http://atxcatholic.com/index.php/2019/04/angels-dragons-xx-war-in-heaven-rev-127/#.XL-HpOh05dh This is an excellent article about the great war in Heaven when Lucifer and the fallen angels were being cast out. Spirit Daily, April 27, 2019
Angels & Dragons X: St. Faustina’s Battles PUBLISHED MARCH 28, 2018 • WRITTEN BY DEACON GUADALUPE RODRIGUEZFILED UNDER: PRAYER Reading Time: 5 minutes Crucified Christ by Viktor Vasnetsov For 40 days we have watched Jesus prepare for His final battle on Calvary. All His life He has trained for this day. He was born for this! And so are we. The life of a Christian is a constant battle. Against ourselves, the world, and the powers of darkness. As Gaudium et Spes states, “man is obliged to wrestle constantly if he is to cling to what is good (37),” and it was no different for St. Faustina. In her Diary, St. Faustina speaks often about the constant spiritual battle, giving us many great thoughts to keep and encourage us on the way: “My Jesus, despite Your graces, I see and feel all my misery. I begin my day with battle and end it with battle. As soon as I conquer one obstacle, ten more appear to take its place. But I am not worried, because I know that this is the time of struggle, not peace. When the burden of the battle becomes too much for me, I throw myself like a child into the arms of the heavenly Father and trust I will not perish. O my Jesus, how prone I am to evil, and this forces me to be constantly vigilant. But I do not lose heart. I trust God’s grace, which abounds in the worst misery [606].” This battle is fought first on our knees, our favorite chair, standing, walking, or before the Lord Jesus in an adoration chapel, for no one can remain in the fray unless he first prays. And this includes the elderly. There is no retirement from spiritual combat. As St. Faustina explains, “Old age does not dispense one from the combat [517],” and also, she explains, the beginner, the pure and the sinner: “A soul arms itself by prayer for all kinds of combat. In whatever state the soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul which is pure and beautiful must pray, or else it will lose its beauty; a soul which is striving after this purity must pray, or else it will never attain it; a soul which is newly converted must pray, or else it will fall again; a sinful soul, plunged in sins, must pray so that it might rise again. There is no soul which is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer [517].” Don’t grow weary of the spiritual warfare but trust that you belong to a “chosen race” (1Pt. 2:9) and a “royal priesthood” (1Pt. 2:9) carrying the King’s royal blood in our veins and further renewed each time we receive His Most Precious Blood at mass. St. Faustina explains our origins and divine genetic makeup of the soul… in your heart of hearts, you know who you are: “The soul knows it comes from a warrior race. It is now much more aware of everything. It knows that it is of royal stock. It is concerned with all that is great and holy [517].” God is building up a generation of royal souls who know how to fight! Hence, Jesus exhorts St. Faustina into battle by reminding her that she is the daughter of a king fighting in foreign lands, but that very soon she will enter His Heavenly Kingdom, “But child, you are not yet in your homeland; so go, fortified by My grace, and fight for My kingdom in human souls; fight as a king’s child would; and remember that the days of your exile will pass quickly, and with them the possibility of earning merit for heaven. I expect from you, My child, a great number of souls who will glorify My mercy for all eternity.” [1489] Jesus trains St. Faustina to be like a noble and fearless knight of the middle ages, who knows no retreat or flight from the threshold of battle: “I want you to become like a knight experienced in battle, who can give orders to others amid the exploding shells. In the same way, My child, you should know how to master yourself amid the greatest difficulties, and let nothing drive you away from Me, not even your falls [1823].” St. Faustina knows and understands that the battle is endless here on earth, and she resolutely fixes her gaze on heaven, as if she were looking at a guiding star or the very sun, careful never to lower her gaze from the homeland: “Oh, how sweet it is to toil for God and souls! I want no respite in this battle, but I shall fight to the