Ny fandavana ny fotoanantsika

NY Rivo-doza lehibe toy ny rivo-doza izay niely nanerana ny zanak'olombelona rehetra tsy hitsahatra mandra-pahatanterany ny farany: ny fanadiovana izao tontolo izao. Toy izany, toy ny tamin'ny andron'i Noa, Andriamanitra dia manome sambo-fiara hiaro azy ireo ny olony ary hitahiry “sisa”. Miaraka am-pitiavana sy maika, miangavy aho amin'ireo mpamaky ahy mba tsy handany fotoana intsony ary hanomboka hiakatra amin'ireo dingana mankany amin'ny fialofana nomen'Andriamanitra…

WHAT IS THIS REFUGE?

For decades, there have been murmurings in Catholic circles about “refuges”—ara-bakiteny places on earth where God will preserve a remnant. Is this just fantasy, delusion, or do they exist? I will address that question near the end because there is something far more important than physical protection: ara-panahy fialofana.

In the approved apparitions at Fatima, Our Lady had shown the three seers a vision of Hell. She then said:

Hitanao ny helo izay alehan'ny fanahin'ny mpanota mahantra. Mba hamonjena azy ireo, Andriamanitra dia maniry ny hametraka eto amin'izao tontolo izao ny fanoloran-tena ho an'ny foko tsy misy tsiny. Raha tanteraka izay lazaiko aminareo, dia fanahy maro no ho voavonjy ary hisy fiadanana. -Hafatra tao Fatima, vatican.va

This is an extraordinary statement—one sure to ruffle the feathers of evangelical Christians. Because God is saying that ny làlana to “Jesus the Way” (Jn 14:6) is through devotion to Our Lady. But the Christian who knows his Bible will recall that indeed, in the end times, a “woman” has an extraordinary part to play in the defeat of Satan (Rev 12:1-17) that was announced from the very beginning:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)

Amin'ity sehatra manerantany ity, raha tonga ny fandresena dia ho entin'i Maria. Kristy dia handresy amin'ny alalany satria tiany ny fandresen'ny fiangonana ankehitriny sy amin'ny ho avy dia hifamatotra aminy… — PAPA JOHN PAUL II, Miampita ny tokonam-panantenan'ny fanantenana, p. 221

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart, then, is at the center of this fandresena. Cardinal Ratzinger provides a proper context:

In biblical language, the “heart” indicates the center of human life, the point where reason, will, temperament and sensitivity converge, where the person finds his unity and his interior orientation. According to Matthew 5:8 [“Blessed are the pure of heart…”], the “immaculate heart” is a heart which, with God’s grace, has come to perfect interior unity and therefore “sees God.” To be “devoted” to the Immaculate Heart of Mary means therefore to embrace this attitude of heart, izay mahatonga ny Fiat—“Ho tanteraka anie ny sitraponao” — ivon-toerana mamaritra ny fiainan’ny olona iray manontolo. Mety ho toherina ny hoe tsy tokony hametraka olombelona eo anelanelantsika sy Kristy isika. Tadidintsika anefa avy eo fa tsy nisalasala i Paoly nilaza tamin’ny mpiara-belona taminy hoe: “tahao aho”. ( 1 Kor 4:16; Fil 3:17; 1 Te 1:6; 2 Te 3:7, 9 ).. Tao amin’ny Apôstôly izy ireo dia afaka nahita mazava tsara ny dikan’ny hoe manaraka an’i Kristy. Fa iza no mety hianarantsika tsara kokoa amin’ny vanim-potoana rehetra noho ny amin’ny Renin’ny Tompo? — Kardinaly Ratzginer, (POPE BENEDICT XVI), Hafatra tao Fatima, vatican.va

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart, then, is not like some kind of “lucky charm” that circumvents the ordinary paths of salvation: faith, repentance, good works, etc. (cf. Eph 2:8-9); it does not replace virtue but helps us to attain it. It is precisely through devotion to her Immaculate Heart—to her example, obedience, and recourse to her intercession—that we are provided the spiritual help and strength to remain upon those paths. And this help is real! I want to cry out with all my heart that this “Woman clothed in the Sun” is not a symbolic mother but an tena mother in the order of grace. She is a real and actual fialofana for sinners.

