Urgent Messages Regarding the Rise of the Anti-christ and Suppression of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

My Brothers and sisters in Christ,

As I have stated on so many previous occasions, the times through which we are living are dire indeed!  The Anti-christ is on the verge of his full manifestation.  First, it must be understood that certain key members of the Church hierarchy itself, from within the Vatican itself, have allied themselves with the Evil One through Masonic forces which have infiltrated the very summit of the Church.  This dark day has been prophesied by numerous Saints, Blesseds and mystics, and has been confirmed in numerous Church-approved Marian apparitions.  According to a message released yesterday from the website, http://www.thewarningsecondcoming.com, there is an insidious plan to oust His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, who, according to the prophecies of St. Malachy, would, indeed, be the last valid Pope until the short, yet tremendously powerful reign of Petrus Romanus (or Pope Peter of Rome, the last Pope).  According to the visionary, Pope Benedict XVI will eventually be forced to leave the Vatican.  We must all pray that He might be given the strength to withstand the dark, demonic forces from within the Vatican itself that wish to have him removed as the validly elected and divinely appointed Vicar of Christ on earth that he indeed is.  For, when the time comes that he is forced to leave, it will precisely be at that point that the anti-pope, the Anti-christ himself, shall seat himself on the holy chair of Truth, and begin to disseminate vicious lies and heresies regarding the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist, the “source and summit” of our lives as Christians.  Informed Christians who are aware that not even the Pope himself has the authority to alter any of the divinely revealed truths which constitute the Sacred Deposit of Faith will know that these “new” interpretations regarding the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Our Lord’s True Presence, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Most Holy Eucharist will undoubtedly constitute heresy.  We must pray for our priests during this most trying time, for they will, quite literally, be forced to make some of the most difficult decisions they will have ever been faced with.  It will be necessary for priests and laity alike to reject the new heretical interpretations, issued by a Vatican that will be under the power and control of the Anti-christ himself, regarding the Mass as merely a “sacred meal” and not the Holy Sacrifice of Christ made present in an unbloody fashion; that is, the TRUE Paschal Mystery of Christ, which renews and makes present the once-for-all perfect offering of Christ to the Father and continues the work of our redemption.  The “new” policies will be accepted by many, if not most, and hence, we shall witness, with our own eyes, the “abomination of desolation” spoken of by the prophet Daniel in the Old Testament, whereby the daily sacrifice, namely, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, shall be suppressed for a period of approximately three and one-half years, as it is written in Holy Scripture.

What is more, the Anti-christ, having come by means of the power and authority of Satan Himself, will apparently  be endowed with miraculous powers and supernatural abilities thet will have come from Satan himself, and it shall precisely be through the exercise of these demonic powers and supernatural abilities that many, many persons of the earth shall come to believe in his power and authority.  People of the earth, DO NOT BE DECEIVED!

The message can be read in its entirety simply by clicking on the following link: 

 http://www.thewarningsecondcoming.com/they-intend-to-oust-pope-benedict-xiv-from-the-seat-of-peter-using-devious-means/)

 Please pass this on to as many Roman Catholics as you know!!!

The Hour of the Father’s Justice

Michaelangelo’s “Final Judgment”

By Jayson M. Brunelle

Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians

Official Church teaching has always recognized the reality and importance of the sensus fidelium, or the sense of the faithful who, “anointed as they are by the Holy One cannot err in matters of belief” (Lumen Gentium, 12). Moreover, by virtue of their Baptism into the one Mystical Body of Christ, and imbued, each and all, by the same unifying Spirit, the Christian faithful enjoy and exercise an authentic participation in the Prophetic office of Christ. Further still, St. Paul, speaking specifically on prophetic utterances, offers the Church the following sage advise: “Extinguish not the spirit. Despise not prophecies. But prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thes 5:19-21). Finally, we do well to heed the following words of His Holiness Pope Urban VIII who, as the Vicar of Christ on earth during the 17th Century, offered the following advise to the faithful concerning private revelations: ”In cases which concern private revelations, it is better to believe than not to believe, for, if you believe, and it is proven true, you will be happy that you have believed, because our Holy Mother asked it. If you believe, and it should be proven false, you will receive all blessings as if it had been true, because you believed it to be true” (Pope Urban VIII, 1623-44).  

In light of what has been stated above, it seems to this author that the most appropriate response of the faithful to those private revelations which, due in large part to the notoriously long processes involved in the authentication and/or approval of the Church, have not yet been officially approved, recognized or even investigated, yet contain nothing contrary to either faith or morality as taught by the Magisterium and additionally are, indeed, in accord with the copious end-time prophecies contained within Sacred Scripture itself, should, in a spirit of prayerful and prudent discernment, be given serious consideration at the very least.

President Barack Obama’s Pro-Abortion Record: A Pro-Life Compilation

President Obama and his administration have shown, through both words and legislative deeds, that they fully espouse and, if re-elected, will undoubtedly continue to promote a “culture of death” in both America and beyond.

by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 11/7/10 8:31 PM

Re-printed with permission.

Updated April 13, 2012

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The following is a compilation of bill signings, speeches, appointments and other actions that President Barack Obama has engaged in that have promoted abortion before and during his presidency.

While Obama has promised to reduce abortions and some of his supporters believe that will happen, this long list proves his only agenda is promoting more abortions.

To read the article in full, please click on the following link: http://www.lifenews.com/2010/11/07/obamaabortionrecord/

Sacred Scripture on Abortion

Give Un-Born Women the Right to Choose!

Since the nation-wide legalization of abortion via the Supreme Court decision in the landmark case of Roe vs. Wade, media giants with radical left-wing, liberal biases and agendas have erroneously and insidiously been promoting and promulgating abortion as a “fundamental right of women” and a “women’s health issue,” while entirely ignoring the overwhelming scientific research that has clearly indicated a statistically significant correlation amongst women who have had at least one abortion in their lives and the subsequent occurrence of profound physiological and psychological pathology.  The liberal media simply cannot be excused for their utter negligence regarding their failure to report scientific facts regarding an issue that simply would not be nearly as “controversial” as it is had it not been for a concerted effort to manipulate the minds of the masses by feeding them a steady stream of mis-information regarding this issue.

Setting science aside for a moment (a most trustworthy, valid and reliable method of coming to “know” reality, provided that it is not set apart from and/or exalted over and above other equally worthy sources of valid and reliable knowledge, such as truths that have been Divinely Revealed through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition), let’s take a look at some of the salient passages contained within Sacred Scripture (quoted from the Douay-Rheims Bible) that clearly reveal the Lord’s views regarding the shedding of innocent blood; an egregious practice that has become the big business of the abortion industry, specifically, Planned Parenthood, through which it is practicing, and making SERIOUS MONEY doing so, nothing short of legalized infanticide.  Keep in mind that this is the very same Scripture upon which Presidents and politicians make their oaths to uphold their civic duties and pledge to protect the welfare and best interests of the citizens they have been elected to represent:   

*     *     *     *     *

Gen. 4:10: ”And he said to him: What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth to me from the earth.”  

