I am a 38-year-old priest. Most of my priesthood has been spent with university students and young families. Every week, I end up in some conversation on the phone with someone who is enduring unspeakable suffering within their family. I know that every age of history has suffering, but something is different about this year. For example, I asked a young Mom at a funeral of a mutual friend how her family was doing. She replied “Good. We’re the only people we know whose lives aren’t falling apart.” I said, “Then I’ll put you on the short list.” “Don’t put us on any list,” she said as she smiled.
I look at the world at large: 2 million children are sex slaves. Over the past century, more Christians have died for the faith than ever in history, and where Communism has ceased its persecutions, groups like ISIS have arisen to continue the butcher’s work. Half a billion children are wiped out by the pill and abortifacients every year. Human nature has not become more evil, but the instrumentation afforded to us by the modern world has undeniably led to more death and slavery than ever before — including the transatlantic slave trade and the holocaust. This is a statistical fact.
Normally I would look to the Church for the strength I need to lead families, but when I read Amoris Laetitia, I see that Pope Francis says that the divorced and remarried can receive Holy Communion without reform of their life. That is quite a temptation to divorce for so many families who are fighting hard to keep it together. Maybe this is why so many bishops claim that this is not what the Pope asserted. But there’s a problem with that: Even Pope Francis and Cardinal Schönborn have both confirmed that Pope Francis meant what he wrote.
Go down the rabbit hole a little deeper: I just finished reviewing some of the Vatican’s new sex-ed program called “Meeting Point.” Some of it is fine. But small parts are light pornography, with erotic photographs included. I am not a sheltered priest. In fact, I’m an ex-paramedic who has helped deliver babies. But “Meeting Point” had sick pictures of mild erotica. The “decent part” of Meeting Point is still a far cry from the Theology of the Body. The bad part of the program reminds me of the very sex-education that the Communists presented to children in Romania in the 1980s to spike libidos in elementary school. A priest friend of mine recently pointed out to me that rat poison has “99.95% of everything that rats like. Only 0.05% is poison.”
So, as I took these things to Eucharistic Adoration, I had what Ven. Fulton Sheen called “a lover’s tiff” with God. I basically looked at God in that monstrance and said that if the Church would not support me in fighting for the truth, then I didn’t have to either. Now, I don’t “hear” things in prayer, but what I understood in prayer in that next moment was one of the only times in my life that (I believe) God spoke directly to my understanding:
“My Church is being crucified. Will you leave her?”
I will never forget these words. They not only brought courage to my heart; they brought clarity to my mind: The Church must go where her Bridegroom has first gone, and this would come — as with Judas — as the fruit of a betrayal from within. Our Lady of Good Success promised a “complete restoration” after a prophecied crisis that was described very much like what we are witnessing today. I had seen that the Church was enduring a crucifixion, but how had I missed that after this would come a resurrection? If Paul VI could say that “the smoke of Satan has entered the temple of God,” then I am surely not disobedient or schismatic for pointing out that we now have a full conflagration.
In seminary, they told us that the Church would be our bride. But the Church does not belong to me or any priest or bishop — or for that matter, any pope. This is why St. Augustine’s theology of the priesthood is one that places the priest as another John the Baptist:
“I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him. The One who has the bride is the Bridegroom. The friend of the Bridegroom, who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly at the Bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”—John 3:28-30.
The “friend of the bridegroom” is simply the “best-man” in modern parlance. The Baptist is saying that the old Israel and the new Israel both belong exclusively to the Divine Bridegroom, alone. John remains the “best man,” and so also is any priest who chooses to walk into battle with the bridegroom.
But where the bridegroom has gone, so also must follow the bride and the best-man.
On Monday, September 19th in the Traditional Latin Calendar, it was the 3rd class feast of St. Januarius. In the Gospel for that Mass, Jesus offers His most apocalyptic discourse, spoken only in private to His disciples:
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”—Matthew 24:7-14
The above checklist has mostly been completed, especially the most chilling of it all: “The love of many will grow cold.” On a more measurable scale than charity, consider that even CNN and CBS have reported that “relative to the 20-year period from the mid-1970’s to the mid 1990’s, the Earth has been more active over the past 15 or so years.” They are quoting Stephen S. Gao, a geophysicist at Missouri University of Science & Technology, who is basically saying there are more earthquakes now than ever.
And then the end will come.
I actually don’t think we’re at the end of the world (please forgive me, Jesus, if you’re coming tonight) but I honestly believe we’re at the end of an era. Something is different this year, different than ever before. And it’s not just “God’s special club of weirdos” who sense this distant storm. Anyone praying—moms, dads, priests, nuns—all have an ear to the rail of the future. But what awaits? What is coming?
Actually, here begins the really good news.
