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God the Father: Fitting Finale to the Millennium

     In our final editorial for 1998 as we welcome 1999 we focus on God the Father and His role in our lives as we begin this final year dedicated to Abba. We equate the fact that the Daughter of the Father is honored on the first day of the year as Mary, Mother of God the Son for Our Lady is also the Spouse of the Holy Spirit and God's hand-chosen emissary to relate His Will to all His children. Mary plays an intricate role in God's master plan for mankind and we have the inside track if we but listen. For our commentary Absolutely Abba! , click on CATHOLIC PewPOINT.

Absolutely Abba!

      The final countdown has begun! The final year is dedicated to God the Father in the trilogy of the Trinity leading up to Jubilee 2000. Pope John Paul II designated 1997 as the year dedicated to Jesus Christ, the Son of God and 1998 as the year of the Holy Spirit. We begin this final year of the second millennium - this pivotal, history-shattering year with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin could never have been the Mother of God if it had not been deigned by the Father, choosing to create her Immaculate without sin as the perfect tabernacle to house His Only-begotten Son. The Prayer after Communion for the Mass of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God says it best: "Father, as we proclaim the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of Christ and the Mother of the Church, may our communion with her Son bring us to salvation." Mary figures prominently in the mission of the Trinity for she is the Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and Mother of the Son. She is the "woman of Hope" and our hopes for this year encompass everything she has foretold in her messages since 1531 and especially in these waning decades of the twentieth century. All realize the countdown for the final year has begun and Our Lady has reiterated over and over and over that her Immaculate Heart will triumph soon - very soon.

      She has been saying this since her early appearances at Medjugorje and now man's time-frame is coming in closer comprehension with God's time for we are at the doorstep of 2000 years in which God has shown that He has a history of recleansing the earth at every two-thousand year interval. Two thousand years after the fall of Adam and Eve He sent the great flood which covered the entire globe. He promised Noah back then that He would never punish mankind again in such a manner, but His Justice had called for such measures. If we compare the world then to the world's disregard for His laws today, we have to assume He will exact His Justice soon. After all, we can't imagine the Almighty apologizing to Sodom and Gomorah for destroying those cities when several thousands of years later there would be far more cities more deserving of punishment! What the Father did not have at his disposal back then, however, was His hand-chosen messenger and prophet - the Blessed Mother whom He has sent in droves to every continent in this century to warn His children of His Justice while freely dispensing His Mercy in a time where the window is narrowing to a sliver.

      For years Our Lady has begged and pleaded for God's little ones to return to her Divine Son Jesus and the one, true Church He established while on earth. Even with over a billion Catholics today, there are still so few who truly believe, who truly respond. Like any devoted father, God the Father does not play favorites. He wants all His children to join Him in eternal bliss, but in order to enter into this glorious everlasting union we have to earn it. That is only fair and right. And the price isn't that steep if we just heed what He asks. He's laid it all out for us in Salvation101. It's the easiest course we can take and we can pass it with flying colors if only we follow the rules. But too often extra curriculars or electives seem more tantalizing and we opt to slough off on the essentials in favor of worldly goals. If we stray too far we can just as easily flunk out and that fate is worse than anything we can imagine. Talk about the school of hard-knocks!!! Would you believe everlasting hard-knocks and searing flames as well!?! But we have a crib-sheet that can keep us on the straight and narrow and prevent us from cramming at the end on our death bed. That crib-sheet is the Catholic faith with our personal tutor being the Blessed Virgin Mary ably assisted by her prize pupil on earth who is also her Divine Son's Vicar on earth - Pope John Paul II. He is also called the "Holy Father" and wisely so for he is the earthly Father we look to for guidance. His guidance comes from the Heavenly Father, dispersed through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and carried out through the teachings of the Son.

      We are so blessed to be able to know the Father in this day and age. Pity the people of the Old Covenant who knew Him only as the "Lord" and "Jehovah." His Mercy was little known to them. Back then they perceived Him as a stern Judge, a tough Taskmaster. Think of the gifts He has bestowed on us as any devoted, caring father would. He has not only given us salvation through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of His Only-begotten Son, but also the gift of His Spirit; and He continues to endow these gifts each and every day with the gift of His Son truly present Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. What greater gift could we receive on this finite earth? And it is all due to the Love and Mercy of the Father.

