THE THUNDER OF JUSTICE:

The Warning, The Miracle, The Chastisement, The Era Of Peace

God's Ultimate Acts Of Mercy

By Ted and Maureen Flynn

MaxKol Communications, Inc.

(Book I of V)

This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Written, compiled, and edited by Ted and Maureen Flynn

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 92-073598

Published by MaxKol Communications, Inc. © Copyright 1993

ISBN:0-9634307-0-X

Published in the United States of America

Picture of Planet Earth provided by NASA

Copies of this book may be obtained by contacting:

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The MaxKol Institute is a nonprofit organization and is supported solely by donations and the purchase of it's materials. All funds go to spreading Mary's Message which is made possible by people like you.

Dedicated To

Colleen and Danny

who have been a source of great joy

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Declarations

Since the abolition of Canon 1399 and 2318 of the former Canonical Code, publications about new appearances, revelations, prophecies, miracles, etc., have been allowed to be distributed and read by the faithful without the express permission of the Church, providing they contain nothing which contravenes faith and morals. This means no imprimatur is necessary when distributing information on new apparitions not yet judged by the Church. The authors wish to manifest unconditional submission to the final and official judgment of the Magisterium of the Church regarding any events presently under investigation.

In Lumen Gentium, Vatican II, Chapter 12, the Council Fathers urged the faithful to be open and attentive to the ways in which the Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church, including private revelations. We hear:"Such gifts of grace, whether they are of special enlightenment or whether they are spread more simply and generally, must be accepted with gratefulness and consolation, as they are specially suited to and useful for, the needs of the Church.... Judgments as to their genuineness and their correct use lies with those who lead the Church and those whose special task is not to extinguish the Spirit but to examine everything and keep that which is good."

Table Of Contents

Note:Underlining shows which part of the book is currently opened.

Book I

A Call To Change

1. The Wake-Up Call:

The Urgency Of Our Times

2. The Grand Finale:

The Explosion Of The Supernatural Today

3. Prophetess For Our Times

4. Prophets In Our Midst

5. Our Lady's Role In Salvation

Book II

A Mother's Warning

6. The Secrets Of The Apocalypse

7. "Why Am I Weeping?"

8. LaSalette:Satan In The World

9. Fatima And The End Times

10. Garabandal:Its Time Has Arrived

11. The Tears Of Akita, Japan

12. Medjugorje:

Its Messages, Secrets, And Warnings

Book III

Signs And Tribulations

13. Smoke Enters The Church

14. The Great Apostasy:The Loss Of Faith

15. Satan's 100 Years:

Antichurch, Antipope, Antichrist

16. Wars, Disasters, And Tribulations

Book IV

The Purification Of The World

17. Where Mercy And Justice Meet

18. The World-Wide Warning:

God's Ultimate Act Of Mercy

19. The Miracle, The Permanent Signs,

And Other Signs

20. The Great Chastisement And The Three Days Of Darkness

Book V

The New Era--The Triumph

Of The Two Hearts

21. The Second Pentecost

And The Era Of Peace

22. Apostles Of The Last Times

23. The Remedy

Appendix I:Selected Scriptures

End Notes

Bibliography

Index

Acknowledgments

We thank Our Lord and His mother for the extraordinary gift of grace that we have received for reasons only Heaven can fathom. When we started compiling information, we never believed we would find such a rich vein of spiritual treasure. We have caught a glimpse of the profound mystery that is now unfolding for all the world to witness. Soon all will call Mary "Queen."

We thank our parents for all their support over the years in our adventurous endeavors, no matter the subject. We would never have done it without you.

A very warm and special thanks to Jim 0 'Rourke. In the late evenings while sifting through the massive amounts of material and trying to make sense of it all, a verse kept running through my mind regarding you, Jim:"Well done, good and faithful servant." Many thanks to the Gonzales family, Dr. and Mrs. Francis B. Hennessey, Stan Karminski, Bud MacFarlane, Bernie Marcotte, Malachi Martin, Rick Rotondi, Ron Stone, and friends who have had a hand in this effort--to you we are grateful.

To all of our friends at Signs of the Times--"the army of the faithful" spoken of in the messages--our magazine, Signs of the Times, and this book would never have seen the light of day if it were not for you. Tens of thousands of people world-wide for the last five years have been reading the result of your work. The Lord knows who you are.

Ted and Maureen Flynn

September 8, 1993

Foreword

Only a very distracted and unaware Christian of today could have avoided receiving at least a fleeting impression, by the "long hot summer" of 1993, that for a number of years now there has been a steady build-up of events--in the broadest sense of that word--all of which indicate that humanity as a whole and the Holy Roman Catholic Church in particular have reached a fateful threshold beyond which lies a new condition of human affairs.

Literally, every decade of this one century alone has piled one on the other, what Christ called "the signs of the times" (Matt:16 1-4).

In a general way of speaking, it is quasi-impossible to have totally escaped any awareness of these events, and the clamor of the claimant participants. Visions. Appearances. Messages. Predictions. Warnings. Interpretations. Weeping statues and bleeding icons. Miraculous spring waters. Spontaneous cures. Spinning dances of the sun, and eclipses of the moon. Little children telling the future. Uneducated men and women instructing popes and presidents. Nationwide publicity tours by bearers of special revelations. Throughout all of this, an obvious emphasis on the singular role of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Nazareth as the Queen of Heaven, Mother of All the Living, and--not surprisingly--as the Mediatrix of All Graces is pervasive.

It is as if the words of the prophet Joel were being fulfilled:"In those times, God said, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams. Your young men shall see visions" (Joel 3:1).

But such exultancy is soberly contrasted with the other side of this century's carnage. For this is a century that has witnessed and is still witnessing scenes of unmitigated horrors. The industrial slaughter of planned wars, of literally millions of men, women and children killed. The wiping out--sometimes as it were, overnight, of mighty empires. An ever-widening ripple of infanticide running to well over a billion in the last fifty years. An ever-climbing number of fratricidal wars--245, at the date of this writing, are in progress. Waves of tortures and persecutions on all five continents. A continual stream of natural disasters without known parallel in human history as we know it. This world scene is overhung by a generalized economic depression, and the clear emergence of an as yet skeletal one-world government that is professionally secular, frighteningly dangerous for human liberty, and in dim outline resembles George Orwell's portrait of "Big Brother" in his 1984 scenario.