Remember that in Monday’s Mass, Jesus said: “All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”—Matthew 24:8. The word “birth pains” is translated from the Greek plural genitive odinon (ὠδίνων.) The singular is odin (ὠδίν.) My Greek dictionary defines odin as “birth-pain” and places it “equivalent to intolerable anguish, in reference to the dire calamities which the Jews supposed would precede the advent of the Messiah.”
What we are experiencing are not death-pains, but birth-pains. Yes, the earthquakes are part of it. (Check the above CBS article if you think I’m like a paranoid late-night televangelist in a Roman collar.) But this is a lot deeper than that. What we have here is this: The mystical body of Christ is being born, following Christ the head, and this must arrive with the labor pains of suffering. Remember that when Jesus died, there was an earthquake (Matthew 27:51.) His Passion and the earthquake were just the birth of the head (Col 1:18.) Now, the body, the mystical body, must follow in labor pains. Hasn’t the Church always been in the dolors of birth? Yes. However, among the 70,000,000 Christian martyrs in 2,000 years, over 45 million of those have been in the last 100 years. That means that most Christian martyrdoms have taken place recently.
Eschatology is the study of the last things. Protestants believe that things must get really bad before Jesus comes again. Catholics believe that things must get really bad, yes, but also really good.
“When He opened the fifth seal, I [John the Apostle] saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, Holy and True, how long before You will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.”—Apocalypse 6:9-11
The quota of holy martyrs must be met for Christ to come! Maranatha! Since the earliest days, the Church has named the day of the death of a martyr as her “birthday.” A sick obsession with death? Not when you realize what comes after the crucifixion of the Church. If Mary is the exemplar of the Church, and the Church is now being crucified, then the Resurrection of the Church can probably mean only one thing: The era of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as promised by Our Lady of Fatima, 99 years ago. 2017 marks 100 years of the bloodiest century in the history of the world.
I think things will get worse before they get better, but still I write: Hold on, you Eastern martyrs and victims of Western priest scandals. Hold on, any of you readers blessed with the unspeakable joys and crosses of having a disabled child. Hold on, all you holy priests in exile for defending tradition. Hold on, all you Moms who don’t think they can see their children suffer another day. Hold on all you husbands who are ridiculed at work for your love of the Catholic Church. Is it worth it?
“Will you leave my bride while she is being crucified?”
Don’t be afraid. The Bridegroom is coming, and He will not delay. What you have are birth-pains unto new life. We want to stay in the womb of our blue atmosphere, but we were made to be born into a new heavens and a new earth with new bodies — if we keep our souls prepared. For it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Fr. David Nix writes at www.padreperegrino.org
Wow. Amen.
Thank you, Father. That helps. A lot.
It’s true. We are at the foot of the Cross.
The choice is to be St. John or one of the other apostles.
Whether Christ spoke(My church is being crucified…)to you directly during Exposition, or whether your soul reasserted your Catholic faith, doesn’t really matter. Christ is God and the Catholic faith is from God.
What I’ve come to see and accept, not without a lot of internal prayer and struggle, was that Pope Paul Vl and the “smoke of Satan”, Pope John Paul ll and “silent apostasy”, Pope Benedict and his justifiable alarm over the “relativity” of morals, was that these three popes had this one thing in common at least. That is, they were blind to, did not accept the part they played in the post Vat ll church’s internal devastation that made the likes of corrupt PF possible. The church, and yes, these popes, starting with Pope John XXlll, forgot the awful truth that original sin did not cease with the dawn of the oh so wonderful 20th century which promised so much progress, so much peace, so much universal love.
It’s been quite a revelation for me to come to see that behind the genius and spiritual depth of these men(specifically JPll/BXVl)their natures were wounded by Adam’s sin of pride. Which.left them vulnerable to the seductions of Modernism.
Excellent.
Thank you, Father. This speaks volumes to me. Thank you for reminding me of the Resurrection.
Well done, Father Dave!~ No, we can never leave the Church, no matter what happens but we must have the GRACE to stand fast. To cling to the Truth and not let any individual–lay person, religious, or clergy–make us doubt that Truth or not adhere to it for some specious ‘pastoral’ reason. Truth does not change. We see corruption and sin everywhere around us-both in secular government and in the Church–but we must stand fast. We need an intense sacramental and prayer life to do this, come what may. And if a certain one is elected president, we will need all the strength we can get. We see our friends and relatives and others rolling over to the demonic agendas and that saddens our hearts but still we must remain in the Truth.
Just what I needed to hear.
Thank you for writing this Father Nix.
Thank you most of all for hanging your name on it.
I and my entire family converted to the Catholic faith based on the teachings of the Church. We hail from generations of Protestantism, with many ministers and pastors in our family history. I myself hold a Protestant theology degree.
