OUR LORD TOLD ST. FAUSTINA, “My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable Mercy. I desire that the ‘Feast of Mercy’ be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender Mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My Mercy.
THE SOUL THAT WILL GO TO CONFESSION AND RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION SHALL OBTAIN COMPLETE FORGIVENESS OF SINS ‘ANDPUNISHMENT.’
On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My Mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender Mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My Love and Mercy throughout eternity. The ‘Feast of Mercy’ emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be ‘solemnly celebrated on THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.’ Mankind will not have Peace until it turns to the fount of My Mercy.” (“Divine Mercy In My Soul,” Diary of St. Faustina, #699)
TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE FEAST OF MERCY:
1) Go to Confession.
2) Receive the Eucharist.
3) Offer prayers for the intentions of the Pope.
4) Recite the “Divine Mercy Chaplet”
in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament
Or
In a state of grace, practice a work of charity
in honor of The Divine Mercy.
“JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU”
(The more one chooses to trust, the more grace one receives.)
THE CHAPLET OF THE DIVINE MERCY is a Powerful prayer that pleads God’s Mercy on the whole world. (3:oo PM is the “Hour of Mercy.”)
“Today I was awakened by a great storm. The wind was raging, and it was raining in torrents, thunderbolts striking again and again. I began to pray that the storm would do no harm, when I heard the words: ‘Say the chaplet I have taught you, and the storm will cease.’ I began immediately to say the chaplet and hadn’t even finished it when the storm suddenly ceased, and I heard the words: ‘Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My Will.’” (“Divine Mercy In My Soul,” Diary of St. Faustina, #1731)
“When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the Just Judge but as the Merciful Savior.” (“Divine Mercy In My Soul,” Diary of St. Faustina, #1541)
Our Lord revealed to St. Faustina His desire to flood us with His graces on that day. Reflect on each of the promises and desires that He expressed about Divine Mercy Sunday, which are recorded in entry 699 of the Diary of St. Faustina -- the main passage about the Feast of Mercy:
• On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open.
• I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon souls who approach the Fount of My Mercy [the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist].
• The soul that will go to Confession [beforehand] and receive Holy Communion [on that day] shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.
• On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened.
• Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.
• My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout eternity.
• Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity.
• The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness.
• It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter.
• Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.
These promises and desires point to an amazing flood of graces that are available to us on Divine Mercy Sunday -- including complete forgiveness of sins and punishment! The slate can be wiped clean, and we can be granted a completely fresh start in life. _ Fr. George W. Kosicki, CSB
"The Christ of the University Brotherhood of Cordoba"
The result of the work of a team of scientists who are researchers of the Shroud of Turin. It is the only Shroud-based Crucifix in the world. In it, the wounds of Jesus Christ are reproduced exactly.
"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)
_______________
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.
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 notone, buttwo “second comings.”
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.
"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.
THE NOVENA
Each Day
1. Make the Sign of the Cross.
2. Make an Act of Contrition: Oh my God I am heartily sorry for having offended You. I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell. But most of all, because I offended You, oh my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen. 3.Pray the first 3 decades of the Rosary, with mysteries for the day.
4. Make the Meditation of the day.
5.Pray the last 2 decades of the Rosary, with mysteries for the day.
6. Finish with the Prayer to Mary, Undoer of Knots.
Meditation for Day 1
Dearest Holy Mother, Most Holy Mary, you undo the knots that suffocate your children. Extend your merciful hands to me. I entrust to you today this
knot [Mention your request here] and all the negative consequences that it provokes in my life. I give you this knot that torments me and makes me unhappy and so impedes me from uniting myself to you and your Son Jesus, my Savior. I run to you, Mary, Undoer of Knots, because I trust you and I know that you never despise a sinning child who comes to ask you for help. I believe that you can undo this knot because Jesus grants you everything. I believe that you want to undo this knot because you are my Mother. I believe that you will do this because you love me with eternal love. Thank you, Dear Mother.
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Prayer to Mary, Undoer of Knots
Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exists in your heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exist in my life. You know very well how desperate I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots.
Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I entrust into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the Evil One himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone.
Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with your Son and my Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot. [Mention your request here] I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my hope.
O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains. Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, protect me, O safe refuge!
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Meditation for Day 2
Mary, Beloved Mother, channel of all grace, I return to you today my heart, recognizing that I am a sinner in need of your help. Many times I lose the graces you grant me because of my sins of egoism, pride, rancor and my lack of generosity and humility. I turn to you today, Mary, Undoer of Knots, for you to ask your Son Jesus to grant me a pure, divested, humble and trusting heart. I will live today practicing these virtues and offering you this as a sign of my love for you. I entrust into your hands this knot [Mention your request here] which keeps me from reflecting the glory of God.
