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12/14/2016

THE WILD GOOSE I

Discovering a Deeper Relationship 
with the Holy Spirit
(Parts 1 thru 7)

Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR

The Wild Goose was a term that the ancient Celts had for the Holy Spirit, and apart from the Wild Goose there is no life.

THE WILD GOOSE - PART 1
GOD'S LOVE POURED OUT
 
 
"God is Love." (1 John 4:8)
"This simple statement is the beginning and the ending of our pilgrimage of Faith. God is Love and the Lord’s Love is perfect, passionate and unconditional. There is nothing that we can do that would cause God to love us more and nothing we can do that would cause Him to love us less. We are able to come to experience the beauty and freedom of God’s Love by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God reveals the Love of the Father that changes us. When we experience God’s Love we come to understand in a powerful way that we are in fact 'lovable.' God’s Love reveals our beauty and goodness before Him."
 
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 2
THE BREATH OF GOD


"The breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4)
"The only way we are able to live a life of faith, a life full of love, peace, joy and power is by the Holy Spirit. We see this most clearly in the lives of the Apostles. They had every advantage in being with Jesus and hearing Him preach and seeing the many miracles that He had done. And yet, even with that advantage they were frightened men living their faith life in a locked room before they received the Holy Spirit. What took place in the upper room changed the lives of these men and women and would change the course of human history. This experience of the Holy Spirit is an encounter available to everyone; it is not reserved for a select few. Pentecost and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit is the theme of this segment."
 
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 3
BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE
 
 
"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Matthew 3:11)
"Jesus came to baptize us in the Holy Spirit, and the power and grace that comes from the baptism in the Holy Spirit changes lives. For the millions of Catholics worldwide who have had this experience it is a transforming grace that brings freedom, peace, and the very presence of God. Unfortunately for many Catholics the term 'baptism in the Holy Spirit' is not a term with which they are familiar. In this segment we will discuss what the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is all about."
 
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 4
THE SPIRIT AND OUR LADY
 
 
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." (Luke 1:35)
"Our Lady, from the moment of her conception, was overshadowed by the Holy Spirt. As the Spouse of the Holy Spirit she models for us what our lives can look like when we say 'yes' to God's will and fully give ourselves over to the actions of the Spirit of God. Mary's fiat led her to the cross, the empty tomb, and ultimately the upper room where she was once again overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. If we have the courage, as Mary did, to say yes to God’s Spirit, to surrender our will to His, we too will experience the power of the Most High overshadowing us."
 
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 5
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
 
 
“The Spirit Himself is ‘God's gift’ par excellence (John 4:10) a gift from God, and in turn communicates different spiritual gifts to those who welcome Him." _ Pope Francis
"The greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. The living God gives the gift of Himself to those who are baptized. From the Spirit flows other gifts, some of which are for our personal sanctification while others are for the building up and support of the body of Christ. Many of the gifts are very familiar to us (wisdom, counsel, love) while others are somewhat foreign (healing, prophecy, tongues). Whatever our experience, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for all Christians, and no one should think that the gifts are not for them."
 
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 6
THE SPIRIT AND THE EUCHARIST
 
 
At the center of the Church is the Eucharist, where Christ is present and active in humanity and in the whole world by means of the Holy Spirit.” _ Pope St. John Paul II
"The Eucharistic Liturgy is saturated with the presence of the Holy Spirit. From the moment you decide to go to Mass, the Holy Spirit is active and alive. Sadly, many people don’t experience the Holy Spirit, and attending Mass becomes a chore for them rather than a life giving encounter with Jesus. In this segment we will look at a few of the many ways that the Holy Spirit is present in the Mass that will enable you to encounter God when you attend the Liturgy."
 
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 7
THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION
 
 
"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, 'Abba, Father!'" (Romans 8:14-16)
"The Holy Spirit reveals many things to us. One of the most beautiful is the Spirit revealing God as our loving Father, our 'Abba - Daddy.' Jesus related to His Father as Abba and never before had God been spoken of in such personal and intimate terms. God as Abba is a uniquely beautiful Christian revelation. The Spirit of Jesus desires to free us from fear and a master-slave relationship to a Father-Daughter or Father-Son relationship."
 