 

Gen. 9:6: “Whosoever shall shed man’s blood, his blood shall be shed: for man was made to the image of God.”  

 

Deut. 19:10: “That innocent blood may not be shed in the midst of the land which the Lord thy God will give thee to possess, lest thou be guilty of blood.”  

 

Prov. 6:16-18: ”Six things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood…” 

 

Hab. 2:8: ”Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all that shall be left of the people shall spoil thee: because of men’s blood, and for the iniquity of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.”  

 

Ps. 106:36-38: ”And they were mingled among the heathens, and learned their works: and served their idols, and it became a stumblingblock to them. And they sacrificed their sons, and their daughters to devils. And they shed innocent blood: the blood of their sons and of their daughters which they sacrificed to the idols of Chanaan. And the land was polluted with blood, and was defiled with their works…” 

 

Isaiah 59:7: “Their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are unprofitable thoughts: wasting and destruction are in their ways.” 

 

Ezekiel 35:6: “Therefore as I live, saith the Lord God, I will deliver thee up to blood, and blood shall pursue thee: and whereas thou hast hated blood, blood shall pursue thee.”

 

Joel 3:19: “Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom a wilderness destroyed: because they have done unjustly against the children of Juda, and have shed innocent blood in their land.”

 

And last, but by no means least:

 

Exodus 20:13: “Thou shalt not kill;” otherwise referred to as the Fifth Commandment.

 

Please take the time to view the below inserted video containing a shocking, candid interview with a former abortion provider:

 

April 28, Feast of St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, Champion of Consecration to Jesus through Mary

St. Louis de Montfort

Source: Catholic Encyclopedia, 1917 – www.newadvent.com

“Missionary in Brittany and Vendee; born at Montfort, 31 January, 1673; died at Saint Laurent sur Sevre, 28 April, 1716.”

“From his childhood, he was indefatigably devoted to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and, when from his twelfth year he was sent as a day pupil to the Jesuit college at Rennes, he never failed to visit the church before and after class. He joined a society of young men who during holidays ministered to the poor and to the incurables in the hospitals, and read for them edifying books during their meals. At the age of nineteen, he went on foot to Paris to follow the course in theology, gave away on the journey all his money to the poor, exchanged clothing with them, and made a vow to subsist thenceforth only on alms. He was ordained priest at the age of twenty-seven, and for some time fulfilled the duties of chaplain in a hospital. In 1705, when he was thirty-two, he found his true vocation, and thereafter devoted himself to preaching to the people. During seventeen years he preached the Gospel in countless towns and villages. As an orator he was highly gifted, his language being simple but replete with fire and divine love. His whole life was conspicuous for virtues difficult for modern degeneracy to comprehend: constant prayer, love of the poor, poverty carried to an unheard-of degree, joyin humiliations and persecutions.”

“The following two instances will illustrate his success. He once gave a mission for the soldiers of the garrison at La Rochelle, and moved by his words, the men wept, and cried aloud for the forgiveness of their sins. In the procession which terminated this mission, an officer walked at the head, barefooted and carrying a banner, and the soldiers, also barefooted, followed, carrying in one hand a crucifix, in the other a rosary, and singing hymns.”

“Grignion’s extraordinary influence was especially apparent in the matter of the calvary at Pontchateau. When he announced his determination of building a monumental calvary on a neighbouring hill, the idea was enthusiastically received by the inhabitants. For fifteen months between two and four hundred peasants worked daily without recompense, and the task had just been completed, when the king commanded that the whole should be demolished, and the land restored to its former condition. The Jansenists had convinced the Governor of Brittany that a fortress capable of affording aid to persons in revolt was being erected, and for several months five hundred peasants, watched by a company of soldiers, were compelled to carry out the work of destruction. Father de Montfort was not disturbed on receiving this humiliating news, exclaiming only: “Blessed be God!”

“This was by no means the only trial to which Grignion was subjected. It often happened that the Jansenists, irritated by his success, secure by their intrigues his banishment form the district, in which he was giving a mission. At La Rochelle some wretches put poison into his cup of broth, and, despite the antidote which he swallowed, his health was always impaired. On another occasion, some malefactors hid in a narrow street with the intention of assassinating him, but he had a presentiment of danger and escaped by going by another street. A year before his death, Father de Montfort founded two congregations — the Sisters of Wisdom, who were to devote themselves to hospital work and the instruction of poor girls, and the Company of Mary, composed of missionaries. He had long cherished these projects but circumstances had hindered their execution, and, humanly speaking, the work appeared to have failed at his death, since these congregations numbered respectively only four sisters and two priests with a few brothers. But the blessed founder, who had on several occasions shown himself possessed of the gift of prophecy, knew that the tree would grow. At the beginning of the twentieth century the Sisters of Wisdom numbered five thousand, and were spread throughout every country; they possessed forty-four houses, and gave instruction to 60,000 children. After the death of its founder, the Company of Mary was governed for 39 years by Father Mulot. He had at first refused to join de Montfort in his missionary labours. “I cannot become a missionary”, said he, “for I have been paralysed on one side for years; I have an affection of the lungs which scarcely allows me to breathe, and am indeed so ill that I have no rest day or night.” But the holy man, impelled by a sudden inspiration, replied, “As soon as you begin to preach you will be completely cured.” And the event justified the prediction. Grignion de Montfort was beatified by Leo XIII in 1888″ (Poulain, 1917).

Eventually, on 20 July, 1947, Grignion de Montfort was canonized by His Holiness Pope Pius XII in the Basilica of St. Peter.

Among de Montfort’s great contributions to the Church are his collected writings on the Blessed Virgin and what he terms, “true devotion” to her.  Blessed Pope John Paul II, in a letter to the Monfortian Fathers, stated the following regarding the impact that de Montfort’s book, True Devotion to Mary, had on him and on his own subsequent Marian spirituality: “I myself, in the years of my youth, found reading this book a great help. ‘There I found the answers to my questions’, for at one point I had feared that if my devotion to Mary ‘became too great, it might end up compromising the supremacy of the worship owed to Christ’ (Gift and Mystery). Under the wise guidance of St. Louis Marie, I realized that if one lives the mystery of Mary in Christ, this risk does not exist. In fact, this Saint’s Mariological thought ‘is rooted in the mystery of the Trinity and in the truth of the Incarnation of the Word of God’”

De Montfort’s writings can be read on-line, free of charge, simply by clicking here.

 

Works Cited

Poulain, Augustin. “St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 28 Apr. 2012.

