I understand what you're saying, except for that last part: "...no matter how many are on their knees..." I don't believe for one moment if every Christian was actually on their knees in true humble prayer God wouldn't lay ruin to every evil empire without a single physical battle fought. The devil once said if there were only two more of the Cure of Ars his kingdom would be ruined. The Cure of Ars didn't fight battles and protest the government (and he lived in pretty terrible times). He transformed countless souls by deep prayer, penance, and living a truly Christian life through his priestly vocation. Prayer and fasting stops wars and suspends the laws of nature. I only keep reiterating this because I think one of the greatest losses in the world today is the loss of belief in the great power of God and the spiritual realm. We rely on ourselves and physical/temporal solutions too much. That's a big part of what has gotten us into this mess in the first place. If this truly calls for a Joan of Arc moment, then let's remember that the call came from God, to a little girl, not a powerful man ready to go fight evil. She was " ...surrounded by a great light, and then I heard a revelation from God through a Voice which told me to be prayerful, to frequent the sacraments of the Church, and to always trust in the Lord for help." If God wants a battle, He will call Whom He pleases...perhaps the smallest and humblest among us. And World War II? God wanted to prevent that. Millions of good men fighting on the battlefield was what He was hoping to avoid by sending Mary to Fatima. She called for prayer, penance, amending our lives...she did not call for a fight or resistance to unjust authority. If enough had listened to her, the war wouldn't have had to happen at all! I just feel like we keep cheating ourselves out of witnessing the miraculous by continually falling back on our own solutions that feel like we're "doing" more.
You have said exactly how I feel, PF. That’s exactly what happened. World War I was called “ the war to end all wars” except it wasn’t. We didn’t listen to Our Lady of Fatima. And what about the Battle of Lepanto? That was won by rosaries offered to Our Lady of the Rosary. St Padre Pio called the rosary “the weapon for our times.” It’s Catholic!
Yes! The Battle of Lepanto was won because of Mary's intervention due to the rosary! No amount of fighting by those good men was going to win that battle. The wind was against them, but Mary turned the wind against the enemy and won their battle for them. I'd argue that if enough people had prayed the rosary for God's protection in the first place, the battle would never have even needed to be fought.
[11] And they said to Moses: Perhaps there were no graves in Egypt, therefore thou hast brought us to die in the wilderness: why wouldst thou do this, to lead us out of Egypt? [12] Is not this the word that we spoke to thee in Egypt, saying: Depart from us that we may serve the Egyptians? for it was much better to serve them, than to die in the wilderness. [13] And Moses said to the people: Fear not: stand and see the great wonders of the Lord, which he will do this day: for the Egyptians, whom you see now, you shall see no more for ever. [14] The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. [15] And the Lord said to Moses: Why criest thou to me? Speak to the children of Israel to go forward.
Mother Angelica was very,very angry. I think it was a change moment for her when her eyes got really opened. I love this about Mother Angelica that she was kind of sleeping through it all for a while. I slept through it all for a long time too. But once you start to get Red Pilled it is hard to fall back to sleep again. You change forever. Perhaps a part of you wants to roll over and hit the snooze button; but you can't really do it. You're sudden bolt wide awake! https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/...t-i-have-called-you-to-conversionit-is-urgent The Blessed Mother had this to say in a message to Valeria Copponi on Dec. 29, 2021: “Dear children, what more can I do for you...? I have been talking to you for so long: I have pleaded with you, prayed with you, suggested the words with which to pray to Jesus, but you have not listened to my words. Pay attention because it could really be too late for you... Convert, I say to you: the times are reaching their conclusion... I your Mother have always spoken to you with clarity: you will not be able to say “I did not understand”... Wake up, there is no more time for sleeping!” On January 7 this year, Our Lord Jesus Christ told stigmatist mystic Luz de Maria de Bonilla as follows: “My Beloved People: My blessing is with my children so that they would be creatures of good. “My People, as you begin, apply what you have forgotten and what is indispensable within every institution: respect for one another. This is not the time for you to live subject to a worldly way of thinking that dominates you, because this would lead you to fall under the dominion of a power that is not Mine. “You are experiencing hard times, although some feel that it is