouraged, but strive to make My love reign in place of your self-love. Have confidence, My child. Do not lose heart in coming for pardon, for I am always ready to forgive you. As often as you beg for it, you glorify My mercy. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1488

He cries,

See how little you are! Be humbled by your weakness and inability to do much good. See, you are like a little child… a child who needs his Papa. So come to Me…

As for me in my poverty and pain, let your help, O God, lift me up. (Psalm 69:3)

COME, O FEARFUL SINNER…

To you who feel that your sinfulness has depleted the mercies of God,^[5] He says…

The cause of your falls is that you rely too much upon yourself and too little on Me. But let this not sadden you so much. You are dealing with the God of mercy, which your misery cannot exhaust. Remember, I did not allot only a certain number of pardons. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1485

To you who are afraid to approach Him yet again with the same sins, the same weaknesses, He replies:

Have confidence, My child. Do not lose heart in coming for pardon, for I am always ready to forgive you. As often as you beg for it, you glorify My mercy… fear not, because you are not alone. I am always supporting you, so lean on Me as you struggle, fearing nothing. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1488

This is the one whom I approve: the lowly and broken man who trembles at my word. (Isaiah 66:2)

My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 367

COME, O STRIVING SINNER

To the one who trusts, and yet fails, who tries, but does not succeed, who desires, but never attains, He says:

If you do not succeed in taking advantage of an opportunity, do not lose your peace, but humble yourself profoundly before Me and, with great trust, immerse yourself completely in My mercy. In this way, you gain more than you have lost, because more favor is granted to a humble soul than the soul itself asks for… —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1361

…a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. (Psalm 51:19)

To you, He says, become even smaller—more and more dependent upon Him for everything… ^[6]

Come, then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart. Your misery has disappeared in the depths of My mercy. Do not argue with Me about your wretchedness. You will give me pleasure if you hand over to me all your troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures of My grace. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1485

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. (Matt 10:8)

COME, O HARDENED SINNER…

I hear Jesus reaching across the internet, across the gulf between Him and you today, you whose sins are so black such that you feel God could not possibly want you… that it is too late.^[7] And He says…

…between Me and you there is a bottomless abyss, an abyss which separates the Creator from the creature. But this abyss is filled with My mercy. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1576

What seems then to be an impossible breach between you and God ^[8] has now been restored through the death and resurrection of Jesus. You need only cross over this bridge to His Heart, over the Bridge of Mercy…

O soul steeped in darkness, do not despair. All is not yet lost. Come and confide in your God, who is love and mercy… Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet… I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1486, 699, 1146

My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. I will not give vent to my blazing anger… (Hosea 11:8-9)

To you, so weakened and hardened by addiction to sin, ^[9] He says:

Be not afraid of your Savior, O sinful soul. I make the first move to come to you, for I know that by yourself you are unable to lift yourself to me. Child, do not run away from your Father; be willing to talk openly with your God of mercy who wants to speak words of pardon and lavish his graces on you. How dear your soul is to Me! I have inscribed your name upon My hand; you are engraved as a deep wound in My Heart. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1485

See, upon the palms of my hands I have engraved you… (Isaiah 49:16)

If He could turn to a thief in his dying moments upon the cross beside Him and welcome him into paradise, ^[10] will not Jesus, who died for you, not also grant the same mercy to you who ask? As a dear priest I know often says, “The good thief stole paradise. So, then, steal it! Jesus wants you to steal paradise!” Christ didn’t die for the righteous, but precisely for sinners, yes, even the most hardened sinner.

A soul’s greatest wretchedness does not enkindle Me with wrath; but rather, My Heart is moved towards it with great mercy. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1739

Let the words of the good thief, then, become your own:

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. (Luke 23:42)

On high I dwell, and in holiness, and with the crushed and dejected in spirit. (Isaiah 57:15)

THE SAFE HARBOUR

The place of “anchoring” for the soul is one that Jesus carefully established in His Church. After His resurrection, Jesus met once again with His Apostles to establish a true harbour for souls:

He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:22-23)

Thus, a new sacrament was established, called “Confession.”

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. (James 5:16)

And we confess our sins to the only ones who have the authority to forgive, that is, the Apostles and their successors (bishops, and priests to whom this authority is conferred). And here is the beautiful promise of Christ to sinners:

Were a soul like a decaying corpse so that from a human standpoint, there would be no [hope of] restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full. Oh, how miserable are those who do not take advantage of the miracle of God’s mercy! —Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 1448

“…those who go to Confession frequently, and do so with the desire to make progress” will notice the strides that they make in their spiritual lives. “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 II, Apostolic Penitentiary conference, March 27th, 2004; catholicculture.org

Who, then, is excluded from the safety of this Great Harbour during the purification of the earth that must come?^[11] No soul! No soul! …no soul—except the one who refuses to receive and trust in His great Mercy and forgiveness.

Can you not perceive all around you the Great Storm into which humanity has entered?^[12] As the earth shakes, can you not see that our present conditions of discouragement, fear, doubt and hard-heartedness need to be shaken as well? Can you see that your life is like a blade of grass that is here today but gone tomorrow? Then quickly enter into this safe refuge, the Great Refuge of His Mercy, where you will be safe from the most dangerous of waves that are going to come in this Storm: a tsunami of deception ^[13] that will sweep away all those who have fallen in love with the world and their sin and who would rather worship their possessions and bellies than the God who loves them, those “who have not believed the truth but have approved wrongdoing” (2 Thess 2:12). Let nothing—nothing—stop you this day from crying out from the bottom of your heart: “Jesus, I trust in you!“

The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and splendid day of the Lord, and it shall be that everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the Lord. (Acts 2:20-21)

Open the sails of trust, then, and let the winds of His Mercy carry you home to His Father… your Father who loves you with an everlasting love. As one friend wrote recently in a letter, “I think we have forgotten that we don’t have to search for happiness; we just need to crawl up into His lap and let Him love us.”

For Love has already sought us out…

Footnotes

↑1	see I am Not Worthy
↑2	cf. Mark 4:35-41
↑3	cf. Confession Passé?
↑4	see The Paralyzed Soul
↑5	see A Miracle of Mercy
↑6	see The Rocky Heart; The Novena of Abandonment
↑7	see To Those in Mortal Sin
↑8	see A Letter of Sorrow
↑9	see The Tiger in the Cage
↑10	cf. Luke 23:42
↑11	see The Great Purification
↑12	see Are You Ready?
↑13	see The Coming Counterfeit

Spread The Now Word!

Posted in HOME, TIME OF GRACE and tagged faustina, refuge, justice, chastisement, psalm, divine mercy.

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Rick Blaine

Mark Mallett

Luz – You Will Be Heard

The Most Holy Virgin Mary to Luz de Maria de Bonilla on February 18th, 2023:

Beloved children of my Immaculate Heart:

I keep you on my lap so that you would be safe. Take my hands. I will lead you to my Divine Son. Take the love of my Divine Son so that you would witness by working and acting in His likeness. Be fraternal. Do not be like the Pharisees who, as great teachers, speak so easily in the name of God while being whitened sepulchers ^[1]. This time of urgency and conversion is a sign of the speed with which the most serious events of the fulfillment of my prophecies are coming. How you will regret having wasted every second of your life without entering into true unity with the Father’s House, without delving into the Sacred Scriptures and discovering in every word the divine love to which you are called at every moment!

