From the mailbag (unedited): a professor of theology, Dr. Miravalle, on 'dangerous deadlines'; a correspondent on theories of the 'warning'
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To Spirit Daily:
As we approach the end of the
Year 2000, pains and anxieties are being voiced by some members of the Marian
faithful regarding expectations of certain Marian prophesied events to take
place before the end of the Jubilee Year.
Amidst the numerous contemporary messages of our Blessed Mother to the world, several Marian messages speak about the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart (originally prophesied by Our Lady at Fatima) and with some association of the Triumph with the Year 2000. Within the body of these contemporary Marian messages and their revealed description of the Triumph, there are also references to specific supernatural events, various signs and wonders, to take place with some direct association to the Triumph.
These
prophesied extraordinary events with some direct association to the historic
Triumph of the Immaculate Heart which have yet to happen include: a God-given
illumination of conscience to be given to each person; physical miracles
permanently visible at various apparition sites; a "New Pentecost" as
manifested through a dramatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the world; the
papal proclamation of our Lady as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate in the
fifth Marian Dogma; climatic crisis of apostasy within the Church; a Second (not
final) Coming of Jesus Christ spiritually and Eucharistically; various forms of
global purification; and still other events.
All
these extraordinary happenings are prophesied to lead eventually to a promised
time of profound and unprecedented spiritual peace and renewal for the Church
and the world, a promise from Our Lady which, again, originates in Fatima:
"In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph" and "a period of
peace will be given to the world" (July 13, 1917). The Triumph of the
Immaculate thereupon leads to the Reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a
Eucharistic reign of peace and grace centering upon a proper primacy of faith
and worship of the Eucharistic Lord.
The
pains and anxieties of some Marian faithful derive then from the fact that the
Year 2000 is rapidly approaching its end, and to-date, none of the above
mentioned extraordinary signs and wonders have taken place.
How
should the Marian remnant respond to the closing of the Year 2000 and the Marian
prophetic references to the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary? Can the
Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary begin in the Year 2000, even without
certain prophesied signs and wonders? What precisely is the Triumph?
We
must remember that the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is first
of all a spiritual action and movement of the heart, and not initially dependent
on certain events to happen. The Triumph spiritually begins as we make a
spiritual gift of our hearts to the Immaculate Heart through acts of Marian
consecration and love, which tap the great abundance of graces being made
available to us in a powerfully generous way during this Jubilee Year 2000.
It
is our response to these special Marian graces, our acts of faith, prayer, and
spiritual offering which, in turn, allow certain other heavenly events to take
place. In this regard, the Triumph has indeed begun in the hearts of Her Marian
children who have given their hearts to Her and who are holding true to the
promises of great graces of the Triumph, both personally and globally.
In
the hearts of the Marian Remnant therefore, the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary has indeed begun, in a powerful and generous way, during this
grace-filled Jubilee Year 2000.
But
beyond Her Marian faithful, it must also be said that the universal and global
Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady has not yet taken place. This global
event of radical conversion and grace which depicts the entire human family as
living in an "era of Peace" as the fruit of the New Pentecost brought
to us through the intercession of the Mother of all peoples is obviously
something the world still awaits.
For
this universal spiritual transformation of the world to take place, this full
"global springtime" or Eucharistic Reign, the more extraordinary
prophesied events such as the Illumination, the permanent signs, the Marian
Dogma of the Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces, and Advocate, the New
Pentecost, and other prophesied events, each in their own function and way, will
indeed seem to be necessary in order to awaken the hearts of the world to the
fundamental need for God, and away from the false gods of money, power, lust,
and self which presently dominate the minds and hearts of the greater part of
humanity.
As
with Christ, so with the Church and the world; the Resurrection is arrived at
only through the Passion and Death.
Therefore,
to have prayerful hopes for the extraordinary events prophesied in connection to
the Triumph to occur soon, or, for some, even during the Year 2000, is
understandable. But to place our own deadlines to these events as having to take
place by Jubilee year’s end based on strict date interpretations of these
Marian prophesies, and without any acceptance of the ever mysterious
relationship between God’s providence and man’s free will, is spiritually
dangerous. Such strict interpretation can often lead to spiritual discouragement
and despair, and even at times to a foundational loss of Christian faith.
Marian
prophecy generally includes with it the understood faith caveat that the exact
timing and fulfillment of prophesied events will in some degree depend upon the
human cooperation, or, sadly in many cases, the lack thereof.