a respite, without looking beyond what their eyes can see or perceiving how much is approaching again for all humanity, provoking constant expressions of dissatisfaction in various countries, causing serious rebellions with great repression by the rulers. “Freedom is being withheld: the rulers dominate the institutions and are making My children live in captivity. “You are in transition between what you as humanity have been and what you will be as part of a so-called ‘order’ which is not My Will. “The announced persecution of My Mother's children is at an apex; the tentacles of the Antichrist, traffickers of My sheep, are ceaselessly poisoning the hearts of My People so that they would rebel against Me. That is why My children do not know how to adore Me, they forget that I am in you, they seek Me only when they feel threatened or afraid, they are stubborn, they mock Me, I speak to them and they forget, yet I do not forget My Words. “They have forgotten Me, they have ceased to love My Will. They do not wish to receive Ma in My body and blood. Loving and imitating My Mother is a thing of the past; inviting Me to stay is an obstacle to you; you do not desire healthy thoughts or a meek heart. The desire to do good is not even thought about. “The technological advancements used to do evil to human beings are causing you to be among the workers of the Antichrist. “You have become a darkened humanity among whom loyalty does not exist; betrayal goes ahead without reflection, and from this is born institutional schism; from this will be born the schism of My Church. “I have called you to conversion- it is urgent.. “Among My People there are so many people who are not authentic: they act in contempt of the Divine Law, they do not fulfill the Sacraments, they live with their own "god" fabricated at their convenience. They choose their ego in order to please themselves with all that is contrary to Me, because if they would serve Me they would not be able to do so much evil.
I really do believe we have an ongoing relationship with those who have gone before. Of course they have their own Spiritual Lives to go on in heaven and they are not be distracted from the onward journey by returning. But for others there is a kind of swing door from heaven. The saints are some such. They were raised to the Altars by the Church and so we know the doors are always open for them to come back down and help out. But not only the Canonised Saints but those who deeply loved us like our Mothers and Fathers and sisters and brothers can still poke their noses into our every day lives by putting in an occasional appearance in one way or the other. I had a disturbing dream the other night. I have a friend who well, I think I have been spiritually concerned about. He does attend Mass very occasionally but I just had the sense of his falling away, especially with the Pandemic. I saw his in a dream the other night but over his shoulder stood his dead mother and father and they were both very upset, his mother especially I heard her crying and both of them were calling out to me to pray for their son.
Sometimes when I pray to or for the dead I get different responses back. Now and again I get told that they are in Hell , beyond Mercy and beyond prayer and that I must stop praying for them. Sometimes when I pray for them I feel a deep thirst or hunger, or need for prayer and sense they are in Purgatory and really need our help. For others I sense they are in heaven and moving forward into Glory and should really not be disturbed too much with Earthly goings on. Even with the Saints the response can be different. Some Saints it is as if they are standing at the Golden Gates just panting with a real eagerness for folks to pray for them and ask for help. St Philomena is a good example of this. You have only to raise a little finger and she comes rushing right down.
“If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas” Yes. “If”every Christian did that we wouldn’t be where we are. But the reality of the situation is that we’ve gone the opposite direction and the world is far more secular and has rejected God and I’d guess that today there’s no more than 20% of us who have done what you hope. But we will all be on our knees soon enough, I’m sure of that. It’s how God will finally turn this after allowing us to suffer the consequences of our choices and then we will enter the era of peace. That’s the reality of the situation and we will be much better served dealing with reality as it is, not as it was or as we wish it were.
Mother Angelica had it right all along. She justly and rightfully called out the evil that was manifest in the house of God. Because of her, the traditional Catholics were vindicated in their disgust at the direction the liberals were and still are taking our church . She spoke to it all…without apology. She was defending the bride of Christ and I’ve no doubt that she is enjoying her eternal reward for building EWTN and exposing the diabolical. We need a million more Mother Angelicas . God bless you Mother and help us restore Gods house now as you did here on earth. RIP.