Beloved children, spiritual growth must be a priority; it is necessary for you to be converted, convinced children, living in faith and fraternity. This is an urgent time for humanity, prior to the arrival of natural events of great force, not seen before, although they have been announced by this Mother. This is an urgent time given the constant threats of war between powers.

Pestilence will come again. You must keep what you have received by Divine Will for facing diseases. For the skin, have calendula. It is necessary that you do not forget it at the slightest sign on the skin – use it. Apply a small amount of the Oil of the Good Samaritan daily ^[2]^[3].

Various countries will witness signs on high that will shake humanity. Some will seek to reconcile with my Divine Son out of fear, then turn away. In the countries where these signs will be seen, there will be suffering due to nature or directly from war. Humanity is involved in social, religious, and political upheavals, struggling for subsistence. Being immersed in the things of the world, you are rushing toward the precipice and this Mother suffers great pain.

The densest and subtlest of fogs have penetrated within the Church of my Divine Son at the same time in order to confuse God’s people, causing division until schism is reached.

Beloved children of my Heart, convert without waiting: the shortened days will show the severity of my revelations, in order that you would commit to being more like my Divine Son and less worldly. Children, you will experience the fiercest scarcity: prepare spiritually and then prepare materially. Mercy, repentance, forgiveness, will be the plea of the human race. And in the end you will be heard. Infinite mercy will welcome you, and then on Earth you will see food germinate again. Beloved children, come to the celebration of the feast of the imposition of ashes, entering into the time of Lent. Come in a special way this Ash Wednesday.

Pray, children, pray for Finland: it will be shaken.

Pray, children, pray for Panama: it will shake.

Pray, children, pray for Mexico: this land will shake

Pray, children, pray, Heaven sends signals to its children.

Pray, children, pray for Chile: it will suffer an earthquake.

Pray, children, pray regarding news coming out of the Church: I call you to prayer.

Beloved children of my Heart: Pray with a contrite and humbled heart. I do not forsake you. Be creatures of goodness. I bless you, I remain with you.

Hail Mary most pure, conceived without sin

Commentary by Luz de María

Brothers and sisters, let us meditate this Lent on this penitential psalm so that it may move us to conversion of the heart: Psalm 50 (51).

The following messages, previously revealed by Heaven, will help us to better understand the words of Our Blessed Mother.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, 06.26.2011

Beloved, I will give signs in the heavens and on earth: this is the time. The sun will become dim and My children will remember Me in brief prayers, but afterwards they will turn away again.

Our Lord Jesus Christ 12.04.2016

You will see signs in the sky so that you would not forget that I am present and dominate everything.

St. Michael the Archangel, 10.19.2021

You are heading towards the time when man will fight against man, forgetting that he is a creature of God, faced with the famine that is looming over mankind and darkness so deep that you will be unable to see each other’s hands. Darkness such as that which the human race carries in its soul because of the continuous sins in which you have immersed yourselves as humanity.

St. Michael the Archangel, 15.12.2020

Prepare, children, for the fall of the economy; do not maintain false hopes – humanity will experience the worst famine ever seen. International organizations will not react to this and many of you will be lost if you do not convert and allow yourselves to be “fed by Heaven”.

St. Michael the Archangel, 01.06.2020

Do not squander any longer the opportunity to raise a prayer to our King and Lord Jesus Christ, so that the Holy Spirit would assist you with your spiritual growth.

Footnotes

↑1	cf. Mt. 23:27-32
↑2	“…use the oil of the Good Samaritan as protection against a case of highly contagious disease where you live; using the tip of a pin on the earlobes is good; if the number of those contaminated increases you should put it on both sides of the neck and on the wrists of both hands.” *The Blessed Virgin Mary, 01.28.2020.*
↑3	Read about Medicinal Plants:

Posted in Luz de Maria de Bonilla, Messages.

← Luz – Temptation Dwells in…

Pedro – I Will Lead You to Victory →

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Rick Blaine

Mark Mallett

THE WOMAN IN THE WILDERNESS

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Mark

May God grant each of you and your families a blessed Lent…

HOW is the Lord going to safeguard His people, the Barque of His Church, through the rough waters ahead? How — if the entire world is being forced into a godless global system of control — is the Church possibly going to survive?

The Woman Clothed in the Sun

It’s not me, it’s not Catholics, it’s not some medieval invention – but Sacred Scripture itself that frames the “final confrontation” with Antichrist in a Marian dimension. It begins with the prophecy in Genesis 3:15 that the offspring of the “woman” would crush the head of the serpent (realized in the Blessed Mother through her Son, Jesus Christ, and His followers).^[1] It ends with Revelation Chapter 12 and the “woman clothed in the sun” and her “offspring” (Rev 12:17) again in confrontation with the “dragon”. Clearly, Satan finds himself in a decisive battle involving the Blessed Virgin Mary and her children — Our Lady and the Church, with Christ as the firstborn.^[2]

Everyone knows that this woman signified the Virgin Mary, the stainless one who brought forth our Head. The Apostle continues: “And, being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered” (Apoc. xii., 2). John therefore saw the Most Holy Mother of God already in eternal happiness, yet travailing in a mysterious childbirth. What birth was it? Surely it was the birth of us who, still in exile, are yet to be generated to the perfect charity of God, and to eternal happiness. And the birth pains show the love and desire with which the Virgin from heaven above watches over us, and strives with unwea rying prayer to bring about the fulfillment of the number of the elect. —POPE PIUX X, Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum, n. 24; vatican.va

And yet, we read that this “woman clothed in the sun” is taken into the “wilderness” where God cares for her for 1260 days, or three and a half years during the reign of the “beast.” Since Our Lady, herself, is already in Heaven, the identity of this Woman in the Apocalypse is obviously much broader:

At the center of the vision that Revelation presents is the extremely significant image of the Woman, who gives birth to a male Child, and the complementary vision of the Dragon, which has fallen from the heavens, but is still very powerful. This Woman represents Mary, the Mother of the Redeemer, but she represents at the same time the whole Church, the People of God of all times, the Church that at all times, with great pain, again gives birth to Christ. And she is always threatened by the power of the Dragon. She seems defenseless, weak. But, while she is threatened, pursued by the Dragon, she is also protected by God’s consolation. And this Woman, at the end, is victorious. The Dragon does not conquer. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Castel Gandolfo, Italy, August 23, 2006; Zenit; cf. catholic.org

This is consonant with the early Church Fathers, such as Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170 – c. 235), who commented on St. John’s passage:

By the woman then clothed with the sun, he meant most manifestly the Church, endued with the Father’s word, whose brightness is above the sun. — “Christ and the Antichrist”, n. 61, newadvent.org

Other indications that the “woman” is a reference to the Church are, for example, that the woman is “in anguish” as she labors to give birth. According to both Scripture^[3] and Tradition,^[4] it is commonly held that the Blessed Virgin Mary was exempt from the curse of Eve: “in pain you shall bring forth children.”^[5]

And just as Our Lady is at once part of the Church and Mother of the Church, so too, the Woman — and the “male child” to whom she gives birth in Revelation 12:5 — can be seen as both Mother Church and her baptized offspring.