We are confronted today by an ocean of events, a deluge of details, a quickening kaleidoscope of happenings. It is a situation made to order to leave us confused and in disequilibrium. It is in such circumstances that men and women are prone to inaccurate judgments and therefore foolish counterproductive actions. Unhappy are those of us who, being largely self-convinced, rashly predict the actual dates and times and places and events of that new expected condition of our world. For, in ourselves and of ourselves, we can find no authentic consolation. And we need consoling. Tender consoling. For we are not a happy race.

Unfortunate and hopeless are those who, though at least vaguely aware, have for one reason or another, no source of enlightenment, no providential norm of right reason for calculating the likelihoods of our situation. For, without that precious light from on high, we can surely entertain no solid confidence beyond that of merely human hope--which can be a good companion, but is never more than a blind guide. The most pathetic among us are those who are especially skillful in analyzing material trends like the weather, the stock market, the latest political omens, and the most up-to-date vogue in fashions and sexual mores, but who cannot read what Christ emphasized as those telltale "signs of the times." The usually mild and loving Lord Jesus described such people as an "evil and adulterous generation" and dismissed them from His serious consideration.

Needed above all else, in this situation, are the bare facts, the truths as far as we can ascertain them of those happenings which emphasize the special role of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and which seem to have taken place for our instruction. For even the most prejudiced as well as the most lukewarm minds in regard to her must have willy-nilly remarked on the primacy of place accorded to her shining figure throughout the multifarious history of events many ascribe in all good faith to God's direct intervention into our world of the senses, as well to the preference of her Divine Son that this be recognized as the Age of Mary.

We need more than anything else a manual that, in an orderly fashion, gives us the most accurate history of those matters. It must be as complete as possible with the relevant details, but be an easy reference book. It must be non-partisan, yet clearly on the side of the angels. It must provide a solid basis for human credence, but not tempt to idle speculation or anticipate exaggeratedly the final judgment of the Church's teaching authority which alone can transform our human credence into divine faith. For that, and nothing short of that, is the only purpose worthy of a Christian's attention in these strange times at the end of the second millennium.

This volume by Ted and Maureen Flynn seems, in this writer's eyes, to embody all the characteristics listed above. It is much more than a mere computer read-out of bare facts, and much more helpful than a would-be "objective" account-the utopian ideal vaunted by most un-neutral observers.

For it has been put together in great reliance on the wisdom of her whom Catholics address as the mother of the Incarnate Wisdom, the holy bearer of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is being published for all God's children whoever they are; and it is being launched with that very ancient prayer of firm expectancy which Saint John expressed familiarly in words from his native Aramaic:"Maranatha!" Come Lord! Come Lord Jesus!

Malachi B. Martin

Feast of the Assumption

August 15, 1993

I Am Calling Them All

"The time has come when I will make myself more manifest in the Church, through increasingly greater signs. My tears are shed in many places to call everyone back to the sorrowful Heart of their mother. The tears of a mother succeed in moving the most hardened hearts. But now my tears, even tears of blood, leave many of my children completely indifferent. My messages... will become all the more frequent the more the voice of the ministers refuses to proclaim the truth."

Marian Movement of Priests

October 30, 1975

The Handwriting On The Wall

"You have defied the Lord of Heaven, you have had the vessels from His Temple brought to you, and you, your noblemen, your wives and your singing women have drunk your wine out of them. You have praised gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone, which cannot either see, hear or understand; but you have given no glory to the God Who holds your breath and all your fortunes in His hands. That is why He has sent the hand which, by itself, has written these words. The writing reads:MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. The meaning of the words is this:MENE, God has measured your sovereignty and put an end to it; TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; PARSIN, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians."

Daniel 5:23-28

BOOK I

A CALL TO CHANGE 1

The Wake-Up Call:

The Urgency Of

Our Times

A chastisement worse than the flood is about to come upon this poor and perverted humanity. Fire will descend from Heaven and this will be the sign that the justice of God has as of now fixed the hour of His great manifestation. I am weeping because the Church is continuing along the road of division, of loss of the true faith, of apostasy and of errors which are being spread more and more without anyone offering opposition to them. Even now, that which I predicted at Fatima and that which I have revealed here in the third message confided to a little daughter of mine is in the process of being accomplished. And so, even for the Church the moment of its great trial has come, because the man of iniquity will establish himself within it and the abomination of desolation will enter into the holy temple of God.

Our Lady through Father Don Stefano Gobbi,

September 15, 1987 at Akita, Japan

The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

The Twentieth Century is witnessing a phenomenon that has simply grown too big for any reasonable person to ignore. The supernatural explodes in our midst on a near-daily basis. Because the manifestation of evil in this century is undeniably extreme, Heaven is pouring out great and unprecedented graces to provide us with the means necessary to rise above the moral decay that threatens to destroy us. Sin abounds, but grace abounds even more. Our Lady states the reasons for her warnings are to prepare us for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It is being stated in very clear and concise terms. The Holy Trinity has sent Mary, the Mother of God, Mother of the Church, our mother, to warn us.

The messages plead for our attention, but many refuse to listen. The hardness of men's hearts makes it difficult to hear the trumpets of Heaven. Statues weep human tears and blood, the young prophesy, religious communities sprout up, messengers receive warnings, Mary raises up an army of the devout, and reported apparitions of Mary appear at a frequency never seen before in all of recorded history.

People are being asked to turn back to God without delay. God is using apparitions (heavenly appearances) and locutions (interior messages) because other means have failed. He has warned us repeatedly that the times of His Mercy are about to come to an end, and the times of His Justice are commencing.

These apparitions have yielded a wealth of messages as well as remarkable fruits:millions of conversions world-wide; the reorientation of life towards the spiritual; and physical, mental, moral, and spiritual healings. An entire culture is arising spontaneously from the powerful shared experiences of those who have been touched by the unexpected and the supernatural. This culture is articulating itself through and by means of Marian centers, publishing houses, prayer groups, and alternative media networks. Many persons come away convinced that in the eyes of God, they are forgiven and loved, and infinitely important for the fulfillment of Heaven's plan.