…the Blessed Virgin’s salutary influence on men… flows forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rests on his mediation, depends entirely on it, and draws all its power from it. -Katesizin'ny Fiangonana Katôlika, tsy. 970

The biggest reason Christians fear any kind of devotion to Mary is that she will somehow steal Christ’s thunder. Rather, she is the tselatra that shows the way to Him. Indeed, in her second apparition at Fatima, Our Lady said:

Ny foko tsy mihinana no ho fandosiranao ary làlana izay hitarika anao any amin'Andriamanitra. —Ny Tompontsika Fatima, 13 Jona 1917, Ny Fanambarana ny fo roa amin'ny vanim-potoana maoderina, www.fttn.com

HOW IS SHE A REFUGE?

How exactly is Our Lady’s Heart a “refuge”? She is so, simply, because God has deigned it so.

The maternal duty of Mary toward men in no wise obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows His power. For all the salvific influence of the Blessed Virgin on men originates, not from some inner necessity, but from the divine pleasure.  —File Council Vatican faharoa, Lumen Gentium, n. 60

Christ willed that she be not only His mother, but the mother of all of us, His Mystical Body. This divine exchange took place beneath the Cross:

“Ravehivavy, indro ny zanakao lahy.” Ary hoy izy tamin'ilay mpianatra: Indreo ny reninao. Ary tamin'izany ora izany dia noraisin'ilay mpianatra ho any an-tranony izy. (Jaona 19: 26-27)

So that’s what Jesus wants us to do also: take Mary into our hearts and home. When we do, she takes us into her heart—an Immaculate Heart that is “full of grace.” By virtue of her spiritual motherhood she is able to nurture her children, as it were, with the milk of these graces. Don’t ask me how she does it, I just know that she does! Does na iza na iza even know how the Holy Spirit works?

Ny rivotra mitsoka amin'izay tiany, ary renao ny feony manao, fa tsy fantatrao izay nihaviany na izay alehany; dia toy izany koa izay rehetra nateraky ny Fanahy. (Jaona 3: 8)

Well, so it is with the spouse of the Holy Spirit. She is able to care for us and provide spiritual refuge, as any good mother would, because it is the Will of the Father. Thus, it is her role in these times to protect her children in the Great Storm that is now upon us.

Ny foko tsy misy kilema: io no azo antoka indrindra fialofana ary ny fitaovana famonjena izay omen'Andriamanitra ny fiangonana sy ny zanak'olombelona… Izay tsy miditra amin'izany fialofana hoentin'ny Rivo-doza Lehibe izay efa natomboka tezitra.  -Ny vadintsika ho an'i Fr. Stefano Gobbi, 8 Desambra 1975, n. 88, 154 amin'ny Boky manga

Izany no fialofana izay namboarin'ny Reny any an-danitra ho anao. Eto ianao dia ho voaro amin'ny loza rehetra ary, amin'ny fotoanan'ny Rivo-doza dia hahita ny fiadananao ianao. -Ibid. n. 177

Listen to those promises! We ought to accept this gift for what it is and make haste into this refuge.

Ny maha-reny an'i Maria, izay lasa lovan'ny olona, ​​dia a fanomezana: a gift which Christ himself makes personally to every individual. The Redeemer entrusts Mary to John because he entrusts John to Mary. At the foot of the Cross there begins that special entrusting of humanity to the Mother of Christ, which in the history of the Church has been practiced and expressed in different ways… — PAPA JOHN PAUL II, Redemptoris Mater, tsy. 45

THE ROSARY AND THE REFUGE

It is through the practice and express devotion to Our Mother that we have already learned the promise of “refuge” in her to be true. For example, one of the Fifteen Promises Our Lady conveyed to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan regarding those who pray the Rosary, is that it…

… Ho fiadiana mahery vaika hiadiana amin'ny helo; hanimba ny fahotana izy io, hanafaka amin'ny fahotana ary hanafoana ny fampianaran-diso. —Erosary.com

It is no coincidence, then, that Heaven has renewed its call through many seers in the past year to pray the rosary isan 'andro. For the Rosary remains the preeminent devotion to the Immaculate Heart:

The Church has always attributed particular efficacy to this prayer… the most difficult problems. At times when Christianity itself seemed under threat, its deliverance was attributed to the power of this prayer, and Our Lady of the Rosary was acclaimed as the one whose intercession brought salvation. —POPE ST JAONA PAUL II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, tsy. 39

This should not surprise us, for the Catechism teaches that the Church “is prefigured by Noah’s ark, which alone saves from the flood.” ^[1]Katesizin'ny Fiangonana Katôlika, n. 845 At the same time, the Church teaches that Mary “is the ‘exemplary realization’ (typhoid) of the Church” ^[2]CCC, n. 967 or put another way:

Ry Masina Maria… nanjary sarin'ny Fiangonana ho avy ianao… — PAPA BENEDICT XVI, Spe Salvi, no.50

As such, she is also a kind of “ark” for believers. In the approved apparitions to Elizabeth Kindelmann, Jesus himself said:

Ny reniko dia sambofiaran'i Noa… —Ny afon'ny fitiavana, p. 109; Imprimatur avy amin'ny Arseveka Charles Chaput

And to Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, Our Lady said her Heart is "ny sambo-fiara of refuge.”^[3]The Virgin in the Kingdom of the Divine Will, Day 29 Think of each Rosary bead, then, as though dingana that lead into the Ark of her Heart. Pray the Rosary with your family every day. Gather as though you are entering the Ark before the rain. Resist the temptation to ignore not only this heavenly plea, but St. John Paul II’s cry for the Church to take up the Rosary: “May this appeal of mine not go unheard!”^[4]Rosarium Virginis Mariae, tsy. 43

As for your fallen away children, I want to extend to parents and grandparents my writing Ianao No Noa. There, you will find encouragement regarding your loved ones who have abandoned the faith. Praying the Rosary for our fallen away children is like laying down little stones upon a rough path that leads to the Ark. It’s your job to lay these pebbles; it’s Heaven’s role and timing as to how and when your loved ones will find them.

Of course, everything I’ve just said assumes that you will let Our Lady mother you! In Catholic vocabulary, this is called “consecration to Mary.” Read Ireo mpanampy sambatra to hear about my own consecration and find a prayer of consecration that you can say yourself.

THE PHYSICAL REFUGES

Clearly, devotion to Our Lady has provided not only spiritual but ara-batana protection to the Church. Think of the miraculous defeat of the Ottoman forces at Lepanto… or how those priests praying the Rosary at Hiroshima were miraculously protected from the atomic blast and even radiation burns:

Mino izahay fa tafavoaka velona izahay satria miaina ny hafatr'i Fatima. Nipetraka sy nivavaka ny Rosary isan'andro tao an-trano izahay. —Fr. Hubert Schiffer, iray amin'ireo tafavoaka velona izay velona 33 taona salama tsara nefa tsy nisy vokany ratsy avy amin'ny taratra;  www.holysouls.com

In all times of persecution, God has provided some kind of physical protection to preserve, at the very least, a remnant of His People (read Ireo fialofana sy fialokalofana ho avy). Noah’s ark was really the first physical refuge. And who can fail to recall how St. Joseph was awoken at night to lead his the Holy Family into the refuge of the desert?^[5]Matt 2: 12-14 Or how God inspired Joseph to store grain for seven years?^[6]Gen 41: 47-49  Or how the Maccabees found refuge in persecution?

The king sent messengers… to prohibit holocausts, sacrifices, and libations in the sanctuary… Many of the people, those who abandoned the law, joined them and committed evil in the land. Israel was driven into hiding, wherever places of refuge could be found. (1 Macc 1:44-53)

Marina tokoa, ny ray am-piangonana voalohany Lactantius dia nahita mialoha ny fialokalofana amin'ny fotoana ho avy tsy fanarahan-dalàna:

Izany no fotoana hanariana ny fahamarinana, ka halan'ny tsy meloka; izay itadiavan'ny ratsy fanahy ny tsara ho fahavalo; tsy misy lalàna, na filaminana, na fifehezana miaramila izay tsy ho voatahiry… ny zavatra rehetra hanjavona sy hifangaro hanohitra ny tsara, ary manohitra ny lalàn'ny natiora. Ary ho lao ny tany, toy ny hoe fandrobana tsotra. Rehefa tonga izany zavatra izany, dia ny marina sy ny mpanaraka ny fahamarinana no hisaraka amin'ny ratsy fanahy ka handositra fitokana-monina. -Lactantius, Ny Institiota masina, Boky VII, Ch. 17

Of course, some might argue that hiding is different than God’s provision of an actual refuge. However, Doctor of the Church, St. Francis de Sales, affirms that there will be providential places of protection during the persecutions of Antichrist:

Ny fikomiana [revolisiona] sy ny fisarahana dia tsy maintsy… hijanona ny Sorona ary… ny Zanak'olona zara raha mahita finoana eto an-tany… Ireo andinin-tsoratra masina rehetra ireo dia takatry ny fijaliana izay hateraky ny Antikristy ao am-piangonana… Fa ny fiangonana… tsy ho diso , ary homena sakafo sy hotehirizina ao amin'ny tany efitra sy ny fitoerana ialofany, araka ny voalazan'ny Soratra Masina, (Apôk. Ch. 12). —St. Francis de Sales, Ny iraka ampiangonana, ch. X, n.5

Nomena ny elatra roan’ilay voromahery lehibe ilay vehivavy, mba hahafahany manidina any amin’ny fitoerany any an’efitra, izay, lavitra an’ilay menarana, no nikarakarana azy nandritra ny herintaona sy roa taona ary tapa-taona. ( Apokalypsy 12:14 ).