From the life-changing learning of Catholic Truth we came to the reality of modern Catholicism. We have been nothing short of mortified. Horrified. Shocked. I don’t have to go into all the details, for you already know them. But worst of all is the culture of pretending things are “fine”, as if we are enlightened by a flicker of romantic candlelight when in reality the house is burning down. The total commitment to ignore the absolute slap-your-face abominations of teaching that occur every day. The quiet. The silence of prelates!
Do words mean nothing? It is utterly demonic. It is by far most evident in our leaders, the prelates. When they praise utterly ludicrous documents like Amoris Laetitia and Laudato Si, do they actually think we are swayed by their lies and deceit and fraud and pretending?
Alas, this is the thing we have found worst of all; that a layman can with a Bible, a Catechism and a copy of Denzinger utterly demolish the supposed wisdom of these deleterious traitors of the faith. It isn’t hard.
Note: I am not speaking of the heretics among the leadership. Frankly, I expect heretics to exist here and there. THAT has not shocked us. What has shocked us is the utter permeation of effeminacy, the total lack of manly courage on the whole that exists AMONG THE SUPPOSEDLY ORTHODOX prelates in the Church. It is nothing short of disgusting. These “men” {they don’t deserve the word} will twist any clump of words tossed at them in order to make it “sound right” when no amount of twisting can EVER make it sound right.
NOTHING seems to upset them. No amount of heresy promoted by their fellow Bishops, no amount of immorality encouraged by this Pope, NOTHING. They are utterly emasculated. Like 12 year old eunuchs.
Are there exceptions? Yeah. VERY FEW.
Is it sodomy? Are they utterly incapable of saying anything because they are all sodomites and they fear being outed? WHAT? WHAT is it?
LITERALLY I have more confidence in the moral backbone of the secular corporate leadership of the Mammon-oriented corporation I work for than I have in Catholic Bishops. I have SEEN my executives make many tough decisions and FIRE those who undermine the mission of our company and FIRE moral degenerates as well. In the Catholic Church? What…they get a Red Hat???
So I say all of that to say this; What you say here is true. You are speaking the truth. The Church IS, repeat, IS being Crucified. What’s more, She is being incestuously raped by her own children, indeed, by her own “Fathers”. Mauled, beaten, spit upon, molested. The only words really capable of describing what we see are not fit to be printed.
WHEN will priests and Bishops stand up like men and DEMAND holiness AMONG THEIR OWN and FIGHT those at whatever level who denigrate the Tradition and the perennial Magesterium of the Church? When will they call out by name those who are damaging the Holy Name of Our Blessed Lord and His Church AND MAKE IT SOUND LIKE THEY MEAN IT?
WHEN?
WHEN will there be a fist fight among prelates as there was in that Council of old? WHEN?
Because it is bloody high time we see MANY priests and bishops stand up and say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.”
Or do leaders have no part to play in the glory of God? Is it simply the job of prelates to stand by and giggle while Holy Mother Church is gutted right in front of their eyes, “waiting on the Lord” to come and fix things so they don’t have to bruise their sweet little soft hands or risk being called “not nice”?
In case you can’t tell, we are not happy with what we see. When we converted, we were ready to be ridiculed by family and friends for standing with the teachings of the Church AND WE STILL ARE, but frankly, we are not one bit happy about being ridiculed for standing with the vast host of effeminate faggot Bishops prancy-dancing around and spouting off about the “dignity” of sodomites and the “serene theology” of adulterous doctrine destroyers.
God bless you and may God raise up men to lead the Church.
God Save the Catholic Church.
Rod Halvorsen
Yes!
Thank you for writing this Father Nix.
Thank you most of all for hanging your name on it.
Seconded on both.
Rod, we must all keep our eyes on Christ. And our Blessed Mother will also help us in this difficult time. What does sadden me also is not only the corruption in the Church–be it masonry or sodomy or just plain weakness or heresy–is the gigantic loss of souls. And far too many ‘catholics’ have gone over to that dark side including many of my relatives; I pray for them and for souls daily begging the Lord to enlighten us to Truth.
What you say here is so true. The goal of the devil isn’t to make the Church this or that, to create fractures and competing interests. All that is the means by which he achieves his greatest goal; steering souls to hell.
And we must resist, confront, deny acceptance of anyone who encourages the devil in his tactics and in his ways.
I must say I am so blessed to have one fantastic parish {FSSP} where the truth is unabashedly taught, albeit about 1 1/2 hours away. And closer by, tho the parish struggles, a priest who loves the Lord Jesus and who is fighting the good fight in the face of terrible odds. I have the greatest respect for those who stand for our Blessed Lord and none for those who don’t.
I am so blessed with an FSSP Parish also. I moved here in 2005 and will not go back to the no.
