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Showing posts with label St. Faustina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Faustina. Show all posts

4/14/2018

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY


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 ‘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 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)


 

“JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU”
“MARY, TAKE OVER”


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4/06/2018

THE FEAST OF MERCY


What graces can I receive on this day?

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

~ * * * ~ 

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.

Click link

CHAPLET OF THE DIVINE MERCY
Recorded at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy 
Eden Hill, Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Viewed worldwide on EWTN.

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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…


_______________

5/12/2014

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

“For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.” (Ephesians 6:12)

 
“Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.” _ Diary of St. Faustina (1760)  

The Rosary is our weapon against the world, the flesh, the Devil and his evil spirits. And living a Sacramental life [Daily Mass (when possible) and frequent Confession] is the best defense we have against the enemy.


POWER OF THE BLESSING

Evil spirits often speak, rant and rave through people. The good news is that we have the power to silence them. When these spiritual attacks occur, immediately respond with a blessing:

“Lord Jesus, please bless this person / 
these people.”

“Lord Jesus, please bless everyone
in this house.”
- etcetera -

The blessing will drive the evil spirits away, and the person will become quiet. (It may take a few moments for the person to calm down, but you will have defused the situation.) When we bless those who curse us, deliverance occurs.

When entering a building
(house, office, store, church…)
Or a car, bus, train, plane…
ALWAYS ASK JESUS TO BLESS EVERYONE.

“Lord Jesus, please bless everyone 
in this place.”

“Lord Jesus, please bless everyone 
I come in contact with.”

This will prevent the enemy from using others against you. Evil spirits cause people to behave badly. But you can protect yourself.

Before answering the phone
and before making a call,
ALWAYS ASK JESUS TO BLESS
THE PHONE CALL -- TO BLESS
THE PERSON ON THE OTHER END.

“Lord Jesus, please bless
this phone call.”

“Lord Jesus, please bless _____ 
(the person you are calling).”

This will prevent the enemy from interfering with your conversation. Evil spirits cause confusion, misunderstandings, arguments… But you can protect yourself.
 

_______________


PLEADING THE BLOOD OF JESUS
(APPLYING THE BLOOD OF JESUS)

A Defensive Prayer for Protection

“I plead the Blood of Jesus on 
my spouse and children.” 

“I plead the Blood of Jesus on 
my family, home and property.” 

“I plead the Blood of Jesus on 
my church and on all church property.” 
- etcetera - 

Evil spirits, and people under their influence, will avoid everything covered with the Blood of Jesus.

An Offensive Spiritual Weapon for Deliverance

“I plead the Blood of Jesus on my mind. 
I plead the Blood of Jesus on 
every thought in my mind.” 

“I plead the Blood of Jesus on
my body.”

“I plead the Blood of Jesus on 
every evil spirit attacking my mind 
and body.” 

“I plead the Blood of Jesus on
the air and atmosphere in this place.”

Use this spiritual weapon when you are harassed by impure thoughts, attacked with strong temptation, tempted to commit sin… when thoughts distract you during Mass, interfere with your prayer life, torment you during the night, preventing a good sleep… when you are afflicted with depressive or obsessive-compulsive thoughts… when your thoughts falsely accuse you of wrongdoing… when your thoughts are overly critical of yourself… when your thoughts become confused or “out of control”… when your thoughts are not your own…
 

 
St. Faustina Kowalska

From the Diary of St. Faustina, “Divine Mercy in My Soul”: Conference on Spiritual Warfare, Cracow-Pradnik

June 2, 1938 _ “My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My Will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My Name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.

Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone’s opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My Heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.

Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.” (1760)
 
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1/03/2014

BEGINNING OF SORROWS

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)

_______________

2/21/2013

CONFESSION: HEALING THE SOUL

One’s mortal sin testifies to Satan’s victory in one’s life.

When’s the last time you went to confession? The Sacrament of Reconciliation not only takes away our sins, but takes away any “right” Satan has that we may have relinquished to him through sin. One exorcist told me that a lot of deliverance happens in the context of sacramental confession... The voice of the accuser is silenced in the face of God’s mercy, thus restoring peace of mind and soul. Satan is a “liar and the father of lies.” So when you bring the lies you’ve been living into the light, the darkness scatters. _ Mark Mallett, Hell Unleashed: The Sacraments,
 https://www.markmallett.com/blog/hell-unleashed/
 
Sacrament of Reconciliation - Penance / Confession

Jesus told St. Faustina:

“Write, speak of My mercy. Tell souls where they are to look for solace, that is, in the Tribunal of Mercy [the Sacrament of Reconciliation]. There the greatest miracles take place [and] are incessantly repeated. To avail oneself of this miracle, it is not necessary to go on a great pilgrimage, or to carry out some external ceremony; it suffices to come with faith to the feet of My representative and to reveal to Him one's misery, and the miracle of Divine Mercy will be fully demonstrated. Were souls like a decaying corpse so that from a human standpoint there would be no [hope of] restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full.” _ Diary of St. Faustina, “Divine Mercy in My Soul” (1448)

“When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble souls.” _ Diary of St. Faustina, “Divine Mercy in My Soul” (1602)  
 

Dr. Ray Guarendi

“‘Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned Your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with You. I need You. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into Your redeeming embrace.’ How good it feels to come back to Him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking His mercy.” _ Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium

“When I go to confession, it’s for healing: healing the soul, healing the heart because of something that I did to make it unwell.” _ Pope Francis

Through the Sacraments, we receive sanctifying grace. The Sacrament of Confession is more powerful than the rite of exorcism. And living a Sacramental life is the best defense we have against the Devil.

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6/02/2012

THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

“Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” (Mark 3:28-30)

This sin (blasphemy against the Holy Spirit) is called an everlasting sin because it attributes to Satan, who is the power of evil, what is actually the work of the Holy Spirit, namely, victory over the demons. (NAB)

“Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:31-32)

“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” (Luke 12:10)
 
Saint Augustine explains the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit to be “final impenitence” -- that is, dying in a state of un-repentance. The refusal to repent of mortal sin, even at the moment of one’s death, is absolutely opposed to the remission of sins. (Until death, it is possible to repent of any sin, renounce evil, and embrace the One True Faith.)

Refusal to accept the salvation 
which God offers to man.



(Pope) Saint John Paul II
Dominum et Vivificantem
On the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church
and the World

#6 -- The Sin Against the Holy Spirit 
46) …(W)hoever rejects (the “convincing concerning sin” which comes from) the Spirit and the (redemptive power of Christ’s) Blood remains in “dead works,” in sin. And the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit consists precisely in the radical refusal to accept this forgiveness… If Jesus says that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven either in this life or in the next, it is because this “non-forgiveness” is linked, as to its cause, to “non-repentance,” in other words to the radical refusal to be converted… Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, then, is the sin committed by the person who claims to have a “right” to persist in evil -- in any sin at all -- and who thus rejects Redemption. One closes oneself up in sin, thus making impossible one’s conversion, and consequently the remission of sins, which one considers not essential or not important for one’s life. This is a state of spiritual ruin, because blasphemy against the Holy Spirit does not allow one to escape from one’s self-imposed imprisonment and open oneself to the divine sources of the purification of consciences and of the remission of sins.

~ * * * ~

“Be not afraid of your Savior, O sinful soul. I make the first move to come to you, for I know that by yourself you are unable to lift yourself to Me. Child, do not run away from your Father; be willing to talk openly with your God of mercy Who wants to speak words of pardon and lavish His graces on you. How dear your soul is to Me! I have inscribed your name upon My hand; you are engraved as a deep wound in My Heart.”

…“My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of My goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I allowed Myself to be nailed to the Cross; for you I let My Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the Source of mercy for you. Come, then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart. Your misery has disappeared in the depths of My mercy. Do not argue with Me about your wretchedness. You will give Me pleasure if you hand over to Me all your troubles and grief. I shall heap upon you the treasures of My grace...” 
Jesus -to- Saint Faustina, “Divine Mercy in My Soul” (1485)

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2/21/2012

HELL EXISTS!

“For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?” (Mark 8:36)

Souls of the Damned in Hell being Tormented by Demons

I remember thinking:
“A fire that consumes without destroying.”
And then the Holy Spirit responded,
“Like the burning bush.”