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11/03/2016

REVOLUTION!

AND THE CATHOLIC VOTE 

What we have in the United States is an "illusion of democracy." Presidents are not elected by the people; they are "selected" by the elite. (The faces change, but the policies remain the same.) Presidential elections in the United States are nothing more than "political theater" -- for a "dumbed down" electorate. But this year is different. This Presidential election is unlike any other. IT IS A REVOLUTION!


During a rally at West Palm Beach, Florida on October 13, 2016, Donald Trump said:

This election is a "crossroads in the history of America"... This election is about "replacing a corrupt political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American people."

"There is nothing the political establishment won’t do. The Washington establishment and the financial and media corporations that fund it exist for only one reason -- to protect and enrich itself."

"The establishment has trillions of dollars at stake in this election. Our campaign represents a 'true existential threat' like they haven’t seen before."

"The Clintons are criminals... The establishment covers up wrongdoing in order to keep them in power... The Clinton machine is at the center of this power structure."

"The 'corporate media' is no longer involved in journalism, but rather has a political, special interest agenda." The agenda is "to elect Hillary Clinton at any cost, no matter how many lives they destroy."

"For them, it’s a war... and for them, nothing at all is out of bounds."

"This is a struggle for the survival of our nation, and this will be our last chance to save it." This election is about "whether or not Americans remain free or have an illusion of democracy."

~ * * * ~

During an interview on October 30, 2016, Gov. Mike Pence (R-IN) said: "In an election of such enormous magnitude in the life of this nation," the media is ignoring "an avalanche of hard evidence about corruption, 'pay to play' politics, and political favoritism emanating out of Hillary Clinton’s years as Secretary of State."

While she was Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton’s officials in that department directed reconstruction contracts in Haiti to friends of the Clinton Foundation. "This is precisely the kind of 'pay to play' politics she said wasn’t happening as their foundation accepted tens of millions of dollars from foreign governments." _ Breitbart.com

Enough Is Enough! 




__________


THE CATHOLIC VOTE - 2016



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10/21/2016

OCCULT PRACTICE, WITCHCRAFT & SATANISM

A WARNING FOR EVERYONE

Do not love the world [all that is hostile toward God and alienated from Him] or the things of the world. [Love of the world and love of God are mutually exclusive (James 4:4).]
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust [“the lust of the flesh” (inordinate desire for physical gratification)], enticement for the eyes [“the lust of the eyes” (avarice or covetousness)], and a pretentious life [“the pride of life” (arrogance or willful independence from God and others)], is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.
(1 John 2:15-17)

The Devil will satisfy “the lust of the flesh.” The Devil will provide enticement for the eyes, the “windows to the soul.” The Devil will feed “the pride of life” -- causing one to abandon God and others.

It is the Devil who lures people (young and old) into witchcraft, Satanism and Occult practice. The Devil offers excitement, diversion, mystery and intrigue to people fighting boredom… he provides friendship and support for people in lonely, tragic circumstances… and he seduces people who are fascinated with the paranormal and the dark side of life.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. 
(1 Timothy 4:1)

For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. 
(2 Timothy 4:3-4)
 
Magick, Wiccans & Satanists


 
"FROM WITCHCRAFT TO CHRIST"
By Doreen Irvine, former Queen of Black Witches
  
Entire Book Available Online @

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9/03/2016

NOVENA TO MARY, UNDOER OF KNOTS

"Eve, by her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace for the human race; whereas Mary, by her obedience, undid it." _ Saint Irenaeus


Q: What "knots" can Mary undo/untie?
A: Problems and struggles we face for which we do not see any solution.

The Blessed Virgin Mary comes to provide jobs, good health, to reconcile families... because she wants to undo the knots of our sins which dominate our lives, so that -- as sons and daughters of the King -- we can receive the promises reserved for us from eternity. Mary comes with promises of victory, peace, blessings and reconciliation.

