St. Juan Diego and the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Posted on December 11, 2017 by mikatsa6
juan diego

“I am a nobody, I am a small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end…a leaf…”

When the Spaniard Cortez landed in Mexico, he not only brought with him soldiers to conquer the land for Spain, he also brought with him Franciscan priests to convert and ‘conquer’ the native people for God, who were at the time following the Aztec leaders and their pagan idols. These Aztec ‘priests’ were some of the most horrible leaders, often times calling for the sacrifice of thousands of people at a time to appease their angry idols. They also were partakers of the horrible ritualistic cannibalism….particularly of the young and innocent.

When the Franciscans taught the Indians about the Faith, they were kind and gentle..their demeanor was so different than that of their own ‘priests’ that some of the natives were converted immediately, just by their kindness. A humble Indian farmer named Cuauhtlatoazin  and his wife were several of the first to be baptized as Christians. He took the Christian name of Juan Diego and his wife took the name Maria Lucia. They were a happy, but poor farming couple who were never blessed with any children. Then, just four years after receiving the sacrament of baptism, his wife became ill and died, at this time Juan Diego moved to a nearby village to care for his elderly uncle, Juan Bernardino, who had become a Christian as well.

Juan Diego was a very humble and religious man. He would walk nine miles to Mass every Saturday and Sunday morning, so that he could listen to the priest instruct him about the Faith. It was on one such journey on December 9th, in the year 1531, that Juan Diego heard a gentle rustling sound coming from Tepeyac Hill. It was music to his ears…a very beautiful song…pausing, he looked towards the Hill, trying to see what type of birds were singing such a melodious song. Then raising his eyes to the top of the hill, he saw a radiant cloud of white. Rubbing his eyes…he thought…‘Surely I must be dreaming’.…

All of a sudden, the song stopped and the gentle voice of a woman called to him. It was the most beautiful…grace filled voice he had ever heard...and She was calling him by name….”Juanito…Juan Dieguito…the most humble of my sons…my little dear.”

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As quickly as he could, he climbed the hill, finding himself in the presence of a most beautiful young woman whose garments shone like the sun. As he knelt before Her, She began to speak to him in his native tongue of Nahuatl. She asked him, “Juanito, my son, where are you going?”

Glancing up towards the Lady he told her that he was going to Mass in Tenochtitlan, which is present day Mexico City, to listen to the divine things that the priest would teach him.  She replied,

 “I want you to know for certain, my dear son, that I am the perfect and always Virgin MARY, Mother of the True God from Whom all life comes, the Lord of all things, Creator of Heaven and Earth. I greatly desire that a church be built in my honor, in which I will show my love, compassion, and protection. I am your Mother full of mercy and love for you and all those who love Me, trust in Me, and have recourse to Me. I will hear their complaints and I will comfort their affliction and their sufferings. So that I might show all My love, go now to the bishop in Mexico City and tell him that I am sending you to make known to him the great desire I have to see a church dedicated to me built here.“

guadalupe_juan_diegoQuickly, Juan Diego headed straight to the bishop, Bishop Zumárraga, who was a Franciscan and a very pious man himself. Juan Diego told him what had happened, and the bishop listened attentively. But because Juan was a poor man and the story sounded so fabulous, the bishop thought for sure that it was all just an illusion, and sent the old Indian on his way.  It was late in the day, with the evening setting  it shadows over the lands, as Juan made his way to Tepeyac Hill. Stopping at the foot of the dark hill, he looked up to where he could see a bright light shining from on high… He knew the Blessed Virgin was there…waiting for his answer. Ashamed that he was not able to persuade the bishop to listen, he climbed the hill slowly and knelt before the Blessed Mother once again. Not daring to look at Her, he told Her about his failed mission. With feelings of shame he added,

 “I beg you to entrust your message to someone more known and respected so that he will believe it. I am only a simple Indian whom you have sent as a messenger to an important person. Therefore, he didn’t believe me, and I do not want to greatly disappoint you.”

In a voice that reflected Her upmost kindness She replied,

“My dearest son, you must understand that there are many more noble men to whom I could have entrusted my message and yet, it is because of you that my plan will succeed. Return to the bishop tomorrow… Tell him that it is I myself, the Blessed Virgin MARY, Mother of God, who am sending you.”

On Sunday morning after Mass, Juan went back to the bishop’s house. He was questioned extensively by the prelate. He was also told to ask the Blessed Mother for a tangible sign that would prove that the apparition was real. Again, as he made his way toward’s Tepeyac Hill, he was greeted by the beautiful Virgin. After he relayed the bishop’s request for a sign, She told him, “Come back tomorrow morning to seek the sign he is asking for.”

The old Indian left for home. Arriving home several hours later, he found that his uncle was very ill. By the next morning his condition had deteriorated and it seemed that death was nearby. The weakened uncle asked his nephew to go find a priest to help him on his journey. So at dawn on December 12th, Juan Diego headed out towards the city. He had no intention of visiting the Blessed Mother…his one concern was finding a priest for his uncle. As to not meet the Virgin, he diverted his path and made his way around the Hill, hoping to avoid Her.

But suddenly, there she was, in all her splendor…approaching the embarrassed Indian. Quickly resuming his humble posture, he once again knelt before Her and told Her about the his uncle’s illness. He promised that he would come back once he had secured a priest to administer last rites to his dying uncle. In Her tender compassionate way, the Blessed Mother said,

 “My dear little one do not be distressed about your uncle’s illness, because he will not die from it. I assure you that he will get well… Go to the top of the hill, pick the flowers that you will see there, and bring them to me.” 