Mary:Chosen Prophetess Of Our Age

Through this current deluge of apparitions and locutions, the Blessed Virgin Mary is issuing a wake-up call. She describes a huge battle now taking place. Satan has unleashed the full power of all his demons, for Heaven has granted him a Century--this Twentieth Century--in which to do his very worst to try to destroy the Church. Satan's final goal is to extinguish the light of faith from the face of the earth, which Satan had boasted he could do. Pope Leo XIII had a vision of a confrontation between God and Satan. Pope Leo was made to understand that Satan would be allowed one hundred years to tempt and try to destroy the Church. In the vision, Satan chose for his one hundred years the Twentieth Century. He is full of furious activity, for he knows that his time is short.

The battle now being waged in the heavens will soon be played out in awesome fury before our eyes--in the very skies, in the seas, and on the ground. This battle cannot be understood or believed outside of the realm of faith. We are witnessing the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven and true beacon for all Christians. It is now part of God's plan to have the "Woman Clothed with the Sun" (Revelation 12:1) appear throughout the world, to offer His people a safe haven in her Immaculate Heart.

The final battle is coming very soon. The remnant who will survive will be small in number. Yet there is one place of safety where all can be protected from the approaching storm:the ark of Our Lady's Immaculate Heart, full of maternal love for Jesus and for us. She is calling all of her children to enter, by acts of consecration to that Heart. The Chastisement is near. Our Lady invites us all to enter her refuge.

As the "purification" or the "chastisement" unfolds, we can expect the Church to be horribly persecuted--apparently almost destroyed. Mary warns that the earth will endure "three days of darkness" without the light of Christ, as Christ Himself spent three days in the earth. Yet at the end of this purification will come a resurrection in glory and the Era of Peace. Here is our source of hope as the Lord is the victor, and the scourge of sin is wiped away.

According to the prophecies of many Marian apparitions, the earth, the seas, and the skies will manifest destruction on a massive scale. Scripture states that when Jesus died the earth quaked, the skies produced lightning and thunder, darkness came over the whole land, and the veil in the Temple was torn asunder (Matthew 27:45-54). In today's world, with its materialistic philosophies and increasing sinfulness, it will not be long before the earth once more manifests its violent grief.

Before that happens, Mary declares there will be a warning and a great miracle. The warning will be a mysterious world-wide event, in which each individual will perceive the state of his or her own soul as God sees it. The warning is a call to change our ways. Within a year of the warning, a miracle--a great supernatural sign--will follow, which will be permanent, visible, and totally inexplicable by science. A short time after the miracle, terrible chastisement will follow, and only after a thorough "purification" will come an "Era of Peace." This will not be the end of the world as many may think, but the dawn of a new epoch, a new age in which God is adored.

The messages form a road map for our future. They speak of the sinful state of the world today and mention "secrets" that concern events to come. A series of cataclysmic events (both natural and supernatural) upon the earth will make mankind realize that God exists and that salvation should be our focus. We have forgotten that ultimately all of human life comes down to a simple choice of Heaven or hell; and Heaven apparently intends very soon to use powerful means of persuasion on a scale never before witnessed in the history of the world. Genesis shows us the extreme displeasure of Yahweh with His people; so great was His displeasure that God regretted making man, as Genesis 6:6 tells us. God cleansed the entire world by Flood; events of similar severity are prophesied by many reliable sources having Church approval.

Mary has the heart of a mother, one who lives for all her children. She is reaching out to those far away, the sinners, the atheists, those who reject God, those who fight against Him, and those who hate Him. She wants to help all men as their mother--for the hour is late.

The View Of The Theologians

The theologian Karl Rahner has pointed out that we are moved much more readily and effectively by those divine interventions that we call apparitions than by abstract teachings of knowledgeable theologians or the hierarchy of the Church. 1

One of the greatest theologians in the history of Catholicism, Saint Thomas Aquinas, wrote in his Summa, "...In all ages, men have been divinely instructed in matters expedient for the salvation of the elect...and in all ages there have been persons possessed of the spirit of prophecy, not for the purpose of announcing new doctrines, but to direct human actions." It is apparent that what Saint Thomas is telling us is that private prophecy has a function, an important one. It is certainly a result of divine Providence, although no one is required to accept private revelations. According to Saint Thomas, most people seem to need the encouragement provided by private revelations as an aid to their salvation.2

Visionaries From Around The Globe

The messages given for the world originate with "visionaries" from every part of the globe, from enormously varied educational backgrounds and social classes. For example, Italian priest Father Stefano Gobbi currently receives detailed locutions that have resulted in the formation of an international 55,000-member Marian Movement of Priests. Father Gobbi once asked Our Lady, "Why do you not choose someone more suitable and capable than me?" Our Blessed Mother answered him, "My son I have chosen you because you are the least apt instrument; thus no one will say that this is your work." The movement began in 1972 and messages continue to this very day, each year becoming more specific.

Apparitions of the Blessed Mother are occurring in rural as well as urban and suburban areas, and on all continents of the globe. No place on earth is untouched by her presence. She seeks out the little-known places of the world, where the poor and the unfortunate live.

The current Marian times had their beginning in 1830, when Our Blessed Mother appeared to Catherine Laboure in the convent at Rue de Bac, in Paris, France, as the Mediatrix of all Graces, and gave the Miraculous Medal to the world. One side of the medal had an image of the two hearts:the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The other had an image of Our Lady with arms extended and rays of grace streaming from her hands.

Sixteen years after Rue de Bac on September 19, 1846, Our Blessed Mother appeared to children at LaSalette in the French Alps. Mary spoke to the young children, Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud, about many things that upset her Son. She told them in 1864 that many demons would be unleashed from hell. LaSalette was approved by the Church in 1851. Pope Pius IX then proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854.

Four years later, in 1858, Our Blessed Mother appeared to a peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes, France, announcing herself as the Immaculate Conception--confirming the dogma proclaimed by Pius IX. Bernadette had never heard the term until told by Our Blessed Mother.

Mary's next major apparition was at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, to three children. She asked for all of the bishops of the world to unite and consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart. If this did not take place, she warned, Russia would spread her errors throughout the world. She warned that serious consequences would follow if Russia was not consecrated. This occurred prior to the Russian revolution in 1917.

In 1961, Mary appeared in Garabandal, Spain, where requests for the consecration of Russia again were not heeded. At Garabandal, she told the visionaries that the cup of God's justice was filling and that many sacrifices must be made, much penance done to avert divine punishment. In 1973, at Akita, Japan, Mary repeated that message, speaking of a chastisement worse than the flood that could converge on humanity if mankind does not convert.

