IT seems much more than a cliché these days: just about everybody says that time is "flying by." Friday is here before we know it. Spring is almost over—already—and I’m writing you again in the wee hours of the morning (where did the day go??)
Time seems to literally fly by. Is it possible that time is speeding up? Or rather, is time being compressed?
IN a dream which increasingly mirrors our times, St. John Bosco saw the Church represented by a great ship which, directly before a period of peace, was under great attack:
The enemy ships attack with everything they’ve got: bombs, canons, firearms, and even books and pamphlets are hurled at the Pope’s ship. —Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco, compiled and edited by Fr. J. Bacchiarello, S.D.B.
That is, the Church would be flooded with a deluge of false prophets.
"Flight Into Egypt", Michael D. O’Brien
Joseph, Mary, and the Christ Child camp in the desert at night as they flee to Egypt.
The stark surroundings accentuate their plight,
the danger they are in, the darkness of the world.
As the mother nurses her child, the father stands watch and plays gently on a flute,
the music soothing the Child to sleep.
Their entire life is founded on mutual trust, love, sacrifice,
and abandonment to divine providence. –Artist’s notes
AS I drove into the sunset last night, I sensed the Lord saying,
I will be your refuge.
I sense His deep love and concern for us… that we do not cave into fear as we watch the world continue its exponential plunge into lawlessness.
I have made provisions for you!
As you read this meditation, remember that God warns us because He loves us, and wishes "all men to be saved" (1 Tim 2:4).
IN the vision of the three seers of Fatima, they saw an angel standing over the earth with a flaming sword. In his commentary on this vision, Cardinal Ratzinger said,
The angel with the flaming sword on the left of the Mother of God recalls similar images in the Book of Revelation. This represents the threat of judgment which looms over the world. Today the prospect that the world might be reduced to ashes by a sea of fire no longer seems pure fantasy: man himself, with his inventions, has forged the flaming sword. —The Message of Fatima, from the Vatican’s website
The Institution of the Eucharist, JOOS van Wassenhove,
from Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino
FEAST OF THE ASCENSION
MY LORD JESUS, on this Feast commemorating Your Ascension into Heaven… here You are, descending to me in the most Holy Eucharist.
NEVER before had it happened. It was not cherubim or seraphim, nor principality or power, but a human being—divine also, but nonetheless human—who ascended to the throne of God, the right hand of the Father.
I believe at the height of the coming storm—a time of great chaos and confusion—the eye [of the hurricane] will pass over humanity. Suddenly, there will be a great calm; the sky will open up, and we will see the Sun beaming down upon us. It’s rays of Mercy will illuminate our hearts, and we will all see ourselves the way God sees us. It will be a warning, as we will see our souls in their true condition. It will be more than a "wake-up call". —Trumpets of Warning, Part V
IN our last few tours of the United States and Canada, we have noticed that no matter where we go, strong sustained winds have followed us. At home now, these winds have barely taken a break. Others I have spoken to have also noticed an increase of winds.
It is a sign, I believe, of the presence of our Blessed Mother and her Spouse, the Holy Spirit. From the story of Our Lady of Fatima:
“Pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace in the world . . . for she alone can save it.” —Our Lady of Fatima, July 13, 1917
IT is time to take these words seriously… words which require some sacrifice and perseverance. But if you do, I believe you will experience a release of graces in your spiritual life and beyond.
BEFORE the Blessed Sacrament, the words "Faustina’s Creed" came to mind as I read the following entry from St. Faustina’s Diary. I have edited the original entry to make it more succinct and general for all vocations…
Noah’s Ark, Artist Unknown
THERE is a quickening of events in nature, but also an intensifying of human hostility against the Church. Yet, Jesus did speak of labor pains which would be "only the beginning." If that is the case, why would there be this feeling of urgency which so many people sense about the days in which we are living, as if "something" were imminent?