John, therefore, saw the Most Holy Mother of God already in eternal happiness, yet travailing in a mysterious childbirth. What birth was it? Surely it was the birth of us who, still in exile, are yet to be generated to the perfect charity of God, and to eternal happiness. And the birth pains show the love and desire with which the Virgin from heaven above watches over us, and strives with unwearying prayer to bring about the fulfillment of the number of the elect. —POPE PIUS X, Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum, n. 24

One last observation. The “male child” is “destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod” (Rev 12:5). While certainly fulfilled in Christ, Jesus Himself promises that, to the one who is victorious, He will share His authority:

To the victor, who keeps to my ways until the end, I will give authority over the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. (Rev 2:26-27)

Thus, clearly, the Woman in Revelation 12 figuratively represents both Our Lady and the Church.

The Wilderness

…the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time [ie. 3.5 years]. (Rev 12:14, RSV)

There has emerged in the past several decades the concept of coming “refuges” — places of supernatural protection for God’s people. In St. John’s Revelation, this would be equated to the “wilderness” or what Doctor of the Church, St. Francis de Sales, calls “deserts” or “solitudes.” Speaking of the apostasy (revolt) and its accompanying tribulations, he writes:

The revolt [revolution] and separation must come…the Sacrifice shall cease and…the Son of Man shall hardly find faith on earth… All these passages are understood of the affliction which Antichrist shall cause in the Church… But the Church… shall not fail, and shall be fed and preserved amidst the deserts and solitudes to which She shall retire, as the Scripture says, (Apoc. Ch. 12). —St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church, from The Catholic Controversy: A Defense of the Faith, Vol III (Burns and Oates, 1886), Ch X.5

Church Father Lactantius also referred to these apparent places of refuge as “solitudes” that would be provided during a period that sounds very much like global Communism:

As many as shall believe him and unite themselves to him, shall be marked by him as sheep; but they who shall refuse his mark will either flee to the mountains, or, being seized, will be slain with studied tortures… all things shall be confounded and mixed together against right, and against the laws of nature. Thus the earth shall be laid waste, as though by one common robbery. ^[6] When these things shall so happen, then the righteous and the followers of truth shall separate themselves from the wicked, and flee into solitudes. —Lactantius, The Divine Institutes, Book VII, Ch. 17

While the Woman of Revelation is indeed victorious in the end, it is also clear that the “beast” is permitted to suppress the Church to a large degree as an instrument of her own passion, death and, ultimately, resurrection.^[7]

It was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. (Revelation 13:7)

However, there are two things that limit the extent of the Antichrist’s persecution. First, as already stated, is that God will shelter a remnant “in the wilderness” from this satanic Storm. From a purely rational standpoint, the physical preservation of the Church is certain: “the powers of death shall not prevail against it,” said Jesus,^[8] “and of His kingdom there shall be no end.” ^[9]

The Church “is the Reign of Christ already present in mystery.” —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 763

Were the Church to be eradicated, Christ’s promise would be empty and Satan would triumph. Therefore,

It is necessary that a small flock subsist, no matter how small it might be. —POPE PAUL VI, The Secret Paul VI, Jean Guitton, p. 152-153, Reference (7), p. ix.

Finally, Christ will preserve His Church by simply limiting the Antichrist’s power:

Even the demons are checked by good angels lest they harm as much as they would. In like manner, Antichrist will not do as much harm as he would wish. —St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part I, Q.113, Art. 4

Physical and Spiritual Refuge

The most crucial aspect of Divine Providence is not the physical but spiritual preservation of Christ’s Bride. I spoke at length about this in The Refuge for Our Times. As Our Lord himself said:

Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. (Luke 17:33)

Thus, Christians are called to shine in the darkness, even at the cost of their lives — not extinguish the Light of Christ beneath the bushel-basket of self-preservation. ^[10] And yet, notes Peter Bannister MTh., MPhil., the spiritual and physical protection of the Church are not at odds with each other.

…there are ample Biblical precedents for pointing to a physical dimension to the concept of a refuge.^[11] It should naturally be stressed that physical preparation is, of course, of little or no value should it not be accompanied by an act of radical and ongoing trust in Divine Providence; but this by no means implies that heaven’s prophetic warnings cannot also insist on practical action in the material realm. It could be argued that to see this as somehow inherently “unspiritual” is to set up a false dichotomy between the spiritual and the material that in some respects is closer to Gnosticism than to the incarnate faith of Christian Tradition. Or else, to put it more mildly, to forget that we are human beings of flesh and blood rather than angels! — cf. Are There Physical Refuges?

In Catholic mystical tradition, the idea that the elect will be protected in a place of refuge during a time both of persecution and Divine chastisement can, for example, be seen in the visions of Blessed Elisabetta Canori Mora whose spiritual journal was recently published by the Vatican’s own publishing house, Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

At that moment I saw four green trees appear, covered with very precious flowers and fruits. The mysterious trees were in the form of a cross; they were surrounded by a very resplendent light, which […] went to open all the doors of the monasteries of nuns and religious. Through an interior feeling I understood that the holy apostle [Peter] had established those four mysterious trees in order to give a place of refuge for the little flock of Jesus Christ, to free the good Christians from the terrible chastisement that will turn the whole world upside down. —Blessed Elisabetta Canori Mora (1774-1825)

“While the language here is evidently allegorical,” notes Bannister, “we can also point to mystics for whom in which this notion of Divine protection takes on a concrete geographical aspect.”^[12] Take Marie-Julie Jahenny (1850-1941) to whom it was revealed at the time that the whole region of Brittany would be protected.

I have come to this land of Brittany because I find generous hearts there […] My refuge will also be for those of my children whom I love and who do not all live on its soil. It will be a refuge of peace in the midst of plagues, a very strong and powerful shelter that nothing will be able to destroy. The birds fleeing the storm will take refuge in Brittany. The land of Brittany is within my power. My Son told me: “My Mother, I give you complete power over Brittany.” This refuge belongs to me and also to my good mother St Anne. —Our Lady to Marie-Julie, March 25, 1878; (a prominent French pilgrimage site, St. Anne d’Auray, is found in Brittany)

Then there is American seer, Jennifer, who was encouraged to diffuse her messages by prominent figures within the Vatican after subsequent translation and presentation of her locutions to Pope John Paul II through the late Fr. Seraphim Michalenko (vice-postulator for the cause of St. Faustina’s beatification). Her messages speak of both the physical and spiritual aspects of “refuge”:

My child, Be prepared! Be prepared! Be prepared! Take heed to My words, for as the time begins to close in, the attacks that will be unleashed by Satan will be at unprecedented proportions. Diseases will come forth and culminate My people, and your homes will be a safe haven until My angels guide you to your place of refuge. The days of blackened cities is coming forth. You, My child, have been given a great mission… for the boxcars will come forth: Storm after storm; war will break out, and many will stand before Me. This world will be brought to its knees in the blink of an eye. Now go forth for I am Jesus, and be at peace, for all will be done according to My will. —February 23rd, 2007

My child, I ask My children, where is your refuge? Is your refuge in worldly pleasures or in My Most Sacred Heart? —January 1, 2011; see Jennifer – On Refuges

Echoing the revelations at Fatima, Our Lady spoke of the Great Storm or “Tempest” ^[13] through which both physical and spiritual protection will be necessary:

In these times, you all need to hasten to take shelter in the refuge of my Immaculate Heart, because grave threats of evil are hanging over you. These are first of all evils of a spiritual order, which can harm the supernatural life of your souls… There are evils of a physical order, such as infirmity, disasters, accidents, droughts, earthquakes, and incurable diseases which are spreading about… There are evils of a social order… To be protected from all these evils, I invite you to place yourselves under shelter in the safe refuge of my Immaculate Heart. —Our Lady to Fr. Stefano Gobbi, June 7th, 1986, n. 326 of the Blue Book with Imprimatur

This is affirmed in the messages to Luz de Maria Bonnila, who enjoys ecclesiastical approval:^[14]

Stay within the refuge of the Sacred Hearts of our King and Lord Jesus Christ and of our Queen and Mother. Afterwards you will be guided by my legions to the shelters prepared for your protection. Homes truly dedicated to the Sacred Hearts are already refuges. You will never be forsaken by the hand of God. —St. Michael the Archangel, February 22nd, 2021

Other messages that confirm this prophetic consensus:

Prepare safe refuges, prepare your houses like little churches and I will be there with you. A revolt is near, both inside and outside the Church. —Our Lady to Gisella Cardia, May 19, 2020

A change of life is necessary so that you might be directed by My angels to the physical refuges that are found throughout the Earth, where you will have to live in total fraternity. —Jesus to Luz de Maria Bonnila, September 15, 2022

Trust in Me and My will for you, for many places are being prepared all around this world for My faithful to take refuge in. My angels will surround this place with great protection, but it is important that they are blessed and consecrated to My Most Sacred Heart. —Jesus to Jennifer, June 15, 2004

The Two Arks

These are not normal times. They are, according to Our Lady and the consensus of the popes,^[15] the “end times”, though not the end of the world. Put another way, we are living “as in the days of Noah.”^[16] As such, God has essentially provided an “Ark” for His People that is multi-dimensional: the Woman-Mary and the Woman-Church. As Blessed Isaac of Stella said:

When either [Mary or the Church] is spoken of, the meaning can be understood of both, almost without qualification. —Liturgy of the Hours, Vol. I, pg. 252

As you just read, the Heart of Our Lady has been given to her spiritual children to mother, protect, and guide them to Jesus.

My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God. —Our Lady of Fatima, June 13, 1917, The Revelation of the Two Hearts in Modern Times, www.ewtn.com

My Mother is Noah’s Ark… —Jesus to Elizabeth Kindelmann, The Flame of Love, p. 109; Imprimatur from Archbishop Charles Chaput

The Ark is also the Catholic Church, who despite the sins of her members, remains a supernatural vessel whereby the People of God are safeguarded in truth and grace until the end of time.

The Church is “the world reconciled.” She is that bark which “in the full sail of the Lord’s cross, by the breath of the Holy Spirit, navigates safely in this world.” According to another image dear to the Church Fathers, she is prefigured by Noah’s ark, which alone saves from the flood. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 845

The Church is thy hope, the Church is thy salvation, the Church is thy refuge. —St. John Chrysostom, Hom. de capto Euthropio, n. 6.; cf. E Supremi, n. 9, vatican.va

Hence, as I noted recently, the chief antidote to the Antichrist is to:

Stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. (2 Thess 2:13, 15; cf. Antidotes to Antichrist)

That is, remain in the Barque of Peter, holding fast to Sacred Tradition and the deposit of faith — no matter how wild the Storm becomes.

Last, consecrate yourself to Our Lady and her Immaculate heart. For…

Clearly from earliest times, the Blessed Virgin is honored under the title of Mother of God, under whose protection the faithful took refuge in all their dangers and necessities (sub tuum praesidium: “Under your protection”). —Lumen Gentium, n. 66, Vatican II

The word consecrate means to “set apart” or “make sacred.” In other words, to consecrate yourself to Mother Mary is to be set apart from the world and let her mother you in the way she mothered Jesus. Even Martin Luther had that part right:

Mary is the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of all of us even though it was Christ alone who reposed on her knees… If he is ours, we ought to be in his situation; there where he is, we ought also to be and all that he has ought to be ours, and his mother is also our mother. —Christmas Sermon, 1529

We consecrate ourselves to her in imitation of St. John:

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom He loved, He said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. (John 19:26-27)

You can “take her into your home” as did St John simply by praying:

My Lady, I invite you to come into my home,
to live in my heart alongside your Son, Jesus my Lord.
As you raised Him, raise me to be a faithful child of God.
I consecrate myself to you in order to be
set apart to live in the Divine Will.
I give my full “yes” and fiat to God.
All I am, and all I’m not,
all my goods, both spiritual and physical,
I place in your loving hands, dear Mother —
just as the Heavenly Father placed Jesus into yours.
I am totally yours now so that I may be totally Jesus’s. Amen. ^[17]

Mary’s function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes
this unique mediation of Christ, but rather
shows its power.
—Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 970

Brothers and sisters, whether you or I live beyond tonight, whether we die from natural causes tomorrow, whether we are martyred next year, or whether we will be preserved for the “Era of Peace”, we do not know. What is certain is that, for those who are faithful to Christ, He will preserve them from eternal death. As the great Psalm of “refuge” promises:

Because he clings to Me I will deliver him;
because he knows My name I will set him on high.
He will call upon me and I will answer;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and give him honor. (Psalm 91)

So, fix your eyes on Heaven; fix your eyes on Jesus and leave the temporal concerns to Him. He will provide our “daily bread” in whatever form is for our greatest good. And so…

…if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. (Rom 14:8)

You are loved.

Footnotes

↑1	Some versions and authoritative documents read: “she will crush” its head. But as St. John Paul II points out, “…this version [in the Latin] does not agree with the Hebrew text, in which it is not the woman but her offspring, her descendant, who will bruise the serpent’s head. This text then does not attribute the victory over Satan to Mary but to her Son. Nevertheless, since the biblical concept establishes a profound solidarity between the parent and the offspring, the depiction of the Immaculata crushing the serpent, not by her own power but through the grace of her Son, is consistent with the original meaning of the passage.” (“Mary’s Emnity toward Satan was Absolute”; General Audience, May 29th, 1996; ewtn.com)
↑2	cf. Col 1:15
↑3	“Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she was delivered of a son. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?” (Isaiah 66:22)
↑4	“From Eve we are born children of wrath; from Mary we have received Jesus Christ, and through Him are regenerated children of grace. To Eve it was said: In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children. Mary was exempt from this law, for preserving her virginal integrity inviolate she brought forth Jesus the Son of God without experiencing, as we have already said, any sense of pain.” (Council of Trent, Article III)
↑5	Gen 3:16
↑6	cf. Isaiah’s Prophecy of Global Communism
↑7	cf. The Resurrection of the Church
↑8	cf. Matt 16:18, RSV; Douay-Rheims: “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
↑9	Luke 1:33
↑10	cf. The Hour to Shine
↑11	cf. The Refuge for Our Times
↑12	cf. On Refuges – Part II
↑13	cf. Blue Book n. 154
↑14	see www.countdowntothekingdom.com/why-luz-de-maria-de-bonilla/
↑15	cf. Why Aren’t the Popes Shouting?
↑16	cf. Matt 24:34
↑17	for an extended prayer of consecration by St. Louis de Montfort, see The Blessed Helpers; see consecration.org for more resources

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Posted on February 15, 2023 by Rick Blaine

Mark Mallett

THE AUTHOR OF LIFE AND DEATH

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Mark

Our seventh grandchild: Maximilian Michael Williams

I HOPE you don’t mind if I take a brief moment to share a few personal things. It has been an emotional week that has taken us from the tip of ecstasy to the edge of the abyss…

I’ve introduced to you several times my daughter, Tianna Williams, whose sacred artwork is becoming better known in North America (her latest is Servant of God Thea Bowman, seen below).