The
great ground rule for grace and salvation as deigned by God the Father of all
mankind is that human free will must be respected. Grace and salvation cannot be
forced upon humanity, and this includes the great grace of the universal Triumph
of the Immaculate Heart for the world. Man can receive these precious spiritual
gifts intended by the Father only when man freely accepts these gifts. The key
that opens the door to the other Marian prophesied events associated with the
Triumph to take place is none other than free human cooperation, when God’s
greatest gift to humanity is returned back to God in the form of our fiat to
God’s manifest will.
Of
one thing we can be sure. If certain prophesied events are delayed, it is
neither due to God’s failure, nor to error on the part of the Immaculate Seat
of Wisdom. It is due on some level to man’s repeated unwillingness to obey the
designs of Heaven in fulfilling Our Lady’s perfect plan for spiritual peace in
the world. But nonetheless, thanks to the generosity of Abba Father, the
eventual outcome of Marian victory and peace is already assured.
We
must also remember that the foundation of our Christian faith does not rest
primarily on the extraordinary signs and wonders, but firstly on our God-given
faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Magisterial teachings of our holy
Catholic Faith. In fact, the very purpose of Marian private revelation is to
lead us back to a full living of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, as protected and interpreted by the Church. Our
Mother’s messages are never intended to replace or supercede our faith in our
Lord Jesus as revealed in Scripture and Tradition, but to live it more
generously and fully. The Mother always leads us back to the Son as She did at
Cana: "Do whatever he tell you" (Jn. 2:5).
Hence
our faith in our Eucharistic Lord and His saving Gospel must always remain our
faith foundation, a foundation properly brought to new levels of Christian life
and holiness through the authentic words and inspirations brought to our present
troubled times by the Mediatrix of all graces, the spiritual Mother of all
peoples, and Advocate with the Most Holy Trinity.
There
is reason for rejoicing by the Marian remnant at the close of this Jubilee Year.
The Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary has truly begun in the hearts of Her
children. With every heart that is consecrated to and beats one with Hers, the
Triumph of the Immaculate Heart has indeed begun. But the definitive initiation
and fulfillment of the universal Triumph of the Immaculate Heart accompanied by
its extraordinary elements, for which the children of Mary await with great
anticipation (as does the Mother), continues to depend in large part on the free
cooperation of man.
This
is why it is so important, now more than
ever, for the renewed daily prayer of the Marian remnant for all components of
the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart to be fulfilled in accord with Heaven’s
desire. The Adversary rejoices with each Marian faithful who grows
discouraged in the waiting or by human deadlines and thereupon stops praying.
The ancient serpent must be deprived of such victory.
Lovers
of Mary must hold true in faith to the promises of the Immaculate Heart of the
Mother and to Her words of assured victory that "In the end, My Immaculate
Heart will triumph".
May the Marian faithful continue to offer their daily Rosaries, Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and daily sacrifices for the full accomplishment of the universal and historic Triumph of the Immaculate Heart in all its components. Let them place no date deadlines on their love for the Immaculate Heart nor on their fidelity to Her promises in a true living of Marian consecration. Abundant will be the graces for the children of Mary who continue to bring forth generous prayer and sacrifice from the innermost tabernacle of their Marian hearts in fulfilling the Gospel beatitude, "Blessed are they who do not see, and yet believe."
--
Dr. Mark Miravalle, theologian, Franciscan University of Steubenville
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Dear Mr. Brown:
I read with interest your article regarding the warning. And as I was reading it...some things just jumped out.
First, the comment by Dr. Petrisko , "...the light will come like a star that showed the way to wise men." It's as though Our Lord is telling us the exact day...the Epiphany.
It has been the contention of many that nothing significant would happen in the Jubilee Year. This year has been a time of "Mercy" given to each one of us to repent, go to confession, take advantage of the many graces that have been given to us. However, when the Jubilee year ends...which just happens to b e on the Epiphany...the hour of Mercy is over....and that's when we are given our final chance...the Warning takes place and then it's up to each individual to make their decision...we know that even though the Warning is from God...there will still be those who will not believe . This is purely conjecture on my part...but when I read it, everything seemed to fit and make sense.
I then went to my copy of the Lives of the Saints (by Catholic Book Publishing) and looked up the saint for January 7th, who happens to be St. Raymond of Penyafort. Although there wasn't anything extraordinary about his life, the prayer at the bottom caught my attention. it reads, "God, You endowed Your Priest, St. Raymond, with the gift of showing mercy to sinners and prisoners. Help us by his intercession to be freed from slavery to sin and with clear consciences to practice those things that are pleasing to you. Amen
Well...it was just a thought, but I wanted to share it with you.
God bless....
Pat