World Poverty

Ever since I first read about the apparitions which were occurring in Scottsdale, AZ and also read the Lessons from Our Lord that Dr. Gianna Sullivan was receiving, my major interest was not so much the apparitions or the visionaries; rather, my major interest was in how God seemed to be calling everyone in the whole wide world to mystical contemplation. In my book, Its Light is the Lamb, the main subject which I address, in one fashion or another, is the question of whether or not there is a universal call to contemplation. And in my blog of the same name, I also discuss mystical contemplation as my major topic.

However, in this blog which I have titled Second Pentecost, or which is synonymously expressed as the Second Coming, the Eucharistic Reign, the new springtime of the Church, the New Era of Peace, or as I like to think of it, as the “new Jerusalem” (Rev. 21:2), my major interest is in trying to understand what God is trying to tell us, through His prophets, about the age in which we now live.

Today, I got a new insight as I was reading the book, Fatima, The Great Sign, by Francis Johnston. In this book the author speaks of the people in the Third World who suffer so much from hunger. Johnston says that, according to the Fatima message from Our Lady, she has promised that “the fulfillment of her requests would put an end to world hunger.” (p. 136) I had never heard this before! If Our Lady really said this, what an important message it is. Why have we not heard more about this promise of Our Lady?

'Signs of the Times'

In my blog, titled New Era of Peace, posted Nov. 27, 2007, I quoted Our Lady as saying that this Era of Peace will be “preceded by confusion and controversy, battles, pain and the other bowls of purification.” On Sept. 23, 2006, Mary the Mother of God says to Dr. Gianna Sullivan, these sobering words relative to this ‘purification’

”Those who will survive future events must be sound in mind, body & soul, both whole and self-giving. Many people today are living as if nothing is expected to change in the future. Yes, only God truly knows the time and the place; but I can assure you that if there were ever to be a 'sign' given regarding the coming events in the world,it is now! It would be foolish not to read the 'signs of the times' as you now see them and foolish not to prepare in prayer with all your hearts and minds to blanket yourselves with humility, and therefore protection!”

Isaiah and the new Era of Peace

The first Scriptural reading at today's Sunday Mass, which was from Isaiah 2, included these two, very familar sentences :

"They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore."

As I listened to the reading at Mass I could not help wonder if the entire passage, as shown below, did not refer to the new Era of Peace which I discussed in my last post?

Isaiah 2

The Mountain of the Lord

1 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2 In the last days

the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established
as chief among the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.

3 Many peoples will come and say,

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths."
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

4 He will judge between the nations

and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

5 Come, O house of Jacob,

let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

NEW ERA OF PEACE

I have just been reading two booklets that I obtained from the Martin Todd Ministries, Inc. (www.prourladyofemmitsburg.org) which contain some of the private revelations that mystic and visionary, Dr. Gianna Sullivan, received from Our Lady of Emmitsburg during the year 2006. To learn more about Dr. Gianna Sullivan and her mission see my other blog, ItsLightistheLamb.blogspot.com, on the Foundation, which post I wrote on Friday, Nov. 23, 2007.


On Aug. 12, 2006 Our Lady speaks of the need we have to prepare for this new Era of Peace, which, in my thinking, refers to what has been called the "Second Pentecost" or the new "springtime of the Church". She urges us to set aside time "to prepare, to prepare for something great and glorious." However, Our Lady tells us that this Era of Peace will be "preceeded by confusion and controversy, battles, pain and the other bowls of purification." She says that, if the people who do not see the "sign of the times" which is all around us now, were to be given a sign by God, that they would not accept that sign either, "if they cannot even notice what is happening at this moment."


On Aug. 17, 2006, Mary, the Mother of God, says something which I think is very important and which I try to keep uppermost in my mind. She reminds us that we must be careful in interpreting her words!!! In this connection, Father Thomas Keating says that all mystical phenomena, including visions, apparitions and alleged messages from God must be viewed with caution. In this message, Mary is assuring us that we must trust in her words and be at peace. However, she adds this vital caveat: "You must remember that your analysis and understanding of even my words may be different than the true meaning."