Our Lady of Good Counsel, Traditionally Celebrated on April 26th

Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Good Counsel

Source: Catholic Encyclopedia, 1917 – www.newadvent.com

“Records dating from the reign of Paul II (1464-71) relate that the picture of Our Lady, at first called “La Madonna del Paradiso” and now better known as “Madonna del Buon Consiglio”, appeared at Genazzano, a town about twenty-five miles southeast of Rome, on St. Mark’s Day, 25 April, 1467, in the old church of Santa Maria, which had been under the care of Augustinians since 1356. The venerated icon itself, which is drawn on a thin scale of wall-plaster little thicker than a visiting-card, was observed to hang suspended in the air without the slightest apparent support; thus early tradition, which furthermore tells how one might have passed a thread around the image without touching it. At once devotion to Our Lady in Santa Maria sprang up; pilgrim-bands began to resort thither; while miracles in ever-increasing numbers, of which a register was opened two days after the event, were wrought, as they still continue to be, at the shrine. In July following, Pope Paul deputed two bishops to investigate the alleged wonder-working image. Their report, however, is not known to be extant. The cult of Our Lady increased. In 1630 Urban VIII himself went to Genazzano on a pilgrimage, as did Pius IX in 1864. On 17 November, 1682, Innocent XI had the picture crowned with gold by the Vatican Basilica. In 1727 Benedict XIII granted the clergy of Genazzano an Office and Mass of Our Lady for 25 April, anniversary of the apparition, elsewhere the feast being kept a day later so as not to conflict with that of St. Mark the Evangelist. On 2 July, 1753, Benedict XIV approved of the Pious Union of Our Lady of Good Counsel for the faithful at large, and was himself enrolled therein as its pioneer member; Pius IX was a member, and also Leo XIII. On 18 December, 1779, Pius VI, while re-approving the cult of Our Lady, granted all Augustinians an Office with hymns, lessons, prayer and Mass proper of double-major rite; with a plenary indulgence also for the faithful, to which Pius VIII added another for visitors to the shrine. On 18 December, 1884, Leo XIII approved of a new Office and Mass of second-class rite for all Augustinians, while on 17 March, 1903, he elevated the church of Santa Maria — one of the four parish churches at Genazzano — to the rank of minor basilica; and, on 22 April following, authorized the insertion in the Litany of Loreto of the invocation “Mater Boni Consillii” to follow that of “Mater Admirabilis”. The same pontiff, ten years earlier (21 December, 1893) had sanctioned the use of the White Scapular of Our Lady of Good Counsel for the faithful. In the United States there are many churches and institutions in honour of Our Ladyof Good Counsel” (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1917).

Works Cited

Middleton, Thomas. “Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 29 Apr. 2012 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11361a.htm>.

Let Us Celebrate the Great Feast of Divine Mercy Sunday!

Image of Jesus, the Divine Mercy, St. Faustina and Blessed Pope John Paul II, who instituted the feast and entered into his eternal reward on the vigil of the feast day in 2005

The Second Sunday of Easter, which is celebrated today, April 15, 2012, is the Feast of the Divine Mercy.  Through a series of profound private revelations given to the mystic and Saint Faustina, whom our Lord referred to as His “Secretary of Mercy,” there arose, in the twentieth century, a new emphasis on age-old truths of the faith regarding the depths of Christ’s Divine Mercy for the whole world, particularly for these, our troubled times.

What follows is a re-print of the time-line of pivotal events leading up to the beatification and canonization of St. Faustina, and the key role played by Cardinal Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) in the institution of this great Feast of Divine Mercy.  The time-line, in its entirety, can be viewed by clicking here.    

 

October 21, 1965	Informative Process of Sr. Faustina’s life and virtues is opened by Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow, encouraged by Cardinal Ottaviani, the Prefect of the Holy Office.
September 1967	Informative Process closes; Cardinal Wojtyla sends acts to Rome, January 31, 1968. The process of Beatification of Sr. Faustina is inaugurated.
April 15, 1978	Prefect of Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declares the Notification ban no longer binding.
October 16, 1978	Cardinal Karol Wojtyla becomes Pope John Paul II.
July 12, 1979	Marians receive an authoritative explanation of the Notification issued by the Prefect for the Doctrine of Faith stating that no impediments exist in the spread of the message and devotion to the Divine Mercy in the forms proposed by Sr. Faustina.
May 1980	Marians publish critical edition of Sr. Faustina’s Diary in Polish.
November 30, 1980	Pope John Paul II issues encyclical on the Divine Mercy.
November 22, 1981	Pope John Paul II visits the Shrine of Merciful Love in Collevalenza near Todi, Italy, stating that, “Right from the beginning of my ministry in St. Peter’s See in Rome, I considered this message (of Divine Mercy) my special task.”
1986	Marians publish critical edition of Sr. Faustina’s Diary in English.
April 10, 1991	Pope John Paul II links the encyclical’s message to Sr. Faustina.
March 7, 1992	Decree of Heroic Virtues of Sr. Faustina is promulgated.
December 1992	Miracle through intercession of Sr. Faustina is accepted.
April 18, 1993	Sr. Faustina beatified in Rome on Second Sunday of Easter.
January 2000	Second miracle through Bl. Faustina intercession is accepted.
April 30, 2000	Bl. Faustina is canonized in Rome on Divine Mercy Sunday and Divine Mercy Sunday is proclaimed.
May 5, 2000	Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issues a Decree proclaiming the Second Sunday of Easter also as Divine Mercy Sunday.
December 2000	The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments listed the Devotion to the Divine Mercy in its Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines.
April 22, 2001	Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated officially for the first time by the universal Church.
May 13, 2001	Congregation For The Clergy issues a document: “Priest of God, you embody the Mystery of Mercy.”
August 18, 2002	John Paul II consecrates the whole world to the Divine Mercy from The Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Krakow-Lagiewniki, the site of St. Faustina’s tomb.

What is more, God, in His Divine Providence, brought it about that Blessed John Paul II, the “Mercy Pope,” would enter into his eternal reward on the vigil of this great feast which he had been so instrumental in establishing, thereby providing a heavenly “confirmation” that these events were, indeed, guided by the very hand of God Himself.   

Regarding the Second Sunday of Easter, the day that would become the great Feast of Divine Mercy Sunday, Jesus stated to St. Faustina the following: “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” (699, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary of St. Faustina).

Listed below are selected passages from St. Faustina’s Diary, which include Jesus’ words to St. Faustina:

I demand from you deeds of mercy which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse yourself from it (742).

“When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls” (1074).

“The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy” (723).

“Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion” (1146)…“Beg for mercy for the whole world” (570)…“No soul that has ever called upon My mercy has ever been disappointed” (1541).

“I have opened My Heart as a living fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it. Let them approach this sea of mercy with trust” (1520)…On the cross, the fountain of My mercy was opened wide by the lance for all souls – no one have I excluded! (1182)…I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: “Jesus, I trust in You” (327)…“The graces of My mercy are drawn by one vessel only, and that is – trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive” (1578).

“I am Love and Mercy itself (1074)…Let no soul fear to draw near to me, even though its sins be as scarlet (699)…My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world (1485)…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 (1485)…Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would My mercy not embrace a trusting soul” (1777).