When Juan Diego  arrived at the top of the hill, he was stunned to find a great number of flowers in bloom They were Castillian roses that give off a very distinctively sweet fragrance.The roses were abundant,  growing in a place that allows nothing to survive…in the middle of winter at that! Surely the bishop would believe him now! With a child like excitement, Juan Diego gathered up the roses, as many as he could wrap in his cloak, or tilma, and ran back down the hill. The beautiful Lady was waiting there, She told him,

“My dear son, these flowers are the sign that you are to give the bishop… This will get him to build the church that I have asked of him.”

Juan Diego ran to the bishop’s house. When he arrived, the servants, who recognized him from before, made him wait for hours. They hoped that he would get tired of waiting and just leave. But the old Indian showed great patience, and sat there patiently. He held on his lap something wrapped in his tilma….something, that he held with tenderness…and love…Every time he cradled his tilma, a peaceful look rested on his face. He seemed perfectly content sitting there, he did not even seem to be bothered at the way they were making him wait. Finally, either out of kindness towards his peaceful demeanor, or out of curiosity at what he had wrapped in his cloak, the servants finally informed the bishop that he was there. Even tough the bishop was meeting with several other people at the time, he was eager to see if the old man had brought him the proof he had asked for.

DIEGO

Juan Diego stood in front of the bishop and his guests, telling them about his adventure. As he finished his story he let go of his tilma, releasing the roses, which were as fragrant as ever…and still shining with dew…as they fell and scattered to the floor. The Bishop Zumárraga immediately fell to his knees…his eyes full of tears. Picking up the roses, he was in awe as he admired them. He was inhaling the sweetness of their scent… when his eyes caught sight of the image on the old tilma…It was a beautiful image of the Blessed Mother! It was as if it had been painted on the cloak…The image was absolutely beautiful and Our Lady’s image was full of kindness. Overcome with emotion, the bishop immediately believed in the wonderful sign that the old Indian had brought him from the Blessed Virgin. He gathered up the roses and led Juan Diego to his rectory. He then took the tilma from Juan Diego, and with great care, placed the roses and the tilma in his private oratory. He insisted that the old Indian stay the night, instead of making the long journey home.

Our-Lady-of-Guadalupe-and-Juans-UncleThe next day he traveled with Juan Diego to the hill where the apparitions had taken place. After having examined the sites, he let Juan return to his uncle’s house. Juan, was amazed! During his absence, his uncle had been completely healed! His cure had taken place at the exact hour that the Blessed Mother appeared to Juan Diego. Bernardino told his nephew, “I have also seen her. She even came here and talked to me. She wants a church to be built on Tepeyac Hill and wants her portrait to be called ‘Saint MARY of Guadalupe.’ But she didn’t explain to me why.”

The news of the appearance of the Blessed Virgin spread like wildfire among the natives, who because of the empty nature of their Aztec faith, were longing for the Truth. The native population appreciated her appearance. They recognized that Our Lady loved them. She appeared to them as one of them…a dark skinned woman. She also chose an Indian to relay Her message…speaking in their language. When Juan Diego explained that she appeared at Tepeyac, the place of Tonantzin, they recognized it as the place which had been prophesied years ago as being the place of ‘the mother god‘. This sent a clear message to the native people that the Virgin Mary was the mother of the true God, and that the Christian religion was to replace their Aztec religion. The Indians, who gathered their information through pictures and symbols, understood the image of the tilma, which revealed the beautiful message of Christianity. The miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe led to an explosion of conversions. The missionaries were overwhelmed… thousands and thousands of people converted immediately after viewing the image on the tilma, and the priests were busy as the natives called on them to perform many baptisms. The pagan land was converted!

Juan diego shares the image

In the years that followed, Juan Diego lived next to the chapel at Tepeyac and showed the tilma. He explained the apparition and its Christian significance to pilgrims who visited the shrine. He died on May 30, 1548 and was buried at Tepeyac. Bishop Zumárrage died only three days after Juan Diego.  Saint Juan Diego’s feast day is December 9th, and the Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe is December 12th.

As we enter into the second week of advent, let us pause and reflect upon this humble…’lowly’ saint….who felt that he was  not important enough to fulfill the Blessed Mother’s request…Let us remember that God often chooses the little ones to do His work. And like St. Juan Diego, who was afraid, and wanted to hide…When we are afraid….when we feel shame…let us ask Our Blessed Mother’s intercession, so that we may obtain the grace we need to fulfill our duties and  do God’s holy work here on earth. Saint Juan Diego, pray for us. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

images.duckduckgo.com our lady of guadalupe

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Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Posted on December 8, 2017 by mikatsa6

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In 1854, Pius IX solemnly proclaimed:

“The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.”

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Gospel : Luke 1: 26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

 

 

 

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Praying for Conversion during this Season of Advent

Posted on December 8, 2017 by mikatsa6

I have been tossing this around in my head all night…it is weighing heavy on my soul and even though it probably won’t affect what anyone else thinks…I have to go with my gut…I have to write about what happened…

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Last night as my daughter was rehearsing for an upcoming holiday performance at a well known theater, the parents were asked to sit in the audience and wait. The lights were off and many people who did not know each other were thrown together for nearly three hours. Most people kept to themselves looking at the glowing phones or tablets…strangely enough, some were not even watching the rehearsal…which I  didn’t understand…we’d been driving our children back and forth to and from practice for months on end, week after week…and during the dress rehearsal the parents were texting and searching the web on their phones…some even waited in the lobby…with their tablets plugged into outlets….ugh…I guess  I tend to be a bit old fashioned about such things…but I was there to watch.

Anyway, after we had been sitting in the dark for several minutes and the rehearsal was under way, the two women behind me started to talk…not whisper…but talk…I would have had to move if I didn’t want to hear what they were saying. Honestly, I kept thinking about getting up and moving, but it was almost like a train wreck….even though I was shocked at what I was hearing…I stayed put.  I was beginning to feel like I was eaves-dropping right outside the confessional, except this woman wasn’t confessing…she was bragging, and in the end I wound up getting more than I bargained for ….

