The Feature Article, begun in the inaugural issue two years ago, deals with the state of the Church. We continue probing the question that has perplexed the Magisterium and the laity for the past 30 years as the liberal element has left its mark, effecting changes that have seemingly watered down the "Roman Catholic" traditions. Yet, God in His Infinite Wisdom, has allowed this to happen for a specific purpose. He has been preparing us in a special way by sending His very Own Blessed Mother to guide us and remind us of our roots. Through perseverance, prayer and loyalty to Holy Mother Church headed by the Holy Father John Paul II and adhered to by the faithful who will not compromise, the pendulum is beginning to swing back toward the conservative side.
In the one-hundred-second installment of this on-going feature series, we continue our series on the Church Militant and why we are now engaged in fierce Spiritual Warfare as we stand perched on the horizon of the third millennium. Today, on the doorstep of the Solemnity of Pentecost we ask the Holy Spirit for His assistance and guidance in infusing us as He did the Apostles and disciples on that first Pentecost in the upper room. It's the only way we can successfully engage the devil in the great chess game for souls.
As always this column is meant to alert the reader to what is happening and sound the call to arms, to enlist in Mary's army and take up the battle cry. God said it, we believe it, that settles it! Too many Catholics are going their own way with little regard to what their spiritual shepherd - the Vicar of Christ says. Sin is whitewashed. If we're not careful there will be a tremendous backwash and who among us wants to get caught in the vortex of that swirling whirlpool of Justice? This series is a set blueprint for Catholics everywhere to take up the banner of truth in defending Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church as we prepare for this glorious event - the second coming of Christ and the Reign of the Sacred Heart, the Second Pentecost, the Era of the Eucharistic Presence, the Advent of Peace.
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Installment One Hundred-Three
The Forty-Fifth Clarion: part three
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Will we be Pawns of satan or dedicated Knights of Christ?
"This is my commandment,
that you love one another as I have loved you."
John 15: 12
This is not a game, but a deadly serious contest that we are locked in
with the master of deceit. The stakes are becoming higher and higher and
the casualties are becoming greater. Yes, we all know the eventual
outcome. The question is, will we be on His side when the evil one is
wiped off the face of this earth? It's easy to say "yes," but saying it
and doing it are two different things. By just saying it, we can easily
fall into that complacent smugness that traps everyone of us. By doing it,
we show God where our heart truly is.
Too often, without realizing it, we tend to stress the letter of the law,
and are less sensitive to the spirit of the law. We look at what the Blessed Mother of God
has entrusted to us through the messages of Medjugorje and we strive to do
what she asks. So we go about diligently trying to get our three rosaries
in a day - even to the point where we have to rush them at times or say
them late at night when we don't have our heart into it and even forget
we've been saying it as our mind wanders to all regions of past and future.
Do we realize Our Lady has also said that one Our Father, or one Hail Mary
prayed sincerely from the heart is worth more than three raced-through
rosaries?
We read what Our Lady said - Fast on Bread and Water on Wednesdays and
Fridays, and so we go about it religiously…almost to the point that we've
become a "club of fasting Pharisees", not realizing the real purpose of
what Our Lady is requesting. It is to make reparation and to condition us
spiritually. Yes, the Blessed Mother has asked us to fast but there are
other ways to fast if physically it would deter us from fully turning into
God's Will. Our Lady has said the best form of fasting is to fast from sin
- to not say one unkind word about our neighbor. How many of us can say we
keep that kind of fast? If we could maintain that kind of discipline, more
graces would be available to fend off the evil one.
The real Refuge is the Most Blessed Sacrament. Many reason to themselves
and with others that we'll always have the Blessed Sacrament in our
churches. Though there are some Catholic Churches in this country where
that is doubtful today, many still do, and for now, any sanctuary which
preserves the True Presence in the tabernacle - where the pastor and
associates are truly obedient to the Holy Father and Magisterium of the
Church - then those churches are true Refuges for now.
Clearing Up the Confusion
But Our Lady, as the loving and caring Mother she is, comes to alert us of
what is yet to come. Her LaSalette messages, approved by Holy Mother the
Church, says: "Rome will lose the faith and become the seat of the
Antichrist." That probably sounded pretty far-fetched back in the 19th
century, but it's more probable today with the pending schism and apostasy.
Our Lady told the visionary Melanie, "In the year 1864, lucifer together
with a large number of demons will be unloosed from hell; they will put an
end to faith little by little, even in those dedicated to God. They will
blind them in such a way, that, unless they are blessed with a special
grace, these people will take on the spirit of these angels of hell;
several religious institutions will lose all faith and will lose many
souls." There is no doubt in anyone's mind that these things have
occurred, just look at what happened to the religious orders! Remember the
vision Pope Leo XIII had after Mass and which prompted him to compose the
prayer to Saint Michael, which, unfortunately has been sadly missing since
the Second Vatican Council. No wonder satan is running amok!