      How many faiths can call God "Daddy?" The Moslems shudder to think of such endearing terms, referring to their Allah as the ultimate, strict Judge. New Age sects and Eastern religions have never known the loving embrace of Abba, Someone Who seeks to tuck us safely in His sleeve and protect us from all harm. That is sad that so many refuse the gifts of the Father. Because of that, the Father will exact Justice, but we have nothing to fear if we are obedient to Him and, like good sons and daughters, heed all He imparts through His Son, His Spirit and His earthly holy daughter Mary.

      The Father's greatest emissary is His very Own daughter whose obedient maternity we celebrate on Friday. It is a fitting way to begin this final year, a year that promises drastic but exciting changes - one we hope will signal the long-awaited Triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart which will usher in the glorious Reign of the Sacred Heart, the Era of the Eucharistic Presence, the Age of the Divine Will, the Second Advent, the Time of the Holy Spirit, the New Pentecost. We can be assured that with a Father Who honors the Mother of His Divine Son, that we are in good hands if we too honor her and heed her advice which comes straight from the true source of all truth for all time - God the Father. He is the Alpha and the Omega, "the Father, the Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen." In a word, He is the Absolute: Absolutely Abba!

Michael Cain, editor

The Papacy was anything but innocent under Innocent VI at Avignon

     In our eighty-sixth installment of this on-going megaseries on Church history we arrive at the fifth of the Avignon Popes - Pope Innocent VI, the 199th successor of Peter and, though he meant well in reforming the Church, he abused the office of the Inquisition in settling personal scores and began this Holy Office on a sojourn of abuse that would be exaggerated to be considered a torture chamber. The truth of the matter is Innocent had intended to return the papacy to Rome, but his weakness and obsession with ruling with an iron fist through the Inquisition, along with warring factions was an omen that Avignon would remain the seat of the Holy See for at least another twenty years. For the eighty-sixth installment titled Pope Innocent VI: The road from Avignon is often paved with good intentions., click on THE HISTORY OF THE MASS AND HOLY MOTHER CHURCH.

Pope Innocent VI: The road from Avignon is often paved with good intentions.

      With the death of Pope Clement VI many of the cardinals were hopeful they could unite by forming a pact in which whoever among the clonclave was elected would automatically set in motion that no more cardinals would be elected until the ranks fell below sixteen. In addition, the pact called for a two-thirds majority in the selection of new cardinals as well as half of all revenues to the Holy See going to the cardinals as first proposed by Pope Nicholas IV back in 1289. Greed and materialism ruled the roost during these times within the Curia, as the lavishness at Avignon had softened many. Cardinal Etienne Aubert, an old, balding French prelate and member of the College of Cardinals agreed to the pact but when he was elected on December 18, 1352 he renegged on his agreement, declaring the pact null and void and not in alignment with papal procedures. Rather than mollifying the cardinals he turned the Avignon courts from the opulent trappings Clement VI had been known for to a spartan-like atmosphere, much to the chagrin of the rest of the conclave who, in retrospect, were kicking themselves for selecting him. Yet, in a strange way his election helped clean up a lot of the corruption within the Church among the cardinals. If only Aubert had been a little more strict on himself, his papacy would have been memorable for cleaning up corruption. He chose the name Pope Innocent VI, 199th successor of Peter and thought nothing of nepotism, offering many of the choice positions to relatives, much to the chagrin of the other bishops. But, to their credit, they realized the inherent dangers of mounting any kind of campaign against him for it would weaken the Church at a time when she needed to refortify. The coffers had been diminished greatly and thus Innocent extracted additional taxes from the dioceses and parishes as well as secular circles in order to build up the material treasury of the Holy See. Innocent reasoned that by cutting back the extravagance at Avignon it would also show the papacy was doing their part as well. He also set exact stipends for bishops and priests so that all could be accounted for in an accute papal budget. In addition, Innocent dispatched one of his most trusted curia appointees and skilled military lieutenants to establish control of the Papal States by taking back these lands and privileges from petty dukes and princes who were bickering amongst themselves. Through the military prowess of his hand-picked Cardinal Gil de Albornoz at the head of the Papal Army, the Papal States were once again under the rule of the Holy See. To assure their protection, Innocent VI also drew up an agreement with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV that called for the latter to march into Rome as a show of force and then leave as quickly as he had come. It was all form, with little function. What Innocent was functional in was his strong zeal to reform the lax religious orders with no favorites among the Dominicans, Franciscans or Benedictines. In fact, he abused his own office by personally using the Inquisition to persecute the Franciscan Spiritualists and anyone who would speak out against him either personally or as Pope. This was another reason his fellow cardinals kept a low profile. His methods were so rigid and harsh that Saint Bridget of Sweden, who had begged Clement VI to return to Rome, labeled Innocent as a "persecutor of Christ's flock."

