Keep
your eyes open!...
Keep
your eyes open!...
The following excellent overview of Catholic Prophecy was originally published by the Marian Messenger:
MARY
WARNS, SCIENTISTS CONFIRM:
A
FIERY THREAT TO THE EARTH
by the Marian Messenger Editorial Board
"Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity."
Apparitions
of the Virgin Mary warn of this punishment for mankind. It may
happen
before the century ends. Astronomers now seem to confirm the threat.
URGENT MESSAGE OF FATIMA
On
July 13, 1917, Our Lady appeared to three children at FATIMA, Portugal
and
made the following remarkable prophecies.
1.
The October 13 great miracle of the sun witnessed by 70,000 people
and documented by an atheist editor for his anti-clerical paper. The sun
whirled in the sky or "danced" then was sent crashing to earth
before it returned to its proper place.
Pope Paul VI saw in this crashing sun a prophecy for a future event.
2. The end of World War I which was raging then.
3.
A mysterious light in the sky given by God as a sign. This occurred on
January 25, 1938, was seen by millions, causing panic in Europe,
and was reported in the New York Times.
4. A new World War II in the reign of Pius XI ( who was not the Pope then).
5. The rise of atheistic Russia, and the spread of its ideology.
6. God will punish the world by means of war, hunger and persecution.
7.
The eventual consecration and conversion of Russia. (The consecration
was done, or at least partially accomplished in March 1984. One year
later, in march 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power and began the
process that tore down communism. The Soviet Union was declared
officially dead on December 8, 1991, the great Marian Feast of the
Immaculate Conception.)
8.
The persecution of the church, especially the Holy Father. The good
will be martyred.
9. "Various nations will be annihilated."
10. The Virgin's Triumph which ushers in a period of peace.
It
is remarkable how this Marian apparition had accurately foretold the
first
seven items. The Wall Street journal (September 27, 1991) featured an
article
entitled, "Fatima Fever: Did Mary Prophesy Soviet Goings-On?
Believers
say Blessed Virgin Beat CNN to the News by More than 74 years."
The
said article quotes Francis Irons, a former Defense Department
analyst:
"Recent events in the Soviet Union are 'only explainable in
supernatural
terms,' he said."
A TIME
magazine cover story on the Virgin Mary (December 30, 1991)
highlights
the following quote: "The world will recognize in due time that
the
defeat of communism came at the intercession of the mother of Jesus."
One
of the visionaries, Lucia dos Santos, entered the convent. Sister Lucia
was
told that she would live to see all the Fatima messages fulfilled. She
is
now over 90 years old. So she will see the persecution of the Church and
the
Holy
Father, the martyrdom of the good, the annihilation of nations, and
the
Virgin's Triumph.
Mary
at Fatima calls mankind to turn away from sin -- or face annihilation.
The
nature of the punishment is hinted by the miracle of the sun: the ball
of
fire came crashing to the earth.
Joseph
Cardinal Ratzinger, the Vatican's chief theologian, said, "A stern
warning
has been launched from Fatima which is directed... to the perils
which
threaten humanity today."
Fatima
expert to Pope John paul II, Fr. Joseph de Ste. Marie, said "Let
there
be no hysteria concerning dates or concerning expectation of
chastisements.
The dates are unknown, the chastisement certain."
FIRE FROM THE SKY THIS ENDING CENTURY
Marian
apparitions imply that the chastisement threatens mankind as the
20th
century ends.
Another
visionary APPROVED by the Church is Sister Agnes Sasagawa of Akita,
Japan.
In the apparition of October 13, 1973, the Virgin said,
As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the
Father
will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a
punishment
greater than the deluge, such as one will never have seen
before.
Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of
humanity,
the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor
faithful.
The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will
envy
the dead.
Bishop
John Ito of Akita was very reluctant to approve the apparitions. It
meant
confirming the truth of the terrible warning. He went to Rome again
even
after two commissions working for more than 10 years called the
apparitions
authentic. The Vatican told him to go ahead with the approval.
A journalist
asked Bishop Ito, "What is the message of Akita?" The bishop
answered,
"It is the message of Fatima."
In
1991 the bishop said in a statement, "It seems to me that our Heavenly
Father
needs to purify this corrupt world before allowing mankind to enter
the
21st century."
Other
apparitions APPROVED by the Catholic Church speak of the urgency of
the
20th century: Quito (Ecuador), Corota (Italy), Betania (Venezuela),
Cuapa
(Nicaragua). The many other apparitions under investigation declare
the
same urgency.
Numbers
alone are significant. In the 19th century, there were only 5
Marian
apparitions. In the 20th century there is an explosion of more than
300
apparitions scattered around the globe.