You ask very important questions. Why didn't they see it? Why can't they see it. I have no answers. I remember being a big fan of Fr Ritter who founded Covenant House. I supported him all through the 70's. In the early 80's one of the "kids" he had been helping reported him for sexual abuse. I refused to believe it at first. (Might have been 1980) but then evidence emerged. Sigh. Then my cousin told me of what he saw in his seminary in the early 70's. Needless to say he left. A vocation lost. It took him a long time to return to the Church. And yet no one wanted to hear it. Many years later after it was so obvious and horrifying my sister said "how did you know this so many years ago " (she had given me the silent treatment back then after I told her what I knew) I just said it was there if people wanted to see it but no one wanted to see it. And in a way thats true today. Many have been red pilled but a number of Catholics have not. Or will not.
This too was my experience Ann. I too supported Fr. Ritter….same red pill. With him and the rest of it. I’ve experienced this similar situation repeatedly, but I’ll never leave my faith. The Catholic Church is Gods and we need to protect it. Many don’t want to see the warts because they think you’re attacking the church, but it’s actually just the opposite….we are trying to protect it from this evil. Ignoring those bent on trying to dismantle it allows it to grow. If those like Ritter weren’t exposed and condemned, how much more damage would have been done…? There are more Fr. Ritters in our mist…all of them need to go.
Who did offer himself up was father Andrew Apostoli, who by the way was ordained by Archbishop Sheen and was curator for the cause of sainthood for Fulton Sheen. Apostoli was also an expert on Fatima, wrote a very definitive treatise on it and guided pilgrimages. Fr. Andrew Apostoli - Archbishop Fulton Sheen - 2015 Steubenville PDS
I, although sadly have witnessed so much of the wrong from within, still do not know how to counter it all with the exception of prayer. I do feel strongly that it needs exposed, otherwise it’s like a cancer and will continue to grow. Just too many either want to ignore it or just can’t see it. I’ve seen enough for a lifetime …it’s worse than most would ever believe.
Absolutely! The world is just so full of lies. It wasn't long ago that I learned that the patriotic messages blared during WWII to women at home in the West inviting them to "get out to work to help the war effort" was a massive propaganda push to get them to abandon their first responsibility - children, home, family - and the lie was pummelled so much that many felt guilty about not doing something to support the troops. It seems the first daycare structures were developed then - all for a good cause you know - and things never were the same after that. The world blares its messages that sound good on the surface but hide destructive goals. I agree with PF & HH about the fruits that a good Christian life would bring about if we all lived it properly - much evil would simply never get a hold of our families, cities, nations etc. This is what I think the Kingdom of the Divine Will will be about too - if everyone is listening to God, no one will want to pay attention to the whining of the world.
I don't really know, there are so many mysteries. Part of it might be that the Church is a big Organisation. I work for a big Organisation myself and see how things work, don't rock the boat being the First Commandment. But when we look at what happened to St Padre Pio we can't help thinking about the words of St Paul about, 'The Mystery of Iniquity' working from within. They really hounded Padre Pio, Churchman from high and low, they really, really hated the saint and did not stop at anything to bring him down. We see this again and again with the saints. St John Bosco for instance the Archbishop of Turin who was a friend of the saint from the Seminary did everything short of jumping up and down on John Bosco's head to do him down. Mother Angeilca of course again, High Clerics were queuing up with Baseball Bats to take a whack at her. Mystery of Iniquity working from within, indeed. One thing I do notice again and again and again, is that many, indeed most of these awful people tend to be active sexual perverts. 2 Thessalonians 2:5-9 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
Yes. Fr. Ripperger speaks to this about the WWII generation being called the Great Generation. Not really so. Much truth in your post, Andree. Hindsight is 20-20.
Fr Ripperger reveals many truths. It was from one of his talks that I heard a different perspective on the whole purpose of giving voting rights to women. One of the reasons he cited was because it could cancel out the vote of the husband and divide the couple. Speaking of then and now.... things just keep going downhill. I have told some of my compatriots here that there will never be another d-day effort to free their nation.