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Meditation for Day 3
Meditating Mother, Queen of heaven, in whose hands the treasures of the King are found, turn your merciful eyes upon me today. I entrust into your holy hands this knot in my life [Mention your request here] and all the rancor and resentment it has caused in me.
I ask Your forgiveness, God the Father, for my sin. Help me now to forgive all the persons who consciously or unconsciously provoked this knot. Give me, also, the grace to forgive me for having provoked this knot. Only in this way can You undo it.
Before you, dearest Mother, and in the Name of your Son Jesus, my Savior, Who has suffered so many offenses, having been granted forgiveness, I now forgive these persons [Mention their names here] and myself, forever. Thank you, Mary, Undoer of Knots for undoing the knot of rancor in my heart and the knot which I now present to you. Amen.
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
[Suggestion: You may want to pause, close your eyes, and ask Jesus who you need to forgive. Names and faces will come to your mind. These are the names you should mention.]
Meditation for Day 4
Dearest Holy Mother, you are generous with all who seek you, have mercy on me. I entrust into your hands this knot which robs the peace of my heart, paralyzes my soul and keeps me from going to my Lord and serving Him with my life. Undo this knot in my love [Mention your request here], O Mother, and ask Jesus to heal my paralytic faith, which gets downhearted with the stones on the road. Along with you, dearest Mother, may I see these stones as friends. Not murmuring against them anymore but giving endless thanks for them, may I smile trustingly in your power.
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Meditation for Day 5
Mother, Undoer of Knots, generous and compassionate, I come to you today to once again entrust this knot [Mention your request here] in my life to you and to ask the divine wisdom to undo, under the light of the Holy Spirit, this snarl of problems. No one ever saw you angry; to the contrary, your words were so charged with sweetness that the Holy Spirit was manifested on your lips. Take away from me the bitterness, anger, and hatred which this knot has caused me. Give me, O dearest Mother, some of the sweetness and wisdom that is all silently reflected in your heart. And just as you were present at Pentecost, ask Jesus to send me a new presence of the Holy Spirit at this moment in my life. Holy Spirit, come upon me!
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Meditation for Day 6
Queen of Mercy, I entrust to you this knot in my life [Mention your request here] and I ask you to give me a heart that is patient until you undo it. Teach
me to persevere in the living Word of Jesus, in the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Confession; stay with me and prepare my heart to celebrate with the angels the grace that will be granted to me. Amen. Alleluia!
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Meditation for Day 7
Mother Most Pure, I come to you today to beg you to undo this knot in my life [Mention your request here] and free me from the snares of evil. God has granted you great power over all the demons. I renounce all of them today, every connection I have had with them, and I proclaim Jesus as my one and
only Lord and Savior. Mary, Undoer of Knots, crush the Evil One’s head and destroy the traps he has set for me by this knot. Thank you, dearest Mother. Most Precious Blood of Jesus, free me!
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Meditation for Day 8
Virgin Mother of God, overflowing with mercy, have mercy on your child and undo this knot [Mention your request here] in my life. I need your visit to my life, like you visited Elizabeth. Bring me Jesus, bring me the Holy Spirit. Teach me to practice the virtues of courage, joyfulness, humility, and faith, and, like Elizabeth, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Make me joyfully rest on your bosom, Mary. I consecrate you as my Mother, Queen, and friend. I give you my heart and everything I have -- my home and family, my material and spiritual goods. I am yours forever. Put your heart in me so that I can do everything Jesus tells me.
Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Meditation for Day 9
Most Holy Mary, our Advocate, Undoer of Knots, I come today to thank you for undoing this knot in my life. You know very well the suffering it has
caused me. Thank you for coming, Mother, with your long fingers of mercy to dry the tears in my eyes; you receive me in your arms and make it possible for me to receive once again the divine grace. Mary, Undoer of Knots, dearest Mother, I thank you for undoing the knots in my life. Wrap me in your mantle of love, keep me under your protection, enlighten me with your peace. Amen.
[Suggestion: You may want to ask Mary to undo/untie the "knot of unbelief" in a loved one. I have found the Meditations and the Prayer to Mary, Undoer of Knots to be easily adaptable for this intention.]
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
It is no surprise to me when I find myself "in the right place, at the right time." But it never ceases to amaze me when I see how much God reallyis "in control." I just keep marching; God directs my path -- and I discover many "divine appointments" along the way.
There are so many people in need of God's healing touch. And many of the healings I witness are actually deliverances! I pray for wounded people in hospitals, churches, private homes and public places... Whenever and wherever I feel prompted by the Holy Spirit, I approach people. And the first question I always ask is, "Are you a believer?"