last breath for the glory of my King and Lord. I shall not lay the sword aside until He calls me before His throne; I fear no blows, because God is my shield. It is the enemy who should fear us, and not we him. Satan defeats only the proud and the cowardly, because the humble are strong. Nothing will confuse or frighten a humble soul. I have directed my flight at the very center of the sun’s heat, and nothing can lower its course. Love will not allow itself to be taken prisoner; it is free like a queen. Love attains God.” [450] Beautiful fighting words! But the reality of the war is that it is a painful road that leads to the cross where there are blood, tears, and guts all over the place making the best of souls think twice as St. Faustina explains: “A soul that is united with God must be prepared for great and hard fought battles. After these purifications and tears, God abides in the soul in a special way, but the soul does not always cooperate with these graces [121],” [from the], “General exhaustion due to a new way of life, intense spiritual combat and experiences…[24].” Das_Jüngste_Gericht_(Memling) But, we are not alone! Amidst the dragons, their minions and the condemned souls of hell, there are also angels and saints fighting by our side. We are surrounded by a panoramic view of invisible warriors as far as the eyes can see: “Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will…I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone [1760].” Finally and most importantly, God Himself is fighting for us by sending us special graces of Divine Mercy to save our souls and those of others. Graces pouring from His Immolated Heart upon His Cross of Glory, made present in the Holy Eucharist… “My child, that you may answer My call worthily, receive Me daily in Holy Communion. It will give you strength.” [1489] Yes, Jesus Himself carries and supports us when we are knocked off our battle steeds, laying mangled and defeated upon the battlefield. As He explains to St. Faustina: Let it be confirmed and engraved on your heart that I am always with you, even if you don’t feel My presence at the time of battle [1498].” “Do not fear, My little child, you are not alone. Fight bravely, because My arm is supporting you; fight for the salvation of souls, exhorting them to trust in My mercy, as that is your task in this life and in the life to come [1452].
Angels & Dragons PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 12, 2015 • WRITTEN BY DEACON GUADALUPE RODRIGUEZFILED UNDER: COLUMN, FAITH Reading Time: 7 minutes “Proclaim a War! Let the weak man say, ‘I am a warrior!’” (Joel 4:9-10) St Michael by Luca Giordano In these dark times we must contemplate and understand the spiritual battle we are facing. We must take a step back and ask ourselves, “What is happening to the world and to us?” The answer is that mankind is at the threshold of the greatest combat we have ever faced. The Church and the world are at crossroads. We are under siege! In the words of Pope Benedict XVI on February 17, 2013, “The time of testing is here!” We must understand the struggle, the weapons, and the tactics of the enemy, but most importantly we must understand without a doubt that, “Our side outnumbers theirs” (2 Kings 6:16) lest humanity loses hope and everyone follows after the beast …yes even the elect if it were possible. (Mark 13:20) St Michael Remember God’s holy angels outnumber the fallen angels. Only, “A third of the stars,” (Rev. 12:4) were cast down to the earth. Two thirds of God’s holy angels remained faithful and are now standing by for us to engage them in the fight. Yes, in Book of Revelation, “Stars are angels.” (Rev. 1:20) St. Thomas Aquinas says, “All have to wage spiritual combat with our invisible enemies.” We must enter the fray; none can stand by dispassionate or idle for, “The ‘spiritual battle’ of the Christians new life is inseparable from the battle of prayer.” (CCC 2725) All have to pick up spiritual weapons (Mass, the Word of God, Confession, Adoration, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Rosary, Divine Office etc) or accept to be taken captive by the red dragon (Rev.13:10), as there will be a time when the whole world will marvel at him (as when a whole country marveled at Hitler). Dragon VS Angel by David De León Luis “The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan…has come down to you in great fury, for he knows he has