It seemed bewildering: a couple lines from a new, recent “word of knowledge,” sent our way by the recipient, so long ago, of the “1990 prophecy” (which seems to be unfolding around us). It stated:
“A new and great evil has now come and settled and will be there for the duration. It was a choice by man, including My people, who find deception in rancor and rancor where was ordained love.”
A new and great evil? Certain, an uptick in darkness. In fact, there is enhanced evil everywhere — not just in Washington, or New York, or Hollywood; not just on TV. The activity of evil spirits has increased in our workplaces and homes — in our personal lives.
This should be our primary concern.
We’ll have more to say about this in coming says. (Stay tuned…)
Meanwhile, have we indeed found “deception in the rancor” — the dust and smoke from public and political combat, verbal warfare, that we can no longer see through it?
Obfuscation is how the “smoke of Satan” operates.
But what about that part about “rancor where was ordained love.” It didn’t hit us until recently, but this seems to be indicating criticality, verbal abuse, combat, and thus division within the Church — where indeed Christ had “ordained love.”
Some of the nastiest internet exchanges occur over just this: disagreements not just between believers and non-believers, and not even between religions, but within denominations, including Catholicism. Antagonism is a disease at epidemic strength. Loud accusatory voices are now the tone du jour. Lash out. Undermine. Even attack members of the hierarchy. Forget obedience. (Yet: “To obey is better than sacrifice,” says 1 Samuel 15:22.)
Here the deceiving spirits have a field day — contaminating Christians who started out with good intentions and now taking a hammer and chisel to the Rock lead followers toward a precipice.
We may be very surprised, one day, by how God views caustic religosity.
In the Pentecostal realm, a famous televangelist is even being publicly castigated for giving the “devil’s sign” at the graduation of his son from the University of Texas (he was using the school’s symbol for “hook’em,” which fans employ at football games: they are the UT “Longhorns”!).
As Professor Américo Pablo López Ortiz, international president of the World Apostolate of Fatima, said a while back, a “forgotten” message of Fatima “is associated with obtaining world peace, the conversion of sinners, the special grace of final perseverance for those practicing it, the grace of unity and strength for the Universal Church against inner dissensions opposing the Magisterium of the Successor of Peter. All these four graces are related to the definitive triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary announced at Fatima.”
How many of us argue over the Consecration of Russia — while ignoring Our Lady’s equally urgent request for the First Saturday devotion?
(“To prevent [punishment], I shall come to ask for the Consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays,” said the Blessed Mother a hundred years ago. “If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church.”)
Look inward before outward.
There is no question that certain upsetting things occur in rectories, episcopates, and for that matter Rome. Everyone has personal feelings, for example, about certain papal comments. It’s understandable. Ironically, special umbrage was taken in some circles when the Pope recently proclaimed that “doctrine unites, ideology divides,” which fits fairly closely with the word of knowledge that arrived weeks before. Francis said. Feeling and discerning: discern what my heart feels, for the Holy Ghost is the master of discernment.” Who does not have “these movements in the heart, who does not discern what is happening, is a person who has a cold faith, an ideological faith. Their faith is only an ideology.”
As conservatives, we adhere to a fairly rigorous set of guidelines when it comes to matters such as the liturgy and certainly toward issues such as contraception, the sanctity of marriage, liturgical holiness. But it is not masculine — it is weak — to disobey, antagonize, scandalize, and attack as nearly an entertainment.
Even when silenced by a homosexual bishop, Saint Padre Pio maintained perfect silence and obedience.
We men are especially inclined toward combat.
But Saint Pio: not many saints were manlier than him.
— MHB
“Not for years will an interior light return for those whose god is gold and whose love is cold. Not since times in history deep ago have My children so been skewed in what they perceive with eyes that distort and minds that form reality in a way that has no true destiny. Flee to Saint Joseph, and the Blessed Mother of the holm oak who tells us that brightness can be found only by those who practice the diligence of prayer amid consternation. Those who framed the future in accordance with their own time tables now find disbelief in prophecies though they unfold around you.”
[Upcoming retreat in New Jersey, June 24, 2017. Sign up here]