      What many failed to realize was that Innocent was making plans to return the papacy to Rome. Even though he was French, he had already reversed Clement's interdict of Cola di Rienzo, the populist tribune of Rome, in order to patch up differences between the Romans and French papacy. Add to this the toll of the French-English war and the rebellion of many in France who were migrating to Avignon and hounding the papal palaces there looking to share in the wealth through theft and squatting. Thus Clement sought to escape this "nuisance" by returning to Rome. But the climate in Rome and the power-mongering by Charles of Bavaria with the publishing of his Golden Bull made things more difficult. Charles' bull specifically omitted any reference to the Pope's right to approve and crown the German kings. Rather than taking Charles to task for this direct affrontatation to the papacy, he retreated back to Avignon, opting to refortify the fortress of Avignon to keep the intruders away. Around the time Innocent had been elected Pope a young girl turned in Siena, Italy was just reaching the age of reason. It would be twenty-four years later that reason would win out and that young lady would convince a Pope named Gregory XI, to return the papacy once and for all to Rome after seventy years in exile. That woman would be Saint Catherine of Siena whose role we shall focus on in future installments. Meanwhile Innocent was plunged into political intrigue and the bitter skirmishes between French and English on French soil. Just when it looked like Innocent's advances had made a breakthrough and peace was on the horizon, the Black Prince of Poitiers captured King John II of France and fighting resumed in 1354. In 1360, Innocent helped ratify a truce at Bordeaux and Bretigny, but it would be only fleeting as war would soon resume in all its fury. To add to Innocent's chagrin, his papal armies had run up huge debts in Italy during their military campaigns and the taxes were not coming in. Thus he was forced to sell off even more papal treasures at Avignon. That same year, Avignon was overrun by freeloaders or the "free company" who cut off all communication between Avignon and the rest of the world. Living in a virtual vacuum, Innocent bought them off in order to get them to back off and be able to restore contact with the rest of the Christian world. But the cost was great for he had depleted much of the wealth of Avignon and he died a broken man, despondent over his failure to return the papacy to Rome and to exact a change in the direction of the Church because of his inability to correctly handle the Inquisition or gage the political compass in these turbulent times. On September 12, 1362, old and decrepit and broken, he passed away. It was left to the sixth and seventh of the Avignon Popes to restore a papacy badly wracked by war and dissent. Those men would be Blessed Pope Urban V and Pope Gregory XI whom we shall see in the next two installments when we resume with this on-going megaseries in 1999.

"The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the most complete, most perfect of all prayers."

      Those words from the Blessed Virgin Mary re-emphasize the value of the Mass and how all the "Heavenly Hosts" bow down and adore her Divine Son Jesus at the Consecration of each and every Mass and continue afterwards when He resides in the Tabernacle at each church. But Our Lady weeps that so few give Him the time or reverence He deserves. She warns in both Messages #330 and #331 to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart in late April 1993 that He is our only strength and refuge and we will be engulfed in satan's abyss if we are not faithful to Him and His Vicar on earth Pope John Paul II who is a living martyr for the Church as many surrounding the Holy Father are betraying him and Christ, Head of the Mystical Body. For these two messages from Our Lady, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

Messages Three Hundred-Thirty and Three Hundred-Thirty-one

      Beloved Hidden Flower, I am with you. Be not troubled, for the many persecutions have been foretold and God alone is your strength.