Moses and the Burning Bush

Jesus often speaks of “Gehenna” of “the unquenchable fire” reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost. (Matthew 5:22,29;10:28;13:42,50 / Mark 9:43-48) Jesus solemnly proclaims that He “will send His angels, and they will gather… all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,” (Matthew 13:41-42) and that He will pronounce the condemnation: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!” (Matthew 25:41)

The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of Hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, “eternal fire.” The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in Whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

… Since we know neither the day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly so that, when the single course of our earthly life is completed, we may merit to enter with Him into the marriage feast and be numbered among the blessed, and not, like the wicked and slothful servants, be ordered to depart into the eternal fire, into the outer darkness where “men will weep and gnash their teeth.” (Matthew 22:13; 25:13,26,30,31-46 / Hebrews 9:27)
[Catechism of the Catholic Church: 1034 - 1036]


THE “LAKE OF FIRE” IN REVELATION
IS “SYMBOLIC” OF GOD’S PUNISHMENT

And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; and if any one’s name was not found written in the book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14-15)

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)


ONE TORTURE IN HELL IS
A PURELY “SPIRITUAL” FIRE
THAT CONSUMES WITHOUT DESTROYING

St. John Paul II - Divine Mercy image - St. Faustina

Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
“Divine Mercy in My Soul”
(Notebook 2, Paragraph 741)

Today, I was led by an Angel to the chasms of Hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is! The kinds of tortures I saw: the first torture that constitutes hell is the loss of God; the second is perpetual remorse of conscience; the third is that one’s condition will never change; the fourth (torture) is the fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it -- a terrible suffering, since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God’s anger; the fifth torture is continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and, despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own; the sixth torture is the constant company of Satan; the seventh torture is horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies. These are the tortures suffered by all the damned together, but that is not the end of the sufferings. There are special tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which it has sinned. There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another. I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me. Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like.

I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence. I cannot speak about it now; but I have received a command from God to leave it in writing. The devils were full of hatred for me, but they had to obey me at the command of God. What I have written is but a pale shadow of the things I saw. But I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell. When I came to, I could hardly recover from the fright. How terribly souls suffer there! Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. I incessantly plead God's mercy upon them. O my Jesus, I would rather be in agony until the end of the world, amidst the greatest sufferings, than offend You by the least sin.

“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of Hell,
lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those who are in most need of 
Thy mercy.”
Prayer requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima

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FOUR PRINCIPAL TORMENTS IN HELL
 
Dictated by St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) during a state of ecstasy while in dialog with God the Father.

 
Of the four principal torments of the damned, from which follow all the others; and particularly of the foulness of the Devil.

“My daughter, the tongue is not sufficient to narrate the pain of these poor souls. As there are three principal vices, namely: self-love, whence proceeds the second, that is love of reputation, whence proceeds the third, that is pride, with injustice and cruelty, and with other filthiness and iniquitous sins, that follow upon these. So I say to you, that in Hell, the souls have four principal torments, out of which proceed all the other torments. The first is, that they see themselves deprived of the vision of Me, which is such pain to them, that, were it possible, they would rather choose the fire, and the tortures and torments, and to see Me, than to be without the torments and not to see Me.

This first pain revives in them, then, the second, the worm of Conscience, which gnaws unceasingly, seeing that the soul is deprived of Me, and of the conversation of the angels, through her (his) sin, made worthy of the conversation and sight of the devils, which vision of the Devil is the third pain and redoubles to them their every toil. As the saints exult in the sight of Me, refreshing themselves with joyousness in the fruit of their toils borne for Me with such abundance of love, and displeasure of themselves, so does the sight of the Devil revive these wretched ones to torments, because in seeing him they know themselves more, that is to say, they know that, by their own sin, they have made themselves worthy of him. And so the worm of Conscience gnaws more and more, and the fire of this Conscience never ceases to burn. And the sight is more painful to them, because they see him in his own form, which is so horrible that the heart of man could not imagine it. And if you remember well, you know that I showed him to you in his own form for a little space of time, hardly a moment, and you chose (after you had returned to yourself) rather to walk on a road of fire, even until the Day of Judgment, than to see him again. With all this that you have seen, even you do not know well how horrible he is, because, by Divine justice, he appears more horrible to the soul that is deprived of Me, and more or less according to the gravity of her (his) sin. The fourth torment that they have is the fire. This fire burns and does not consume, for the being of the soul cannot be consumed, because it is not a material thing that fire can consume. But I, by Divine justice, have permitted the fire to burn them with torments, so that it torments them, without consuming them, with the greatest pains in diverse ways according to the diversity of their sins, to some more, and to some less, according to the gravity of their fault. Out of these four torments issue all others, such as cold and heat and gnashing of the teeth and many others. Now because they did not amend themselves after the first reproof that they had of injustice and false judgment, neither in the second, which was that, in death, they would not hope in Me, nor grieve for the offense done to Me, but only for their own pain, have they thus so miserably received Eternal Punishment.”

The Dialog of Saint Catherine of Siena
A Treatise of Discretion (pp. 42-43)
 
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