Day 1 _ 0:00:54  /  Day 2 _ 0:22:41  /
Day 3 _ 0:44:11 / Day 4 _ 1:06:05  /
Day 5 _ 1:27:35  /  Day 6 _ 1:49:17 /
Day 7 _ 2:10:36  /  Day 8 _ 2:32:05  /
Day 9 _ 2:53:41

Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith." Comparing her with Eve, they (Early Church Fathers) call Mary "the Mother of the living" and frequently claim: "Death through Eve, life through Mary." - CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, #494

PRAYERS & MEDITATIONS
Click link

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8/19/2016

PRAYERS FOR EXPELLING DEMONS


Prayer Against Malefice from the Greek Ritual

Kyrie eleison. [Lord have mercy.] God, our Lord, King of ages, All-powerful and Almighty, You Who made everything and Who transforms everything simply by Your will. You Who in Babylon changed into dew the flames of the “seven-times hotter” furnace and protected and saved the three holy children.

You are the doctor and the physician of our souls. You are the salvation of those who turn to You. We beseech You to make powerless, banish, and drive out every diabolic power, presence and machination; every evil influence, malefice, or evil eye and all evil actions aimed against Your servant _____.

Where there is envy and malice, give us an abundance of goodness, endurance, victory, and charity. O Lord, You Who love man, we beg You to reach out Your powerful hands and Your most high and mighty arms and send the angel of peace over us, to protect us, body and soul. May he keep at bay and vanquish every evil power, every poison or malice invoked against us by corrupt and envious people.

Then, under the protection of Your authority may we sing, in gratitude, “The Lord is my salvation; whom should I fear?” I will not fear evil because You are with me, my God, my strength, my powerful Lord, Lord of peace, Father of all ages.

Yes, Lord our God, be merciful to us, Your image, and save Your servant _____ from every threat or harm from the evil one and protect him/her by raising him/her above all evil. We ask You this through the intercession of our Most Blessed, glorious Lady, Mary ever Virgin, Mother of God, of the most splendid archangels and all Your saints. Amen.

~ * * * ~

Prayer Against Every Evil

Spirit of our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Most Holy Trinity, Immaculate Virgin Mary, angels, archangels, and saints of Heaven, descend upon me. Please purify me, O Lord; mold me, fill me with Yourself, and use me.

Banish all the forces of evil from me; destroy them, vanquish them, so that I can be healthy and do good deeds.

Banish from me all spells, curses, blood oaths, witchcraft, black magic, malefice, maledictions, unholy soul ties, and the evil eye. Banish from me all diabolic infestations, oppressions, and possessions. Banish from me all that is evil and sinful; envy, jealousy, deceitfulness, resentment, and un-forgiveness. Banish from me all physical, psychological, moral, spiritual, and diabolical ailments.

Burn all these evils in hell, that they may never again touch me or any other creature in the entire world.

I command and bid all the evil spirits, forces and powers that molest me -- by the All-powerful and Almighty God, in the Name of Jesus Christ Our Savior, through the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary -- to leave me forever, and to be consigned into the everlasting hell, where they will be bound by Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael, our guardian angels, and where they will be crushed under the heel of the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.

~ * * * ~

Anima Christi

Anima Christi [Soul of Christ], sanctify me; Body of Christ, save me; Blood of Christ, inebriate me; Water from the side of Christ, wash me; Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

O good Jesus, hear me; within Your wounds, hide me; let me never be separated from You. From the evil one, deliver me; at the hour of my death, call me, and bid me come to You; that with Your saints, I may praise You forever and ever. Amen.

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7/20/2016

IS HILLARY CLINTON POSSESSED?

Is Hillary Clinton a witch? Is she possessed?


Clinton insider, Larry Nichols, exposes Hillary Clinton's membership in a coven of witches in Los Angeles, CA. _ Published by Infowars on Sept. 16, 2015

Bogotá, Colombia _ Spanish exorcist Fr. Jose Antonio Fortea Cucurull stated in an interview that “anyone who resorts to spiritism, witchcraft, or worse yet, Satanism, is in danger of being possessed. That (this) is the general norm.” _ Published by Catholic News Agency (CNA) on Sept. 20, 2010

Cleveland, Ohio (July 19, 2016) _ Dr. Ben Carson addresses the 2016 Republican National Convention and exposes Hillary Clinton's ties to Saul Alinsky. 