SCIENTISTS CONFIRM THREAT TO EARTH
Astronomers
now warn that yes, the Earth faces the danger of fire from the
sky.
Here are some clippings:
*
"Earth Faces Asteroid Threat" Reuters, in Today, November 14, 1996.
"The earth could be hit at any time by a deadly asteroid, and
governments should urgently fund more programs to seek them out and
find ways of destroying them, British and Australian astronomers said on
Tuesday. Scientists and amateur astronomers met in London to
discuss the best ways to track the thousands of asteroids that pass
close to then Earth every decade."
*
"A Shot Across the Earth's Bow: Last week's heavenly near miss was a
record. Are we ready for the next incoming asteroid?" -- TIME magazine,
June 3, 1996
*
"Scientists Warn of Asteroid Danger to Earth," DPA in the Philippine
Star, November 28, 1996
*
"Pentagon Eyes Asteroids Threat." Agence France Press, in the Manila
Bulletin, February 20, 1997.
"The United States is taking seriously the threat of asteroids
collidingn with Earth and learning to track them when they are
still farout in space,' a pentagon spokesman said yesterday."
*
"Close Calls from Comets on the Rise." The Boston Globe in Today,
November 13, 1996
*
"Mysterious Comets may One Day Destroy the Earth." The Guardian News
Service in the Manila Bulletin, February 15, 1997
*
"Geologists Say Earth Due for Extraterrestrial Bump." Reuter, Mercury
News, February 18, 1997
"Geological data show the Earth could be overdue for a major impact
from a comet or meteorite, experts said Tuesday. 'We can't say when, and
we can't say how big, but it will definitely happen.' Robert
Hutchinson of the London Natural history Museum told Reuters."
*
"Comet Rains Can Cause Global Extinction." Manila Bulletin,
November 20, 1996
Caution:
the astronomers are NOT saying that there is a particular asteroid
or
comet on a direct collision course with Earth. At least not yet. (A
check
with PAGASA reveals no asteroid/comet headed exactly this way.)
However,
one visionary says that the astronomers will later raise the alert
but
the public will not believe them.
FATIMA POPE: JOHN PAUL II
On
May 13, 1981, on the anniversary of Mary's first apparition at Fatima,
John
Paul II was almost killed. The gun was aimed at his head, but the Pope
was
saved when he turned to a young girl wearing a picture of Our Lady of
Fatima.
The assassin fired two more shots at the abdomen.
At
first John Paul II did not pay attention to the fact that his brush with
death
took place on May 13. The Pope took the message more seriously. While
in
the hospital, he asked for the documents on Fatima, wrote to Sister
Lucia,
and reread the famous undisclosed Third Secret of Fatima.
John
Paul II then obeyed the Virgin's request. Together with the bishops of
the
world he consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in March
1984.
One year after, In March 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power, and
the
world watched as communism collapsed.
Pope
John Paul II is now getting the Church ready for the great Fatima
events
as humanity enters the third millennium. He said in Crossing the
Threshold
of Hope, "Mary appeared to the three children at Fatima in
Portugal
and spoke to them words that now, at the end of this century, seem
close
to their fulfillment."
His
subtle program is superior to sounding the alarm. It is the best
preparation
of all: prayer. Catholics are to spend in special prayer the
years,
1997, 1998 and 1999. That is the subject of his Apostolic Letter
Tertio
Millennio Adveniente.
"The
Pope seems to be hoping for some equivalent 'collapse' in the power of
evil,
some great new 'springtime' for Christianity and the world," says the
journal
Inside the Vatican (December 1994), commenting on the document.
TIME OF TRIAL: A SEQUENCE OF COMING EVENTS
The
Marian Messenger complied the messages on the events awaiting this
ending
century. The product of this research is a paper called "The Fatima
Countdown:
Coming Events According to the Marian Messages."
The
events are based primarily on apparitions which have been officially
approved
by the Catholic Church. Pending apparitions, or those not yet
approved,
repeat the themes and reveal more details.
These
events are controversial and may sound hard to believe. The Church
teaches
that she will indeed pass through a final trial, but she does not
say
when this will happen.
Catholics
are not obliged to believe these messages, even as the Church
allows
the faithful to distribute them. Believing the Marian messages is a
personal
decision. We in the Marian messenger submit to the authority of
the
Catholic Church as regards apparitions under investigation.
Here is a summary of the sequence.
1.
Current situation:
* Apostasy (loss of faith, disobedience to the Church)
* Devotion to the Eucharist in decline.
* Mary prepares her "cohort": her own army of people consecrated
to
her, who pray and gather in cenacles.
* Disasters serve as initial warnings: hunger, epidemics, etc.
2.