The above is just a sampling of the many tremendous promises given by our Lord to St. Faustina. These words provide us with a taste for this great devotion of Divine Mercy. The living of this devotion can be summed up in the ABC’s of the devotion. That is, we are to: 1. Ask for His mercy. “God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world; 2. Be Merciful. “God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to Us;” 3. Completely Trust: “God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependant upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.”

The Corporal Works of Mercy*

1. Feed the hungry. 2. Give drink to the thirsty. 3. Clothe the naked. 4. Shelter the homeless. 5. Comfort the imprisoned. 6. Visit the sick. 7. Bury the dead.

The Spiritual Works of Mercy*

1. Admonish sinners. 2. Instruct the uninformed. 3. Counsel the doubtful. 4. Comfort the sorrowful. 5. Be patient with those in error. 6. Forgive offenses. 7. Pray for the living and the dead.

*Jesus admonishes us through Faustina that in order to receive His infinite Mercy, we must show mercy to others. Jesus explicitly states that he demands deeds of mercy to be done for others out of love for Him. Further, He states that even the greatest faith, without works, is dead.

Essentially, the devotion consists of four significant elements: 1. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy, 2. The three o’clock hour of devotion to the Divine Mercy and the remembrance of His most sorrowful passion, 3. The Novena of Mercy leading up to its conclusion on Divine Mercy Sunday, which falls on the Sunday after Easter, and 4. Veneration of the Sacred Image of Divine Mercy with its inscription, “Jesus, I Trust in You.”

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

St. Faustina experienced a supernatural image or vision of an Angel sent to destroy a certain city due to its tremendous sinfulness. She began imploring God’s mercy for the town, but it was to no avail. Suddenly, she found herself immersed in the presence of the Holy Trinity, and she could feel the presence of Jesus within her soul. At the same time, she heard an interior voice reciting the following prayer: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world” (476). As she continued to recite this prayer, the Angel became powerless and weakened, and could not mete out the punishment that the city deserved. The following day, while in the chapel, she again heard an interior voice reciting these words which would constitute the essence of the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, and she was inspired to recite this chaplet as often as possible for sinners and for the dying. Our Lord made it clear to her that this devotion of “The Chaplet,” as Jesus referred to it, was not simply for Faustina to recite, but would become a marvelous devotion that would spread throughout the world through St. Faustina’s writings.

What is more, Our Lord revealed tremendous promises associated with the prayer and recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Our Lord stated, “Encourage souls to say the chaplet I have given you (1541)…Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death (687) … 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 (1541) … Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy (687) … I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy (687) … Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will” (1731).

How to Pray the Chaplet

(To be prayed on ordinary Rosary Beads)

1. Pray the “Our Father:” Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Amen.

2. Pray the “Hail Mary:” Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

3. Pray the “Apostles’ Creed:” I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His ony Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

4. On the large bead before each decade: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

5. On each of the 10 small beads of each decade: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

6. Concluding doxology (after five decades): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (Three times)

The Three O’clock Hour of Mercy

“At three o’clock implore My mercy especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in my Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. I will allow you to enter into my mortal sorrow. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion” (1320).

Feast of Divine Mercy

Indulgenced by Pope John Paul II, 2002

Recitation of the Chaplet during Eucharistic Adoration

On the occasion of the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, by a personally signed parchment, imparted a special Apostolic Blessing “to all the faithful, who during adoration of Our Most Merciful Savior in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the altar will be praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet for the sick and for those throughout the world who will be dying in that hour.” The Apostolic Blessing extends indefinitely for all who participate.

Nihil Obastat: George H. Pearce, S.M., Archbishop of Suva, Fiji.

Imprimatur: Joseph F. Maguire, Bishop, Springfield, MA, March 16, 1987

Two Novenas of Masses to be Offered by the Dominican Fathers for All Friends of “Marian Apostolate Ministries”

Peace In The Sacred Hearts Of Our Lord And Our Lady!

In keeping with our mission of offering prayers for all of  the many wonderful friends, brothers and sisters in Christ of Marian Apostolate Ministries, it is my great honor and privilege to inform all Facebook friends, subscribers and readers of this blog that two consecutive novenas of Masses are being offered for each and every one of you, your intentions and your loved ones.  The first novena of Masses was already offered: it began on March 28 and ended on April 5.  The second novena of Masses is currently being offered: it began on April 8 and will continue through Divine Mercy Sunday and come to completion on April 16, 2012.  It is our earnest hope and prayer that through these special Masses that are being offered for you and your Easter intentions that our Lord and our Lady will truly inundate each of you with a profound outpouring of graces and mercy throughout this Easter Season, and that our Lord will grant the desires of your hearts, provided they are in accord with His Holy, Divine Will.

Let us continue to remember each other in prayer.

May the Peace of the Risen Lord be with Each of You!

J. Brunelle, Founder, Marian Apostolate Ministries

Summary of “Lumen Gentium:” Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Chapter One

Summary of Lumen Gentium

By Jayson M. Brunelle, M.Ed., CAGS

Second Vatican Council

The Second Vatican Council document, Lumen Gentium, was solemnly promulgated by His Holiness, Pope Paul VI, on November 21, 1964.  This key document has played a most significant role in defining the nature, mission and identity of the Catholic Church in contemporary times, and has had a monumental impact on theology in general and in the writings of post-concilliar popes, such as Blessed Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.  It is one of four Dogmatic Constitutions that emerged from the Council.  The essay that follows highlights  some of the more salient themes that characterize the aforementioned document.  For the sake of precision and accuracy, each chapter will be summarized independently.

Introduction

The “Introduction” contains the thesis, or purpose, of the document, as the Council Fathers explain that since “Christ is the Light of nations,” (which is the English translation of the Latin title, Lumen Gentium) the “sacred synod…eagerly desires…to bring the light of Christ to all men” (LG, 1).  Therefore, “since the Church is in Christ like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of…union with God and of the unity of the whole human race, it desires…to unfold more fully to the faithful of the Church and to the whole world its own inner nature and universal mission” (LG, 1).  This, then, constitutes the purpose and nature of the document.

Alleluia, He Is Risen! Witness of the Resurrection

Message #593, Marian Movement of Priests

“Live, together with your heavenly Mother, the profound joy this Easter Day. Christ is alive! Christ is risen!

“When Jesus, in the light of His Glorified Body, appeared to me in all His divine splendor and, as a Son, bent over to close each wound of my motherly sorrow, my Heart was submerged in the fullness of Easter joy.  Christ is risen! Christ lives forever!

“I have become the first and silent witness of His resurrection.  The first witness, because Jesus has willed to share above all with His Mother the first fruits of this Easter joy.  I am however a silent witness, because it is to the pious women and to the disciples that the task of announcing to the world this stupendous and divine prodigy has been entrusted.

“I am a witness of the resurrection.  My task is that of sustaining and increasing the faith in those who have come to believe in Him.  I have given new courage to those who were thinking that all was now finished; I have asked the pious women to go quickly to the sepulchre, which I knew was already empty; I have confirmed the faith of the Apostles, telling them how Jesus had first shown Himself to me in the splendor of His divine glory.