In Medjugorje, in former Yugoslavia, six children (now young adults) in a rural village have been seeing Mary daily and receiving messages from the Blessed Mother since 1981. That remote village has been visited by an estimated 15 million pilgrims and 15,000 clergy. It has been the hub of Marian devotion in these times. Whereas Fatima was the most significant apparition for the early part of the Twentieth Century, Medjugorje is meeting the spiritual needs of this generation in the latter part of this century. His Eminence Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger has stated in The Ratzinger Report, "One of the signs of our times is that the announcements of 'Marian Apparitions' are multiplying all over the world."

With this frequency of events, we must not only focus so much on the phenomena as much as we should ask why. Why is Mary appearing? Here is a critical question we must honestly ponder in our hearts. Tears of water have been commonly observed and recently tears of blood on statues in many parts of the world. We have been told the significance of the statues with blood means the chastisement is near.

Scripture states that natural disasters such as famines, earthquakes, and signs in the sun, moon, and stars will provide warnings preceding the Second Coming of Jesus. Although "no man knows the day or the hour" (Matthew 24:36), Jesus has given us signs we should be watching for when this time approaches. Sixteen years ago, Pope Paul VI said he saw a definite pattern of events unfolding which gave him concern, that these may be the end times. Paul VI was a cautious man who spoke reservedly, yet still he made this observation. In 1977, one year before his death, he wrote:"There is a great uneasiness, at this time, in the world and in the Church, and that which is in question is the faith. It so happens now that I repeat to myself the obscure phrase of Jesus in the Gospel of Saint Luke:'When the Son of Man returns, will He still find faith on the earth?' (Luke 18:8). It so happens that there are books coming out in which the faith is in retreat on some important points. The episcopates are remaining silent and these books are not looked upon as strange. This to me is strange.

"I sometimes read the Gospel passage of the end times and I attest that, at this time, some signs of this end are emerging. Are we close to the end? This we will never know. We must always hold ourselves in readiness, but everything could last a very long time yet. What strikes me when I think of the Catholic world is that within Catholicism there seems sometimes to predominate a non-Catholic way of thinking, and it can happen that this non-Catholic thought within Catholicism will tomorrow become the stronger. But it will never represent the thought of the Church. It is necessary that a small flock subsist, no matter how small it might be." 3

For all the dire warnings, we must not lose hope. Jesus is the victor, and He will not allow Satan to overcome His Church. Scripture has promised that evil will at last be purged from the earth. We must not lose hope during some dark nights ahead. The Bible says the very gates of hell will not prevail against the Church. Saint Augustine once said, "that which man builds man destroys, but the city of God is built by God and cannot be destroyed by man."

Mary indicates, in various apparitions, that her messages are meant for all peoples, and not for Catholics alone. Mary says the Catholic Church has the fullest expression of the many gifts which have been given to mankind for salvation and perseverance in battle against the devil's constant wiles; but she is the mother of everyone on earth.

The Blessed Mother asks each person of faith for a personal decision to strive for holiness. She stresses the necessity of making the commitment to "pray, pray, pray," not merely with the lips but from the heart. She tells us to fast, to be reconciled with God and neighbor, in order to attain peace for ourselves and peace for the world. The messages require change in our lives.

Mary has said of our age, "it is a time that is worse than the flood." Like ancient Nineveh we are inches from destruction; but just as Nineveh averted catastrophe by accepting the warnings of Jonah and turning from its sins, we too can mitigate divine justice with prayer, penance, and fasting. God will never abandon His people if they respond. In Scripture, God warns the people of Israel on 177 different occasions for rejecting His infinite love and mercy. Seventy times, Israel responded favorably and was blessed. On 107 times, Israel did not heed the warnings and was greatly chastised for long periods of time. And here lies the deep mystery of our planet that hangs in the balance. 4

God's Little Army

History and Scripture give us many examples of God communicating with His people and prophets. When King Nebuchadnezzar needed a dream interpreted he sought the advice of a young man named Daniel to whom "God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds" (Daniel 1:17).

The same was true for the Magi who looked for the birthplace of the Messiah. The story of salvation was in the stars and they knew the signs to follow (Matthew 2:2). They were warned in a dream that they should travel home by another route. The Magi were a learned group of men to whom God had given understanding. They were given a task and fulfilled it. Heaven was speaking and guiding them in a way they could understand. Scripture is filled with such events. Those with knowledge and understanding of the ways of God are given glimpses of the future for the good of the general population. As the Nicene Creed says, "God has spoken through the prophets." The prophets are a mouthpiece for the good of the people. It is an act of love when God warns us of impending danger or calls us back to follow His will.

Although God is extremely generous bestowing His graces, the number who respond is often small. Just like the army raised by Gideon in the Old Testament (Judges 7:4)--which God cut from 10,000 to 300 soldiers--people responding to Mary's messages are but a tiny fraction of the Church. But Mary promises victory to her cohorts. And, as was the case with Gideon, the very smallness of the movement will be a powerful witness that the victory is truly the Lord's.

Multiplicity Of Appearances

Currently, hundreds of Marian apparitions are being reported. A storm is approaching, and grace is telling us where our safety lies. In Medjugorje, Mary has said she will appear if necessary in every single household. Her love and concern for her children is that great in these troubled times.

The content of messages from even highly-regarded visionaries may not prove to be one hundred percent accurate. All messages must undergo the discernment process of ecclesiastical authorities. However, it remains true that a thorough and broad sampling of Our Lady's messages throughout the world yields a remarkable sense of consistency and logical development. The major issue we should be aware of is that the warnings are from Mary herself, the Queen of all Prophets, the Prophetess of our times. In addition, so many similar messages coming from such a pool of culturally disparate visionaries cannot be dismissed. Logically speaking, both the frequency and consistency of an event increasingly eliminate the probability of chance. Apparitions are happening at such a frequency we can no longer ignore the facts. The messages should be read with an open heart.

Just as apparitions are increasing, so too are locutions to specific souls increasing in frequency. An interior locution is not something strange or sensational. Rather, it is a mystical phenomenon present in the life of the Church and described in spiritual writings. In a locution, one does not see with the eyes, hear with the ears, touch with the body. Nor is a locution simply a good inspiration, that light which the Holy Spirit normally causes to pour down into the minds and hearts of those who pray and live by faith.