Conflict erupts in the Catholic Church: cardinals versus cardinals,
bishops versus bishops. The immediate trigger of the conflict may
be the Pope's declaration of the Fifth Marian Dogma: the Virgin Mary is
Co-Redemptrix, Advocate, Mediatrix of All Grace.
3.
Schism: open revolt in the Church. A false church emerges,
consisting of rebel bishops, priests, and laity. However, the
Church in the Philippines remains loyal to Pope John Paul II, according
to an
American visionary. Mary has a special plan for the Philippines,
according to an Italian priest visionary, Fr. Stefano Gobbi.
4. Revolution breaks out in Italy. The Pope has to evacuate Rome.
5. A great Cross appears in the sky.
6.
The Great Warning: we will all see our unconfessed sins and suffer pain
for them -- our souls will feel the fires of Purgatory or Hell.
(The Marian Messenger suggests that all take advantage of the Feast of
Divine Mercy every year. That's the first Sunday after Easter. Go to
confession during Lent, even before Holy Week. Then take Communion on
the Feast. Those who do so will be granted complete remission of their
sins and the punishment due them. Jesus told this to the Polish
visionary Sister Faustina Kowalska.)
7. A comet or asteroid crashes to the Earth.
8.
Aftermath of the crash:
* Terrible earthquakes
* Global freezing
* Crop failure, famine
* Pest infestation
9. Global hunger
10. Global wars break out over resources.
11.
World government emerges. Antichrist comes to power and puts the world
in order. (Note: the severe economic crisis and social chaos gripping
Germany in the 1930's called for a strong leader. This popular demand
led to the rise of Adolf Hitler, who put the nation in order.)
12.
Antichrist rules Rome. Catholics loyal to Pope John Paul II are
persecuted. The Philippines is kept safe, according to an American
visionary ceives messages of Jesus under the title, "King of All
Nations."
13. "Great suffering" for the Pope.
14.
The Great Miracle.
* This will be Eucharistic and Marian.
* Mary will appear as the Great Sign described in Rev. 12:1
* It will be a gift of the Divine Mercy. There will be a tremendous
outpouring of grace.
15.
Climax of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart: mass conversions. Russia
is converted.
16. Nations enter the Church reunited and purified.
17.
The Great Chastisement
* "Atomic awakening." According to one visionary, the Antichrist
instigates nuclear war.
* Fire will fall from the sky. Another comet or asteroid hits the
Earth.
* Various nations are annihilated.
* The Earth gets shrouded in darkness.
18. An Era of Peace follows.
FAMILIES PROTECTED BY JESUS AND MARY
When
the atom bomb destroyed Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, it somehow spared
a
building only eight blocks away from ground zero. In it were living eight
Jesuits
who were unharmed by the blast, heat, and radiation.
Some
200 scientists have examined the priests, trying to determine why they
were
unhurt. Speaking on American TV, the German Jesuit Father Hubert
Shiffner
gave the startling answer:
"In that house, the Rosary was prayed every day. In that house we were
living the Message of Fatima," he said. His words seemed to repeat the
essence of Sister Lucia's statement in 1977: "Our Lady will protect all
her dear ones."
How
does one live the Fatima message? How can families secure Mary's protection?
1. People must first CONVERT: turn away from sin and go back to God.
This entails the usual demands of the Christian life like prayer,
reading Scripture, obedience to the commandments, concern for others.
Beyond it there are special requests from the Blessed Virgin:
2. DAILY OFFERING. "Offer up each day whatever God requests of you...
for the conversion of sinners and reparation for sin."
3. REPARATION. "Pray, fast, and make sacrifices for your sins and
for
the sins of all sinners and unbelievers."
4. EUCHARIST. Frequent prayer, adoration and reparation before
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
5. FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS. "Confess, offer Mass, receive Holy Communion
on the First Saturday of five consecutive months... with the
intention of making reparation to me..."
6. ROSARY. "Each day recite the prayers of the rosary, five decades
at
least -- meditating on the mysteries -- to make reparation for
sin." (AKITA)
7. CONSECRATION. Consecrate yourself to the Sacred heart of Jesus
and
the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This means entrusting yourself to
their care and protection. Wear the brown scapular as a sign.
Here is a sample consecration prayer:
I a
faithless sinner renew today in Your hands the vows of my baptism. I
renounce
forever Satan, his pomps and his works, and I give myself entirely
to
Your Sacred Heart, O Lord Jesus Christ. I will carry my cross after You
all
the days of my life and will be more faithful to You that I have ever
been
before.
I choose
you this day for my mother and Queen, O Blessed Virgin Mary. I
deliver
and consecrate to your Immaculate Heart my body and soul, my family
and
all those dear to me, my parish, and my country. Use us according to
your
good pleasure and for the greater glory of God. Amen.
