![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Prophet-Jeremiah.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nS<\/span>ome 20 years ago when I was “called to the wall<\/a>” to begin The Now Word<\/a>\u00a0apostolate, setting aside to a large degree my music ministry, few people wanted to engage discussion of the \u201csigns of the times.\u201d Bishops seemed embarrassed by it; laity changed the subject; and mainstream Catholic thinkers simply avoided it. Even five years ago when we launched Countdown to the Kingdom<\/a>, this project of publicly discerning prophecy was openly mocked. In many ways, it was to be expected:<\/p>\n \u2026Remember the words spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, for they told you, \u201cIn [the] last time there will be scoffers who will live according to their own godless desires.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>(Jude 1:18-19)<\/span><\/p>\n Despite the resistance, I have tried to persevere in simply being faithful to St. Paul\u2019s clear teaching that greets every visitor on the homepage of that website:<\/p>\n Do not despise the words of prophets,<\/strong><\/span> And it\u2019s more urgent than ever. For now, in the wake of tumultuous world events and a controversial papacy, nearly everyone is talking about the \u201cend times.\u201d At the same time, as events accelerate and escalate, the Church is being faced with the increasingly difficult challenge of not only discerning an explosion of claims to private revelation, but of more specific and time-sensitive claims. As such, the danger of prophecy being discredited by errant prophecies, false prophets, and unbalanced perspectives is a growing threat. At the same time, a position of fear and paranoia toward prophecy is also unhealthy. So what to do?<\/p>\n It is worth revisiting the prudent and golden advice from the Magisterium herself on discerning prophets. I have covered much of this in\u00a0Prophecy in Perspective<\/em><\/a>, so I will only raise some key relevant points.\u00a0<\/p>\n When a seer makes credible claims to prophetic revelations, it is the duty\u00a0<\/em>of the Body of Christ to discern them. For St. Paul, this was not a private matter:<\/p>\n When you assemble, one has a psalm, another an instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation… Two or three prophets should speak, and the others discern.<\/strong> (1 Corinthians 14:26-29)<\/span><\/p>\n Note, St. Paul says\u00a0when you assemble.\u00a0<\/em>This “revelation” was something Paul wanted discerned among the Body, that is, publicly. Indeed, whenever an alleged prophet takes traction today, and if there is enough demand, the Church may launch a commission to investigate said claims and render a public decision. But the laity’s discernment is not excluded either:<\/p>\n Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium<\/i> knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.<\/strong><\/span> \u2014Catechism of the Catholic Church,\u00a0<\/em>n. 67<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n After all, Our Lord himself said, “My sheep hear My voice; I know them, and they follow me.”<\/em> [1]<\/sup><\/a>John 10:27<\/span><\/span>
\nbut test everything;<\/strong><\/span>
\nhold fast to what is good\u2026
\n<\/strong>(1 Thessalonians 5:20-21)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/h5>\n
Discernment is Public<\/h5>\n
\n