IS HILLARY CLINTON POSSESSED?

In an interview with the magazine “Maria Mensajera,” famous Italian exorcist Fr. Gabriele Amorth said, “Everybody is vulnerable to the work of Satan” and that “the Devil loves to take over those who hold political office.” _ Published by Catholic News Agency (CNA) on June 6, 2008

Hillary Clinton's insatiable "lust for power" comes from the place where all insatiable lusts come from -- the dark side. And behind every insatiable lust is a demon of lust.

While it is true that "full possession" is rare, "partial possession" is quite common. Partial possession exists when a demon enters one’s body and takes control over a specific area of one’s life, a specific aspect of one’s character and personality...

[The partially possessed person is "demonized" -- that is, has an evil spirit inside the body. Such a person may sense that something is wrong -- but no connection is made with the demonic. One can be full of anger, have uncontrollable rage, and be violent... One can be full of lust and have insatiable desires or unnatural passions... One can be full of fear, have crippling phobias or experience paralysis... Although one is able to function normally most of the time, one suffers internally with something from which there seems to be no relief. The demon remains hidden within the body -- until it is provoked by a priest or deliverance minister. And when the demon feels threatened, there will be manifestations that expose it.

Hillary Clinton's insatiable lust for power, and the many crimes she has committed over the years to possess it... her insatiable greed... her sociopath coldness towards others, her narcissistic personality, outbursts of anger, erratic behavior and pathological lying... and her practice of witchcraft... all reveal a woman taken over (that is, possessed) by the Devil.


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5/19/2016

DELIVERANCE THROUGH PRAISE


But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God (praising the Lord), and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s fetters were un-fastened (chains were broken). (Acts 16:25-26)

Are you in bondage to sin? Do you struggle with addiction? Are you anxious, obsessed? Is there too much stress in your life? Do you have negative, self-defeating thoughts? Are you depressed, fearful? Do you have irrational guilt and feelings?

Deliverance is possible -- through praise!



“When a soul extols (highly praises) My goodness, Satan trembles before it and flees to the very bottom of hell.” _ St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul #378

“Great is the LORD and worthy of much praise (Psalm 145:3).” ... “He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies Me (Psalm 50:23).”

When we choose to praise God, we soon discover that the fruit of praise is the “joy” of the Lord.

Forgetting ourselves and our circumstances -- our present anxieties and infirmities -- we offer a “sacrifice of praise” to God (Hebrews 13:15).

“I will bless the LORD at all times,
praise shall be always in my mouth.
I sought the LORD, who answered me,
delivered me from all my fears.”
(Psalm 34:2,5) 

Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth;
break into song; sing praise.
Sing praise to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
shout with joy to the King, the LORD.
(Psalm 98:4-6) 

~ * * * ~

Praise is “Faith in Action.”
Praise releases the Power of God
into our lives. 

Praising the Lord BREAKS the yoke
of bondage!

Praised be Jesus Christ!


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5/18/2016

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR

A NEW PENTECOST

Catholic Charismatic Renewal


Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

"What we learn in the New Testament on charisms, which appeared as visible signs of the coming of the Holy Spirit, is not a historical event of the past, but a reality ever alive. It is the same divine Spirit, soul of the Church, that acts in every age and those mysterious and effective interventions of the Spirit are manifest in our time in a providential way. The Movements and New Communities are like an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in contemporary society. We can, therefore, rightly say that one of the positive elements and aspects of the Community of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is precisely their emphasis on the charisms or gifts of the Holy Spirit and their merit lies in having recalled their topicality in the Church." _ Address of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to Charismatic Catholics, October 2008

"...Do not grow weary of turning to Heaven: the world stands in need of prayer. It needs men and women who feel the attraction of Heaven in their life, who make praise to the Lord a new way of life. And may you be joyful Christians! I entrust you all to Mary Most Holy, present in the Upper Room at the event of Pentecost. Persevere with her in prayer, walk guided by the light of the living Holy Spirit, proclaiming the Good News of Christ." _ Address of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to Charismatic Catholics, May 26, 2012

Prepare for a Personal Pentecost!


Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 1


Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 2


Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 3


Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 4


Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 5


Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 6


Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 7


Halfhearted Commitment to the Faith is Nauseating to Christ: "I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit (vomit) you out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16)

Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. (Romans 12:11)

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Evangelii Gaudium
Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis
On the Proclamation of the Gospel in
Today’s World

#259) Spirit-filled evangelizers means evangelizers fearlessly open to the working of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, the Spirit made the apostles go forth from themselves and turned them into heralds of God’s wondrous deeds, capable of speaking to each person in his or her own language. The Holy Spirit also grants the courage to proclaim the newness of the Gospel with boldness (parrhesía) in every time and place, even when it meets with opposition. Let us call upon him today, firmly rooted in prayer, for without prayer all our activity risks being fruitless and our message empty. Jesus wants evangelizers who proclaim the good news not only with words, but above all by a life transfigured by God’s presence.

#261) Whenever we say that something is “spirited,” it usually refers to some interior impulse which encourages, motivates, nourishes and gives meaning to our individual and communal activity. Spirit-filled evangelization is not the same as a set of tasks dutifully carried out despite one’s own personal inclinations and wishes. How I long to find the right words to stir up enthusiasm for a new chapter of evangelization full of fervor, joy, generosity, courage, boundless love and attraction! Yet I realize that no words of encouragement will be enough unless the fire of the Holy Spirit burns in our hearts. A spirit-filled evangelization is one guided by the Holy Spirit, for he is the soul of the Church called to proclaim the Gospel. Before offering some spiritual motivations and suggestions, I once more invoke the Holy Spirit. I implore him to come and renew the Church, to stir and impel her to go forth boldly to evangelize all peoples.

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5/03/2016

RAPTURED OR LEFT BEHIND?

 


Catholic Apologetics: "The Ruptured Rapture"
Friar Joseph Mary, F.I.

 
AirMaria.com
 
Evangelical Christians and Christian Fundamentalists eagerly look forward to the day when they (the elect) will be taken (raptured) from the earth before the Great Tribulation. Only non-believers in Jesus Christ will be “left behind” to suffer the persecutions of the Antichrist.

Although their concept of “a rapture” is Biblical, their interpretation -- and their timing of it -- is erroneous. The elect will be on the earth during the Tribulation. And like the Apostles and the martyrs before them, they will not be spared their trials, pain and suffering.

“I do not ask that You (Father) take them out of the world but that You keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:15)

“Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20)

~ * * * ~

The doctrine of a “secret rapture” to occur before the Tribulation was first conceived in 1827 by a Fundamentalist minister (Ex-Anglican priest). Known as the father of dispensationalism, John Nelson Darby invented this (heretical) doctrine claiming there were not one, but two “second comings.” 
 
(Matthew 24:29-31,37-42; Romans 8:17-18;
1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Colossians 1:24;
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 
2 Thessalonians 2:1,3,8; Revelation 3:10)

~ * * * ~

The Rapture of the Church and
The Second Coming of Christ
Are the Same Glorious Event to Occur
After the Tribulation.

For the Lord Himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars (or flaming meteors resembling stars) will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign (The Cross of Christ) of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31)

For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In [those] days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be [also] at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. (Matthew 24:37-42)

Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

“Are You Rapture Ready?”
 
The question should be:
“Are you ready to come before the
Face of God?”

We need to be in a “state of grace” and “Sacramentally” fortified. (We need to be free of mortal sin through frequent Confession and, when possible, daily Mass.) We need to live according to God’s will. (We need to obey the Ten Commandments, submit to rightful spiritual authority, and follow all the teachings of the Catholic Church.) We need to pray more, and fast. (Prayer changes things, and the Rosary is a Powerful weapon against the enemy.) We need to forgive -- everyone. (Un-forgiveness is a block to receiving God’s grace.)