After her daughter, Clara, they have been unable to have another child for the past five years. It was so difficult to see Tianna walk into a room where her sisters or cousins were cuddling their newborn and growing families, and know the grief she was carrying. As such, we offered countless Rosaries for her, praying that God would bless her womb with another child.

Then, last year, she suddenly conceived. For nine months we held our breath until, last week, Maximilian Michael was born. We have all been bathed in tears of joy at what is truly a miracle and seemingly an answer to prayer.

But last night, those tears turned cold when we learned that Tianna was suddenly hemorrhaging. The details were scant; there was a rush to the hospital… and the next thing we heard is that she was being taken by air ambulance to the city. Our “Valentine’s Dinner” suddenly became unpalatable as old wounds reopened; I was 19 years old when I watched my parents go through my sister’s death. For I know well that God is the author of life and death; that He operates in ways that we do not understand; that to one He grants a miracle and to another He quietly says “no”; that even the holiest life and most faith-filled prayers are not guarantees that everything will go one’s way — or at least, the way we want it to. As we drove home through the night, I sunk into the reality that we could very well lose this precious girl.

After hours of waiting, we learned that Tianna finally emerged out of surgery. She has been bleeding from her uterus and is presently being monitored. In fact, “she’s had 5 units of blood, 2 units of plasma, 4 doses of something to help with clotting, and 7 units of lactated ringer’s. Pretty much a total replacement of her blood volume”, her husband Michael wrote just moments ago.

All of this is a swift reminder of how fleeting life is. How we are truly like the grass that springs up in the morning and whithers by night. How this life, since the Fall of Adam, is no longer a destination but a passage to what was intended from the beginning: communion with the Holy Trinity in a perfected creation. As we see so much suffering around the world, the groans of this creation can be heard everywhere as the light of Christ dims and the darkness of evil attempts to blot out the light of Truth (once again). This is why we call it the “mystery of iniquity”: it is a true mystery how suffering, in the end, will serve the purposes of God. But that mystery always gives way to the Mystery of God’s omnipotence, the certainty of His victory, and the promise that “all things work to good for those who love Him.” ^[1]

Please, if you would, could you say a little prayer that my daughter recovers? At the same time, let us pray together that all the collective suffering in our fallen world somehow brings this generation back to the Father, like prodigal sons and daughters…

With that, it is the time of year when I must close this letter with another appeal for your financial support for this ministry. You already know how I hate this… how I wish I was an independently wealthy businessman who wouldn’t have to pass the hat. However, this ministry has thousands of dollars in monthly expenses and, unfortunately, money still does not grow on trees (despite my best efforts here on the little farm). Moreover, in this period of hyperinflation, ministries like mine are the first to notice. Nonetheless,

…the Lord ordered that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:14)

And so it is. But this word also holds true: “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” (Matt 10:8) As I have said in the past, instead of writing and selling books — which could now be in the dozens — the writings here are at no cost, as well as the videos we produce. This continues to be a full-time ministry for me — from the hours of prayer, research and writing, to producing videos, to corresponding with numerous souls through email and social media. At the bottom of this writing is a Donate button. If this ministry is a grace to you, if it is any help at all, and if it is not a burden to you, please consider helping me to continue this work to help others like you. I would also like to thank you at this time for your support in the past, the outpouring of love, encouragement, and wisdom. In fact, some of the biggest donors to this ministry last Fall were priests, believe it or not. I can’t tell you what that means to me to have their prayers and unity of spirit, as well as those of the numerous convents who keep this ministry aloft by their contemplative prayer and intercession.

I only appeal for support, at most, twice a year, so this is it for now. Last, I appeal most of all for your intercession. The past few months have brought some of the most intense spiritual combat in my life (and I suspect many of you are going through it too). But Jesus is faithful. He has never left my side, even though I have left His at times through “my fault, my most grievous fault.” Please pray that I may persevere to the end, and having run the good race, I too may be saved.

How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
(Today’s Psalm)

Thank you so much for helping me help souls…

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Footnotes

↑1	cf. Rom 8:28

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Posted in HOME, NEWS.

Posted on February 14, 2023 by Rick Blaine

Mark Mallett

ANTIDOTES TO ANTICHRIST

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Mark

WHAT is God’s antidote to the spectre of Antichrist in our days? What is the Lord’s “solution” to safeguard His people, the Barque of His Church, through the rough waters ahead? Those are crucial questions, particularly in light of Christ’s own, sobering question:

When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Luke 18:8)

The Necessity of Prayer

The context of the Lord’s statement above is key; it was “about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.” ^[1] And that becomes the first part of our answer: we must fight against the great temptation in Our Gethsemane to be lulled asleep by the evil in our times — into either the slumber of sin or the coma of apathy.

When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt 26:40-41)

But how do we pray when we feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or mentally exhausted by it all? Well, by “pray” I do not mean to fill your moments with a mountain of mere words. Consider what Our Lady allegedly said to Pedro Regis recently:

Courage, dear children! Do not be discouraged. My Lord is by your side, although you do not see Him. — February 9th, 2023

Jesus is not only “up there” in Heaven or “over there” in the Tabernacle or “only there” with the people you consider to be holier than yourself. He is everywhere, and most especially, beside those who are struggling.^[2] So let prayer become real. Let it be raw. Let it be honest. Let it come from the heart in all vulnerability. In this light of Jesus’s nearness to you, prayer should simply become…

“…a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” Contemplative prayer seeks him “whom my soul loves.” It is Jesus, and in him, the Father. We seek him, because to desire him is always the beginning of love, and we seek him in that pure faith which causes us to be born of him and to live in him. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2709

Lately, I have struggled with immense dryness and distractions during my morning prayer. And yet, it is precisely in this struggle of “pure faith” where love is borne and exchanged: I love you Jesus, not because I see or feel You, but because I trust your Word that You are here and will never leave me. And should even the powers of darkness surround me, You will never abandon me. You are always by my side; Lord Jesus, help me to be by Yours. And so, I will spend this time in prayer, in your Word, in your Presence so that we may silently love each other, even in this season of drought…

The Necessity of Courage

When Our Blessed Mother says “Courage!”, this is not a call to emotion but action. It really takes courage to accept the Lord’s love, especially when we have fallen. It really takes courage to believe that God is going to take care of us when all the foretold events completely unfold. Even more, it takes courage to truly convert. When we know we are attached to something, the interior struggle to break from that attachment can be fierce… as though something is being torn from within us that will leave a gaping hole (as opposed to enlarging our hearts, which is what conversion does). It takes courage to say, “I renounce this sin and repent of it. I will have nothing to do with you anymore, darkness!” Be courageous. Courage is not contemplating the Cross — it is laying upon it. And where does that courage and strength come from? Prayer — in imitation of Our Lord in the moments before His Passion.