After the two women introduced themselves and found  out whose children were doing what in the performance, one of the mother’s starting talking about her son. “This year my daughter and I convinced my youngest son, that he needs to be in the show…he’s been ‘Flaming’ since he was two, and I wanted to expose him to this sort of thing….”

I had to bite my tongue, I couldn’t believe what I hearing… She then continued on,

“He was leery about the whole idea at first, because he is still very young and shy.  It took a bit of work, but after awhile we were able to convince him that it would be fun. Then tonight, he was concerned about wearing makeup because he’s a boy, but once again, I was able to convince him that it’s fine for boys to wear makeup. My daughter even told him that a boy at her school wears lipstick everyday.” She then added,” It was so exciting that he was able to wear makeup for the first time.”

Honestly, it sounded like she was so determined in developing the mannerism of a homosexual in her young son, that she didn’t even notice from her tone, that it seemed like she was pushing this onto her young son….The other woman just laughed and nodded but wasn’t saying a whole lot at this time. The mother of the young boy said that her older daughter had a friend who was telling everyone he was bisexual. She went on to explain that the friend’s  mother was hoping that it was just a phase, but that she thought it was great. She said ” Kids need to be exposed to all different types of people….they need to be able to be who they are…”

Really??? It seems to me that this woman had already labeled her poor son as “Flaming” when he was just two! The longer I sat there, the more upset I became. I wanted to scream at the woman and tell her that she was a complete fool! I was having a hard time believing that a mother…who loves her son….would encourage such behavior. I quickly scanned all of the young boys on the stage…trying to pick out the one who was “flaming”…but they all looked like regular little boys to me…Young boys running around have a great time in the play.

The conversation continued for a few more minutes with the woman telling the other mom that she had been a single mom for a couple of years, but now she was married again. She also said that even though being a ‘single parent’ was hard, that she actually liked it, because then she got to make all the decisions concerning her children. She said it was great not having to listen to any one else…(Oh like the boy’s father?!) The longer I listened, the more it seemed that this mother was pushing an agenda onto her son…an agenda that would ultimately bring more harm to him than good…It was more than I could bear to hear. I was getting so upset… furious, really…it was then that I lost it… I leaned over to my son and said “This woman is a complete idiot.”

 

Immediately, I heard a small voice in my head asking me what was I going to do.. How exactly, was my anger going to help this woman… and this boy???  The truth was….it wasn’t. My anger was a selfish response that wasn’t going to solve anything. In my angered state, I knew better than to open my mouth again, because anything I may have said to her would have surely just caused a scene…I was pretty upset, so I left the theater and headed for the lobby (so much for watching the rehearsal...) trying to cool my head.

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As I stood looking out onto the road, watching cars whiz by, I realized that in a world without God, and the guidance He gives us…it is hard to navigate our way through all the garbage. If we don’t adhere to His Laws…and follow Him… it can be a difficult journey. Trying to do the right thing gets blurry and it becomes almost impossible to tell the darkness from light… The Truth from the lies…One thing is for certain…We can’t trust ourselves on this. It is precisely what makes the secular world so lost...so wrong in their thinking about so many different things.

Because these people have no God to follow…no God to adore…they turn to pleasing the world…An empty world that has been fashioned into their god…And whether they realize it or not, by following the current trends of moral decay,  these parents, in their need to show the rest of society how progressive they are… How unbridled they are in their thinking….And how cool they are….have unwittingly thrown their children into the dens of beasts. They have become like the ancient Aztecs who sacrificed their children trying to appease the erupting volcanoes. Today’s parents may not be throwing them into an actual volcano, but without a doubt, by destroying the innocence of their children, they are sacrificing them to the world. And just like the volcanoes, which erupted anyway, oftentimes taking whole villages with them…this world…this godless world, doesn’t give one iota about their children and will continue to chew them up and rip them to shreds….robbing them of their purity. Woe unto them…

“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.” –Matthew 18:6

As I stood there, God in His goodness, eased my anger.  Again, in the quiet of my heart, He asked me what was I going to do. I was reminded that as a Christian it is my responsibility to shine Christ’s Light in the darkness of the world. I was humbled…and  felt ashamed of my words to my son. What was I thinking?  After all, I am a Christian … I am living with the benefit of a great and loving God to guide me…this poor woman was obviously caught up in the lies of the world…and this poor child…well, he was caught up in the confusion of his mother. It is a cold cruel world…eagerly waiting to devour what rightly belongs to God…the souls of our precious children. As Christians, we have a responsibility to guide them in His ways.

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Not knowing what to do I stood there for a few more minutes. Then I started to pray. First, for forgiveness for jumping right into anger…for my lack of charity towards this woman. Then, as God gave me the grace…I prayed for the woman and her son….I prayed for her daughters and for her ex-husband, that God would give him the strength he needed to guide his son to be the man that God intended. It was a long prayer…God in His wonderful goodness helped me see the errors of my ways, reminding me that I could do nothing by myself. I brought it to Him, and  laying it at His feet, I prayed. I prayed from my soul that God would help them…that God would not abandon them to the world.

When the rehearsal was over, we we drove to a nearby  chapel to do a few minutes of Eucharistic adoration. As we drove, I carried this family with me. I asked God to heal their hurts. I asked Him to give the parents the strength they needed to not throw their children to the world. There was an ache in my heart, knowing what I know…and feeling totally helpless…but I also knew, that if I remain devoted, God would not let me down.

Monstrance_Adoration

Since we have just entered into the season of advent, a time of prayer and conversion, what better way for us Christians to observe the season…than to pray and fast for the conversion of sinners everywhere. We may not always meet them in darkened theaters, were they freely share their stories in the cover of darkness…but they are out there….waiting for us...God’s disciples here on earth...to do battle for them and lead them out of the valley of darkness. We should put our Faith into practice as we try to help them find their way to God and make their way to heaven… because sometimes, all we can do…all we really need to do, is pray.