“The Gospels have not spoken of this, because my task as Mother is that of being the silent witness of the Resurrection.

“”As I had been a silent presence at the word announced by Him during the years of His public mission, so too I had to be a silent presence at the word which now had to be proclaimed by the Church.

“But there has been entrusted to the Mother the joyous task of bearing witness in life that my Son Jesus Christ has risen and is sitting at the right hand of His Heavenly Father in the glory of paradise.

“”I am today a witness of the resurrection.  In these times, when the historical fact of His resurrection is being denied or placed in doubt by many, I charge you, my beloved ones, to announce with force and to give witness with courage to the wonderful event of Christ Risen!

“If Christ had not risen, vain would be your faith.

“If Christ had not risen, useless would be the announcement of His Gospel.

“If Christ had not risen, there would be no reason for you to believe any longer in the truth of His Word.

“Christ is risen, because He is God.

“Christ is risen, because He had predicted it.

“Christ is risen, and has appeared in the divine splendor of His glory to the witnesses, chosen by Him beforehand.

“Christ is risen, and has appeared first of all to His Mother.

“I have contemplated Him, more resplendent than the sun, white as the snow, and His divine beauty has so impressed itself upon my life that, from that moment, I have begun to live paradise here below.

“And so, above all in your days, I invite you all, my dearly beloved ones, to announce with courage his death, to proclaim with force His resurrection, to await with certitude His coming in glory.”

 

Good Friday: All Is Accomplished

(Message #262 from the MMP)

“‘All is accomplished!’” (Jn 19:30)

“These were the last words before the loud cry with which my Son Jesus gave up his spirit.

“Linger today with me beneath the Cross, beloved [children], to understand the meaning of these words of his.

“It is Good Friday.  It is the day of his passion and of his death upon the Cross.  It is the precious moment of your redemption.

“Let us enter into the recesses of the Heart of Jesus to taste the bitterness of his soul and to penetrate the profound mystery of his immolation.

“Everything was accomplished at the moment his body was immolated and his blood was shed for you.

“In his life, everything has been ordered toward this supreme moment: on each day of his earthly life, how greatly he had desired to consummate this, his Pasch of passion and death on your behalf!

“Today I am to be found beneath the Cross on which my Son Jesus lived his tremendous agony, with John, who represents all of you, close by.  In union of soul with Jesus, with whom I am intimately associated in his redemptive work, let us together retrace the moments that led Him to its perfect accomplishment:

-the joyous moment of the Annunciation when the Word of the Father became incarnate in my virginal womb, assumed the body prepared for Him enabling Him to begin immediately his precious work of redemption;

-the radiant day of his birth in the poor little shed in Bethlehem, when I could already see the signs, in his infant’s tender frame, of the true Lamb of God, called to offer Himself in a perfect sacrifice for the salvation of the world;

-after returning from the exile endured in Egypt, the serene years of his childhood, when each day I watched Him open Himself up, like a flower, to the sun of beauty, of grace, and of divine wisdom;

-the long years of his adolescence, during which I saw his body grow, that body in which was reflected the synthesis of every human perfection, intent on daily labor, marked by perspiration and fatigue;

-Oh!  Frequently in spirit I could already see his hands and feet pierced by wounds and his body covered with blood… and then I would bend over him with the renewed tenderness of a mother;

-the short years of his public life, when He announced to all the Gospel of salvation, curing and pardoning, healing wounds and dispelling illnesses, pardoning sins and performing innumerable miracles; how many times, near to me, his Mother, to whom He confided everything, He went in spirit to the summit of Calvary, and together with me lived the moment of his sorrowful departure!

‘All is accomplished.’

“And Jesus seeks to prepare his disciples for the scandal of this moment. ‘The Son of Man must go up to Jerusalem, where He will be handed over to the pagans, and will be spat upon, scourged, condemned and crucified, but on the third day He will rise again.’ (cf. Mk 10:33)

“Now I see Him hanging on the Cross, and I behold his hands and feet torn by horrible wounds, the crown of thorns opening fissures of blood that stream down and disfigure his countenance.  And while His body is shaken with tremendous spasms of fever and agony, his lips open once again for his last words: ‘All is accomplished.’

“The Will of the Father has now been done.  Every circumstance of His life has been oriented towards this perfect fulfillment… His work is here summed up in the deed toward which it was ever directed: in the divine gift, the ineffable and precious gift of the redemption.

“Like Him, you too, beloved [children], have been prepared by me for this supreme moment, so that the Father’s design may be accomplished in this new hour of redemptive passion for the Church.  Everything in your life has had this profound meaning.  Read with me, the Mother of Sorrows, in the sealed book of your existence.

“In it everything has been prepared by God and arranged by me with love, as I did with my Son, Jesus.

“In a like manner, I can help you too, to accomplish today the Father’s Will.  Love all with a heart that is open and generous… and prepare yourselves to ascend, with me, your own Calvary…”

“We adore You, Oh Christ, and we bless You; because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.”

Holy Thursday: Enter with Jesus into Gethsemane

Message #348 of the MMP:

“Live, in the virginal cloister of my Immaculate Heart intimately associated with Jesus, these painful hours of his redemptive passion.  This is his Pasch.  This is your pasch.

“Today, call to mind the institution of the new Sacrifice and of the new Priesthood.  In his loving plan, with the twelve apostles, you were also all present, my beloved sons.  It is the great feast of the Priesthood.  You are again gathered about your bishops, to renew the promises you made on the day of your priestly ordination.

“Today I invite you all to renew with me the pledge of your greatest fidelity.  Be faithful to Jesus and to his Gospel; be faithful to the Pope and to the Church united with him; be faithful to the lived-out celebration of the Eucharist and to the administration of the sacraments, above all the sacrament of Reconciliation; be faithful to the obligation of holy celibacy, which you have assumed; be faithful to prayer, to the apostolate, to the exercise of an ever more perfect charity.  Then you will be able to console the divine and priestly Heart of your Brother Jesus, for such great abandonment and for such an enormous treason, which is again being renewed today.

“Enter with Jesus into Gethsemane.  Allow yourselves to be clasped in his arms, that you may savor all the agony of a Heart which has loved most, which has given of itself most, and which is crushed by all the evil, the hatred and the sin of the world.  This Heart has now so much need of comfort and does not find it.  It seeks out the three dearest Apostles, and they are asleep; the beloved disciples and they are far away; a gesture of a friend and it receives the kiss of a traitor; the confirmation of a special love and it receives in reply a denial.  Kiss his lips to savor all the bitterness of his chalice.

“Then you will understand why, under the enormous weight which crushes and oppresses Him, a copious sweat and drops of blood begin to cover his divine body,stricken under the weight of the justice of the Father.

