{"id":15027,"date":"2014-05-02T19:29:26","date_gmt":"2014-05-03T01:29:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=15027"},"modified":"2019-06-22T07:14:54","modified_gmt":"2019-06-22T13:14:54","slug":"prophecy-properly-understood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/prophecy-properly-understood\/","title":{"rendered":"Prophecy Properly Understood","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"
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WE <\/strong>are living in a time when prophecy has perhaps never been so important, and yet, so misunderstood by the vast majority of Catholics. There are three harmful positions being taken today regarding prophetic or “private” revelations that, I believe, are doing at times great damage in many quarters of the Church. One is that “private revelations” never <\/em>have to be heeded since all we are obligated to believe is the definitive Revelation of Christ in the “deposit of faith.” Another harm being done is by those who tend to not only put prophecy above the Magisterium, but give it the same authority as Sacred Scripture. And last, there is the position that most prophecy, unless uttered by saints or found without error, should be mostly shunned. Again, all these positions above carry unfortunate and even dangerous pitfalls.<\/p>\n

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PROPHECY: DO WE NEED IT?<\/p>\n

I would have to agree with Archbishop Rino Fisichella who said,<\/p>\n

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Confronting the subject of prophecy today is rather like looking at wreckage after a shipwreck.<\/strong> \u2014”Prophecy” in Dictionary of Fundamental Theology, <\/em>p. 788<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In the last century, in particular, Western theological “development” has not only downplayed the significance of mysticism in the Church, but even the supernatural regarding Christ’s own miracles and divinity. This has had a tremendous sterilizing affect upon the living Word of God, both the logos <\/em>(generally referring to the inspired written Word) and rhema<\/em> (generally spoken words or utterances). There is a common fallacy that, with the death of John the Baptist, prophecy ceased in the Church. It has not ceased, rather, it has taken on different dimensions.<\/p>\n

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Prophecy has changed immensely throughout history, especially with regard to its status within the institutional Church, but prophecy has never ceased.<\/strong> \u2014 Niels Christian Hvidt, theologian, Christian Prophecy<\/em>, p. 36, Oxford University Press<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Think of the Deposit of Faith as a car. Wherever the Car goes, we must follow, for Sacred Tradition and Scripture contain the revealed truth that sets us free. Prophecy, on the other hand, is the headlights <\/em>of the Car. It has the dual function of both warning and illuminating the way. But the headlights go wherever the Car goes<\/em>\u2014that is:<\/p>\n

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It is not [so-called “private” revelations’] role to improve or complete Christ\u2019s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history\u2026 Christian faith cannot accept \u201crevelations\u201d that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2014Catechism of the Catholic Church, <\/em>n. 67<\/span><\/p>\n

The prophet is someone who tells the truth on the strength of his contact with God\u2014the truth for today, which also, naturally, sheds light on the future. <\/strong>\u2014Cardinal Joseph\u00a0Ratzinger (POPE BENEDICT XVI), Christian Prophecy, The Post-Biblical Tradition, <\/em>Niels Christian Hvidt, Foreword, p. vii<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Now, there are times when the Church passes through periods of great darkness, persecutions, and insidious attacks. It is at times like these that, \"\"despite the “interior lights” of the car that infallibly navigate, the headlights of prophecy <\/em>are necessary to illuminate the way insofar as showing us how to live the hour. An example would be the remedies provided by Our Lady of Fatima: consecration of Russia, First Saturdays, and the Rosary as means to circumvent war, disasters, and the “errors” that led to Communism. It should become clear at this moment then that, while not adding to the definitive Revelation of the Church, these so-called “private” revelations have had the power to alter the future if heeded<\/em>. How can they not be important? Furthermore, how can we call them “private” revelations? There is nothing private about a prophetic word intended for the whole Church.<\/p>\n

Even controversial theologian, Karl Rahner, also asked\u2026<\/p>\n

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\u2026whether anything God reveals can be unimportant<\/strong>. \u2014Karl Rahner, Visions and Prophecies, <\/em> p. 25<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar adds:<\/p>\n

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One can therefore simply ask why God provides [revelations] continuously [in the first place if] they hardly need to be heeded by the Church.<\/strong> \u2014Mistica oggettiva, <\/em>n. 35<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So important was prophecy in St. Paul’s view, that after his beautiful discourse on love in which he says “if I have the gift of prophecy… but do not have love, I am nothing,” [1]<\/sup><\/a>cf. 1 Cor 13:2<\/span><\/span>