BUY BOOKS ON THE WEB

In addition to BuyBooksontheWeb.com, my book, Its Light is the Lamb, is now available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and also from Borders.

ITS LIGHT IS THE LAMB

My book, Its Light is the Lamb, An Unexpected Spiritual Journey, has just been published. CLICK HERE for more information.

"NEW AND DIVINE" HOLINESS

In my first blog post of 8-18-07 on the subject of the Second Pentecost, I indicated that I was interested in learning more about the “new and divine holiness” which John Haffert mentioned in one of his books. I also wondered if it had some relationship to the Second Pentecost or Second Coming.

Since that time I have done some illuminating research on the internet. I have learned enough to intrigue me, but not enough to end my research on this topic. However, I did learn that Pope John Paul II was one of those who have used the words “new and divine” holiness. In an address the Pope gave on May 16, 1997 to the Rogationist Fathers he said: “The modern means that human sciences and contemporary technology make available and that you rightly try to use in your apostolic work will only be effective if they are sustained and guided by the original charismatic inspiration of the blessed founder, who saw in the ‘Rogate’ the means God himself had provided to bring about that ‘new and divine’ holiness with which the Holy Spirit wishes to enrich Christians at the dawn of the third millennium, in order to ‘make Christ the heart of the world.’”

I also learned that Fr. Joseph Iannuzzi, a theologian, had written a book titled The Splendor of Creation in which he addresses the “coming era of peace.” In reviewing this book, Frank Rega says that it is a “must-have groundbreaking book” that discusses the not-too-distant future, the “coming era of peace known as the Millennium.” He writes that this “figurative thousand-year period” is “definitvely foretold in the twentieth chapter of St. John’s book of Revelation.” He concludes his review by indicating that this book, The Splendor of Creation, is “absolutely essential reading for those who wish to understand the prophecy of the ‘new and divine holiness’ and the ‘new springtime’ spoken of by Pope John Paul II. It will help the reader to stand in the evil day, looking ahead to the victory on the horizon.”

POPE JOHN XXIII and PRIVATE REVELATIONS

In my first post, titled Second Pentecost, I mentioned that in Bishop Paul Kim's Pastoral Letter of Easter 1999, he spoke of the Second Pentecost (Second Coming). He says that, when Pope John XXIII received a revelation regarding the unhappy state of the Church, that it needed reform, the Pope convoked the Second Vatican Council. When he opened the council, Pope John XXIII prayed that it would be the beginning of a Second Pentecost for the Church. Relative to the private revelation that the Pope received, one of my readers left a comment. He wanted to know two things: “How often do Popes receive private revelations?” And “Do all Popes receive them?”

While I don’t have a precise answer to either question, I do have an opinion about them. First of all I don’t believe that all Popes receive private revelations from God. If every Pope received such revelations, I would think that we would have heard about it. Private revelations, when they are valid, are special charisms which come from God They are intended to build up the Church. As St. Paul says, the Spirit distributes them to each individual at will; and that “to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Cor. 12:7)

Since they are a free gift from God, it seems to me that the frequency of these private revelations cannot usually be predicted. However, with the modern day visionaries, there are some cases when the Lord Himself or Our Lady, tell a particular visionary when to expect future apparitions. This is occurring right now with the visionary, Dr. Gianna Sullivan of Emmitsburg, MD. There is a prayer service on the first Sunday of each month during which Our Lady of Emmitsburg gives a public message to the world. Gianna does not know how long this will continue. However, Our Lady told her that these private revelations had been “saved for the last”.

If you would like to see a video of one of these apparitions 'click here'. In order to listen to these public messages from Our Lady of Emmitsburg you can call toll free: 1-866-448-0711.