The interior locution is that gift by which God wishes to make something known and to help someone carry something out. The person becomes an instrument of communication while receiving the Word from Our Lord, or in the case of many of the locutions in this book, from Our Blessed Mother. The person receiving simply becomes a vessel of God to provide messages. In the history of the Catholic Church, this mystical phenomenon is not unusual. 5

Our Blessed Mother told us through Father Gobbi in a message given September 18, 1988, that we have a period of ten years--ten decisive years:"In this period of ten years there will come to completion the time of the great tribulation, which has been foretold to you in Holy Scripture, before the Second Coming of Jesus. In this period of ten years the mystery of iniquity, prepared for by the ever increasing spread of apostasy will become manifest. In this period of ten years all the secrets which I have revealed to some of my children will come to pass and all the events which have been foretold to you by me will take place."

The foundation of our faith is Jesus Christ revealed to us both through Scripture and Tradition. Anything that detracts from this is heresy. The role of Mary does not detract but is meant to shine a light on Jesus. Her role is to glorify the Father, and at the same time be a messenger to His people.

As John the Baptist prepared the way for the first coming of Jesus, Mary prepares the way for His Second Coming. Mary proclaims that a new world and era is upon us, and the triumph of Her Immaculate Heart and the Second Pentecost (the outpouring of the Holy Spirit) will usher in the Reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Blessed Mother spoke through Father Gobbi on October 13, 1990, about the glorious reign of Jesus and His Second Coming:"The glorious reign of Christ, which will be established in your midst with the Second Coming of Jesus in the world is close at hand. This is His return in glory. This is His glorious return, to establish His reign in your midst and to bring all humanity, redeemed by His Most Precious Blood, back to the state of His new terrestrial paradise. That which is being prepared is so great that its equal has never existed since the creation of the world."

2 The Grand Finale: The Explosion Of The Supernatural Today

And afterward, I will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. Even upon the servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls.

Joel 3:1-5

Mary's Plan

In a message dated November 9, 1984, Mary told Father Gobbi her plan for our times. Our Blessed Mother stated, "In these messages, I also reveal to you my plan in its silent preparation, in its painful realization, and in its victorious fulfillment.

"You are already about to reach the most painful and bloody conclusion of the purification which will take place in these years, before the great triumph of my Immaculate Heart in the coming to you of the glorious reign of Jesus. This is the plan which embraces this century:In 1917 at Fatima, I anticipated it, as in a prophetic announcement, at the moment when the great struggle between the Woman clothed with the sun and the Red Dragon became evident, a struggle which was to last throughout the whole century, as a proud challenge to God on the part of my Adversary, who was certain that he would succeed in destroying the Church and in bringing all humanity to a universal rejection of God.

"The Lord has granted him this space of time, because in the end the pride of the Red Dragon will be broken and conquered by the humility, the littleness, and the power of your heavenly Mother, the Woman clothed with the sun, who is now gathering all her little children into her army, drawn up for battle.

"Now that you are coming to the most painful and bloody years of this great struggle, I have intervened personally in order to form for myself my cohort through the Marian Movement of Priests, which is my work."

The Signs Of These Times

This chapter explores several signs of these times, both natural and supernatural. The pre-eminent sign of the present age is Mary. People from all parts of the planet are reporting strong messages of love and warnings from the Blessed Mother of Jesus Christ. She fits the description of the "great sign:" the "Woman clothed with the sun" of Revelation, Chapter 12, where Saint John prophesied her appearance as signifying "the end times."

These widespread reports of appearances of Mary, the "Woman clothed with the sun," are accompanied by many well-documented and scientifically inexplicable phenomena, which are also "signs." The appearance of the "great sign" is a fulfillment of Saint John's prophecy, indicating that we may indeed be in the "end times;" the special era immediately preceding the Second Coming of Jesus, for which Scripture solemnly warns us to be prepared.

Marian apparitions are not new. Throughout Church history, God has sent Mary, the Mother of the Church, to her children as a special sign of hope in troubled times. God sends "signs" not only to console His people with the assurance that He has not abandoned them, but also to warn them of how far they have gone astray and to help them get back on track. The multiplication of reports of Marian apparitions in our day and the "signs and wonders" being experienced by millions of ordinary people are indications both of deep spiritual crises and of very great hope. God's people may be losing sight of Him, but He has not lost sight of us. He is very much present and concerned over our deepening alienation from Him. His personal intervention is necessary and imminent. He is sending His very best messenger, His most treasured soul--His own mother--to warn us, to shelter us, to form us, to prepare us in every possible way so that we may be ready for the day of His coming in the very near future. We cannot fully grasp it all so we must open our hearts as little children. As the Scripture says, "Unless you become like one of these little children...."

Marian Times

In Scripture, Jesus speaks about "the signs of the times." For example:"The Pharisees and Sadducees to test him asked if he would show them a sign from Heaven. He replied, 'In the evening you say, it will be fine; there is a red sky'--and in the morning, 'Stormy weather today; the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to read the face of the sky, but how is it you cannot read the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16:1-3).

Signs of the times also can refer to Heaven's direct response to an epoch's spiritual status, with special supernatural graces sent from Heaven to correct the conscience of an age. Heaven has been flooding us with signs of the times, especially throughout our century, with a growing sense of urgency. As the events which characterize our age become more violent and openly demonic (abortion being the clearest sign of the times imaginable of this negative progression), Heaven's warnings are becoming more extravagant, more impassioned, and more ominous. In this sense, we feel we are beginning to see the signs of the times spoken of by the prophet Daniel and in the New Testament as including "wars, and rumors of wars." These signs increasingly point to a chastisement. Mary's messages tell us in simple terms that the era of God's mercy is ending, and the era of God's justice is about to begin. However, in our age of self-gratification and self-love, people do not want to hear about the justice of God.

These times can easily be recognized as the "Marian Times" prophesied long ago in the writings of various saints, who saw that as God chose to send Jesus to us the first time through a virgin, Mary, so He will choose the same for His Second Coming. This truth is not declared outright in Scripture, nor can it be deduced by logical necessity. It is rather a matter of private revelation and a developing understanding under the guidance of the Holy Spirit of Mary's role in salvation history. Vatican II affirms that the "reason" for Mary's role is simply God's good pleasure.