What you say is not only true of the prelates but of much of the laity as well. I’m becoming increasingly aware that most of the Mass going Catholics I meet just don’t seem to care. AT. ALL. Whenever I talk about all this stuff that is going on I get awkward blank stares at best or called names and yelled at at worst. Things keep getting worse and worse both inside the Church (in Her human element) and out and most Catholics I know seem to want to maintain a state of ignorance about it and pretend that it’s still the mid 80s when everything was bland and forgettable and it was easy to do your 45 minutes a week of Church time and focus on “Dallas” and “Who’s the Boss” and the like for the rest of the week. Dealing with this has been a huge trial for me lately. One that often ends with me getting angry and sinning by my speech.
I’m a homeschooling mom. I concur with everything you said, Pulvis & RTHEVER!
I’m confounded by the passivity among my local “catholic homeschool” community.
Recently, I posted about the Vatican sex-ed program to our yahoo group consisting of over 200 people & not 1, NOT 1 person showed an ounce of concern over it! No one responded!! Just crickets.
What *does* garner a response from this spiritually lethargic group? Subjects that include free stuff, field trips, and “ministry” pet projects like “walk with Francis,” ….while Rome burns.
I, too, get quite angry & sin with my *tone* of voice when being criticized by catholics for merely reporting what is happening in the church!!
I have four children, and I can tell you, the pain I feel over the indifference & passivity is far worse than all 4 of my labors COMBINED!
It’s taken me a while, but now I believe I finally understand *why* Our Lord said he would spit the lukewarm out of his mouth.
‘Recently, I posted about the Vatican sex-ed program to our yahoo group’
Someone posted this on our group recently too. Not the same group?? I don’t think it could be. There was a response. There was concern. But confusion too. They want to be good Catholics, they don’t want to have anything to do with something that cuts them off from the Church. I respect that! I feel the exact same way.
But now that’s where you and I need to help as we can. God guide us! As RTHEVR says below, it’s not those who are holding fast (2 Thessalonians 2:15) who are rebelling, but those who are departing from Christ and His Church. But much understanding has been lost, and for many it’s not going to come back over night. Speak the truth with kindness and gentleness.
God bless you!
Gosh it’s good to know I am not the only one feeling like a lone lover of our Dear Lord witnessing the absolutely destruction of our church. We must keep strength in the fight by praying for each other, sharing our thoughts on this site and keeping our faith, hope and love in our dear Lord ALIVE together. Does everyone know about the Rosary Rally on the 1st of each month instigated by Cardinal Burke? Has anyone read the Poem of the Man-God series by Maria Valtorta?
🙂 Nice to meet you Teresa!
‘Does everyone know about the Rosary Rally on the 1st of each month instigated by Cardinal Burke?’
Yes, thank you!
‘Has anyone read the Poem of the Man-God series by Maria Valtorta?’
I have not heard of it before. I did some research though and it seems it would be best to keep clear of it, see here: https://www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/VALTORTA.TXT
Father gives some good recommendations at the bottom of what to read and do in addition if a person will not stop reading it. From what I have found in my research I would say, instead of. You will see the face of God clearer reading the Holy Scriptures.
Hope this is helpful! God bless!
..
Dear RTHEVR, Agreed on all points. One life lesson or experience that springs to mind is that liars never listen to the truth, however we are following the faith by speaking truthfully. We have two young children the thing that annoys us the most is when our children lie because it’s how the rot sets in.
Thank you Rod for articulating EXACTLY how my wife and I (former Evangelicals) feel about the current abomination of the institutional Church. May God bless you and your family!
Speaking of the late, great Archbishop Fulton Sheen: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b940fcc938a0367eff84def5cd9b2e65131398d1ae1d5bcc27f34acc1088b1f1.jpg
Thank you, Father, for this most edifying post! God Bless!
I very much agree with Mr. Rod Halvorsen here above!
Thank you, Fr. Nix and Mr. Halvorsen.
Hearing the truth is like medicine…healing and strengthening. What I’ll take with me is ‘hang on” and the best is yet to come. God bless you, Father (and Steve)
Let us not forget CCC 675 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.
The problem for all of us mere mortals, unfortunately, is that in the first crucifixion, which took only a day, Our Lord resurrected on the third day and shortly thereafter appeared to those whom he chose, who in turn told the world. But what happens if, for this second crucifixion, of his mystical body, the Church, the crucifixion is greatly prolonged, as some would say, already these fifty years or more, and then the resurrection itself is greatly delayed? When, in other words, does a prolonged death spiral followed by long waiting for revival turn from Passion of the Church into Gates of Hell have prevailed? Or as the ancients would say, how big does a ship have to be before it becomes a floating island? Fortunately, there is a Plan B, to the East.
