IS JOHN M. HAFFERT ONE OF THE MAJOR PROPHETS OF OUR ERA?

In the Preface to the biography, Herald of the Fatima Apparitions: John M. Haffert, I write that: “it is clear that John is not only co-founder of the World Apostolate of Fatima (Blue Army), but also one of the major prophets of our times.” The prophet, John the Baptist, is described in Scripture as “the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he said: A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord.” (Mt. 3:3) Like John the Baptist, John Haffert is also a prophet. But in Haffert's case he is the herald crying out in the wilderness of our era, to make way for Our Lady of Fatima's messages and the Second Coming of Christ.

Many say that Mary is the Prophet of the End Times and the coming Era of Peace. Just as John the Baptist has been called the preeminent prophet who preached in the time of Christ, is there anyone, other than John Haffert, who could be called the preeminent prophet of the Mother of God in our era?

As we begin this second decade of the third millennium, many have forgotten the predictions of Our Lady of Fatima, the efforts of the Blue Army, and John's role of making the Fatima messages known. In addition, they are either ignoring or disclaiming the warnings of contemporary visionaries, never thinking to ask themselves if their actions are stifling the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Who of us can look at the decade that has just ended, and not wonder if the problems encountered by the whole world, are not vivid examples of the tribulations foretold by Our Lady of Fatima, as well as by many of our contemporary visionaries? But most of us fail to see any connection between the many calamities which occurred during the past decade and the warnings of recent prophets to the effect that, in ignoring God, the human race will continue to bring even more serious catastrophes on itself!

Perhaps, the most striking example of disaster was last year's financial collapse. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent in the USA alone, to bail out some of the major banks. And the consequences of the burst real estate bubble have impacted governments and their central banks all over the world. These governments have also implemented huge stimulus programs which portend enormous financial difficulties in the future for many of these governments and their peoples.

John Haffert spent most of his adult life trying To Shake the World into a realization of the importance of Our Lady of Fatima’s apparitions and her “conditional” predictions of disaster that included the prophecy that: “several nations would be annihilated.” It was John’s mission to make known to the world that, if people continued to ignore God, there could be only one result – the world would continue on its downward spiral and many souls would be lost. In other words, the Era of Peace would be ushered in via a purification rather than by grace. And, to think, that this outcome depends on our own choices!

News about Our Lady of Emmitsburg's Apparitions

On Oct. 8, 2008, the Rev. Edwin F. O’Brien, Archbishop of Baltimore, issued an advisory regarding Our Lady of Emmitsburg’s messages to Dr. Gianna Sullivan. The Archbishop writes: "The alleged apparitions to Gianna Sullivan have not been recognized by the authority of the Church. Studied in detail by experts in theology and other pertinent fields, the investigations have come to the conclusion that the alleged apparitions are not supernatural in origin. This has been confirmed by the authority of the Church."

The net directive from the Diocese seems to be that Gianna should not in any way disseminate information within the diocese of Baltimore about her alleged apparitions. For more information, including Dr. Gianna Sullivan’s response as well as the Advisory put out by the Archbishop of Baltimore, click here. (www.prourladyofemmitsburg.org/latestnews.html )

It appears to this writer that the investigations of which Archbishop O’Brien speaks are not new. On Sept. 8, 2000, Dr. Gianna Sullivan received notification from Archbishop Keeler’s office that they were suspending the Marian Prayer Meetings which were being held in St. Joseph’s Church, Emmitsburg, MD pending an investigation of her mystical experiences. The report of the Commission was never made public.

In Sept. 2002 Cardinal Keeler sent a letter to the pastor of St. Joseph’ parish apparently indicating that they were continuing the ban on the use of Church facilities in the Diocese of Baltimore for the dissemination of Gianna’s messages. After Gianna and her husband, Michael, received a brief communication from Cardinal Keeler’s Delegate for Canonical Affairs, Gianna’s husband, Dr. Michael Sullivan, was quoted in the Frederick News-Post of Dec. 8, 2002 as saying that: "the church only restricted using the church property to deliver the messages and the Commission did not specifically condemn or approve the messages."