Although Marian theology has developed over the centuries, the underlying concepts were present in the very earliest practices of the Church and are seen in many writings of the Church Fathers that date from the Second Century, according to the famous Nineteenth Century theologian, John Cardinal Newman. Tenets of Marian theology have often excited controversy throughout Church history, yet they have passed the tests of discernment of the Church as a whole many times. A deep Marian perspective enriches rather than obscures our understanding of God's wisdom, and it is definitely presaged in Scripture. Mary as "a sign" is denoted in Scripture, always as the Mother of the great King--never in her own capacity. Similarly, Mary never appears on earth to glorify herself; her mission is to lead us by the shortest possible route to her Son. She is sent to us as a gift and should be perceived as such. The following Scriptures depict Mary, with her Son, as a sign.

"Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel" (Isaiah 7:14).

"And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12). "And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger" (Luke 2:16).

"And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary, his mother, behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke:2:34-35).

Messages From All Points On The Compass

Mary repeatedly chooses the innocent young to bring her messages to the world--messages of hope and the need for reparation to her divine Son. The innocent young have no agenda, and in their infectious idealism they have less concern for what others will think.

Mary has been chosen to intervene by the Holy Trinity to respond to this threat of Satan, also identified as the serpent, the dragon. On December 7, 1974, Mary revealed to Father Gobbi why she chooses the "little ones:" "I, the Mother of the Church, am personally intervening and initiating my work of salvation. I am initiating it thus:with simplicity, with hiddenness, and in such a humble manner that most people will not even be aware of it. But this, my sons, has always been the way your Mother has acted."

The frequency of the apparitions of Mary suggests some kind of closure, an explosion of the supernatural. We are presently experiencing the grand finale of this era.

Since Fatima more than three hundred apparitions have occurred significant enough to merit attention and investigation by Church officials. Allegedly, hundreds more are taking place, but the number will not be known until the great event in which Mary promises to validate all her authentic appearances by means of a permanent sign. Scholars and observers of Marian phenomena are sure that the number and frequency of reports have never before been on this scale. Even to the skeptics, these heavenly apparitions are events of undeniable sociological significance. It is impossible to give justice to more than a few of these apparitions. The messages are of peace, conversion, virtuous living, repentance, amendment of life, guidelines for following the Gospel, sacramental living, prayer, and purification. The apparitions are happening all over the world. There are simply too many to mention.

In our souls is an insatiable hunger for truth, for a real encounter with God. We are spiritual beings who long for the truth of God. Sometimes Heaven does not speak as clearly as we would like. The gospels tell us to judge a tree by its fruit, for a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. At Sabana Grande in Puerto Rico, Our Lady has stated that true apparitions will by marked by prayer, fasting, and mortification. This formula is a guide for us to follow because we must discern truth from falsehood. Spiritually speaking, we are in uncharted waters. We must be open to what the Spirit is doing in our midst today, for the events that Mary predicts are all mentioned in Scripture.

The messages are taking place on every continent throughout the world, all saying essentially the same thing. The sheer numbers and frequency of the messages is such that it is not possible to read, study, or know them all; nor is it necessary. Obedience to one is better than a knowledge of all. Mary appears to a particular region of the world for specific reasons, presenting a focus with regional benefits and admonitions. Why did she choose to appear in remote villages such as Lourdes, Fatima, Garabandal, and Medjugorje? As we see today, the area of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina is a battleground near a region where World Wars have started. A wholesale slaughter is taking place in the name of ethnic cleansing; millions of refugees must flee their homes; and unknown thousands die of massacres and starvation. Only time will tell the exact reasons why Medjugorje in what used to be Yugoslavia is the focus of such extraordinary graces. The places in which Our Lady appears are as significant as the messages themselves. Heaven's plans need to be seen for their value in the present but usually are seen most accurately in hindsight.

In one place Mary plays the role of a gentle mother exhorting the family to a state of holiness. In another she is an advocate or counselor. At Garabandal, Spain, she gives a message of prophecy to the world that speaks of warnings. At Escorial, Spain, she speaks to those who are destitute and have been devastated by circumstances. While the messages are all different in their specifics, they are alike in their essentials:prayer, faith, conversion, peace, fasting, and love.

Mary's Master Plan

Pope John Paul II wrote in his 1987 encyclical Redemptoris Mater that Marian apparitions signify the Blessed Virgin's journey through time and space in a pilgrimage toward the Second Coming of Jesus and her final victory over Satan. This is her role now as it has been predestined from the beginning.

The Marian Movement of Priests message of October 30, 1975, spoke of Mary 's tears being shed in many places to the point of blood. We have been told the significance of tears of blood:they point to the fact that the chastisement is near.

The more we study Mary's warnings, the more we are convinced of the accuracy of the valid apparitions. Inaccuracies do not exist when the apparition is approved by the Church--though problems with the interpretations of messages given through mystics over the ages have arisen on occasion and surely will continue.

Heaven's Mosaic

The participants in the Marian Movement must not hold too tightly to the apparition with which they are most familiar and disregard the rest as inferior or unworthy. People who closely follow Fatima, Garabandal, Medjugorje, and others must realize Heaven is weaving a beautiful mosaic to show the world Mary's presence. At San Nicolas, Argentina, on November 19, 1987, Jesus said:"My mother must be accepted. My mother must be heard in the totality of her messages. Souls will come to Me through the means of her Immaculate Heart." Trying to oppose one particular apparition with another indicates a narrow perspective on the larger role which the Trinity has appointed for Mary as the Mother of all mankind. All should try to grasp the truth and warnings, as Mary proclaims Heaven's messages for the benefit of all. We must be wise enough to discern that what Mary says in Rwanda may not apply to us in the United States but may be a special message for the people of Africa. We must not criticize other apparitions or messages, for we lack the larger perspective of God's magnificent plan. Much in the same way King David would not harm Saul because at one time he was the Lord's anointed, we should be careful before we pass judgment and leave this task to competent Church officials. If there is theological error, of course, the Church in due time through the guidance of the Holy Spirit will filter out those apparitions that are not authentic. In the Book of Acts, Gamaliel instructs the Church that if something is of God, it will last; if not, it will perish (Acts 5:38-39). Satan is no fool. Laced among true apparitions are surely false ones, inspired by the Father of Lies. It would be uncharacteristic of Satan if this were not the case. The design of the evil one is to create confusion and thus discredit them all. We would be surprised if this does not happen shortly. We should expect it.