“But of this one thing be not ignorant, my beloved, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
(2 Peter 3:8 – Douay-Rheims Bible)
“My Church is being crucified. Will you leave her?”
She certainly is, and we must love her more than ever.
Where else could we go? We cannot leave Holy Mother Church, which Our Loving Lord started for us in 33AD. Deo Gratias.
Wonderful statements.
As for the enemies; outlive them, outlove them and outlast them. And when necessary, out-fight them.
My own personal analogy comes from having lost my dear husband to cancer. Think of the Church as your beloved. When your beloved gets sick and is dying, do you LEAVE him or her? No way! You stand by his or her side more than ever!!
My condolences. You’re right.
I really love this article and it has given me much hope. Thank you, Father, as I appreciate it greatly.
That having been said, I have one qualm . . . I think the priest is also the Bridegroom and not the best man because he acts sacramentally in persona Christ. I am not sure that “best man” is a suitable role for the ministerial priesthood. But I also admit that I may be wrong, and a priest would know this better than I.
Thank you Father, God bless you. Your piece reminded me of a statement by Fr Oko in his article ‘With the Pope against homoheresy’ :
“To say “I am leaving the Church because it is too evil for me, and too sinful” is to say that apparently “I am too good for it”, to say, in a way, that “I am a better, a more valuable person than Mother Theresa, or even Our Lady or Lord Jesus himself”, since for them that Church is good enough to stay in, to love and protect.”
BINGO!!!!!
You nailed it!
And then…to go…WHERE?
It would take a book or two to go where I am going here, but we have in Protestantism the very core toxins that have so sickened the entire WORLD today. The setting up of doctrines and lifestyles in the image of the “reformer” whoever that might be…all the way down to…”Me”. This, too, our prelates have not just swallowed, they have injected it straight into their veins. Just look at the homo-fans the Church is led by, always twisting and couching their words to give credibility to the sickest and most horrific of sins; divorce and adulterous “remarriage” and homosexuality.
As I say to my Protestant friends and family who belittle the Church in Her struggles; “The answer isn’t Protestantism…THAT is the problem! The modern culture exhibited by so many in the Church is FAR, FAR too Protestant as are their beliefs!”
I have been praying that the Pope’s celebration of the Great Divorce of the Church with the lesbian-led deeply morally degenerate “Church of Sweden” simply doesn’t come off. But “let thy will be done” keeps ringing in my ears and I am in my Rosary forced to see with clarity Jesus praying, agonizing in the garden. But dwell on this for a moment. As an ex-Lutheran, I can tell you all here that there is no such thing as “Lutheranism” as a monolithic structure. It is made up of varied and various groups. SOME actually affirm many basic tenets of morality common to the Catholic faith such as the Missouri Synod folks.
BUT NOTICE WHO THE POPE HAS HAND SELECTED TO STAND SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH!!! Not those who affirm those basic moral teachings. No, with the most demonically depraved, effete and perverted of them all! Just as he always seems to do!
Christ didn’t just agonize for His own physical and spiritual suffering, but rather for all those who were about to be tortured just as He was.
GOD IS SIFTING HIS CHURCH.
Who will be left yet believing?
God Save the Catholic Church.
This mother of a disabled child, who often stays awake at night out of fear of what the world has in store for her vulnerable child, thanks you. You have restored my hope!
Leticia, I don’t know if you’re a regular reader of OnePeterFive, but I can tell you: I don’t know what I’d do without this site. I hope you’re a regular visitor here! God bless you!
What will the Restoration look like? Perhaps something like this.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=onogdJN_So4
Thanks Father. We needed that. Maybe we are on the threshold of an awakening. Here is the conclusion of an article in yesterdays New York Times written by MATTHEW SCHMITZ concerning Pope Francis who is hopefully the nadir of Church leadership over the last 50 years. We should look forward to the future with joy as God is always at our side.
“Francis has built his popularity at the expense of the church he leads.
Those who wish to see a stronger church may have to wait for a different
kind of pope. Instead of trying to soften the church’s teaching, such a
man would need to speak of the way hard disciplines can lead to
freedom. Confronting a hostile age with the strange claims of Catholic
faith may not be popular, but over time it may prove more effective.
Even Christ was met with the jeers of the crowd.”
I am so glad to meet such likeminded people as living here down under I feel so alone in the fear I have for the decaying and rotting current state of the ‘Church’. We must take heed of the warnings of Our Lady of Fatima, and pray the Rosary. Father I will pray for you because here in this small rural Aussie parish I have sensed great division between the stale social justice priests and the young foreign priests who are sent here to fill the shortage.
Keep the faith Teresa. I will say a prayer for you.
Truthful, brilliant and beautiful article describing with clarity where we are and what’s really happening around us. I loved seeing Archbishop Fulton Sheen mentioned in the article and hope that he is Sainted sooner rather than later.