“For this interior and most  painful agony of his, may your prayer be a gentle caress; your priestly love, a  compassionate hand which wipes away his blood; your fidelity, the awaited comfort; the perfect exercise of your ministry, the requested companionship; the giving of yourselves to souls, the clear water which quenches his thirst; and your purity, your humility, your littleness, solace to his deep wounds.

“Enter with Jesus into Gethsemane, which is always being perpetuated in time.  Only in this way do you purify and sanctify yourselves at the very source of your priesthood.  Only in this way do you become the precious salt to make wholesome so many poisoned foods.  Only in this way can you be lights enkindled on a lampstand, in the midst of the dense night of agony which enwraps the Church and all humanity.

“And in the Immaculate Heart of your heavenly Mother, the dawn which announces the radiant day of Christ, you can become today witnesses of his shining triumph.”

Let Us Rejoice in this, the Great Feast of the Annunciation

Luke 1:26:  ”And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, ²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. ²⁹ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. ³⁰ And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. ³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. ³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: ³³ And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. ³⁴ Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? ³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. ³⁶ And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. ³⁷ For with God nothing shall be impossible. ³⁸ And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”

Apostolic Exhortation, “Guardian of the Redeemer,” by Bl. John Paul II

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
REDEMPTORIS CUSTOS
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
JOHN PAUL II
ON THE PERSON AND MISSION OF
SAINT JOSEPH 
IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST AND OF THE CHURCH

Source: www.vatican.va

To Bishops
To Priests and Deacons
To Men and Women Religious
And to all the Lay Faithful

INTRODUCTION

1. “Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took his wife” (cf. Mt 1 :24).

Inspired by the Gospel, the Fathers of the Church from the earliest centuries stressed that just as St. Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ’s upbringing,(1) he likewise watches over and protects Christ’s Mystical Body, that is, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model.

On the occasion of the centenary of Pope Leo XIII’s Encyclical Epistle Quamquam Pluries,(2) and in line with the veneration given to St. Joseph over the centuries, I wish to offer for your consideration, dear brothers, and sisters, some reflections concerning him “into whose custody God entrusted his most precious treasures.”(3) I gladly fulfill this pastoral duty so that all may grow in devotion to the Patron of the Universal Church and in love for the Savior whom he served in such an exemplary manner.

In this way the whole Christian people not only will turn to St. Joseph with greater fervor and invoke his patronage with trust, but also will always keep before their eyes his humble, mature way of serving and of “taking part” in the plan of salvation.(4)

I am convinced that by reflection upon the way that Mary’s spouse shared in the divine mystery, the Church – on the road towards the future with all of humanity – will be enabled to discover ever anew her own identity within this redemptive plan, which is founded on the mystery of the Incarnation.

This is precisely the mystery in which Joseph of Nazareth “shared” like no other human being except Mary, the Mother of the Incarnate Word. He shared in it with her; he was involved in the same salvific event; he was the guardian of the same love, through the power of which the eternal Father “destined us to be his sons through Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:5).

The Unholy Rise and Agenda of Atheists and Secular Humanists, to Gather in Celebration of Atheism in Washington D.C.

The Blessed Mother has predicted in numerous Church approves Marian apparitions and messages, such as those of Fatima, Akita, La Salette, and so on and so forth, that a great “apostasy” (apostasy = widespread rejection of faith in God) would indeed take place and usher in and pave the way for the widespread rejection of God’s laws of love, which we are so clearly witnessing in our egregiously secular society.  More specifically, the Blessed Mother, at Fatima, stated in no uncertain terms that if humanity did not collectively change its ways and return to God through prayer and penance, that Our Lord would have no choice but to chastise humanity, and that “Russia would spread her errors.”  The great “error” that Our Blessed Mother is referring to here is that of “Marxist Atheism” which, as has become so abundantly evident, is giving rise to atheism, agnosticism and secular humanism on an unprecedented level, never-before witnessed in the history of humanity.  These radically secular humanists who, essentially, have replaced the worship of God with the worship of human ”Reason,” have become so emboldened as to sponsor the first-ever “Celebration of Atheism,” to take place in Washington D.C.  For the sake of accuracy, I have decided to re-print the official advertisement for this unprecedented event, which you can read for yourself below:

From the Reason Rally website (pdf version here):

“Washington, DC – August 23, 2011 – Millions of Americans — roughly 16 percent — consider themselves nonreligious, according to the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS). Whether members of this group refer to themselves as atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, or any of the other descriptive terms used to indicate rejection of belief in God, secularism is on the rise.”

“The Reason Rally, a nationwide celebration sponsored by the top secular organizations in the United States, will be held March 24, 2012, in Washington, DC. With the intent to unify, energize, and embolden secular people nationwide, The Reason Rally is a FREE event that will combat negative stereotypes about nonreligious Americans. Slated to be the largest secular event in world history, the rally will be filled with music, comedy, and addresses by leaders of the secular movement.”

“This event will give secular Americans an opportunity to unite under a banner of reason and community at a level of impact that has never been seen before.”

“ A growing list of diverse speakers includes:

• Richard Dawkins, ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and author, The God Delusion
• James Randi, magician, author, lecturer, and amateur archaeologist/astronomer
• PZ Myers, biologist, associate professor at the University of Minnesota, and blogger
• Ronald A. Lindsay, president and CEO, Center for Inquiry
• Todd Stiefel, secular humanist, atheist, activist; vice president, Secular Coalition for America
• Greta Christina, author and writer for AlterNet
• Fred Edwords, president, United Coalition of Reason
• Sean Faircloth, executive director, Secular Coalition for America
• David Silverman, president, American Atheists, Inc.
• Roy Speckhardt, executive director, American Humanist Association
• Jamila Bey, freelance journalist
• Hemant Mehta, author, I Sold My Soul on eBay“

Sacred Scripture warns that prior to the great “second-coming” of Our Lord, the world will be immersed in a great apostasy – a widespread, wholesale rejection of the faith.  Moreover, Our Lady has clearly warned us of such events, and now we, the faithful remnant, have the privilege of witnessing this blasphemous atrocity come to fruition.

Let us unite in prayer in these most perilous of times, for the cup of the Father’s justice is full to overflowing, and in a very short period of time, we shall witness an outpouring of God’s just wrath upon this perverse and wicked generation which has so far strayed from His divine law of Love.  Let us especially pray the humble prayer of the Most Holy Rosary, in order to obtain the intercession of Our Blessed Lady, who possesses the power and ability to hold back the right arm of the Father’s just wrath, for the chastisements have clearly already begun to unfold, and will only become worse and worse the longer humanity insists on rejecting its Creator and His holy law of love.

May Our Lord and Our Lady protect us from the time of the great trial that lies ahead.

Notice – 1

From March 15 through March 17, you can download for FREE the Kindle edition of the book The Blessed Mother’s Plan to Save Humanity, by clicking here.