 

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1st Sunday of Advent

Posted on December 3, 2017 by mikatsa6
advent wreath 1st sunday

Gospel reading, Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36

Jesus said to his disciples:
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”

As we enter into December…we also enter into the new the new liturgical year, the season of advent. When the rest of the world is in a rush…the hurry… hurry of the holiday season, the Faithful are prompted to pause and reflect…to pause and repent….To pause and prepare the way for Christ. In the traditional readings, the Gospel stands in stark contrast to the merriment and glad tidings that the rest of the world is rushing into. In fact, the readings of today’s Mass are not what you might expect, since we are just a few short weeks until Christmas. Instead of focusing on beginning our celebration of the new year…they stop us in our tracks and force us to focus on the end times…the coming period when our world will cease to exist.

It will be a time of tribulation. There will be calamities and destruction, it will be a day of judgement for everyone. It is a message meant to help us put everything back into perspective, to help us regain our calm… our collect in the Will of the One Who sent us.  The message of today’s gospel is one of  ‘Christ is coming, and the day of reckoning is near‘ …. So, Be Prepared….Instead of it being a time to celebrate and rejoice, the Gospel reading reminds us that advent is a time of preparation and reparation as well, a time to make our hearts pure so that we may stand unafraid before the Lord. Our time for rejoicing will come soon enough.

Today’s gospel stands as a contradiction to the message of the world, which is one of excess and self-satisfaction. The Church’s message is one of turning our hearts, and our minds, to the reality of our impending eternal life…and the judgment that awaits us there. It is a time for us to do penance…especially for all the times we failed to do as God had wished for us to do….For all those times we failed to act upon the promptings of the Holy Spirit…Those times, when we felt our soul was moved, but failed to proceed with action….(You know what I am talking about)…we have all had those moments, when we felt that God wanted more from us. He wanted us to live...truly in Him. In those moments that He was speaking to our very souls, but like the spoiled children we are... we failed to do His Will, and instead chose to satisfy our wills…our desires instead.

As the secular world is filled with ‘Christmas’ parties and celebrations, and other self indulgent practices, the Church reminds us, as Faithful Catholics…as faithful Christians… that we all called to observe a period of repentance and conversion. We are to use these days to pray and fast and to give alms as a means of making reparation for our own shortcomings…our own offenses. We should be carefully preparing ourselves… preparing our hearts… for this coming.

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As we light the first candle of the advent wreath, we are reminded that Christ came into a dark world to dispel the darkness that was ruling over man’s souls. We are also reminded of the prophets who came and foretold of the coming of Christ Child. It is a candle that represents our hope in Christ. When we gather with our family to offer our prayers, let us calm ourselves  of that anxious excitement that is prevalent  in the hustle and bustle of the secular world.  We need to make sure that we are preparing our hearts…the hearts of our children…. for a season of waiting…a season of wanting….a season of doing without, as to properly prepare ourselves for the gifts that He will bring us. It should be for us a time of sacrifice and alms-giving, a mini Lent, if you will.

On this advent journey, let us renew our hope in the Lord and His promises to us. The Church teaches us that indeed we have a loving Father…a Father Who is full of Mercy and forgiveness, all we need to do is seek it.  Advent is a perfect time for confession… also a  perfect time for Eucharistic adoration…there is nothing like the quiet solitude of Christ  in the Eucharist for our busy hectic world. Don’t waste this precious opportunity to make amends…to unite ourselves to God and spend some quiet time listening for Him to speak to us…again.

Finally, with today’s reading, we are drawn to the apocalyptic message of Jesus’ second coming, it is clearly a message which speaks to us of the end of times. It is quite sobering, especially  for the secularists, who are living for the here and now. They have lost the reality of heaven…of hell…their focus is on this world. But for those of us who have Faith…who have hope…who are trying to prepare ourselves for the eternal … it is just the  push we need to help us re-examine our priorities and make sure that in fact we are living our days for our Lord. Not only because it is pleasing to Him…. but because it will lead us also to our eternal reward in Heaven. So make it a good First Sunday of Advent…and make way…for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

 

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December 1st- First Friday

Posted on December 1, 2017 by mikatsa6

Sacred Heart of Jesus

December first, the First Friday of the month, let us focus our attention …our devotion to the Sacred heart of Jesus by attending the First Friday Mass and Holy Hour. A good way for us to also prepare ourselves for the fast approaching Season of Advent…which begins this Sunday. For more information about the First Friday Devotion, click here.

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I promise you in the excessive Mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful Love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the Grace of Final Penitence; they shall not die in my disgrace nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

 

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Feast of the Miraculous Medal

Posted on November 27, 2017 by mikatsa6

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Midway through the year of 1830, there was a growing angst in the hearts of men… the peace of France was about to be turned on its head. There was talk about overthrowing the government….The alleys and street corners were rift with the whisperings of a coming revolution…there was a breath of evil disrupting the peace of man’s heart. Once it was done….Paris would never be the same.

On one dark night towards the end of July, King Charles X exerted his authority and pushed the people over the edge when he published his four new Ordinances that limited the peoples’ rights… this action sparked a wave of destruction throughout the city. Crowds formed and roamed the streets, allowing themselves to fall prey to their anger…. and unfortunately, the Catholic Church which up until this time, had been enjoying a voice of authority over the people of France, became a target of their anger and priests were harmed…bishops were chased out of town and many of France’s beautiful Churches were destroyed.

But unbeknownst to the world…God had His own plan….for precisely at that moment in history, God allowed the Blessed Mother to pour forth His mercy...to pour forth His graces, and sent a message that would change the world forever….All of which started with the humble obedience of  a young novice named Catherine Labouré, of the Sisters of Charity, whose Motherhouse was in Paris, France.