…not my will but yours be done. (Luke 22:42)

I can do all things in him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

If these are the times of Antichrist, will God care for my family and me? Will there be enough food? Will I be imprisoned and how will I endure that? Will I be martyred and can I handle the pain? I’m just asking the questions that everyone pretends they don’t have. The answer to all of them is to have courage, right now, that God will care for His own when the time comes. Or is Matthew Chapter 6 a lie? St. Paul did not boast that, in Christ, He would not suffer. Rather, Jesus says to him, and to us:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. (2 Cor 12:9)

So God’s power comes precisely when we need it. Power for what? Power to have faith when food is scarce. Power to pray when fear is pervasive. Power to praise when all seems lost. Power to believe when others lose faith. Power to endure when our persecutors are stronger. This is the same power that enabled Paul to run the race to the end — to the chopping block, where he took his last breath — before setting his eyes forever upon the Savior.

It is the same power that will be extended to Christ’s Bride in her hour of need. You can count on it.

The Necessity for Action

When St. Paul spoke of the appearance of the “lawless one”, he ended his discourse with the antidote to the Antichrist’s deception:

God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth… Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. (2 Thess 2:13, 15)

Jesus said, “I am the Truth” and Truth is under full assault today as never before. When governments are beginning to call the castration of little boys or mastectomy of growing girls “gender-affirming care”, that’s when you know that we are navigating raw evil.

Given such a grave situation, we need now more than ever to have the courage to look the truth in the eye and to call things by their proper name, without yielding to convenient compromises or to the temptation of self-deception. In this regard, the reproach of the Prophet is extremely straightforward: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness” (Is 5:20). —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Evangelium Vitae, “The Gospel of Life”, n. 58

Do you see now why I warned how political correctness is tied to the Great Apostasy?^[3] Political correctness is nothing other than psychological warfare to make otherwise good men afraid to call evil good and good evil. As St. John Bosco once said, “The power of evil men lives on the cowardice of the good.” Hold fast to the truth that has been handed on to us; for you will be holding on to He, who is Truth! If it costs you your reputation, your job, your life — then blessed are you. Blessed are you!

Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. (Luke 6:22-23)

And dear friends, reject the sophistries presented now, even by bishops and cardinals,^[4] that…

…dogma may be tailored according to what seems better and more suited to the culture of each age; rather, that the absolute and immutable truth preached by the apostles from the beginning may never be believed to be different, may never be understood in any other way. —POPE PIUS X, The Oath Against Modernism, Sept. 1st, 1910;papalencyclical

The cost of defending the truth today is becoming very, very real, even in North America.^[5] Which is why we need to pray in order to have the courage to act.

In the end, Truth will prevail over the Antichrist. Truth will be his sentence. Truth will be vindicated.^[6]

For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who [indeed] is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:3-5)

Still, if the Antichrist is going to reign for ‘three and a half years’, according to Scripture and Tradition, how will the Church ever survive without being martyred out of existence? According to the Bible, God will physically preserve His Church. That, in the next reflection…

Footnotes

↑1	Luke 18:1
↑2	cf. The Great Refuge and Safe Harbour
↑3	cf. Political Correctness and the Great Apostasy
↑4	eg. “Cdl. McElroy’s pro-LGBT heterodoxy ignores Catholic teaching and the physical harms of sodomy”, lifesitenews.com
↑5	eg. “Catholic School Boy Who Was Kicked Out of School for Saying There Are Only Two Genders Is Arrested”, February 5th, 2023; cf. gatewaypundit.com
↑6	cf. Vindication and Glory and The Vindication of Wisdom

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Posted in HOME, THE GREAT TRIALS and tagged antichrist, prayer, tradition, courage, lawlessness.

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Rick Blaine

Mark Mallette

GARABANDAL NOW!

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Mark

WHAT little children claimed to have heard from the Blessed Virgin Mary, back in the 1960’s in Garabandal, Spain, is coming true before our eyes!

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Mark Mallette

THESE TIMES OF ANTICHRIST

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Mark

The world at the approach of a new millennium,
for which the whole Church is preparing,
is like a field ready for the harvest.
—ST. POPE JOHN PAUL II, World Youth Day, homily, August 15th, 1993

THE Catholic world has been abuzz recently with the release of a letter written by Pope Emeritus Benedict essentially stating that the Antichrist is alive. The letter was sent in 2015 to Vladimir Palko, a retired Bratislava statesman who lived through the Cold War. The late pope wrote:

We see how the power of the Antichrist is expanding, and we can only pray that the Lord will give us strong shepherds who will defend his church in this hour of need from the power of evil. —POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT XVI, The American Conservative, January 10th, 2023^[1]

This was not the first time, however, that Benedict had raised what is almost a taboo subject among Catholic intellectuals. In volume two of Peter Seewald’s authoritative biography, the retired pope had been even more explicit:

…the actual threat to the church, and so to the papacy… [comes from] the global dictatorship of ostensibly humanist ideologies. Contradicting them means being excluded from the basic social consensus. A hundred years ago anyone would have found it absurd to speak of homosexual marriage. Today anyone opposing it is socially excommunicated. The same goes for abortion and creating human beings in a laboratory. Modern society is formulating an anti-Christian creed and opposing it is punished with social excommunication. It is only natural to fear this spiritual power of Antichrist and it really needs help from the prayers of a whole diocese and the world church to resist it. —Benedict XVI: A Life Volume Two: Professor and Prefect to Pope and Pope Emeritus 1966–The Present, p. 666; Bloomsbury Publishing – Kindle Edition

That passage just happened to be on page 666.

The Popes of the Past Century

He was hardly the first pope to raise the spectre that Antichrist could be operating in their times — but Benedict states it as a matter of fact. Indeed, any Catholic remotely awake must be aware that, at the very least, the spirit of antichrist has permeated our civilization.

Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist… every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world. (1 John 2:22, 1 John 4:3)

It would be shortsighted to simply chalk this up as a mere denial of Christ’s historical existence. Rather, the spirit of antichrist is ultimately a denial of revealed and moral truth — for Jesus said, “I am the truth.” ^[2]

While there are, to be certain, many antichrists throughout history,^[3] Sacred Tradition maintains that there will be an individual toward the end of time^[4] who is identified as the “lawless one”, the “son of perdition”, the “man of sin”, the “beast”, or Antichrist.

…that Antichrist is one individual man, not a power — not a mere ethical spirit, or a political system, not a dynasty, or succession of rulers — was the universal tradition of the early Church. —St. John Henry Newman, “The Times of Antichrist”, Lecture 1

Long before Vatican II and the subsequent explosion of modernism that all but gutted Christendom in the West, the Holy Pontiffs were keenly aware that something apocalyptic had begun overshadowing the world — so much so, that they were not reticent to label it:

Who can fail to see that society is at the present time, more than in any past age, suffering from a terrible and deep-rooted malady which, developing every day and eating into its inmost being, is dragging it to destruction? You understand, Venerable Brethren, what this disease is — apostasy from God… When all this is considered there is good reason to fear lest this great perversity may be as it were a foretaste, and perhaps the beginning of those evils which are reserved for the last days; and that there may be already in the world the “Son of Perdition” of whom the Apostle speaks. —POPE ST. PIUS X, E Supremi, Encyclical On the Restoration of All Things in Christ, n. 3, 5; October 4th, 1903

His successors would only continue on that theme.^[5] Benedict XV, admitting that perhaps no other generation on record parallels our blood-lust, could have penned this yesterday:

For what could prevent the soul of the common Father of all being most deeply distressed by the spectacle presented by Europe, nay, by the whole world, perhaps the saddest and most mournful spectacle of which there is any record. Certainly those days would seem to have come upon us of which Christ Our Lord foretold: “You shall hear of wars and rumours of wars — for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matt. xxiv, 6, 7). —Ad Beatissimi Apostolorum, November 1, 1914; www.vatican.va

Pius XI, like his predecessor, likewise dialled up the Antichrist:

…all rights both human and Divine are confounded… the whole Christian people, sadly disheartened and disrupted, are continually in danger of falling away from the faith, or of suffering the most cruel death. These things in truth are so sad that you might say that such events foreshadow and portend the “beginning of sorrows,” that is to say of those that shall be brought by the man of sin, “who is lifted up above all that is called God or is worshipped” (2 Thessalonians ii, 4). (2 Thes 2:4). —Miserentissimus Redemptor, Encyclical Letter on Reparation to the Sacred Heart, May 8th, 1928; www.vatican.va

St. John Paul II, while still a cardinal, also framed the “final confrontation” with Antichrist as pivoting on human rights. He declared (as Deacon Keith Fournier, who was in attendance, heard it):

We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-church, between the Gospel and the anti-gospel, between Christ and the antichrist. This confrontation lies within the plans of divine Providence; it is a trial which the whole Church, and the Polish Church in particular, must take up. It is a trial of not only our nation and the Church, but in a sense a test of 2,000 years of culture and Christian civilization, with all of its consequences for human dignity, individual rights, human rights and the rights of nations. —Cardinal Karol Wojtyla (JOHN PAUL II ), at the Eucharistic Congress, Philadelphia, PA for the bicentennial celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, August 13, 1976; cf. Catholic Online

Indeed, we have just passed through one of the most appalling global experiments on human rights in the history of mankind with mandates that not only restricted travel, free association in our homes, and even the ability to receive the Sacraments, but the forced injection of the population with experimental mRNA gene therapies^[6] (in exchange for a droplet of freedom or to keep one’s job). Many of us watched in horror as all of the “consequences for human dignity” became apparent:

Research or experimentation on the human being cannot legitimate acts that are in themselves contrary to the dignity of persons and to the moral law. The subjects’ potential consent does not justify such acts. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2295

The spirit of Nazi Germany, which is also the spirit of antichrist, is not dead; it is very much alive today, literally, in the historical development of what is known today as “Big Pharma” (see Our 1942 and especially The Pandemic of Control).

…in March 1946 [Fr. Michael] Höck’s fellow prisoner in Dachau the future auxiliary bishop of Munich Johannes Neuhäusler, published an extensive documentation of the Nazis’ attack on Catholicism and the church’s resistance. The title was Kreuz und Hakenkreuz (Cross and Swastika). In it, he described the different measures adopted to dismantle the Catholic faith. He listed them as: ‘Attack on the papacy, attack on the bishops, attack on all the clergy, attack on religious instruction, attack on prayers and the crucifix in schools, attack on all Catholic groups, constraints on church services, constraints on pastoral care, constraints on Catholic religious orders, tendentious portrayals and misrepresentations, diatribes against Christianity, goodbye to the old God.’ He described other measures adopted against the church in the battle to destroy it as ‘Antichrist’s rage against the holy. Antichrist’s rage against “worthless lives”. Antichrist’s rage against Judaism’. —Benedict XVI: A Life Volume One, pp. 194-195, Bloomsbury Publishing – Kindle Edition

Take it from the mouth of Aldous Huxley, apparently a Freemason and the author of Brave New World:

There will be, in the next generation or so, a pharmacological method of making people love their servitude, and producing dictatorship without tears, so to speak, producing a kind of painless concentration camp for entire societies, so that people will in fact have their liberties taken away from them, but will rather enjoy it, because they will be distracted from any desire to rebel by propaganda or brainwashing, or brainwashing enhanced by pharmacological methods. And this seems to be the final revolution. —speech at Tavistock Group, California Medical School, 1961 (some attribute the speech to 1962 in Berkely, but the speech itself is not disputed)

The Final Revolution: Antichrist in Our Times

It’s interesting that the parents of the young future pope, Joseph Ratzinger, had given him a copy of Der Herr der Welt — “Lord of the World” — the apocalyptic novel by the English writer and priest Robert Hugh Benson. ‘It is the vision of a modern Antichrist, who becomes ruler of the world under the cover of progress and humanity,’ writes Seewald. But…

The most extraordinary scientific progress, the most astounding technical feats and the most amazing economic growth, unless accompanied by authentic moral and social progress, will in the long run go against man. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Address to FAO on the 25th Anniversary of its Institution, November, 16th, 1970, n. 4

Seewald continues that, ‘After the elimination of Christianity, forced conformity and the installation of a new religion of humanity, he is honoured as a new God.’^[7]

We are living that reality today in a profound and startling way, which is perhaps why Pope Francis in one of his morning homilies had recommended that the faithful read Lord of the World. It’s “almost as though it were a prophecy, as though [Benson] envisioned what would happen,” Francis warned.^[8] [Of course, it must be stated that many of the faithful are perplexed, then, why Pope Francis has thrown his political endorsement behind the entire United Nations and even Big Pharma agenda. Confusion, or what Sr. Lucia called “diabolical disorientation,” is very much at the heart of this global revolution.]

For instance, institutionalized euthanasia is a key development in Benson’s novel — something that in 1907, when it was published, was unthinkable. So too was the idea of a culture “advancing” completely without God.

…the reconciliation of the world on a basis other than that of Divine Truth… there was coming into existence a unity unlike anything known in history. This was the more deadly from the fact that it contains so many elements of indubitable good. War, apparently, was now extinct, and it was not Christianity that had done it; union was now seen to be better than disunion, and the lesson had been learned apart from the Church… Friendliness took the place of charity, contentment the place of hope, and knowledge the place of faith. —Lord of the World, Robert Hugh Benson, 1907, p. 120

This is precisely what the United Nations and its subsidiaries, such as the World Economic Forum (WEF), envision: a completely humanistic world devoid of the Holy Trinity. Indeed, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is a transhumanist movement, is intended to make us like gods by fusing our biological, digital and physical identities into one. This is not coming — it is in progress.

It is the fusion of these technologies and their interaction across the physical, digital and biological domains that make the fourth industrial revolution fundamentally different from previous revolutions. —Prof. Klaus Schwab, founder World Economic Forum, “The Fourth Industrial Revolution”, p. 12

Professor Yuval Noah Harari, a top advisor to Schwab and the WEF, declares that Christianity is simply a myth and that Homo sapiens are a “post-truth species.”^[9]

With the help of novel technologies, within a few centuries or even decades, Sapiens will upgrade themselves into completely different beings, enjoying godlike qualities and abilities. —from Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2015); cf. lifesitenews.com

This is precisely what St. Paul said the Antichrist would boast:

…the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thess 2:3-4)

But before then, it is necessary that the soil be prepared — which this past century has done in spades. After two World Wars, and now on the brink of a third; after the spread of “the errors of Russia” and the explosion of Marxist ideology that has spawned critical race theory, transgenderism, gay “marriage” and a “vaxxed vs. the unvaxxed” dichotomy, it is clear the antichrist objectives of the Illuminati/Freemasons have been achieved. Their goal, wrote Gerald B. Winrod…