God bless you Father Nix.
And thank you. My prayers for you and all our priests.
Solid article. And I agree largely with your observations. And if I may a share a personal anecdote, as you have, Father. I had this very same “message” come to me while praying the rosary recently. Each day, in addition to the rosary of the day [and as an act of reparation for my sins] I pray an ‘extra part’ of the rosary and this is always the Sorrowful Mysteries. Recently, while meditating on the sufferings of Christ and while praying for the Christians suffering so horribly at the hands of Muslims in the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa, those two thoughts blended together in my mind and I had a similar “epiphany”. Our Lady helped me to understand that: “You see, as you meditate on the immense sufferings of my Son throughout His Passion, don’t you see that His Church must also suffer as He did? That the disciple is not above his master? [If they have done these things to the green wood, what shall be done to the dry?]”.
And then of course it made perfect sense. We [Christians] call ourselves “the Body of Christ”. And surely we are. But just as the Head suffered, so must we suffer. Christ, the Head, suffered. And so too must His Body, the Church, suffer. I still feel so bad for those poor Christian souls in Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, etc, who are bearing the brunt of this suffering. And it just doesn’t seem fair; it doesn’t seem right.
But that’s the point. Think what Mary and the holy women and St. John must have been thinking as Christ was being nailed to the Cross. My goodness, what must they have been thinking! “This is so wrong. This is so unfair, so evil. How can this possibly be happening?” And yet it was “the will of the Father” that the Christ should suffer. And as He suffered, so too shall his Body suffer.
You might be interested in this mission talk http://reginaprophetarum.org/audio/20151109-99-Mission-Types-of-the-Church.mp3
It’s part 3 of 6 talks. The rest are here http://www.reginaprophetarum.org/#/missions/6
Catholics:
Do not confuse zeal for Jesus, the Bible and the entire Magesterium of the Church for rebellion!!
Study and KNOW the Truth. Holy Mother Church has given us the Truth!
Now FIGHT.
Go out of your way to support EVERY single priest like this Father Nix.
Resist EVERY single communist, Freemason, faggot priest and Bishop that stands in the way of the Truth.
YOU are not rebelling.
THEY HAVE REBELLED AGAINST THE LIVING GOD AND HIS PRECIOUS BRIDE.
God Save the Catholic Church.
What a fine, very fine essay this is, especially: “My Church is being crucified. Will you leave her?”
With the apostasy going to the very top, the bible talks about the great falling away, the great apostasy. The vast majority of Catholics don’t know or practice their faith. Numbers of Catholics are in a death spiral due to contraception. We are there now, as also described by the Akita prophecy.
And too many of my own relatives, especially those on the east coast are totally in line with the secular and evil agenda: they are ok with abortion, sodomy, euthanasia and all the rest of the evils being forced upon us. And to say to them something otherwise brings out the vile language and so forth. In fact that is what is seen when someone does not go along with the evil agenda: vile words, cursing, attacking, violence, lawsuits, and worse is on the horizon.
There is still a whole age of peace or Age of Mary promised by our Lady. It hasn’t happened yet but will soon. Before that time we will see the arrival of the Holy militia of the Holy Ghost who will wear the white with the black crosses on the front and the French Catholic monarch, the last Holy Roman Emperor and a holy pontiff. There won’t be arguments about married priests or communion for adulterers at that point and the insane sect of Vatican ii will end. Everything will be done one way, world wide, the Catholic traditional way.
That should happen in 2017.
Not sure but “remember the kings of France”
Hope you guys are right. I suspect so…I plan to be with family away from the city next May, just in case.
very interesting times and of all the years in Catholic history of 2,000 years we lucked out to be alive at this point. It’s interesting, pray the rosary.
I do, every day. God bless you and Mary keep you!
Be in a state of grace, stay faithful to your duties in life, pray the Rosary daily, make reparation for the sins of the world (especially the sacrilege that is green lighted daily) and love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.
Thank you Father. You are a true Father, indeed. Sometimes I think more than one lifetime of facing this ugly debauch of our Church and our culture would be too much, God help me. So much death, so much loss. But I have maybe 50 years left in me, if I’m lucky, and I think that’s not too long a time to stand a post for the Blessed Lord. Essays like this keep our spirits up and help to keep us fighting. Thank you, Father.
Thank you, Father for the above writing. Some two years ago, while I was praying Holy Rosary and meditating on the First Sorrowful Mystery, suddenly the Scripture verse came to me: they all fled. It hurt then when the realization was crystal clear – the Church is going through Her Passion and the Apostles are not there. I must say that thought still hurts. But in the same moment I knew that no matter what happens with the clergy, I must cling to the Blessed Mother and stay with her at the foot of the cross. Praise be the God Almighty, we still have good priests in our midst. And for that even greater thanks to you, Father.