Only two short weeks before the violence spread through the lands, at around ten thirty p.m. long after everyone had gone to bed, Catherine Labouré was roused from sleep by the urging of her guardian angel. When she awoke, she was directed to follow a small child (that according to her account…was very shiny) into to the convent’s chapel. Once she arrived at the brightly lit chapel, she saw the most beautiful woman she had ever seen waiting inside. The woman identified Herself as the Blessed Mother, and told Catherine that she had an important message…an important mission for her.

The Blessed Mother told Catherine that God had chosen her for a specific task, and that there would be many trials that she would have to endure. She was told to have confidence and to not be afraid. The Blessed Mother reminded Catherine that she must be fervent in her prayer and that she should make sure to focus on God…and not allow herself to be distracted by worldly things.

Mary appearing to st. Catherine

As the Blessed Mother continued, she told Catherine,“The times are evil. Sorrows will come upon France; the throne will be overthrown. The Cross will be thrown down and trampled. The Archbishop will be stripped of his clothes. Blood will flow in the streets. The side of Our Lord will be pierced anew. The whole world will be afflicted with tribulations.”  At this the Blessed Mother appeared very sad…sorrowful….almost struggling with the words, pointing towards the altar, she continued on,”Come to the foot of the altar. Here graces will be shed on all who ask for them. Graces will be shed especially on those who ask for them.”

Our Lady told Catherine that many sorrows would befall France, specifically the religious communities that lived there…many of the Faithful would suffer. She even went on to say that the Archbishop of Paris would be killed. She predicted that the whole world would fall into a deep period of sadness. Evil would be rearing its ugly head...and many would lose hope. She explained to Catherine that some of these things would happen soon, and that others would not happen for many years.

Shortly after the first apparition, the blessed Mother’s words rang true, and in July of 1830 the rebellion that had been brewing in the hearts of Frenchmen throughout France boiled over. King Charles X had drawn up new Ordinances for the people and had them published in the Moniteur, a popular French newspaper. Fueled by their outrage, these mobs took to the streets. The crowds of people threw whatever they could get their hands on….paving stones, bricks, bits of lampposts, flowerpots…and smashed the beautiful streets of Paris.  The mobs even ransacked the Churches, destroying whatever was in their way. France’s military lined the streets, and when the fighting broke out, some twenty one Parisians were killed by the soldiers. Motivated by the escalating violence, the rioters continued their rampage, and smashed all the street lights on the beautiful French Plazas, and when the last light post was torn down and the streets were wrapped in total darkness, the rioters dispersed and the turmoil ended for the night.

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Early the following morning, the fighting resumed. King Charles X, remained away from the fighting, keeping his distance at Saint Cloud. He was assured that the fighting would soon be over, and that the rioters would run out of ammo. The military general even sent him word that everything was under control. The liberals in Paris had written up a petition asking for the ordinances to be withdrawn. The King tried to the calm the people by telling them that he would consider a negotiation, even though he had no intention of doing so.

france's flag.jpgBy the third day of violence, the revolutionaries were in control. They were surprisingly well armed and well organized. They were able to block off the military troops. As the destruction spread, the mobs of people removed the country’s flag and replaced it with what they referred to as the ‘people’s flag‘ atop the rooftops of many important buildings… the French government  landmarks lay in ruin…Paris and many of her important landmarks suffered desecration and destruction…darkness spread….it was a sad time for France.

Our Lady of Miraculous Medal

Four months later, on November 27 Catherine had the second vision wherein she saw a three-dimensional scene of the Blessed Virgin standing on a white globe with dazzling rays of light streaming from her fingers and she heard a voice say:

“These are the symbols of grace I shed upon those who ask for them.” A frame formed around the Mother of God and within it was written in gold letters, O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.“

MiraculousMedal

The voice then told her to have a medal struck after this model. Then the vision turned and on the reverse side was a large M with a bar through it and a cross over it. Beneath this M were the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, one crowned with thorns and the other pierced by a sword.

These visions occurred periodically until 1831. Because she wished to remain anonymous, she only told her confessor Monsignor Aladel, who received permission from the Archbishop of Paris to have the medal made. The first 1500 were made by the following June, and almost instantly there were so many reports of healings that instead of calling it the Medal of the Immaculate Conception it was renamed the ‘Miraculous Medal’. There were reports of conversions as well and the popularity of it grew in France.

Throughout all of this, Saint Catherine remained hidden from the public, she did not even appear at any of the canonical hearings concerning the Miraculous Medal. Eventually though, the evidence of the miraculous nature of this medal was so overwhelming that the apparitions of the Blessed Mother were sanctioned. She did not tell anyone until just eight short months before her death in 1876, and then she  revealed herself to be the visionary who had received the apparitions. Much like other humble saints, her sisters were surprised, as she had lived her life like quite the ordinary nun.

saint catherine laboure

St. Catherine Laboure was canonized in 1947 by Venerable Pope Pius XII. Her Feast is November 27 as is the Feast of the Miraculous Medal, although in some places it is celebrated on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception because of its relation to it.

As I researched the Miraculous Medal I was amazed that once again, God had allowed His Blessed Mother to come into the world and present it with yet another gift of His infinite mercy… the miraculous medal….at precisely a time in history when it seemed that darkness would swallow all of France. Because even though we have free will and are free to chose our own destruction…He cannot look away…Because He is Love Itself… He is always merciful.  The Miraculous Medal was one such gift. Many people who wore it were cured of the plague, which was ravaging Europe at the time.