Indeed, says Pope St. Paul VI…

Ilaina izany andiana ondry vitsy, na kely aza izy io. —POPE PAOLY VI, Ilay tsiambaratelo Paul VI, Jean Guitton, p. 152-153, Fanondroana (7), p. IX.

In the revelations to Fr. Stefano Gobbi, which bear the Imprimatur, Our Lady clearly states that her Immaculate Heart will provide not only spiritual but physical refuge:

In amin'izao fotoana izao, mila mihazakazaka mialokaloka ao daholo ianareo fialofana ny ahymaculate Heart, satria manambana anao ny fandrahonana lehibe ataon'ny ratsy. Ireo no voalohany amin'ny zava-dratsy rehetra amin'ny filaminam-panahy, izay mety hanimba ny fiainana mihoatra ny natiora ny fanahinao… Misy ny faharatsian'ny filaminam-batana, toy ny aretina, ny loza, ny lozam-pifamoivoizana, ny haintany, ny horohoron-tany ary ireo aretina tsy azo sitranina izay miparitaka…… ratsy amin'ny filaminam-piaraha-monina… Mba ho voaro amin'ny rehetra ireo zava-dratsy ireo dia manasa anao aho hametraka ny tenanareo ao ambanin'ny fialofana ao amin'ny fialofana azo antoka an'ny Foko Malalaka. - 7 Jona 1986, n. 326, Boky manga

Araka ny fanambarana nankatoavin'ny Mpanompon'Andriamanitra Luisa Piccarreta dia nilaza i Jesosy fa:

The divine justice imposes chastisements, but neither these nor [God’s] enemies get close to those souls who live in the Divine Will… Know that I will have regard for the souls who live in My Will, and for the places where these souls reside… I place the souls who live completely in My Will on earth, in the same condition as the blessed [in Heaven]. Therefore, live in My Will and fear nothing. —Jesus to Luisa, Boky 11, 18 Mey 1915

In other credible prophetic revelations, we read of refuges that God has prepared in advance for His People at the height of the Great Storm that has already begun:

Ny fialofana aloha dia ianao. Alohan'ny maha-toerana azy dia olona iray, olona miaina miaraka amin'ny Fanahy Masina, amin'ny toetran'ny fahasoavana. Ny fialofana dia manomboka amin'ny olona nanolo-tena ny fanahiny, ny vatany, ny toetrany, ny fitondran-tenany, araka ny Tenin'ny Tompo, ny fampianaran'ny Fiangonana ary ny lalàn'ny Didy Folo. -Ibid.

Miezaha ho ao anaty fahasoavana, amin'ny fahasoavana mandrakariva.

Your goal must be Heaven. Everything in this life passes, but the Grace of God in you will be Eternal. -Our Lady to Pedro, Aprily 14, 2020

Kintan'ny ranomasina, by Tianna  (Mallett) Williams

Today, I want to lead you by the hand like a mother:
I want to lead you ever deeper
into the depths of my Immaculate Heart…

Fear neither the cold nor the darkness,
because you will be in the Heart of your Mother
and from there you will point out the way
to a great multitude of my poor wandering children.

…my Heart is still a refuge which protects you
from all these events which are following one upon another.
You will remain serene, you will not let yourself be troubled,
you will have no fear. You will see all these things as from afar,
without allowing yourself to be in the least affected by them.
‘But how?’ you ask me.
You will live in time, and yet you will be,
as it were, outside of time….

Remain therefore always in this refuge of mine!

—Ny Pretra, Zanakalahin'ny malalantsika, message to Fr. Stefano Gobbi, n. 33

Star ny ranomasina, hazavao izahay ary tariho handeha izahay!
— PAPA BENEDICT XVI, Miteny Salvi, n. 50

Hiara-dia amin'i Marka ao The Teny izao,
kitiho ny sora-baventy etsy ambany mankany famandrihana.
Tsy zaraina amin'ny olon-kafa ny mailakao.