…has always been to stir up strife from secret sources and engender class hatreds.^[10] This was the plan used in bringing about the death of Christ: a mob spirit was created. The same policy is described in Acts 14:2, “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.” —Adam Weishaupt, A Human Devil, p. 43, c. 1935; cf. The Growing Mob and Barbarians at the Gates

So too, the Fourth Industrial Revolution or “Great Reset” is only possible if you tear down what exists in order to “build back better.” “Gas-lighting” — to manipulate (someone) using psychological methods into questioning their own sanity or powers of reasoning — is their modus operandi. ^[11]

Illuminism has for its main purpose the intensifying of human restlessness as a means of tearing down everything that exists, so by long range advance preparation, the way may be paved for the powers behind the scenes to set up their final system of international government… —ibid. p. 50

Exactly what St. Cyril of Jerusalem foresaw 1700 years earlier:

Hatred of the brethren makes room next for Antichrist; for the devil prepares beforehand the divisions among the people, that he who is to come may be acceptable to them. —Church Doctor, (c. 315-386) Catechetical Lectures, Lecture XV, n.9

Such has been the obvious goal of these powerful international bankers, “philanthropists” and their puppets, now clearly in view, in the highest political, health, education, and societal positions of influence.

…few people are aware how deep the roots of this sect actually reach. Freemasonry is perhaps the single greatest secular organized power on earth today and battles head to head with the things of God on a daily basis. It is a controlling power in the world, operating behind the scenes in banking and politics, and it has effectively infiltrated all religions. Masonry is a worldwide secret sect undermining the authority of the Catholic Church with a hidden agenda at the upper levels to destroy the papacy. —Ted Flynn, Hope of the Wicked: The Master Plan to Rule the World, p. 154

There was a time when the differences between the so-called “left” and “right” were relatively minor issues on how to manage the economy, health care, investment, and so forth. Not so today. While the thoroughly corrupted media today attempts to paint the so-called “right-wing” as extremist — and there are always extremes on every side — it can be said today that leftist political parties have become the veritable ideological arm of the spirit of antichrist. For it is from the “left” that the dangerous and Church-condemned ideologies of Marxism, Socialism, and Communism are breeding a whole new radicalized generation. They believe that access to abortion, to “gender-affirming” surgery to amputate children’s sexual organs, the dismantling of police forces, the erasure of borders, the dissolution of private property, the destruction of “capitalism”, the redefinition of marriage, the reduction of the human population, and to a host of other amoral agendas… are their “rights.” No, we are no longer living in a landscape of “right vs. left” but truly good vs. evil — and that transcends either side of the political spectrum. Moreover, the “good” are simply being outnumbered now.^[12]

Thus, the Communist ideal wins over many of the better minded members of the community. These in turn become the apostles of the movement among the younger intelligentsia who are still too immature to recognize the intrinsic errors of the system. —POPE PIUS XI, Divini Redemptoris, n. 15

I warned of this years ago — that a Great Vacuum has been left not only by the Church’s deafening moral and evangelical silence, particularly on the local level, but ‘by an onslaught of propaganda which centers on self-fulfillment, rather than on God.’^[13] We have bred generations now that not only reject Catholicism, but are filling their hearts with violent and godless “entertainment”, hard-core pornography, corrosive social-media, hours of gaming, and narcissistic and lustful music. It’s a junk food diet.^[14] As such, it is inevitably leaving generations X, Y, and Z longing for something deeper, something greater… someone truly “gifted” who can rise above our relativistic, stereotypical politicians (and scandal-ridden priesthood), and lead our times. The days are ripe for the emergence of the Antichrist — given the right set of crises for him to “solve.”

Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the “mystery of iniquity” in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh. —cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 675-676

The Antichrist will fool many people because he will be viewed as a humanitarian with a fascinating personality, who espouses vegetarianism, pacifism, human rights and environmentalism. —Cardinal Biffi, London Times, Friday, March 10, 2000, referring to a portrait of the Antichrist in Vladimir Soloviev’s book, War, Progress and the End of History

One could go on with the clear “signs of the times” of what Benedict calls the “expanding” power of the Antichrist — from the rise of a true antichurch from within the Church herself;^[15] to the imminence of digital ID’s and a cashless system;^[16] to coming total control over freedom of movement and speech and even one’s health through “vaccine passports”;^[17] and to how we are mere inches away from the possibility of a literal “mark of the beast” — the sole means, in such a system, through which one will be able to “buy or sell.”^[18] It is truly the perfect storm — the Great Storm.

But what is God’s antidote to the spectre of Antichrist in our days? What is the Lord’s “solution” to safeguard His people, the Barque of His Church, through the rough waters ahead? That, in the next reflection…

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Footnotes

↑1	The orginal German reads: “Man sieht, wie die Macht des Antichrist sich ausbreitet, und kann nur beten, dass der Herr uns kraftvolle Hirten schenkt, die seine Kirche in dieser Stunde der Not gegen die Macht des Bösen verteidigen.”
↑2	cf. John 14:6
↑3	“As far as the antichrist is concerned, we have seen that in the New Testament, he always assumes the lineaments of contemporary history. He cannot be restricted to any single individual. One and the same he wears many masks in each generation.” (Cardinal Ratzinger [POPE BENEDICT XVI], Dogmatic Theology, Eschatology 9, Johann Auer and Joseph Ratzinger, 1988, p. 199-200)
↑4	or rather, the end of an era; see The Thousand Years
↑5	“I sometimes read the Gospel passage of the end times and I attest that, at this time, some signs of this end are emerging.” (POPE PAUL VI, The Secret Paul VI, Jean Guitton, p. 152-153, Reference (7), p. ix; cf. Why Aren’t the Popes Shouting
↑6	cf. Not a Moral Obligation and Open Letter to the Bishops
↑7	Benedict XVI: A Life Volume One (pp. 184-185). Bloomsbury Publishing – Kindle Edition
↑8	Homily, November 18, 2013; catholicculture.org
↑9	cf. lifesitenews.com
↑10	cf. The Two Camps
↑11	“…the spirit of revolutionary change which has long been disturbing the nations of the world… there are not a few who are imbued with evil principles and eager for revolutionary change, whose main purpose is to stir up disorder and incite their fellows to acts of violence.” —POPE LEO XIII, Encyclical Letter Rerum Novarum, n. 1, 38; vatican.va
↑12	cf. Enough Good Souls
↑13	cf. The Great Vacuum
↑14	cf. The New Paganism – Part I
↑15	cf. The Black Ship
↑16	cf. The Final Revolution
↑17	cf. Control! Control! and The Great Corralling
↑18	Rev 13:17; cf. The Final Revolution

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Posted in HOME, THE GREAT TRIALS and tagged beast, antichrist, mark, apostasy, final confrontation, antichurch.

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A LESSON ON THE POWER OF THE CROSS

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Delivered from Darkness

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THE DEW OF THE DIVINE WILL

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REVIVAL

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THE GREAT REFUGE AND SAFE HARBOUR

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Luz – You Will Be Heard

The Most Holy Virgin Mary to Luz de Maria de Bonilla on February 18th, 2023:

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THE WOMAN IN THE WILDERNESS

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THE AUTHOR OF LIFE AND DEATH

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ANTIDOTES TO ANTICHRIST

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THESE TIMES OF ANTICHRIST

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The Final Revolution: Antichrist in Our Times

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