but a short time.” (Rev. 12:9,12) “Like a roaring lion, the devil is prowling around looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) If you are really one of God’s holy and mighty warriors you can feel the strain, the weight, the toll, the strife, the grapple, and most especially the free-for-all that the adversary is engaging us in, in our everyday tasks. Yes, the spiritual warfare has increased! For those who have eyes, the darkness is setting in as in the Lord of the Rings or as St. John Paul II stated on the anniversary of his shooting, “The evil that is spreading throughout the world and menacing the individual human being, the nations, and mankind as a whole… the whole range of menaces gathering like a dark cloud over mankind…” Oh if we could only blow the trumpet to warn the troops saying, “He has been released for a short time!” (Rev. 20:3) The vision of Pope Leo XIII is upon us! St Michael and the Devil, Coventry Cathedral If you are neutral or lukewarm and have not taken up arms, you will not feel the battle as the opponent knows you already belong to him. However when you least expect it, the rival will surround you, envelop you, and bind you as a prey to its victim. When the foe finally attacks those “on the fence,” you will be so surprised that you won’t know where to turn to in the confusion of his mighty attack. By then it will be too late to pick up weapons as you will not have the trust or the eyes to see that “our side outnumbers theirs.” (2 Kings 6:16) In a frightful panic you will think that your only way out is despair and thus believing all the accusations of the dragon for he is, “The accuser of our brothers and sisters.” (Rev. 12:10) You will lose all hope in God’s eternal Mercy because most of the time people “Live as they pray” (CCC 2725) and die as they lived. Angels of the Apocalypse If only our civilization would have the eyes of faith to see the fiery chariots (2 Kings 6: 17) around us – then we would not feel so alone in the battle. But this is what will make this generation so great and special. There are some who have eyes of faith to see the invisible reality. These soldiers must, “Proclaim a War!” (Joel 4:9) They must proclaim to the whole world, “Let the weak man say, ‘I am a warrior!’” (Joel 4:10) Elisha and his servant Remember what one Desert Father said, all generations have faced the red dragon tethered and tied down but those at the end of time will face him fully loosed over the face of the earth even if it is just for a short while. This is what will make us the greatest saints who have walked the face of the earth. Like the kings and queens that come out at the end of the chess game so we too are the special kings and queens that come out at the end to do battle with the dragon. Yes, we are small, feeble, and frail, but power is made perfect in weakness for when we are weak, God is strong or as St. Paul says, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:10) If you still are incredulous about your calling in these perilous times, know that you also have a mother advocating, interceding, and fighting at your side, “But the power of Mary over all the devils will especially shine forth in the latter times, when Satan will lay his snares against her heel: that is to say, her humble slaves and her poor children, whom she will raise up to make war against him. They shall be little and poor in the world’s esteem, and abased before all like the heel is by the other members of the body. But in return for this they shall be rich in the grace of God, which Mary shall distribute to them abundantly.” (St. Louis Marie De Montfort) Eowyn – LotR (New Line Cinema) Know and trust that we are the generation of dragon slayers whether we realize it or not. Whether you believe it or not. You are God’s mightiest warriors! This is our true calling. As Joan of Arc said, “I was born for this!” You too were handpicked and chosen for this moment. You were born for this! The hands you see are hands of warriors! Accept to make the journey and be changed into mighty hobbits as in the Lord of the Rings. This is the Job generation that was found worthy of being tested. This generation is praiseworthy of facing off with the dragon toe to toe. David versus Goliath, “Blessed are your eyes, because they see.” (Mt. 13:16) Oh what all the saints would give to find themselves in this battle of battles! 1st of 7 Trumpets continued...