Our Lady of All Nations, Fifth Marian Dogma and Prophecies for the 21st Century

“Immaculate Heart of Mary”

Source: http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Mariology/Mariology_015.htm Immaculate Heart of Mary  by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. Though not a dogma of the Church, there is a close relationship between devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of His Mother. Pope Pius XII said it was fitting that after our homage paid to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Christian people should manifest similar piety and love of their grateful hearts for the most loving heart of Mary, our heavenly Mother, through whom we have received the divine life from Christ.

Jesus, the “New Adam”, and Mary, the “New Eve”

Icon of the early Church Father, St. Irenaeus

Source: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103322.htm

Christ assumed actual flesh, conceived and born of the Virgin. 

St. Irenaeus, “Against Heresies,” Book III, Ch.22

1. Those, therefore, who allege that He took nothing from the Virgin do greatly err, [since,] in order that they may cast away the inheritance of the flesh, they also reject the analogy [between Him and Adam]. For if the one [who sprang] from the earth had indeed formation and substance from both the hand and workmanship of God, but the other not from the hand and workmanship of God, then He who was made after the image and likeness of the former did not, in that case, preserve the analogy of man, and He must seem an inconsistent piece of work, not having wherewith He may show His wisdom. But this is to say, that He also appeared putatively as man when He was not man, and that He was made man while taking nothing from man. For if He did not receive the substance of flesh from a human being, He neither was made man nor the Son of man; and if He was not made what we were, He did no great thing in what He suffered and endured. But every one will allow that we are [composed of] a body taken from the earth, and a soul receiving spirit from God. This, therefore, the Word of God was made, recapitulating in Himself His own handiwork; and on this account does He confess Himself the Son of man, and blesses the meek, because they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 The Apostle Paul, moreover, in the Epistle to the Galatians, declares plainly, God sent His Son, made of a woman. Galatians 4:4 And again, in that to the Romans, he says, Concerning His Son, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, who was predestinated as the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 1:3-4

Video Footage of the “Miracle of the Pulsating Sun” in Medjugorje

In the footage provided below, the “miracle of the pulsating sun” in Medjugorje was captured on video and uploaded to www.YouTube.com. It is my desire to share this allegedly miraculous video footage with each of you, my readers and subscribers, as I, on two separate occasions while on pilgrimage in Medjugorje, was granted the tremendous grace to have witnessed this “solar miracle,” and it was my ardent desire to “capture” what our Lady had permitted me to witness on film. Although I had no camera equipment with me at the time I witnessed the miracles, many other pilgrims who have been to this holy site and have had the great privilege of witnessing, for themselves, this same solar miracle, have additionally been able to “capture” something of the miracle on video. I strongly suggest that you view the copious other videos of this solar phenomenon that have, indeed, been captured on video and uploaded to YouTube. It is my prayer that our Lord and our Lady touch your heart as you view this miraculous footage. Ave Maria!

Excerpt from Msgr. Georg Ratzinger’s Memoir, “My Brother, the Pope”

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI with his older brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger

By Georg Ratzinger Sunday, March 4, 2012

It was not so uncommon for two sons from the same family to intend to become priests. Our mother used to send me off, saying, “Take good care of Joseph,” because boarding school (gymnasium) was something rather new and unfamiliar to him. Things did not suit Joseph so well. But he himself says today that it did him good, because if he had always stayed at home, he would quickly have become a loner.

We seminarians were a close-knit community at the gymnasium (in Traunstein, southeastern Bavaria), where we made up around one-third of the student body. The other two-thirds were the local students who lived with their parents, and to some extent there were already a few genuine Nazis among them, which of course inevitably led to conflicts.

As early as 1938, we were registered by the seminary with the Hitler Youth (HY). That was the law, there were no exemptions. Consequently, all the minor seminarians became students at the public schools and lived with their parents or relatives again. With that, the compulsory HY collapsed. As far as our father was concerned, Hitler was the Antichrist, even though perhaps he did not use the term directly.

In the work service, fortunately, they did not know we were seminarians; we were simply considered to be “workmen.” Deployment in the Sudetenland, however, was only the sad prelude to deployment in the war. Scarcely had I returned to Traunstein in November 1942 when I was drafted into the Wehrmacht. A bleak mood prevailed in our family. We all knew that that was a bad thing to serve a government we despised with all our hearts.

Our unit was transferred to Italy, at first in the east, on the Ligurian Coast near La Spezia, and later to the vicinity of Monte Cassino, the site of the world-renowned Benedictine monastery. In Bolsena, on June 12, 1944, we engaged the Americans in a firefight. During the battle, a grenade exploded near me; my right upper arm was bleeding heavily. I drew my arm back and thanked God that I could still move it.

Our next position, near Dozza in the province of Bologna, was hell on earth. We were situated on the north side of Monte Maggiore, while the Americans opened fire on us from the south side. Actually they shot at the cliffs over us, and again and again fragments of rock broke off from them and fell down on us.

On April 15, 1945, the artillery fire suddenly stopped, and they began launching white phosphorus shells that turned the mountain slope into a sea of flames. Everything around us was burning, all the bushes and trees. The next day began with a deathly silence that was almost ghostly. For a moment we thought the war was over. But then the Americans stormed our bunker with fixed bayonets and a shout that set our teeth on edge and drove us out. They brought us to a prison camp near Vesuvius, where there were several camps, each for 4,000 captured soldiers.

By mid-July 1945, the war was over. Finally the American administration organized a train that would transport the first group of prisoners to be released. We were brought at first from Italy to the big release camp near Bad Aibling, where my brother had been only a few weeks before. [Note: Joseph Ratzinger had been drafted into a battery of the Flugabwehr, or “flak,” anti-aircraft defense.] Later, Günter Grass told about meeting him there, but he probably just imagined the incident. My brother would be able to remember it even today if he had dug a hole, played dice, and spoken about his future with a fellow prisoner who wanted to become an artist. That may be a nice story, but it is not a true one.

I did not know whether my parents and my brother were still alive or whether our house still stood. Nevertheless, I ran rather than walked to my parents’ house. I saw Mother outside pumping water. I was so happy to see her again, and it was a big surprise and a joy for her, too. I had waited so long for that moment! After we had embraced, we went into the house, where my father and my siblings were.

What happened then cannot be described in words. I sat right down at the piano and played the Te Deum: “Holy God, we praise Thy Name.” To me it was no coincidence that we could all be together again but, rather, a providential arrangement; we all were of the same opinion. The fact that we had come through so many trying situations during the war unscathed confirmed us both, my brother and me, in our conviction that God had plans for us.

The experience of the war years confronted us with feelings of fear we had not known before. We were forced into a world we would never have imagined to be so brutal. We literally looked death in the face. That brought with it a certain new orientation and caused us suddenly to treasure many things we had previously taken for granted. Yet it confirmed us all the more in our intention to try to become priests.

Monsignor Georg Ratzinger is a Catholic priest and the elder brother of Pope Benedict XVI. The above excerpt condenses a 28-page section of his memoir, “My Brother, the Pope,” as told to Michael Hesemann. © 2012 Ignatius Press, published with permission.