There are so many things Our Lady of LaSalette imparted, especially: "The
society of men is on the eve of the most terrible scourges and of gravest
events. Mankind must expect to be ruled with an iron rod and to drink from
the chalice of the wrath of God."
God is definitely not happy with what man has done. Yes, it is inevitable
that a great chastisement is coming to every continent on this earth,
including our country. If this sounds far-fetched, look back at Yugoslavia
just a few years ago. No one who traveled to Medjugorje could foresee the
terrible devastation that would befall Bosnia-Herzegovina, which was then
just a state. In our narrow-mindedness and world perception from the media
perspective, we can't fathom that same kind of thing happening in the
United States. Yet Our Lady has cautioned us numerous times through
numerous visionaries and locutionists that what happened in Bosnia and now in the Balkans not
only can happen here, but also will happen. When? We know not, but Mary
has given us an accurate time-table through her messages to Father Don Stefano
Gobbi and others.
At Fatima, Our Lady said: "If my requests are not granted, Russia will
scatter her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of
the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to
suffer, and various nations will be destroyed." We know much of that has
happened. We also unfortunately, are being lulled into a "false peace" by
the media and governments - including our own. Remember the words of
visionary Josyp Terelya: "We will be witnesses shortly of a great division
in the Roman Church. Some of those bishops and clergy now that still
belong to the Catholic Church, even in America, will leave the Church and
create their own catholic church. This fragmentation of the Church is read
to destroy the unity of the Church. And we have to be ready for that
because the enemies of the Church have been preparing for this specific
act. Everyone must now become aware of this evil at hand and this is why
the Christian world is becoming consolidated through the Mother of God."
He gives the essence of Mary's role. He also warned, "I admonish America
to maintain its position of strength. Because the moment that America
weakens by disbanding its military that's when the Soviets will stab
everyone in the back. Beware!" We are being lulled into this "false
peace" by the media and the present administration as well as foreign
governments. Our country and its constitutions are being eroded and will
soon be in big trouble when the One World Order is in place along with the
Antichrist. We do know it's imminent.
Our Lady imparted to Father Gobbi, "Take courage! Be strong, my little
children. To you befalls the duty, in these difficult years, of remaining
faithful to Christ and to His Church, putting up with the hostility,
struggle and persecution."
We must go on faith that God, in His wisdom, will guide us and not abandon
us. In studying the apparition messages at Garabandal, we discover that
God will send a Great Warning and then a Great Miracle. This warning has
been detailed as being an "illumination" where we will each see the state
of our own soul the exact way God sees us. That can be a scary thought.
But it also shows how merciful God is, for before He exacts His Justice, He
will bestow His Mercy in what could very well be a "dress rehearsal" for
the Final Judgment. In His Mercy God will give every one of His children a
chance to "make good". Our Lady is a vital part of God's plan; she is the
intercessor, the one who He has selected to give us a part of the Infinite
tableau. Beginning with her apparitions at LaSalette, Our Blessed Mother
has been sharing a portion of the overall picture for over 150 years. The
more she divulges, the more we can begin to see the full facsimile of what
is to occur. The closer we come to the end times, the more she is
disclosing to us through many more visionaries and messengers for the
specific purpose of helping us navigate through the deadly mine field and
traps laid by her adversary.
God will not abandon us if we abandon ourselves to Him.
It has been said repeatedly that time is short. Are these just words, or
a true warning from above? If we truly believe the messages of LaSalette,
Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje, Garabandal, Akita, Betania, Conyers, and the
countless other heavenly communications emitting through God's chosen
messengers today, then we must trust and believe that what Mary is
requesting is right. If we don't, then we are not in unity of mind, heart,
and soul. If that is the case, confusion will reign and it cannot be
completed the way God wants. Yes, all this is being conveyed through
private revelation, but through almost every private revelation, great
fruits are being manifested. Satan will try to spoil the fruit by planting
doubts and confusion, but if it is truly from God, it will grow despite the
opposition. The Holy Roman Catholic Church is the greatest example of this.
Most importantly, we have to keep in mind the Gospel and strive to love
our fellow man, not excluding one soul. We need to relight the flame of
love and keep our lamps burning bright as beacons for those grappling with
what their role is for no one knows the hour but the Father.
We have been alerted the enemy is here. There is no time to lose, we must
put on the armor of God and prepare for the fiercest battle this world has
ever known. Onward Christian soldiers! It is time to get into position on
our knees and use the greatest weapon we have - Prayer. With this heavenly
weapon, consisting chiefly of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the
Rosary, we will be victorious in this great Spiritual Warfare being waged!
Next installment: Part Four of SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
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