What will it take? One day seeing the state of his country, St. Martin of Tours, a former Roman soldier whose father was in the famous Imperial Horse Guard, asked the Lord in tears, “What will it take to save my country?” “What will it take?” The Lord responded, “One saint!” And a saint he did become. What will it take to save our present world? One Saint! May that Saint be YOU! May the devil say of you what he said of St. John Vianney, “If there were two of him my kingdom would end!” Trust and believe wholeheartedly that many souls are on the balance and are dependent on your sanctification. There are souls at stake so you must enter the battle trusting Jesus and Mary, “At the end of the world and indeed presently, because the Most High with His holy Mother has to form for Himself great saints who shall surpass most of the other saints in sanctity as much as the cedars of Lebanon outgrow the little shrubs.” (St. Louis Marie De Montfort) I know all this seems too much and overwhelming but it is who you are destined to be from the beginning of time and all creation: A saint of the end of times! God’s greatest warriors! He has saved the best! Elijah and the Bread of Angels Like Elijah we too must eat, “The bread of angels,” (Psalm 78:25) so that we will have the strength to continue to clash our swords and shields against these beasts. Yes, they will injure you with their fiery breath, jaws, fangs, claws, and talons, injecting a most poisonous venom called mortal sin that deadens and rots the soul for, “The sting of death is sin!”(1Cor.15:56) But remember the remedy – the Blood of the Lamb cleanses, heals, and ennobles the soul in Confession, and the Blood of the Lamb from the chalice strengthens and sanctifies us at Mass! Yes, “They conquered him (the dragon) by the Blood of the Lamb!” (Rev. 12:11) Only in this way will we not give up the fight and join the enemy. Remember the words of Jesus to St. Faustina, “All of heaven and earth is watching you. Fight like a knight!” [1760] Choirs of Angels This is the test of tests. This is the generation for whom the words of Jesus should echo in our hearts, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8) There may come a time when the dragon surrounds you and pins you down even though you have been a faithful warrior. At this point you may be tempted to lose faith and or even join him. When you find yourself arrested by the dragon with nowhere to run, you must not panic. Reach for “The Weapon” (Mary’s word’s to St Dominic when she gave him the rosary) and pray the Rosary…“The angel holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a heavy chain seized the dragon.” (Rev. 20:1) The key is the crucifix and the chain is the rosary beads. Each time you pray it, the angel shackles the dragon. This is how the Woman crushes the head of the serpent for she is the Queen of Angels and they are here to serve her. How bad will the battle rage? Our catechism says, “Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.” (CCC 675) Ok I know I am weak, but if I stay the course will I make it? Jesus promises those who are faithful these words, “I know your works, behold I have left an open door before you which no one can close. You have limited strength, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name…I will keep you safe in the time of trial that is going to come to the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.” (Rev. 3:8-10) Michael Cast Out Lucifer I cannot repeat it enough times, “Our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness.” (Eph. 6:12) Keep these words in the back of your minds! “Amid so much darkness, let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds!” (Pope Francis’ first homily) Open your eyes to the true reality! We represent all of humanity and every generation. Don’t hesitate to enter the fray! “Rouse the warriors to arms,” (Joel 4:4) choose sides, and know that, “Michael shall arise in the time of great distress.” (Dan. 12:1) Statute of St Michael at the Vatican Yes, you end times warrior, “Proclaim a war!” (Joel 4:9) “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” (Isiaih 60:1-2) Your time has come! Let the people know we have entered the time of God, men, dragons, and angels and that “Our side outnumbers theirs!” (2 Kings
Angels & Dragons XVII: The Power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus PUBLISHED JANUARY 12, 2019 • WRITTEN BY DEACON GUADALUPE RODRIGUEZFILED UNDER: BLOG Reading Time: 5 minutes January is the Month of the Most Holy Name of JESUS, and the name of JESUS is the most powerful weapon against “the dragon and his angels(Rev.12:7).” This special feast is celebrated on January 3, and it is associated with the Circumcision of JESUS (Lk. 2:21) when Joseph officially gives Him, “the name of JESUS, because He will save His people from their sins (Mt. 1:21).” Devotion to the most holy and powerful name of JESUS was from the very beginning when JESUS was teaching His apostles about healing and deliverance, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.” “Do not stop him.” JESUS replied, “For no one who performs a miracle in My name can turn around and speak evil of Me…” Throughout church history, devotion to the most holy name of JESUS has continued and saints like Bernadine of Sienna, Vincent Ferrer, and Leonard of Port Maurice performed many great miracles in the name of