The Times Ahead

Pope Pius XII warned about the "harsh and bitter sufferings" facing the human race. He said, "Mankind must prepare itself for suffering such as it has never before experienced." Pope Pius XII described our times as "the darkest since the deluge" and declared, "the hour has struck--the battle, the most widespread, bitter and ferocious the world has ever known, has been joined. It must be fought to the finish." 1

In 1950, renowned Catholic churchman Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen wrote:"We are living in the Days of the Apocalypse--the last days of our era.... The two great forces of the Mystical Body of Christ and the Mystical Body of the Antichrist are beginning to draw up their battle lines for the catastrophic contest." 2 Mary's plan, plain and simple, is to prepare us for the times ahead.

The Growth Curve In Recent Years

As the number of Marian apparitions throughout the world have increased at an alarming rate, especially in the past ten years, we are reminded of the writings of Saint Louis de Montfort (1673-1716), in which he shared his conviction "that a Reign of the Blessed Virgin would precede a Reign of the Lord Jesus. Just as Mary preceded the first coming of Jesus on earth, so too the Trinity has ordained that she would precede Christ's Second Coming." Never before in history have we experienced the number of apparitions and supernatural phenomena as we have in this century, particularly the latter half. On December 8, 1990, Mary stated to Father Gobbi:"I was driven by the Most Holy Trinity to become the Mother of the Second Advent, and thus my motherly task of preparing the Church and all humanity to receive Jesus, who is returning to you in glory."

Michael Freze, SFO, in his book, They Bore The Wounds Of Christ, says there have been 321 authentic stigmatists in Church history. Sixty-two have been canonized. Some of those who have had the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, include:Saint Francis of Assisi; Saint Catherine of Siena (a Doctor of the Church); Teresa Neumann, the German stigmatist who lived only on the Eucharist for a period of several years; and Padre Pio, an Italian priest who died in 1968. These people had unique gifts and had a profound impact in their times. Today is no different. Christina Gallagher of Ireland; Amparo Cuevos of Spain; Mirna Nazzour of Damascus, Syria; Maria Esperanza of Venezuela; Patricia of England; Gladys Quiroga de Mota of Argentina; Father James Bruse of Virginia; Eileen George, Massachusetts; Sister Agnes Sasagawa of Akita, Japan--all currently have some form of the actual stigmata or a variation of visible or invisible suffering. Stigmatists are today becoming more numerous. These people are several among many saying severe events are coming our way in the very near future.

As one studies these apparitions in our century, one sees a slow but steadily developing divine plan, especially in the last two decades. This plan seems to be accelerating in the past five years as we can see the number of apparitions exploding. What does this all mean? Are we approaching something of monumental spiritual significance? Are we living in those times foretold in the Book of Revelation? Are we coming to a close of one era and entering into a new time? These are all fair and important questions to ask. Before we can really look into these questions, a review of important Marian apparitions is necessary. Many of the older ones are better known, so we have devoted more space to the recent. We have divided these apparitions into four periods.

Apparitions By Major Periods

We have adopted the historical framework suggested by Father Lambert Terstroet, SMM, a Montfortian Father living in Iceland, who divides the major apparitions into four distinct periods. The first period is that of Guadalupe, Mexico (1531), with its profound impact on the Americas. The second is the French period, commencing with the apparitions of Saint Catherine Laboure at the Rue de Bac, in 1830, and ending with Pontmain in 1871. The third is the "European" period, beginning with Our Lady's appearances at Fatima, Portugal (1917), and including Banneux /Beauraing, Belgium (1932/1933). It concludes with reported apparitions in Amsterdam (with messages spanning nearly forty years, from 1945 to 1984), where Mary appeared under the title of "The Lady of All Nations."

The fourth period begins in our times with the "Intercontinental" explosion, or world-wide grand finale of Marian apparitions, beginning with Garabandal, Spain, in the early 1960s. To give readers a sampling of the variety of Marian apparitions (this chapter is by no means inclusive of even a majority of seriously investigated reports), we will give a brief synopsis of several of these important "signs of our times." 3

Our Lady of Guadalupe, 1531-Approved

Our Lady of Guadalupe means "She Who Crushes the Serpent." The Indian word for She Who Crushes the Serpent sounds like the place name of Guadalupe, which the Spanish in error interpreted as referring to their famous shrine. Guadalupe as an apparition is linked closely in our day to the ending of abortion. Our Lady crushed the serpent in the Americas, ending the brutal Aztec practice of human sacrifice. The role of Our Lady of Guadalupe in this century is to crush the serpent and end our own era's resumption of human sacrifice--through approved abortion.

Rue de Bac, Paris, France, 183O--Approved

On November 27, 1830, Mary appeared in silence to Saint Catherine Laboure and showed her the image of a medal she wished to have struck. Our Lady appeared on the medal with streams of light pouring from rings on her fingers, signifying her function as "Mediatrix of All Graces." The graces are won by Christ but distributed by His Mother. Not all the rings gave off light, indicating that many graces God wished to bestow through Mary went unclaimed. Around the figure of Our Lady, these words were inscribed:"O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." This medal came to be called "the Miraculous Medal," because of the many miracles associated with its wearing. The back of this medal shows the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus together. This was the first occurrence in which the two hearts appeared together. Twenty-four years after the apparition, Pope Saint Pius X, on December 8, 1854, defined the doctrine of "the Immaculate Conception." This dogma states, "the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the foreseen merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved from all stain of original sin."

LaSalette, France, 1846--Approved

In 1846, twelve years before Lourdes, France, two children, Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud, saw a shimmering apparition of a woman weeping. She spoke to them about many things that upset her Son. She warned of a coming famine, but that before the food shortage, many of the young children of the area would die of a serious disease. She said, "If you do not convert, I am unable to hold back the hand of God." Our Blessed Mother, in one famous version of the so-called "secret of LaSalette," revealed that "Lucifer was unleashed in 1864. The Church would be severely attacked and the monster [communism] would be unleashed at the end of the Nineteenth or beginning of the Twentieth Century. Rome will lose the faith and become the seat of Antichrist, and the Church will be in eclipse. Many chastisements are predicted, the Antichrist will be defeated, fire will purge the earth and consume all the work of men's pride, and all will be renewed." She called upon "the children of light, the few who can see, the true disciples of the living God, the true followers of Christ, the faithful of the last days to come out and fill the world with light, and to fight. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends."