Mother Mary’s Intercession Saves Worldly Priest from Eternal Damnation

In the following video, a Roman Catholic priest describes his near-death experience. He explains that as a result of having made many compromises with worldliness in an effort to be “accepted” by his congregation, preaching “warm-fuzzy” homilies about being a “nice, friendly” person, as opposed to preaching the truths of the faith concerning morality, doctrine and the carrying of one’s cross in life, the verdict of Christ’s judgement for his soul was one of eternal damnation. The priest continues on to recount how he heard the gentle voice of a woman – the Blessed Virgin Mary – who pleaded with her heavenly Son to have mercy on this priest’s soul. The priest recounts how the Blessed Virgin advocated for him, stating to her Son that if they provided this priest with a second chance, giving him greater graces to amend his ways, there was a good possibility that he would cooperate with God’s grace and eventually merit eternal life. As a consequence of the Virgin’s intercession, Christ granted the priest a second chance to amend his ways and right his wrongs. This is an extremely powerful witness. Please share it with as many souls as you can.

The Catholic Mass: A Foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet, the Wedding of the Lamb

The single greatest activity that any human person can participate in is nothing other than participation in the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; for it is truly a foretaste of the heavenly banquet, the Wedding of the Lamb and His Bride, the Church. Each time Holy Mass is offered, heaven and earth are truly united, and the entire heavenly court is made present; that is, all of the angels and the saints, uniting their perfect and unceasing act of praise, worship, adoration, thanksgiving, supplication and expiation to the Eternal Father, through, with and in Jesus Christ, the unblemished Lamb of Sacrifice, who, through the ministerial action of His validly ordained representatives, truly makes present His perfect, once for all sacrifice on Calvary in an unbloody fashion, thereby continuing and accomplishing the work of redemption. Moreover, we, who have been baptized into His Mystical Body and have been made sharers in Christ’s Priestly, Prophetic and Kingly function, are enabled to exercise our royal, common priesthood, offering through, with and in Christ’s perfect offering of Himself to the Father the myriad prayers, works, joys and especially the sufferings of our entire lives, for the greater glory of the Most Holy Trinity and for the Salvation of souls. For, as Christ states in His Gospels, “Greater love than this no man has – than to lay one’s life down for one’s friends.” Thus, we are to place ourselves, our lives, our sufferings and crosses, on the paten along with the host, that is to be offered for the glory of God and the salvation of the many. Then, having offered ourselves in union with Christ, we are invited by our Lord to partake of His very Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, that our offering of bread and wine has been completely transformed into, that we might be nourished with His own divine life and truly become by grace what He is by nature – Divine. This, my brothers and sisters in Christ, is the exalted reality that is the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Daily Sacrifice, offered to the glory of God from the rising of the sun to its setting each day throughout the world. St. Pio once stated that it would be easier for the earth to exist without the sun than for the world to continue without the daily sacrifice of the Mass. Before ascending into heaven forty days after He had risen from the dead, Christ solemnly promised that He would remain with us always, even unto the end of the world. Thus, He makes Himself a prisoner of love in every tabernacle throughout the world, where He patiently waits for souls to visit Him and keep watch with Him for at leat one hour. Do not take the great gift of Holy Mass for granted; do not fail to participate in th Holy Sacrifice as often as possible; do not neglect receiving our Eucharistic Lord into your bodies and souls in Holy Communion as often as possible; do not leave our Lord alone in the holy tabernacle or in the monstrance, especially when He is solemnly exposed for public veneration and adoration by the faithful; encourage your pastors to expose the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar for frequent adoration by the faithful of the parish – for Eucharistic Adoration is the single most effective way of rejuvenating the spiritual life of any parish. He is our greatest friend; He is our brother; He wants to shower upon you the fullness of His grace and mercy; do not neglect Him!

Mary’s Relationship with the Most Holy Trinity

In the following “MaryCast,” Dr. Mark Miravalle, Professor of Theology and Mariology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, explains to us that in order to most effectively convey the tremendous role of the Blessed Virgin Mary to our family members and friends who may not fully or adequately appreciate the doctrinal truths regarding the Mother of God, we must first allow ourselves to enter into the “Mystery of Mary.” This, Miravalle explains, can take place through our own personal immersion in the Marian mystery by reflecting upon the intimate union of life that the Blessed Mother has with each Person of the Holy Trinity: first, She is the “masterpiece” of the Father – the single greatest work of His divine hands; second, She is the Coredemptrix and Mediatrix with the Son, participating in a wholly singular and profoundly intimate and unique fashion in the redemption of humanity with Christ, obtaining for the human family, along with Her divine Son, grace – divine life – through her association in His passion, and then acting as the distributer of those graces that She participated in the meriting of; third, She is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, so intimately united with the Third Person of the Trinity that the great and truly brilliant Marian St. Maximilian Kolbe referred to Mary as the “quasi-incarnation” of the Holy Spirit, thereby expressing the profundity of the union that exists between Mary, created Wisdom, and Her divine spouse, the Holy Spirit, Uncreated Wisdom. It is only upon our examination of the radically intimate relationship that Mary possesses with each of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity that we, ourselves, begin to catch a glimpse of the most exalted role of the Blessed Virgin, and it is precisely then that we are capable of “sharing” the marvelous dogmatic and doctrinal “truths” concerning Mary, the New Eve, Mother of all the Spiritually Living, Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church. Let us, then, listen closely to the wise words of Dr. Miravalle as he explains to us the depths of Mary’s relationship to the Most High God.

Dogmatic Proclamation of Mary as “Coredemptrix” as Remedy for Impending Chastisement

Monthly Medjugorje Message to Mirjana, March 2, 2012

“Dear children; Through the immeasurable love of God I am coming among you and I am persistently calling you into the arms of my Son. With a motherly heart I am imploring you, my children, but I am also repeatedly warning you, that concern for those who have not come to know my Son be in the first place for you. Do not permit that by looking at you and your life, they are not overcome by a desire to come to know Him. Pray to the Holy Spirit for my Son to be impressed within you. Pray that you can be apostles of the divine light in this time of darkness and hopelessness. This is a time of your trial. With a rosary in hand and love in the heart set out with me. I am leading you towards Easter in my Son. Pray for those whom my Son has chosen that they can always live through Him and in Him – the High Priest. Thank you. ”

Blessed Pope John Paul II on the BVM During a Homily in Malta

St. Faustina: Potential “Doctor” of the Church?

The “Lost” Creed of Pope Paul VI, an Exquisite Summary of the Catholic Faith

Apostolic Letter

Of the Supreme Pontiff Paul VI

Creed of the People of God

June 30, 1968

1. With this solemn liturgy we end the celebration of the nineteenth centenary of the martyrdom of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and thus close the Year of Faith. We dedicated it to the commemoration of the holy apostles in order that we might give witness to our steadfast will to be faithful to the deposit of the faith(1) which they transmitted to us, and that we might strengthen our desire to live by it in the historical circumstances in which the Church finds herself in her pilgrimage in the midst of the world.