The Miraculous Medal is not just for France, but also for so many who suffer….there are healings and conversions surrounding this precious gift… healings that continue  to this very day. One such miraculous story can be found here. It just shows us…reminds us…how great is our God….how awesome He is to continue to allow His Mother ….Our Blessed Mother…to come to our aide and offer the people a bit of His mercy…a bit of His grace. Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Pray for us who have recourse to Thee. Amen

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Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – November 21st

Posted on November 22, 2017 by mikatsa6

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The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Temple

Today in the Holy Catholic Church we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Mother at the Temple, by her parents St. Ann and St. Joachim. It is believed that because God had answered their prayers for a child, the once barren couple, had made a vow to the Lord that they would consecrate their child to Him, and when Mary was just three years old she was taken to the Temple to live with other young girls. As consecrated virgins, these girls were going to be raised by pious women, and taught about the Lord. Even though Mary was still just a ‘baby’ she had the maturity level of a much older child, and was able to show obedience to the calling of God. According to some Catholic scholars, once she started climbing the stairs that led into the Temple, her only desire was to serve the Lord, and as a detachment from the world, she never looked back at her parents…From that moment on, her one desire…her only desire..was to please and do as the Lord wanted.

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This beautiful feast allows us to celebrate the fact  that the Blessed Mother’s parents brought her to the Temple at such a young age…handing her over to be raised and  consecrated to the Lord. It was during these years that her prayer life grew and she was able to live as a consecrated virgin, exclusively contemplating the Lord. It is important to note, that this action of her parents highlights the fact that the Blessed Virgin Mary was chosen for her role even before time began. In the book of Isaiah, 11:1 she is called the root of Jesse, from which Our Lord Jesus Christ would be born.

From “Butler’s Lives of the Saints”, we read the following beautiful description of this feast:

 

It is an ancient tradition that the Blessed Virgin Mary was thus solemnly offered to God in the Temple in her infancy. The tender soul of Mary was then adorned with the most precious graces, an object of astonishment and praise to the angels. It was also a highly blessed event from the standpoint of the Holy Trinity: the Father looking upon her as His beloved daughter, the Son as one chosen and prepared to become His mother, and the Holy Ghost as His darling spouse.

Presentation of Mary

 

And from “Goffiné’s Devout Instructions on the Epistles and the Gospels,” (1690) we read the following reflection:

The Blessed Virgin was presented in the temple at Jerusalem by her pious parents, Joachim and Ann, there to be educated in the service and the law of the Lord in order that she might be guarded against the defilements of the world. From this we learn:

  • Joachim and Ann offered to the Lord their only and most beloved child, and gave her up entirely to His service. Great as the sacrifice was, they yet made it. The preservation of the innocence of their daughter was to them above all else. Parents, God requires of you that you should not merely offer your children to Him in the temple, but that you should take care to keep them pure and holy, as living temples which have been consecrated in Baptism.
  • Mary gives and dedicates herself to God as soon as she is capable of serving Him, and that without any reservation, for all time, and irrevocably. When, then, shall we give ourselves in earnest to God? True, we have been given to Him in holy Baptism, we have been consecrated as His temples, we have renounced the devil and the world, we have vowed to live only for God, and this vow we have, perhaps, often renewed; but have we kept it? What we gave with one hand, have we not taken it away with the other? Have we not defiled the temple of our hearts by shameful lusts, lived for the world and vanity more than for God? Ah, when shall we give ourselves up to God sincerely and forever? Perhaps when we are old! But will God accept our offering then? Will He be pleased that we begin to serve Him only when we can no longer serve the world? that we first begin to live for Him when our life is soon to cease? No; God is a jealous Lord, and is not pleased with a heart divided between Him and creatures. He requires us to love Him with all our heart and all our soul, and to serve Him with all our powers. Let us, then, do this, and do it from our youth; let us keep ourselves in body and soul undefiled for the Lord; such love, and such love only, will He reward as perfect.

 

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Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

O blessed Virgin Mary! who can duly thank thee, or herald forth thy praises, who, by the assent of thy single will, didst rescue a fallen world? What honor can be paid to thee by our weak human nature, which, by thy intervention alone, hath found the way to return to grace and life? Accept then, such poor thanks as we have here to offer, unequal to thy merits though they be; and, accepting our good desires, obtain by thy prayers the remission of our offenses. Graciously hear our prayers, and obtain for us the remedy of reconciliation.

May the offering we make to God through thee, through thee be acceptable in his sight; and may that be granted which we ask with trustful heart. Accept our offerings, grant us our petitions, banish our fears; for thou art the sole hope of sinners. Through thee we hope for forgiveness of our sins; and in thee, most blessed Lady, is the hope of our reward.

Holy Mary, succor the wretched, help the fainthearted, comfort the sorrowful, pray for the people, shield the clergy, intercede for holy women; let all who celebrate thy holy commemoration feel thy protection. Be thou at hand, ready to aid our prayers, and obtain for us what we desire. Make it thy care, blessed Lady, to intercede ever for the people of God–thou who didst deserve to bear the Redeemer of the world, who liveth and reigneth, for ever and ever. Amen.

(Indulgence of 50 days each time, His Holiness, Pius IX., May 19, 1854 )

 

 

 

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Why Being ‘Spiritual’ is Leading Our Loved Ones Down a Path to Hell

Posted on November 20, 2017 by mikatsa6

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It is a sad sign of our times, that so many people…’good people‘  have abandoned Christ’s religion for the feel good nonsense of  spiritualism. They proclaim to the world that they are ‘spiritual’ people and that they do believe in a higher being or a higher power. They ascertain that they don’t want to be confined by religion’s ‘rigid rules and regulations.’ But more often than not, they have abandoned God and His laws for them, and instead are opting for a ‘feel good’ universal power that doesn’t judge….that doesn’t condemn. It also doesn’t expect much from them either. There is no good or evil… just feelings. ‘Spiritualists‘ are often moved by emotions, whereas Christians are fueled by obligations. Christians are obligated to follow God’s laws…as they navigate through life and attempt to live by His rules…(You know, The Ten Commandments.).. People who claim to be spiritual choose so because of ‘the freedom’ it affords them. They convince themselves that they are free to live their lives according to their own self regulated moral code, which is to say “if it feels right…its okay”….or the famous “What’s wrong with that,  I’m not hurting anyone”… there are a plethora of excuses that people use who choose ‘spirituality’ over Christianity, with pride being at the very center of them.