JESUS. At times, sick were healed by putting a card under the pillow with the name of JESUS, or simply by speaking the name of JESUS with faith the person was healed. The name of JESUS was also placed on the front door to protect a home On February 25, 1530, Pope Clement V approved an Office of the Holy Name for the Franciscans, and it spread throughout the church. In 1721, Pope Innocent XIII officially extended the feast of the Holy Name to the entire Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains why the name of JESUS is so important to our faith and worship, “His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies…The invocation of the holy name of JESUS is the simplest way of praying always. When the holy name is repeated often by a humbly attentive heart, the prayer is not lost by heaping up empty phrases, but holds fast to the word and “brings forth fruit with patience.” This prayer is possible “at all times” because it is not one occupation among others but the only occupation: that of loving God, which animates and transfigures every action in Christ JESUS ” (CCC #2666 – 2667). I personally have witnessed many miracles of healing and deliverance through the invocation of the most holy name of JESUS in the streets of Austin, TX but most especially on 6th street and Congress. This has occurred while the 45 men in diaconal formation and the two formators (Deacon Dan Lupo & I) have been practicing St. Paul Street Evangelization with Steve Dawson (founder) and Adam Janke (CEO). The miracle in the video of a man with a cane who limped because he had been shot in the leg and the bullet was still lodged in his muscle is similar to the miracle JESUS performs in the gospel. “’Can you see anything?’ JESUS asked. The man looked up and said, ‘I can see the people, but they look like trees walking around.’ Once again JESUS placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly (Mk.8:23-25).” Why does it take several times for JESUS to perform this miracle? I would say it was not because of any lack in JESUS, as if He didn’t have the power to heal the blind man all at once. It was not because this man’s blindness was a particularly difficult case. It was not because JESUS tried and failed the first time. It is because JESUS wants to build our faith slowly at our pace as with the apostles during the three years of journeying with Him, and they said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Lk.17:5) or in Mk.9:24 “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me, help my unbelief!’” Many chronic illnesses are not only physical but spiritual in nature which means that forgiveness or some type of inner healing is also involved so that a full and complete healing occurs. This is where Dr. Bob Schuchts and the JPII Healing Center out of Tallahassee, Florida really excel and have taught us so, so much. Yes the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “He has come to heal the whole man, soul and body; he is the physician the sick have need of (1503).” Yes, all sickness is evil as the church document from Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith explains, “Although sickness may have positive consequences as a demonstration of the faithfulness of the just person, and for repairing the justice that is violated by sin, and also because it may cause a sinner to reform and set out on the way of conversion, it remains, however, an evil (Instructions of Prayers for Healing).” (The one exception is when JESUS appears to a victim soul and asks if they would accept to suffer for the salvation of souls; however, they are free to accept or decline. Of course these are far and few chosen souls.) On December 15, 2018 we again witnessed many healings in the name of JESUS. Here are two examples. Alex had just been operated and you can still see the bandage on his head. He was in great physical pain. We met him on 6thstreet and asked him if he wanted prayer in the name of JESUS to alleviate the pain, and he said “yes.” It took a couple of prayer sessions in the most holy name of JESUS, but in the end the pain was completely gone. Then we met up with Jessie on Congress Street who explained that he had a great anxiety. We asked him from 1-10 with 10 being the worst what is your level of anxiety. He said, “10.” We prayed in the most holy name of JESUS, and he said it was now at a level 4. We prayed again, and he started to smile from ear to ear and said it was now a 1. He was filled with joy saying, “I am healed.” “Thank you.” We said, “Not us but the most powerful and most Holy Name of JESUS!” It is not only sickness, but demons too must bow at the name of JESUS. Fr. Gabriel Amorth, Vatican’s Exorcist states, “It is only in His name that we can win and free ourselves from the enemy of our salvation, Satan. At the end of the most difficult exorcisms, when I am confronted with total demonic possession, I pray the Christological hymn of the Letter of Paul to the Philippians (2:6-11). When I speak the words “so that all beings in the heavens, on earth, and in the underworld should bend the knee at the name of JESUS”, I kneel, everyone present kneels, and always the one possessed by the demons is also compelled to kneel. It is a moving and powerful moment. I always feel that all the legions of the angels are surrounding us, kneeling at the name of JESUS.”(An Exorcist Tells His Story)