YES. Think about that. 12% of the Apostles was a devil according to the words of our Blessed Savior Himself.
As for the rest?
Human.
And weak.
PRAY that our Bishops might give their lives over to our Lord and Savior and follow Him, even if it means persecution or being called “not nice” or even, dare I say it, having to speak and live the Truth in conflict with the Pope’s personal opinions.
You won’t find Matt 24:7-14 a n y w h e r e in the Novus Lectionary, Sunday or weekday, ever. They gutted the readings of any and every ‘mean’ part of Scripture right before our eyes 50 years ago. No wonder a generation of Catholics are lukewarm – all the ‘hard teachings’ have been taken out. This is the main reason I attend the Latin mass every Sunday; at least I know my 1962 Missal hasn’t been PC’d.
And think for a second – what did Judas do right before he betrayed Our LORD? He received the Eucharist unworthily. I fear AL is not an exhortation, it is a sign.
“My Church is being crucified. Will you leave her?”
Thank you Father Nix, for your vocation and for THIS beautifully written exhortation.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/faffadee16e083418a9838c6ba285b2d18a4e334c95656e4b5df7bc922f8f38f.jpg
God bless you Fr. Nix, you are wise beyond your years.
PRIESTS’
HANDS
Your hand I’d kiss
But not for this
The mundane games
Men play.
Your hand I’d kiss
For doing this
Absolve my sins
Away.
Your hand I’d kiss
But not for this
That any man
Can do.
Your hand I’d kiss
For doing this
God’s strong, His choice
The few.
Your hand I’d kiss
But not for this
Like any
Virile male.
Your hand I’d kiss
For doing this
Place Him between
Lips pale.
Your hand I’d kiss
But not for this
Your strength
Exudes each pore.
Your hand I’d kiss
For doing this
Your prayers
I do implore.
SACERDOS!!!!
Father, thank you for recognizing the birth-pains and noting the timing relative to Fatima. In fact, just before the 100th anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun, on September 23rd, 2017 at about 10AM EDT, a Great Sign will appear in the sky: Virgo, with the sun at her shoulder, the New Moon beneath her feet, the nine stars of Leo combined with Venus, Mercury, and Mars for a 12-star crown on her head, Jupiter (after having entered the “womb” of Virgo in December of 2016) descending past Virgo’s hips, and the Serpent’s Head awaiting the “birth”. Thanks be to God for the promise of the Resurrection! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/75e36c94be43958509de0d2165995dd7562d05cc380e6051bf54aa578b80e1e8.jpg
I expect the 3 days of darkness to occur on the 100th anniversary of the miracle of Fatima, then the period of peace mentioned. That timing ends the 100 years that Jesus gave the devil to attack His Church as revealed to Pope Leo XIII. This sign is a precursor.
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Thank you Father. This article sums up in a very articulate way how I’ve been feeling lately, and backs it up with sound reasons. And I’ve been wondering what’s going to happen next year… Makes me feel kind of sane, cos I’ve been feeling like things are spiralling outta control. And I wish I, as a cradle NO Catholic, had been better person. We certainly need good shepherd’s to guide us in these times.
Viva Cristo Rey
“My Church is being crucified. Will you leave her?” Novus Ordo Church: “Papa Bergoglio’s Vatican celebrates the “Reformation”!!?? Vatican stamp celebrates the start of the Reformation of Luther. Joint Eucharistic prayers with Lutherans!! Smoke of Satan billowing thickly in the highest (lowest) places. AGAIN “My Church is being crucified. Will you leave her?”
My Heart Cries Out To The Lord “HAVE MERCY ON US”
Why are we celebrating the reformation? I am confused
Martin Luther Was Excommunicated
See http://www.ncregister.com/blog/darmstrong/50-reasons-why-martin-luther-was-excommunicated
Vatican announces stamp of Martin Luther on 500th anniversary of Reformation
ROME, October 31, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) — The Vatican today announced it will be issuing a
special postage stamp depicting Luther at the foot of the Cross, to commemorate
the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
The 1.00 euro postage stamp issued by the Holy See’s Philatelic Office depicts in the foreground Jesus Crucified, and in the
background “a golden and timeless view of the city of Wittenberg,” the Vatican’s description read.
Vatican stamp of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon at the foot of the Cross.
It continued: “With a penitential disposition, kneeling respectively on the left and right of the cross, Martin Luther holds the Bible,
source and destination of his doctrine, while Philipp Melanchthon, theologian and friend of Martin Luther, one of the main protagonists of the reform, holds in hand the Augsburg Confession (Confessio Augustana), the first official public
presentation of the principles of protestantism written by him.”