Every moment we must be ready
to go to God. 

The storm is here; there is no escaping it. Tribulation is on the horizon, and there will be no rapture -- only purification.

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4/22/2016

ILLUMINATION OF CONSCIENCE


"The first three chapters of Revelation
are essentially
an 'illumination of conscience.'"

REVELATION ILLUMINATION
by Mark Mallett (April 17, 2013)


THERE is a grace coming to the whole world in what may be the most singularly astonishing event since Pentecost.

THE ILLUMINATION IN PROPHETIC REVELATION

Mystic and stigmatist, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, who was revered by popes for the accuracy of her prophecies, referred to it as an “illumination of conscience.” St. Edmund Campion referred to it as “the day of change” when “the terrible Judge should reveal all men’s consciences.” Conchita, an alleged visionary in Garabandal, called it a “warning.” The late Fr. Gobbi called it a “judgment in miniature,” while Servant of God, Maria Esperanza, called it a “great day of light” when the consciences of all will be shaken” -- the “hour of decision for mankind.” [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2007/05/eye-of-the-storm/]

St. Faustina, who proclaimed to the world that we are living in a prolonged “time of mercy” based on revelations given to her directly by Jesus, may have witnessed in a vision the actual event:

Before I come as the just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy. Before the day of justice arrives, there will be given to people a sign in the heavens of this sort:
All light in the heavens will be extinguished, and there will be great darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the openings where the hands and the feet of the Savior were nailed will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of time. This will take place shortly before the last day. -- Diary of Divine Mercy, n. 83

This vision is similar to what an American seer, who goes by the name of “Jennifer,” allegedly saw in a vision. She calls this event “the warning”:

The sky is dark, and it seems as though it is night, but my heart tells me it is sometime in the afternoon. I see the sky opening up and I can hear long, drawn out claps of thunder. When I look up, I see Jesus bleeding on the cross and people are falling to their knees. Jesus then tells me, “They will see their soul as I see it.” I can see the wounds so clearly on Jesus and Jesus then says, “They will see each wound they have added to My Most Sacred Heart.” To the left I see the Blessed Mother weeping and then Jesus speaks to me again and says, “Prepare, prepare now for the time is soon approaching. My child, pray for the many souls who will perish because of their selfish and sinful ways.” As I look up, I see the drops of blood falling from Jesus and hitting the earth. I see millions of people from nations from all lands. Many seemed confused as they were looking up toward the sky. Jesus says, “They are in search of light for it should not be a time of darkness, yet it is the darkness of sin that covers this earth, and the only light will be that of which I come with, for mankind does not realize the awakening that is about to be bestowed upon him. This will be the greatest purification since the beginning of creation.” -- see www.wordsfromjesus.com, September 12, 2003

A REVELATION ON REVELATION?

While preparing to go to Mass in Paray-le-Monial, France in 2011-- that little French village where Jesus revealed His Sacred Heart as a “last effort” to reach mankind -- I had a “word” suddenly enter my mind like lightning out of the clear blue. It was impressed interiorly upon my heart that the first three chapters of Revelation are essentially an “illumination of conscience.” After Mass, I picked up my bible to begin reading the Apocalypse in that new light to see what was meant by that…

The book of Revelation (or “apocalypse”, which literally means “unveiling”) begins with St. John greeting seven churches and quoting the prophet Zechariah:

Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. All the peoples of the earth will lament him. Yes. Amen. (Rev 1:7)

John then describes the vision he had of Jesus appearing in the midst of these churches in a gleaming apparition where “his face shone like the sun at its brightest.” [Rev 1:16] John’s response was to fall down at His feet “as though dead.” [Rev 1:17] This scene invokes a similar illumination that St. Paul had. Before his conversion, he was persecuting Christians, having them put to death. Christ appeared to him in a bright light:

He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? (Acts 9:4)

Suddenly, Saul (who took the name Paul) was “illumined” and realized that he was not as righteous as he thought. His eyes were covered over with “scales,” a symbol of his spiritual blindness. Thus, his sight was turned inward as he came face to face with the light of truth.