MY VIEW (Continued from 9-10-07)

If we look at the Biblical quotes in my last post, we can see why many of the early Church members thought that the Lord's coming at the end of the world was not far away. Perhaps one of the most dramatic statements that Christ makes is: "...when you see all these things, you may know that the end is near, at the very door. I tell you this: the present generation will live to see it all." (Mt. 24:34) Obviously, it didn't happen! And the people of that time had to adjust and change their interpretation of this passage. So what did Our Lord mean?

I have always had difficulty with passages such as this until I read Vassula Ryden's True Life in God messages. Not only are they extraordinary messages, but they are also very enlightening! Other than Sacred Scripture itself, nothing I have ever read compares to her writings of over 1100 pages! As I read them I began to understand how necessary it was to realize that God often speaks, not just in parables as Jesus does in the New Testament, but figuratively, metaphorically. It seems to me that those things that God wants to say to us cannot be expressed in human language. He wants to raise us up as close to His level as possible; to point to the unlimited horizons of which He is trying to give us some insight. He wants us to expand our minds to the utmost and yet He also wants to help us understand how unable we are, with our limited human intelligence, to comprehend Him as He is. The I AM.

An example that I find helpful, is to consider us humans as if we were to God, in a certain way, as a dog or some other beloved animal is to us. How precious a dog can be to its human master. It seems to me that the dog owner often feels that he can communicate with the dog in different ways. For example, the owner feels that the dog understands what the owner says to it. Or the owner understands the dog’s body language and different sounding barks, etc. There is no question that there is an important relationship between the dog and its owner. Imagine if you could talk to the dog in a language that the dog could understand. Even if the dog understood your words, there still would be no possible way to convey to the dog what it is like to be a human being. Then think about how you would feel if you were God and you wanted to tell humans that you love them? What if you wanted to let humans do whatever they pleased? They could return your love or not as they pleased? How would you communicate with them, yet respect the very free will that you had given them?

I don’t have the answers to these questions. But I think about them from time to time. It makes me realize that when God uses human words to communicate with us, He is immediately limiting Himself! That is, the very words He uses to define Himself and His actions are by their nature reducing God to our level. Yet, because He is infinite, it is not possible to contain God within the limits of any human languages! These thoughts serve to help me reserve judgment when I am puzzled by certain passages in Scripture. And more so now that I have read The True Life in God (TLIG) messages given by the Triune God to Vassula Ryden, the Greek Orthodox mystic and visionary

Somewhere in the TLIG Messages God speaks to Vassula about raising the dead to life and Vassula indicates, by a footnote, that God in that particular instance was talking about those individuals who were dead in sin, not those who were physically dead. Likewise, God does not always make it clear in Scripture whether he is speaking of physical death or spiritual death. For example, in the Book of Revelation we read: “These came to life again and reigned with Christ for a thousand years, though the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over. This is the first resurrection.” (Rev. 20:4-5) In these passages is God speaking about physical death or spiritual death?

The most recent statements of the Catholic Church’s position that I could easily find in the Catechism relative to the resurrection of the dead, is in its description of the eschatalogical judgment. It reads: “The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through the final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection. The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God’s victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from heaven.” (Cat. #677)

What then is my view of the Second Pentecost? I believe in the Church’s position on the final judgment, but I can see no reason why there cannot be a time in the Church’s history when God will again shed His Mercy on a world which has been deceived by Satan and has turned its back on God to a degree that has never before been seen in human history. To such a degree that even the earth we live on seems to be rebelling. Not only that, but I can conceive of a God who loves us so much, that no matter how much we turn from Him, and continue to disregard His commandment of Love, that this God, Our Father, will respond by showering His Holy Spirit on us in a way that has never before been experienced in history! A Second Pentecost!

MY VIEW

I briefly discussed private revelations as well as an interesting quote from Pope Benedict XVI on the meaning of Revelation in my last post. The reason I did this was that my view of the Second Pentecost of the Church has been strongly affected by two contemporary visionaries who have received private revelations. These are not what I would consider recent, private revelations. In both cases, they have been occurring over more than 19 years. I have been reading them for more than 15 years. As I did, much to my surprise, I slowly began getting a better understanding of Holy Scripture!