Most of the priests who back Gianna felt that the Commission’s investigation was flawed and asked for a second investigation. To my knowledge, the Diocese never authorized a second investigatory commission. For more information click here to see the website of the Foundation of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. (www.centeroftheimmaculateheart.org/foundation/welcome.asp )

It appears very likely to me that the message from Our Lady of Emmitsburg on June 1, 2008 upset some of the Archbishop’s parishioners. In particular, the warning that: "Approximately 60-70% of the world’s population, as you know it, will cease... Prayer is the answer! Prayer can mitigate much of anything to come." Such a warning does not seem to me to be sufficient reason to issue an "advisory" about Dr. Gianna Sullivan! Quite the contrary, this message of June 1, 2008 should be made known to all Catholics!

Why? Because very similar warnings have been reported by Church approved visionaries. For example, at Fatima Our Lady warned Sr. Lucia that "several entire nations would be annihilated" unless the people of the world started to pray more and amend their lives. And, on Oct. 13, 1973, the anniversary of the Fatima Miracle of the Sun, Our Lady appeared to Sister Agnes Sasagawa in Akita, Japan and said: "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. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity." As I said, both these warnings have been approved by the Catholic Church. Our Lady of Emmitsburg gave the same type of warning on June 1, 2008! Is it possible that this warning was one of the prime movers in Archbishop’s O’Brien’s decision?

One more thing needs to be stressed. Two of the visionaries, Sr. Lucia and Dr. Gianna Sullivan, have reported that Our Lady is also predicting that there will be an Era of Peace which will come either through Grace or chastisement, depending on our response! In the book, The Fatima Prophecies , by By Thomas W. Petrisko, et al, the Era of Peace is described by a commission of six experts as referring to the "true reign of Christ". This amazing statement reads as follows: "At Fatima a commission of six experts appointed by the Bishop to interpret the message of Fatima rendered the opinion that the ‘Era of Peace’ promised by Mary implied a ‘true reign of Christ’ on the earth. This was because, they said, there ‘could be no other meaning of the word peace’ on the lips of the Mother of Christ and ‘no other meaning to her words’ my Immaculate Heart will triumph."

A Message from Our Lady for the United States

In my blog posting of 11-27-07, titled New Era of Peace, I quote Our Lady of Emmitsburg as saying two things. One is that we need to prepare ourselves for this new Era of Peace. Second, that the new Era of Peace will be "proceeded by confusion and controversy, battles, pain and the other bowls of purification." Finally, in my 1-26-08 post I quote Our Lady of Fatima as saying that "various nations will be annihilated" if we do not listen to her warnings and change our lives.

Now, Our Lady has given a specific message for the United States. On 1-19-08 Our Lady of Emmitsburg gave a message to Gianna Sullivan for release on 1-31-08. The Mother of God begins:

"Little ones, I do not think that your country realizes the seriousness of the world's condition and the effects it will have on humanity worldwide. Those, who say they are Christian and love Jesus and who are prayerful and spiritual, and yet disconnect themselves via politics and other spiritual elements from moral values, are in most serious danger!"

Our Lady makes an interesting point about us here in the US. She says:

"There are people on other continents who are willing to die for what they believe in truth, and they do; and yet, this country allows people to die from lack of food, shelter and healthcare, and from the kind of death caused by lack of respect and lack of dignity, killing the hearts and the vibrancy of life through slander, malice, gossip and selfishness.

Later Our Lady addresses the apocalyptic aspects of her message:

"If you think any war in this world has been devastating up to this point, you have not witnessed what will come without change. You can dismiss only so much; however, you had best be prepared to answer for what you yourself have done."

"What will it take for you to realize your visitation is here at hand and the many gifts God wants to give you to protect you, to keep you safe, and to draw you to His Truth?"

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."

"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.”