After St. John’s powerful vision of Christ, he hears the Lord say…

Do not be afraid… (Rev 1:17)

…and immediately Jesus begins to illumine the conscience of the seven churches, calling them to repentance, praising their good works, and pointing out their spiritual blindness.

I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth… Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. (Rev 3:15-16, 19)

Then John is taken up to Heaven where he now begins to view things from a divine perspective.

After this I had a vision of an open door to heaven, and I heard the trumpet-like voice that had spoken to me before, saying, “Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards.” (Rev 4:1)

That is to say that the illumination that John just witnessed will now be placed in the context of not just the universal Church (symbolized by the “seven churches” where the number “7” denotes fullness or completeness), but of the entire world as it approaches the end of the age, and eventually, the end of time. Another way to put it is that the illumination of the Church culminates in a global illumination.

For it is time for the judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, how will it end for those who fail to obey the gospel of God? (1 Pet 4:17)

THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHURCH…

Could we not say that the illumination of the Church has indeed already begun? Haven’t the forty years (today, 56 years!) since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (the “charismatic renewal”) [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/charismatic-part-i-2/] and release of the documents of Vatican II led the Church through a profound season of pruning, purification, and trial leading up to 2008, “the year of the unfolding”, [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2011/10/the-great-revolution/] forty years later? Hasn’t there been a prophetic awakening, led chiefly by the Mother of God, as to the threshold that we now stand upon?

Surely the Lord God does nothing, without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)

Did not Blessed John Paul II, leading up to the new millennium, make a deep examination of conscience of the entire Church, apologizing to the nations for her past sins?

For a long time, we had been preparing ourselves for this examination of conscience, aware that the Church, embracing sinners in her bosom, “is at once holy and always in need of being purified” … This “purification of memory” has strengthened our steps for the journey towards the future… -- POPE JOHN PAUL II, Novo Millenio Inuente, n. 6

And are we not seeing come to light before us the once hidden and grave scandals that have taken the form of sexual abuse among clergy? [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2010/03/the-scandal/] Are not the religious orders that have abandoned the true faith now dying out in their apostasy? Have we not been sent many prophets and seers to call us back to true life in God? [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2009/01/the-prophecy-at-rome/] Is the Church not clearly being given the very warning that St. John penned in his apocalyptic scroll?

The judgment announced by the Lord Jesus [in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 21] refers above all to the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70. Yet the threat of judgment also concerns us, the Church in Europe, Europe and the West in general. With this Gospel, the Lord is also crying out to our ears the words that in the Book of Revelation he addresses to the Church of Ephesus: “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Light can also be taken away from us and we do well to let this warning ring out with its full seriousness in our hearts, while crying to the Lord: “Help us to repent! Give all of us the grace of true renewal! Do not allow your light in our midst to blow out! Strengthen our faith, our hope and our love, so that we can bear good fruit!” -- POPE BENEDICT XVI, Opening Homily, Synod of Bishops, October 2nd, 2005, Rome.

So too, at the end of the Israelite’s forty years in the desert, a profound illumination came upon them that led them into a spirit of repentance, thereby ending their exile from the promised land.

…read aloud in the house of the LORD this scroll that we send you:

…We have sinned in the Lord’s sight and disobeyed him. We have not listened to the voice of the LORD, our God, so as to follow the precepts the Lord set before us… For we did not listen to the voice of the Lord, our God, in all the words of the prophets he sent us, but each of us has followed the inclinations of our wicked hearts, served other gods, and done evil in the sight of the Lord, our God. (cf. Baruch 1:14-22)

Just the same, the illumination that is here and coming is to prepare the Church to enter into the “promised land” of an era of peace. So too, the letters to the seven churches were written upon a scroll, publicly revealing their shortcomings. [Rev 1:11]

Study congresses helped us to identify those aspects in which, during the course of the first two millennia, the Gospel spirit did not always shine forth. How could we forget the moving Liturgy of 12 March 2000 in Saint Peter’s Basilica, at which, looking upon our Crucified Lord, I asked forgiveness in the name of the Church for the sins of all her children? -- POPE JOHN PAUL II, Novo Millenio Inuente, n. 6

And now, Pope Francis, in stunning fashion, has brought the seven letters of Revelation into a new prophetic light [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2018/11/19/the-five-corrections/].