A positive response to this question is all I need to proceed. (For) The Lord replied,"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to [this] mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." (Luke 17:6)
At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him, saw that he had the faith to be healed, and called out in a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet." He jumped up and began to walk about. (Acts 14:8-10)
San Francisco, CA (1990) _ I met a man sitting on a sidewalk. As I passed by, he said something derogatory to me. I stopped and listened. The man was a disabled Viet Nam veteran full of anger, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness -- and despair. He was crippled, and blind in one eye.
I asked him if I could touch (and pray for) his blind eye. He gave his consent; I touched his blind eye; and, he immediately saw the brightness of the sun! Then Jesus spoke to him (in his mind) and promised to complete the restoration of his sight after he return home and be reconciled with his parents. And as we walked down the street together, he suddenly realized that he was no longer lame! Glory to God.
"Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Him on the way. (Mark 10:52) [Of course, "faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:17)." And, "all the dead were judged according to their deeds (Revelation 20:13)."]
Where there is no faith, there is no healing.
Although your faith will save you, there are blocks to receiving healing from God. I have been laying hands on people and praying for healing for a long time. (Deliverance is part of God's healing ministry.) Whenever I feel the anointing of the Holy Spirit, I am aware that God may want to use my hands to touch someone. Many are delivered and healed -- but not all.
Unforgiveness is the most common block that I encounter "among the faithful." Other common blocks are pride, anger, envy, bitterness and resentment... It is the Devil who wants you to hold on to anger, bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness... He knows these sins are blocks to receiving healing from God.
Forgiveness is not an option:"Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven."(Luke 6:37)... "If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."(Matthew 6:14-15)
If you are unwilling to forgive others (as an act of the will) -- if you choose to hold on to anger, bitterness, resentment... and unforgiveness -- don't expect to receive healing from God!
Where there is no forgiveness, there is no healing.
You must forgive everyone (alive and dead) -- unconditionally! This is an act of the will -- not a feeling. Your feelings will change -- but you must forgive first. Your forgiveness will set you free, and God will heal the hurt, the pain, the trauma...
Unforgiveness has layers, like an onion -- and each layer must be peeled away. When you are able to recall the damage done (the pain, the trauma...), and it doesn't hurt anymore, you will know your forgiveness is complete.
When I lay hands on someone, I usually ask what is happening... I need to know if the person is receiving the grace! When nothing happens, I know there is a block. Then, I usually ask Jesus to show the person who he/she needs to forgive. And immediately, names and faces come to the forefront of the person's mind. When the names and faces stop coming -- and the person has forgiven everyone -- I lay hands again, and the person usually receives God's grace (God's healing touch).
When you receive Holy Communion, ask Jesus to help you to remove the blocks in your life that prevent you from receiving His grace and blessing... "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)
If you want to enjoy God's favor, live a holy life!
Eternal Father, LORD of hosts, we confidently cry out to You in the Name of Your Son Jesus, who ministered to all who came to Him in faith.
With the powerful intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, St. Michael the Archangel, St. John Paul II, St. Catharine of Siena, St. Teresa of Avila, Venerable Matt Talbot (who triumphed over addiction), and all the saints and angels of heaven, we cry out for __________, and for all Your children who are bound by the chains of alcoholism or drug addiction.
Enfold them in Your love; restore them to freedom through Your grace. Give them graces of true repentance and conversion to Your Son Jesus. Transform them by the power of the Holy Spirit. And bless them with Your peace. Amen.
Eternal Father, God of mercy, look with compassion on all who have lost health, relationships, careers, and freedom due to alcoholism or drug addiction. Give them the assurance of Your unfailing mercy and strengthen them in the work of recovery. To friends and family who care for them, grant patient understanding and a love that perseveres. We ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, for all who are bound by the chains of alcoholism or drug addiction, and for the friends and family who care for them, we ask for all the graces you have to give us. Amen.
“Mother of God, spread the effect of grace of thy Flame of Love over all of humanity, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
It is the end of an era, and the beginning of sorrows.
Statue of Mary Survives Hurricane Sandy
At Fatima (1917) and at La Salette (1840s), the Blessed Virgin Mary was sent by God to warn that all humanity will suffer an increase in natural and man-made disasters, a Great Apostasy, God’s Justice and Divine Wrath, due to the increase of sin in the world. Our Lady comes to urgently call us to repentance, conversion, prayer and penance, that some of God’s Justice may be averted. But time is running out.
Cova da Iria, Fatima (July 13, 1917) _ Three shepherd children “saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendor that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice:‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’…”
_ From the third part of the “secret” of Fatima, committed to paper by Sister Lucia (January 3, 1944)
Question: Is it within God’s permissive will to allow the use of weapons of mass destruction (“man’s inhumanity to man”) to punish mankind?