It’s nothing new…it’s as old as the devil himself… it’s quite Luciferian really. Choosing the worship of self over the worship of God. Even if the person doesn’t believe in the devil…that doesn’t mean that their ‘spiritualism’ cannot be controlled by dark forces. How many times have I heard bad behavior explained away…simply because we don’t want to admit that one of our loved ones, is involved in a ‘spirituality’ that will indeed do more harm than good. Once a person has turned away from Christianity, it is difficult to love God in the way He created us to love Him, especially if we are following a spiritualism we have created for ourselves.

satan and his army of rebel angels get cast out of heaven. these two engravings inspired the shot in LOTR where gandalf and the balrog fall into the underground lake

We can see that Lucifer turned away, because of his pride and that he did not want to obey God. That is black and white. Good vs evil. Truth versus lies. The devil was cast out of heaven for it. There is no gray truth in heaven. There is no ‘just a little‘ of a lie mixed in. Once we start believing the lie, we have stopped believing the Truth. The devil’s promises are still empty. There is no changing the fact. Once we allow ourselves to drink from his cup of lies, we have slipped down the proverbial slope, and whether we realize it or not,  we have made our choice…and in our quest for being ‘spiritual…not religious,’ we have placed our souls in the trappings of the devil… we have placed our souls on the brink of hell.

We cannot believe that if our loved ones are involved in ‘new age’ spiritualism, that they are doing good. There is nothing good about denying God and the truths that Jesus came to reveal to mankind about His Father in heaven. Period. The hard truth is that if they are involved…if any of us are involved in behavior contrary to the teaching of Jesus Christ…contrary to the teachings of the Church, we are putting our souls at risk of losing heaven. There is no room for empty claims of ‘spiritualism’ in heaven.

If we know someone who has  fallen from the Faith, and falls into this phony sense of ‘spiritualism’, we have an obligation…to be charitable and help them understand that they are in danger. There is a good chance that they are trapped in a snares of the devil. Shame, pride, guilt and fear are the most often used snares of the evil one. Many have lost hope. Most of these people feel abandoned by ‘religion’, and we must pray for them. With a firm and kind heart, we need to help them understand how damaging this false ‘spiritualism’ is to their souls. It is very difficult, and challenging.

Good Christians, be warned… it won’t gain us accolades from them, in fact they might even hurl insults and threaten us with violence and slander our name. Most cannot see the lie that is this ‘spiritualism’, and most don’t even want your help…. But, Be strong. Pray. Fast and offer sacrifices for their conversion. It is a difficult road. It is what God expects. It is what He wants from us. As Faithful Catholics, we are the Church militant, we must be willing to fight for Christ’s Holy Church, in all capacities, even if that means ‘fighting‘ spiritual battles for our families…

Rosary

Look to the Lord for guidance and strength in all of your endeavors. Attend Mass frequently and listen to God. He will not lead you astray. As Catholics, we have the benefit of being able to have Masses said for them. The Mass is a very powerful thing, many graces can be gained for offering the Mass for the intention of conversion. Another powerful tool we have is the Rosary. It was given to St. Simone Stock  by the Blessed Mother, and it is one of the most powerful weapons we can use when confronting the lies of the devil, and their influence over our family and friends. Pray your rosary everyday.

Remember, God sent Christ into the world to save us. He didn’t send His Son to establish a world ‘spiritualism,’ that was already here. He came to abolish it. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that God created the world for His Church. Saint Clement of Alexandria said: “Just as God’s Will is creation and is called “the world,” so His intention is the salvation of men, and it is called “the Church.“

So before we allow ourselves to be lulled by the notion of a false ‘spiritualism’ for the welfare of our loved ones, we should note that the catechism of the Catholic Church also gives us this: “The eternal Father, in accordance with the utterly gratuitous and mysterious design of his wisdom and goodness, created the whole universe and chose to raise up men to share in his own divine life,”to which he calls all men in his Son. “The Father . . . determined to call together in a holy Church those who should believe in Christ.”

Remain firm and offer everything you do for the conversion of the whole world, and perhaps one day, with God’s grace, we will be able to  dispel this dark ‘spiritualism’ from our loved ones…and replace it with the True Light of Christ.

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

 

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Saint Gertrude the Great – November 16th

Posted on November 16, 2017 by mikatsa6

gertrude with heart of Jesus

Bodily and spiritual affliction are the surest sign of Divine predilection. Gratitude for suffering is a precious jewel for our heavenly crown… Man should firmly believe that God sends just that trail which is most beneficial for him. – Saint Gertrude the Great

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As St. Gertrude was about to receive the Sacred Host, she asked “O Lord, what gift are You going to grant me?”

And Jesus answered, “The gift of My Whole Being with My Divine nature, as formerly my Virgin Mother received it.”
“When I give way to the kindness of My Heart,” said Christ to St. Gertrude, “When I humble Myself in the Sacrament of Life to be united to a soul which is free from mortal sin, all those who dwell in heaven, on earth, and in Purgatory receive inestimable favors.”

gertrude

PRAYER OF ST. GERTRUDE THE GREAT

OUR LORD TOLD ST. GERTRUDE THE GREAT THAT THE FOLLOWING PRAYER WOULD RELEASE 1000 SOULS FROM PURGATORY EACH TIME IT IS SAID. THE PRAYER WAS EXTENDED TO INCLUDE LIVING SINNERS AS WELL.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. AMEN.