“Afterwards,” St. John sees the Lamb of God take a scroll in His hands to begin unsealing the judgment of the nations. This includes a global illumination in the sixth seal.

….THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WORLD

I sensed in my heart a mysterious word in the autumn of 2007: [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2008/10/the-breaking-of-the-seals/]

The seals are about to be broken.

But I was hearing “six seals,” and yet in Revelation Ch. 6 there are seven. Here is the first:

I looked, and there was a white horse, and its rider had a bow. He was given a crown, and he rode forth victorious to further his victories. (6:2)

[The Rider] is Jesus Christ. The inspired evangelist [St. John] not only saw the devastation brought about by sin, war, hunger and death; he also saw, in the first place, the victory of Christ. -- POPE PIUS XII, Address, November 15, 1946; footnote of The Navarre Bible, “Revelation”, p.70

That is, the first seal appears to be the beginning of the illumination of the Church that John foresaw at the beginning of Revelation. [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2009/01/the-coming-transfiguration/] This Rider upon the white horse [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2007/10/look-to-the-east/] prepares the remnant to cross the threshold of hope into the “promised land,” an era of peace and justice that St. John later denotes symbolically as a “thousand year” rule with Christ. [Rev 20:1-6] Can we not describe the quiet and often hidden formation of this little army of God, [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2009/10/our-ladys-battle/https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2008/03/the-battle-cry/] especially the laity, [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2011/07/the-hour-of-the-laity/] as the furthering of Christ’s victory and triumph over evil? Indeed, we see later in Revelation that this Rider upon the white horse is now followed by an army. [Rev 19:14] This is all to say, the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary has already begun in the hearts of those who heed her messages.

The approach of a universal “illumination of conscience” is signaled by the hard labor pains that follow the first seal: peace is taken away from the world (second seal); [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/the-hour-of-the-sword/] food shortages and rationing (third seal); pandemic and anarchy (fourth seal); and a minor persecution of the Church (fifth seal). [I say “minor” because the “major” persecution comes later under the reign of the “beast” (Rev 13:7)] Then, in the midst of global chaos, as the sixth seal is broken, it seems the entire world experiences the vision of the “lamb of God”, the paschal sacrifice, the crucified Lamb (though clearly, this is not the Final Return of Christ in glory):

Then I watched while he broke open the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; the sun turned as black as dark sackcloth and the whole moon became like blood. The stars in the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs shaken loose from the tree in a strong wind. Then the sky was divided like a torn scroll curling up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. The kings of the earth, the nobles, the military officers, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid themselves in caves and among mountain crags. They cried out to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come and who can withstand it?” (Rev 6:12-17)

Just as in the vision of Faustina and others, the sky is darkened, and the ensuing vision of the Lamb announces that “the great day of their wrath has come.” [https://www.markmallett.com/blog/faustina-and-the-day-of-the-lord/] There is a "great shaking," spiritually and even literally. [https://www.markmallett.com/embracinghopetv/archives/473] It is the hour of decision for the world to either choose the path of darkness or the path of light, which is Christ Jesus, before the earth is purified of wickedness. [Rev 19:20-21] Indeed, the seventh seal marks a period of silence -- the calm in the storm -- when the wheat is to be separated from the chaff after which the winds of judgment will begin to blow again.

The world at the approach of a new millennium, for which the whole Church is preparing, is like a field ready for the harvest. -- POPE JOHN PAUL II, World Youth Day, homily, August 15th, 1993

For we read that those who choose to follow the Lamb are sealed upon the forehead. [Rev 7:3] But those who refuse this moment of grace, as we read later, are marked with the number of the beast, the Antichrist. [Rev 13:16-18]

The stage will then be set for the final confrontation between the last armies of this age…


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