In the early Church, it was commonly believed that the Second Coming of Christ was imminent. This is not surprising considering some of the statements we find in the Bible. For example, in the First Letter of John, he writes these words: “My children, this is the last hour! You were told that the Antichrist was to come, and now many antichrists have appeared; which proves to us that this is indeed the last hour.” (1 John 2:18) In Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 24 refers to prophecies and warnings. We read that the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked Him: “Tell us, when will this happen? And what will be the signal for your coming and the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3) Jesus tells them that the “Time is coming when you will hear the noise of battle near at hand and the news of battles far away; see that you are not alarmed. Such things are bound to happen; but the end is still to come. For nation will make war upon nation, kingdom upon kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes in many places. With all these things the birth-pangs of the new age begin.” (Matt. 24: 6-8) Jesus tells them to learn a lesson from the fig-tree, that as the tree starts to leaf that the summer is not far away. Jesus continues: “In the same way, when you see all these things, you may know that the end is near, at the very door. I tell you this: the present generation will live to see it all.” (Matt. 24:33-34)

To be continued in the next post.

PRIVATE REVELATIONS

What does the Catholic Church say about private revelations? The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "Throughout the ages, there have been so-called 'private' revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith." (Cathechism #67) And in the second paragraph of #67 it reads: "Christian faith cannot accept 'revelations' that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment..."

However, in this regard, Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) has said that after studying the works of St. Bonaventura, that "the Revelation refers to the action of God in history in which the truth is gradually unveiled. The Revelation is the continuous growth of the Church in the fullness of the Logos." This view presents a whole new dynamic with which to study the meaning of Revelation. I discuss this in more detail in my book, Its Light Is the Lamb, An Unexpected Spiritual Journey, which book should be available on the internet at Amazon, etc. as well as popular bookstores in late October.

BLOG OBJECTIVE

A friend of mine, knowing that I was self-publishing and promoting my book, Its Light Is the Lamb, strongly suggested that I develop one or more blogs to help make my book known. After evaluating her well considered suggestion, I started this blog as well as another, http://www.ItsLightIstheLamb.com. This latter blog addresses various topics related to mystical contemplation.

I asked my friend to be the first one to post comments on my blogs. She declined, sending me an e-mail instead! She made some key points. I think that she didn't want to embarrass me, so she didn't post her comments on my blog. One suggestion that she made, that I will mention here, is that I explain to my readers what I hope to achieve with this blog and what topics I plan to discuss. So here goes.

At the moment, there are two topics which are of major interest to me. One is mystical contemplation which I cover in my other blog mentioned above. The second is referred to by many names, including Second Coming, Second Pentecost, End Times, Day of the Lord and Eucharistic Reign. I hope that the two blogs will complement each other. In my 'Second Pentecost' blog I would like to explore the idea of a new Pentecost. In particular I am interested in learning where this idea originated, if possible, and in discussing what the Popes have had to say on this topic, as well as what current day visionaries are saying.

SECOND PENTECOST

In Bishop Paul Kim's Pastoral Letter of Easter 1999, he speaks of the Second Pentecost. He says that, when Pope John XXIII received a revelation regarding the unhappy state of the Church, that it needed reform, the Pope convoked the Second Vatican Council. As it opened, Pope John prayed that the Holy Spirit would renew the Church in a manner similar to the first Pentecost. I knew that one of the Popes had referred to a Second Pentecost, but I didn't know that it was Pope John XXIII. Nor did I know that he had received a private revelation about the state of the Church. Does anyone reading this blog have more information about this alleged revelation that the Pope received?

The other question that I am puzzling about is the new era of holiness of which John Haffert writes in his book, Deadline, The Third Secret of Fatima. Although he writes that this "new and divine holiness" first started in the seventeenth century, I wonder if these words do not also refer to the Second Pentecost? Comments on this subject would be appreciated.