THE ERA OF PEACE

The Thousand Years

Posted on by

 

Then I saw an angel come down from heaven,
holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a heavy chain.
He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, which is the Devil or Satan,
and tied it up for a thousand years and threw it into the abyss,
which he locked over it and sealed, so that it could no longer
lead the nations astray until the thousand years are completed.
After this, it is to be released for a short time.

Then I saw thrones; those who sat on them were entrusted with judgment.
I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God,
and who had not worshiped the beast or its image
nor had accepted its mark on their foreheads or hands.
They came to life and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
(Rev 20:1-4, Friday’s first Mass reading)

 

THERE is, perhaps, no Scripture more widely interpreted, more eagerly contested and even divisive, than this passage from the Book of Revelation. In the early Church, Jewish converts believed that the “thousand years” referred to Jesus coming again to literally reign on earth and establish a political kingdom amidst carnal banquets and festivity.[1]“…who then rise again shall enjoy the leisure of immoderate carnal banquets, furnished with an amount of meat and drink such as not only to shock the feeling of the temperate, but even to surpass the measure of credulity itself.” (St. Augustine, City of God, Bk. XX, Ch. 7) However, the Church Fathers quickly kiboshed that expectation, declaring it a heresy — what we call today millenarianism [2]see Millenarianism — What it is and is Not and How the Era was Lost.Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 “…who then rise again shall enjoy the leisure of immoderate carnal banquets, furnished with an amount of meat and drink such as not only to shock the feeling of the temperate, but even to surpass the measure of credulity itself.” (St. Augustine, City of God, Bk. XX, Ch. 7)
↑2 see Millenarianism — What it is and is Not and How the Era was Lost

Jesus is Coming!

Posted on by

 

First published December 6th, 2019.

 

I WANT to say it as clear and loud and boldly as I possibly can: Jesus is coming! Did you think that Pope John Paul II was just being poetic when he said:Continue reading →

The Greatest Sign of the Times

Posted on by

 

I KNOW that I have not written much for several months about the “times” in which we are living. The chaos of our recent move to the province of Alberta has been a major upheaval. But the other reason is that a certain hard-heartedness has set in the Church, particularly among educated Catholics who have displayed a shocking lack of discernment and even willingness to see what is unfolding all around them. Even Jesus eventually fell silent when the people became stiff-necked.[1]cf. The Silent Answer Ironically, it is vulgar comedians like Bill Maher or honest feminists like Naomi Wolfe, who have become the unwitting “prophets” of our times. They seem to see more clearly these days than a vast majority of the Church! Once the icons of leftwing political correctness, they are now the ones warning that a dangerous ideology is sweeping across the world, eradicating freedom and trampling upon common sense — even if they express themselves imperfectly. As Jesus said to the Pharisees, “I tell you, if these [ie. the Church] were silent, the very stones would cry out.” [2]Luke 19:40Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. The Silent Answer
↑2 Luke 19:40

Not a Magic Wand

Posted on by

 

THE Consecration of Russia on March 25th, 2022 is a monumental event, insofar as it fulfills the explicit request of Our Lady of Fatima.[1]cf. Did the Consecration of Russia Happen? 

In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.—Message of Fatima, vatican.va

However, it would be a mistake to believe this is akin to waving some kind of magic wand that will cause all our troubles to disappear. No, the Consecration does not override the biblical imperative that Jesus clearly proclaimed:Continue reading →

Footnotes

The Mystery of the Kingdom of God

Posted on by

 

What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took
and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.
(Today’s Gospel)

 

EVERY day, we pray the words: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Jesus would not have taught us to pray as such unless we were to expect the Kingdom yet to come. At the same time, the first words of Our Lord in His ministry were:Continue reading →

The Victors

Posted on by

 

THE most remarkable thing about Our Lord Jesus is that He keeps nothing for Himself. He not only gives all glory to the Father, but then wills to share His glory with us to the extent that we become coheirs and copartners with Christ (cf. Eph 3:6).

Continue reading →

The Coming Sabbath Rest

Posted on by

 

FOR 2000 years, the Church has laboured to draw souls into her bosom. She has endured persecutions and betrayals, heretics and schismatics. She has gone through seasons of glory and growth, decline and division, power and poverty whilst tirelessly proclaiming the Gospel — if only at times through a remnant. But someday, said the Church Fathers, she will enjoy a “Sabbath Rest” — an Era of Peace on earth before the end of the world. But what exactly is this rest, and what brings it about?Continue reading →

The Resurrection of the Church

Posted on by

 

The most authoritative view, and the one that appears
to be most in harmony with Holy Scripture, is that,
after the fall of the Antichrist, the Catholic Church will
once again enter upon a period of
prosperity and triumph.
—The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life,
Fr. Charles Arminjon (1824-1885), p. 56-57; Sophia Institute Press

 

THERE is a mysterious passage in the book of Daniel that is unfolding in our time. It further reveals what God is planning at this hour as the world continues its descent into darkness…Continue reading →

Preparing for the Era of Peace

Posted on by

Photo by Michał Maksymilian Gwozdek

 

Men must look for the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ.
—POPE PIUS XI, Quas Primas, n. 1; Dec. 11th, 1925

Holy Mary, Mother of God, our Mother,
teach us to believe, to hope, to love with you.
Show us the way to his Kingdom!
Star of the Sea, shine upon us and guide us on our way!
—POPE BENEDICT XVI, Spe Salvi, n. 50

 

WHAT essentially is the “Era of Peace” that is coming after these days of darkness? Why did the papal theologian for five popes, including St. John Paul II, say it will be “the greatest miracle in the history of the world, second only to the Resurrection?”[1]Cardinal Mario Luigi Ciappi was the papal theologian for Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, and St. John Paul II; from Family Catechism, (Sept. 9th, 1993), p. 35 Why did Heaven say to Elizabeth Kindelmann of Hungary…Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Cardinal Mario Luigi Ciappi was the papal theologian for Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, and St. John Paul II; from Family Catechism, (Sept. 9th, 1993), p. 35