Exactly one year ago today, on October 31, 2016, Pope Francis journeyed to Sweden for the Joint Catholic-Lutheran Commemoration of the Reformation, and to celebrate Mass with Swedish Catholics on the November 1 Solemnity of All Saints.
The Holy See Press Office announced in the same communique that it will also be issuing a more valuable 2.55 euro special stamp
to mark the 450th anniversary of the birth of St. Francis de
Sales.
“Born in the French border town of Thorens-Glières on August 21,1567 of an ancient and noble heritage, at a young age Francis de Sales showed interest in theology during his formative years of study that soon led him to a vocation to the priesthood. He carried out his ministry with the firm desire to safeguard the Church of Rome from the reform of Calvin,” the Vatican description states.
“Saint Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church, is one of the fathers of modern spirituality and influenced the most important figures of the 1600s in Europe. He brought back many faithful separated from the Catholic Church by speaking about the love of God,” it continues.
Many religious congregations took inspiration from him, including the Salesian Family founded by Saint John Bosco, who chose him as patron of his efforts, “both because he was one of the most venerated Saints in the Piedmont region of Italy and because he incarnated the principles of loving kindness, optimism and Christian humanism that became the foundation of the teaching methods of don Bosco,” it reads.
Francis de Sales was beatified in 1662 and canonized by Pope Alexander VII just three years later. The artist responsible for the stamp, Marco Ventura, portrays St. Francis de Sales in the style of an antique stained glass window, with pen in hand, as he is the patron saint of journalists and writers.
Both stamps will be available beginning November 23, 2017.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/vatican-announces-stamp-of-martin-luther-on-500th-anniversary-of-reformatio
My heart cries out to God – Have Mercy on us. Read below.
Messages given to Marnia in Damascus
THIS APPARITION IS APPROVED BY THE CHURCH
Fifth apparition, Fourth message – Thursday, March 24, 1983, 9:30 pm
My children, My mission has ended.
That night, the Angel told Me: “Blessed are thou amongst women.” And I was only able to tell Him that “I am the Servant of the Lord.” I am happy.
I Myself do not deserve to tell you: “Your sins are forgiven.”
But My God has said it. Establish a church. I did not say: “Build a church.”
The Church that Jesus adopted is One Church, because Jesus is One.
The Church is the kingdom of Heaven on earth.
He who has divided it has sinned.
And he who has rejoiced from its division has also sinned.
Jesus built it.
It was small.
And when it grew, it became divided.
He who divided it has no love in him.
Gather!
I tell you: “Pray, pray, and pray again!”
How beautiful are My children when they kneel down, imploring.
Do not fear, I am with you.
Do not be divided as the great ones are.
You, yourselves, will teach the generations THE WORD of unity, love and faith.
Pray for the inhabitants of earth and Heaven.
Message
from Jesus Christ (Los Angeles, USA) –
Sunday, August 14, 1988
My children,
My peace I gave you, but what have you given Me?
You are My Church and your heart belongs to Me, unless this heart has a god other than Me.
I told you: The Church is the kingdom of Heaven on earth.
He who has divided it has sinned.
And he who has rejoiced from its division has also sinned.
It is easier for Me (to accept) that an infidel believe in My name than that those who pretend to have faith and love swear by My
name.
It is in God alone that you must place your pride.
Pray for the sinners who forgive in My name, and for those who deny My Mother.
My children, I have given you all of My time, give Me a part of your time.
Message from Jesus Christ –
Friday, August 14, 1987
My daughter,
She is My Mother from whom I was born.
He who honours Her, honours Me.
He who denies Her, denies Me.
And he who asks something from Her, obtains because She is My Mother.
Message from Jesus Christ –
Saturday, September 7, 1985
I am the Creator.
I created Her, so that She could create Me.
Rejoice from the joy of Heaven, because the Daughter of the Father and the Mother of God and the Spouse of the Spirit is
born. Exult from the exultation of the earth, because your salvation is fulfilled
SEE http://soufanieh.excerptsofinri.com/ for the book Light of the East by Fr. Fox
Also see http://www.soufanieh.com/ENGLISH/LIGHT.OF.THE.EAST/Light%20from%20the%20East%20Book.pdf PDF copy of
the book by Fr. Fox “Light of the East”
Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to get alot worse.
On a more measurable scale than charity, consider that even CNN and CBS have reported that “relative to the 20-year period from the mid-1970’s to the mid 1990’s, the Earth has been more active over the past 15 or so years.” They are quoting Stephen S. Gao, a geophysicist at Missouri University of Science & Technology, who is basically saying there are more earthquakes now than ever.
You have to be very careful what you believe when listening to “geophysicists”, especially if CBS or CNN quotes what they say. This website makes it very clear that statistics show no Such increase.
http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/news/EQ_increase.html