      Today, once more, I call all to prayer. Prayer from the heart. O! If you only knew the power of prayer! The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the most complete, most perfect of all prayers. Why, then, do you come unprepared and listen with drifting minds. Why are you so anxious to be about your daily affairs when you might be fully nourished by my Divine Son in the Holy Eucharist?

      At the moment of Consecration all the Heavenly Hosts adore the True Presence upon bended knee. Their adoration continues even when the Sacred Host is reposed in the Tabernacle. Your disrespect for God's House, your lukewarm reception of Him, The King of Kings, wounds and afflicts His Most Sacred Heart.

      Your own weak will, lack of faith and hope, give only anemic love to Him Who is Love.

      O! The Holy Eucharist must be preserved. You must come and adore and reverence your God and King if you would persevere in the Time of Darkness.

      I have told you often that this is the Year of Tears. The world enters upon its Great Sorrow. Heed my Motherly words. Come, convert your hearts and live only in the Divine Will. The moment is nigh, the Hand of the Almighty shall strike when you least expect.

      Be humble, obedient little ones. Be true to the Holy Father, my beloved Pope John Paul II. Know your faith. Live it. Be an example to all - for I call all beneath the Refuge of my Immaculate Heart.

      The evil one deceives countless souls, especially my priest-sons! Pray for them and make sacrifice for them that they may be true shepherds.

      I love you. I bless you. O! Pray! Pray as never before. I am telling you all this that you might be armed with the Truth!

      Thank you for responding to my Call!

      Beloved Hidden Flower, I love you. O! Tell my children I love them. Yes, all. I call each one by name. I am calling, saying to each of my children: "Do whatever He tells you."

      Do you understand my call? My Divine Son, the Only-Begotten Son of God, Savior and Redeemer, The Word Made Flesh, seeks only your salvation.

      How difficult you make it because you do not want to surrender your will and be the servant of God. You are afraid, many are too stubborn or proud to surrender. They do not understand what a sublime act of Love, of living in the Divine Will such surrender is. It is the very Love returned to Love that is God's peace, joy and fortitude.

      Do not deceive yourselves in believing you are strong. All men are weak. Therefore, they must recognize their complete dependency upon God in all things.

      O! Little children. Heed my words. Now your spiritual house is in order. You have converted your heart. Now I solemnly tell you that it is the time to begin the places of refuge which I have spoken of, which will be the abode of the faithful remnant.

      Little ones of my Immaculate Heart, speak less. Pray more. Pray before the Tabernacle with such humility that God Himself shall shield you from all eyes that would accuse or speak ill of you.

      Stand firm in your faith. Read Sacred Scripture and be humble, obedient children, loyal to my beloved martyr of peace John Paul II. Pray for him. He is already in exile, so surrounded is he by his enemies. Do not be disturbed. My holy priest-son Pope John Paul II knows well his role. He is obedient to the Divine Will. I put my mantle around him, but satan's attacks grow ever more fierce.

      Little children, do not be afraid. You must amend your lives if you shall be faithful to my Divine Son. Therefore, I plead, I invite, I beseech, come back to God. Be abandoned to Him and detached from the world, over which satan rules.

      Dear children, pray, pray, pray! I love and bless you. Thank you for responding to my Call!

    Dear children! In this Christmas joy I desire to bless you with my blessing. In a special way, little children, I give you the blessing of little Jesus. May He fill you with His peace. Today, little children, you do not have peace and yet you yearn for it. That is why, with my Son Jesus, on this day I call you to pray, pray, pray, because without prayer you do not have joy or peace or a future. Yearn for peace and seek it, for God is true peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.

For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE

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WORD OF THE DAY

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb Jesus."

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

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December 29 - January 3, 1998 volume 9, no. 250   DAILY CATHOLIC