Answer: “The angel with the flaming sword represents the threat of judgment which looms over the world. Today the prospect that the world might be reduced to ashes by a sea of fire no longer seems pure fantasy: man himself, with his inventions, has forged the flaming sword.”_ Pope Benedict XVI
“And let us not say that it is God Who is punishing us in this way; on the contrary it is people themselves who are preparing their own punishment. In His kindness God warns us and calls us to the right path, while respecting the freedom He has given us; hence people are responsible.” _ Sister Lucia, Fatima visionary, in a letter to Pope John Paul II (May 12, 1982)
This threat of judgment loomed over the world in 1917. We have been given almost one hundred years -- a century of Divine Mercy. But we now live in the darkest of days. We now live in a world begging for purification…
“I (Jesus) do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart. I use punishment when they themselves force Me to do so; My hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice. Before the Day of Justice I am sending the Day of Mercy.” (1588) “He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice…” (1146) _ From the Diary of St. Faustina, “Divine Mercy in My Soul”
“And so the Church has a profound need to re-learn penance, to accept purification, to learn on the one hand forgiveness but also the necessity of justice. And forgiveness does not substitute justice.” Pope Benedict XVI, During his flight to Fatima (May 11, 2010)
Today, the earth groans under the weight of man’s sins and cries out in a loud voice:“Purification, Purification, Purification!”It is now midnight; it is the end of an age, when man begins to reap the full harvest of what he has sown. The Purification has come, and there is terrible Chastisement on the horizon.
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that the Antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. Thus we know this is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)
The current “global climate of fear” is understandable. For those who do not have faith in Jesus Christ, there is only fear. Fear is all they know.
It is the beginning of sorrows... as global and regional chastisements befall us:“Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!”
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.)
“An age is coming to an end, not just the end of a remarkable century but the end of seventeen hundred years of Christendom. The greatest apostasy since the birth of the Church is clearly far advanced all around us.” _ Dr. Ralph Martin, Consultor to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization
Let no one deceive you in any way… the apostasy comes first and (then) the lawless one is revealed… (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
From “Divine Mercy Answers Life’s Crises and Problems”
By Fr. George W. Kosicki, C.S.B.
Father George Kosicki, CSB (1928 - 2014) worked with
the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception
in spreading the message of Divine Mercy.
“What Should I Do When I’m Addicted?”
There are various types of addictions. They all affect the whole person in body, mind and spirit. The various addictions begin with a seeking of euphoria or pleasure and eventually end in moral degradation and violent behavior. Consider the following:
Addiction to alcohol is a complex phenomenon that involves the chemistry of the brain, genetic propensity stimulated by excessive intake of alcohol and stress. Some researchers have shown that the break down product of alcohol is not excreted but is “dumped” into the brain and sits on the site of the endorphins. The endorphins are the natural chemicals that stimulate a sense of well-being and pleasure. The end product of alcohol metabolism blocks the site of the natural endorphins -- so the alcoholic is addicted to stimulating the endorphin pleasure site with alcohol.
Addiction to drugs (such as heroine, etc.) follows the same pattern as the end-product of the metabolism of alcohol’s inhibiting the natural endorphins. So the drug addict seeks the euphoria of the drug in a compulsive way.
Addiction to pornography is the latest addition to the list of addictions. The euphoric site in the brain is stimulated to give a sense of pleasure from looking at pornographic materials, for example on the internet. Researchers are reporting that addiction to pornography is the major cause of most of the violent action of molestation of the young and the break-up of the family.
“What Should I Do As An Addict?”
There are Twelve-Step programs for each of the various addictions. Seek them out for help; that is why they exist.
In terms of Divine Mercy as the antidote to addiction, consider the following points that echo the Twelve-Step programs:
Admit your misery and your inability to overcome the complex pneumo-psycho-somatic (spiritual, psychological and physical) addiction by yourself. Turn to God’s mercy. Plunge into the ocean of God’s mercy with complete trust.
Repent of your sinful addiction and repent of your violent actions and moral degradation in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Ask a prayer group or a priest to pray over you for healing of the addiction.
Trust in God Who in His infinite mercy is always ready to forgive and to heal.
Seek out a support group of merciful friends to encourage you and challenge you to keep your resolutions.
Stop all addictive behavior by the grace of God -- i.e., no alcohol, no drugs, no porn...
Start with a new life -- new friends, new work if needed to reduce stress, new hobbies, new recreations, change your diet to a balanced intake of food.
Start a life of mercy in action: by deeds, by word and by prayer. Seek out ways to be merciful to those in need of help.
Repent of your self-concern and be concerned for others.
Continue in regular, daily prayer of thanks and asking the Lord for mercy on all those with addictions.
Receive regular and frequent Holy Communion to strengthen and nourish you with the Body and Blood of the Lord, the Presence of Mercy Incarnate.
Entrust your new life to Mary our Mother, the Mother of Divine Mercy.