“I understand that, each time we contemplate with desire and devotion the Host in which is hidden Christ’s Eucharistic Body, we increase our merits in heaven and secure special joys to be ours later in the beatific vision of God,”

– St. Gertrude

 

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November 9th- Memorial of the Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War

Posted on November 11, 2017 by mikatsa6

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It seems that the more things change…the more they stay the same. In the history of the world…a world created by God….Nothing falls into this pattern quite as much as the perpetual efforts of the evil one to destroy the good that God has created… Stretching all the way back into the garden of Eden ( that is of course, if we don’t include his infamous battle with St. Michael in heaven.) The truth is, that the devil despises Christ so much so, that he will stop at nothing to destroy the Holy Church that Christ Himself founded…The Church He built upon the rock of Peter….“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.” – Matthew 16:18

Just as God gave us His only begotten Son, Christ, as our Redemption… to further that work and ‘make Disciples out of all nations‘ (Mark 28:19)…He  gave us the Catholic Church, starting with His very Apostles, as an aid in that redemption. This Church, founded by Christ …the Holy Mother Church…His Bride… is our guide us as we journey here on earth and make our path towards heaven. The devil knows this…and loathes it, precisely for this reason …  Even as Christ told His disciples that He would be with them until the end of time… the devil’s pride still tries to defeat Christ’s redeeming action… he cannot let it rest, he simply cannot let it go…Pride does horrid things, and as we scroll through the vast pages of history, particularly Church history, we see that every couple of years or so….he rears his ugly head…spitting forth blasphemy from his tongue of lies.  With a cunning smoothness that earned him the title as ‘Father of Lies’….his errant whispers stir the corners of  darkened souls… and the scourge against the Church…against God’s Christians begins again….

spanish civil war

As I was combing through the list of saints who we honor today, I came upon a list so long that I had to investigate. Name after name after name….. were listed as Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, which occurred from 1936 – 1939. At first, so much of  my research was thwarted by all the propaganda and anti-Catholic rhetoric…So much misinformation surrounds this horrible event…It’s as if somehow all of these holy men and women deserved the brutality they received…that somehow … these men and women who vowed to live their lives for God, somehow deserved their terrible fate…

It became quite clear to me, that so much of the history that Americans are taught as being fact, is just a continuation of the erroneous lies that fill the secular schools these days. The ‘history‘ that is taught about the Spanish Civil War goes something along the  story lines of an oppressed working class, who called themselves republicans (but who were really socialists) and rose up against a tyrannical aristocracy that was  allied with the Roman Catholic Church. We are told they wanted only what was best for their country. We are also led to believe that their people’s revolution was brutally suppressed by a fascist military dictator named Francisco Franco, who was a puppet of the German Nazi regime.

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When what really happened is this: during the municipal elections of 1931, a Second Spanish Republic was triggered, and an anticlerical (read anti-Catholic) government was brought into power. The Prime Minister Manuel Azaña felt that the Catholic Church was to blame for the way Spain was perceived as being a backward nation, much too traditional and conservative... and he wished it to be more progressive. As an admirer of the 1914 French Republic, he wanted the Second Spanish Republic to copy it.  As with all communists, he wanted to remove Christianity from the schools, from the hospitals and even from the Churches. One of the first things he did, was to remove the crucifixes from the classrooms…(a case of out of sight out of mind…you might say)  He wanted all of the schools to become secular institutions. And because he wanted to influence a larger number of youth, he wanted these schools to be tuition free.

Communist militias moved in, and Spain was then overcome with a diabolical terror that seized her and waged war against the Roman Catholic Church and her faithful. It was the greatest period of clerical executions since the French Revolution, only the brutality  carried out here, was done on a much larger scale. For the faithful it was a war waged to free Spain and the Church from the grip of Marxist tyranny.

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The whole of Spain was unsettled and many Churches were destroyed…bombings were a daily occurrence and Spain was wrought in a terrible battle. Many Catholics were killed simply because they could not in good conscience support a communist revolution. The number of Christians martyred during this religious persecution rose into the thousands.  According to historical studies the number of people killed during this time, runs into the tens of thousands, with over four thousand being clergy, twelve bishops, numerous seminarians, over two thousand brothers and over two hundred sisters and many…many more Catholic laymen.

The Spanish Civil War was clearly the plan of the devil. It was an evil attempt to open the gates of hell in Spain… and for a time, hell was loosed on the Christians in Spain. There were likely many more who were killed and brutally martyred that we will never know. Many of those killed, were murdered, execution style for the mere ‘crime’ of practicing their faith and refusing communism. Many were killed as they knelt and prayed for their killers. But God is good…He is Awesome, and He uses the sacrifice of the martyrs…joining it to Himself, and He uses their blood as a pool of graces for the faithful that remain.

In the end, the defenders of tradition, order, and Christianity won the war after which, Spain enjoyed decades of prosperity and vitality and a culture rich with Catholic influence.  As Christians, we always need to be on guard against the whisperings that contradict our Faith…that contradict the teachings of Christ. We need to guard ourselves with the armor of the Lord and be prepared to battle. Our own country seems to be entering a climate of hostility towards Christianity and the freedoms associated with it. I feel that  we may be entering into another period of time in which the evil one rears his ugly head….(think of the Christians in Texas…) But no matter what, we must remember that regardless of how desperate things look….how desperate things get… it is a battle that God has already won. so as we close, let us pray for the intercession of the Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, that their blood may be for us a seed of Christ’s Church, not only in Spain, but in the rest of the world as well, particularly those areas where communism and socialism are chomping at the bit, threatening to take Christianity with it, which in essence is the very soul of humanity. May the good Lord have mercy on us all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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