IT can be difficult to read the writings on this website at times, particularly the Seven Year Trial which contains rather sobering events. That is why I want to pause and address a common feeling that I imagine several readers are dealing with right now: a sense of depression or sadness over the present state of things, and those things which are coming.
Jesus Prays in the Garden, by Gustave Doré, 1832-1883
First published September 27th, 2006. I have updated this writing…
WHAT is this fear that has gripped the Church?
In my writing How To Know When a Chastisment is Near, it’s as though the Body of Christ, or at least parts of it, are paralyzed when it comes to defending the truth, defending life, or defending the innocent.
We are afraid. Afraid to be mocked, insulted, or excluded from our friends, family, or the office circle.
Fear is the disease of our age. —Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, March 21, 2009, Catholic News Agency
In the face of totalitarianism…
Originally posted May 23, 2006:
A letter from a reader:
I want to voice some concerns about what you write on your site. You keep implying that "The End [of the age] Is Near." You keep implying that the Antichrist will inevitably come within my lifetime (I am twenty-four). You keep implying that it is too late for [chastisements to be averted]. I may be oversimplifying, but that’s the impression I get. If that is the case, then what’s the point of going on?
For instance, look at me. Ever since my Baptism, I have dreamed of being a storyteller for God’s greater glory. I have recently decided I am best as a writer of novels and such, so now I have just started to focus on developing prose skills. I dream of creating literary works that will touch people’s hearts for decades to come. At times like this I feel like I’ve been born in the worst possible time. Do you recommend that I throw away my dream? Do you recommend that I throw away my creative gifts? Do you recommend that I never look forward to the future?
Artist Unknown
I have updated this writing which I first published October 19th, 2007:
I HAVE written often that we need to stay awake, to watch and pray, unlike the slumbering apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane. How critical this vigilance has become! Perhaps many of you feel a great fear that you are either asleep, or perhaps that you will fall asleep, or that you will even run from the Garden!
But there is one crucial difference between the apostles of today, and the Apostles of the Garden: Pentecost. Before Pentecost, the Apostles were fearful men, full of doubt, denial, and timidity. But after Pentecost, they were transformed. Suddenly, these once ineffectual men burst into the streets of Jerusalem before their persecutors, preaching the Gospel without compromise! The difference?
Pentecost.
WHEN Heaven promises "refuge" to us in this present Storm, what does that mean? For Scripture appears to be contradictory.
Our Lady of Akita weeping statue (approved apparition)
I RECEIVE letters from time to time from readers who are very upset about the possibility of chastisements coming to the earth. One gentleman recently commented that his girlfriend thought they shouldn’t marry because of the possibility of having a child during coming tribulations.
The answer to this is one word: faith.
First published December 13th, 2007, I have updated this writing.
First published November 19th, 2007.
TWO things. The future is one of hope; and second—the world is not about to end.
The Rescuer by Michael D. O’Brien
Because you have kept my message of endurance, I will keep you safe in the time of trial that is going to come to the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. I am coming quickly. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may take your crown. (Rev 3:10-11)
First published April 24th, 2008.
BEFORE the Day of Justice, Jesus promises us a "Day of Mercy". But is this mercy not available to us each second of the day right now? It is, but the world, particularly the West, has fallen into a deathly coma… a hypnotic trance, fixated upon the material, the tangible, the sexual; upon reason alone, and science and technology and all the dazzling innovations and false light it brings. It is:
A society which seems to have forgotten God and to resent even the most elementary demands of Christian morality. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, U.S. visit, BBC News, April 20th,2008
In just the past 10 years alone, we have seen a proliferation of temples for these gods erected all over North America: a veritable explosion of casinos, box stores, and "adult" shops.
A child in His mother’s arms… (artist unknown)
YES, we must find joy in the midst of this present darkness. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and therefore, ever-present to the Church. Yet, it is natural to be afraid of losing one’s security, or fearful of persecution or martyrdom. Jesus felt this human quality so intensely that He sweat drops of blood. But then, God sent Him an angel to strengthen Him, and Jesus’ fear was replaced by a quiet, docile peace.
Herein lies the root of the tree which bears the fruit of joy: total abandonment to God.
He who ‘fears’ the Lord is ‘not afraid.’ —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Vatican City, June 22, 2008; Zenit.org
Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding in the Temple, by Michael D. O’Brien.
LAST week, the Holy Father sent 29 newly ordained priests into the world asking them to "proclaim and witness to joy." Yes! We must all continue to witness to others the joy of knowing Jesus.
But many Christians do not even feel joy, let alone witness to it. In fact, many are full of stress, anxiety, fear, and a sense of abandonment as the pace of life quickens, the cost of living increases, and they watch the news headlines unfold around them. "How," some ask, "can I be joyful?"
AS I prepare to write more of the vision of hope that’s been laid upon my heart, I want to share with you some very crucial words, to bring both the darkness and light into focus.
In Prophetic Perspective (Part I), I wrote how important it is for us to grasp the big picture, that prophetic words and images, though they bear a sense of imminence, carry broader meanings and often cover vast periods of time. The danger is that we become caught up in their sense of imminence, and lose perspective… that the will of God is our food, that we are to ask only for "our daily bread," and that Jesus commands us not to be anxious about tomorrow, but to seek first the Kingdom today.
DO you have plans, dreams, and desires for the future unfolding before you? And yet, do you sense that "something" is near? That the signs of the times point toward great changes in the world, and that to move forward with your plans would be a contradiction?