Lourdes, France, 1858--Approved

In 1858, four years after the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was proclaimed, Mary appeared to a very poor young girl, Bernadette Soubirous, eighteen times between February 11 and July 16, 1858. On March 25, 1858, on the feast of the Annunciation, Our Lady revealed to the uneducated Bernadette, "I am the Immaculate Conception." Because the dogma had been officially proclaimed less than four years earlier, and Bernadette could not even have known of its existence, great credibility was given to Bernadette by her repetition of the Blessed Mother's words. It was an affirmation from Heaven of the truth of the dogma. In addition, Bernadette was told by Mary to begin digging in the ground; she obediently did so, to the townspeople's scorn. Water immediately began flowing from the spot where Bernadette dug, a tiny stream that since has grown to the size of a small river. Thousands of healings have been reported as the result of bathing in or drinking this miraculous water. The walls of the grotto where the Blessed Mother appeared are lined with the crutches of the lame who have walked away from the waters, totally healed.

Pontmain, France, 1871--Approved

This apparition occurred during the Franco-Prussian War. The German troops were close to Pontmain. The people in the village prayed for protection. On the evening of January 17, for several minutes Mary appeared in Heaven wearing a dark blue dress with a crucifix in her hands. Below the apparition appeared the words, "Pray please. God will hear you soon. My Son lets Himself be touched." That same night an order from the German headquarters called the army back, and on January 28 the French-German armistice was signed. Pontmain remains a powerful example of the power of prayer to preserve us from disaster and war.

Fatima, Portugal, 1917--Approved

Fatima is perhaps the key apparition of the Twentieth Century. Many current messages from around the world are bringing our attention back to the Fatima events, most notably events in Russia. Mary, calling herself Queen of the Rosary, appeared to three shepherd children in the rural countryside of Portugal in 1917. This was the year of the Bolshevik revolution, and Mary entrusted vital messages for the people of the Twentieth Century to the three children, Lucia, Francesco and Jacinta. Before the Bolshevik revolution, she prophesied that Russia would "spread her errors throughout the world." She gave secrets to the children concerning the future of the Church and of mankind. She told two of the children, Francesco and Jacinta that they would soon be with her in Heaven (they died shortly thereafter) but that Lucia would live to see the fulfillment of all of the messages. It should be noted that at the time of this writing, Lucia is in her mid-eighties. At Fatima, Mary said Jesus wished to establish devotion to her Immaculate Heart. She desired the consecration of the world to her Immaculate Heart by all the world's bishops, and she especially desired the consecration of Russia. She also asked for First Saturday devotions to console her heart. In the end, she promised, if this were done, Russia would be converted, and an era of peace would be granted to the world. (For a more complete explanation, please refer to Chapter 9 on Fatima and the End Times.)

Beauraing, Belgium, 1932-1933--Approved

Fifteen years after the apparitions at Fatima, Mary appeared to children in Belgium, both at Banneux and Beauraing. These are the last Marian apparitions to receive the full approval of Rome, although many more recent apparition sites have the approval of the local bishops. The two apparitions in Belgium developed the Fatima message and prepared the way for the messages of Amsterdam. Our Lady appeared to five children at Beauraing:Fernande, Gilberte, Albert, Andrew, and Gilbert in thirty-two apparitions from November 19, 1932, until January 3, 1933. On December 21, 1932, Our Lady identified herself to the children, "I am the Immaculate Virgin." The children saw a golden heart in the center of Mary's chest. On January 3, 1933, she said to Andrew, "I am the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven. Pray always!"

Banneux, Belgium, 1933--Approved

The eight apparitions in Banneux from January 15, 1933, to March 2, 1933, continued to develop the meaning of Mary's presence among us. Our Lady appeared to only one visionary, Mariette Bero, twelve years old, in a poor section of the country. Calling herself the "Virgin of the Poor," she said she had come to console the sick and the suffering. "I am the Mother of the Redeemer, the Mother of God," she stated.

A small detail, but a very important one in relation to the later apparitions at Amsterdam, is that on January 18 Our Lady told Mariette, "Put your hands into the water. This spring is reserved for me." (They were standing near a spring). The next day, Our Lady said, "This source is reserved for All the Nations."

Amsterdam, The Netherlands 1945-1984--Under Investigation

Our Lady reportedly appeared and spoke by inner locution over several decades under the title of "The Lady of All Nations" to a woman in Amsterdam named Ida Perleman She had many messages of great importance for the future of the Church. She seemed to predict Vatican II and many of the specific issues addressed therein, more than ten years before the "surprise" council was called. She affirmed that many areas of modernization in the Church were necessary so Rome could take advantage of the special opportunities given it in our day to evangelize using modern means. She warned of a grave danger to the Church in the late Twentieth Century:a resurgence of the modernist heresy.

The Lady of All Nations predicted a "final Marian dogma" proclaiming Our Lady "Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate," which would sum up and explain Marian theology, and would "crown" Our Lady. These apparitions are under investigation by the Church as of this writing. Cardinal Ratzinger reportedly has written the visionary that there are no theological barriers to the possible proclamation of the dogma. Some speculate it could be the proclamation of this dogma that will create the official schism in the Catholic Church, which is foretold by many visionaries to happen in the latter days. 4

Seredne, Ukraine, 1953--Under Investigation

On December 20, 1953, in a vision during Mass, a woman named Hanya saw the hill of Seredne and a spot where there had been clear wells of water. She saw it clearly, even though she had never visited the hill. As the vision continued, she saw the Virgin Mary and heard her say, "My daughter, my daughter, you see what a fullness of grace I possess. But I have no one to give my graces to, for there are so many daughters and sons that have turned away from me, and no one asks of me in this jubilee year. I wanted to obtain a great forgiveness for poor sinners. Disaster is upon you as in the times of Noah. Not by flood, but by fire will the destruction come. An immense flood of fire shall destroy nations for sinning before God. Since the beginning of the world, there's never been such a fall as there is today. This is the kingdom of Satan. I shall dwell on this hill from which I see the entire universe and the many sinners, and I shall distribute many graces through this well. Who comes to repent of his sins and receives this water with faith, him shall I heal in soul and body."

Garabandal, Spain, 1961--Under Investigation

As the Cuban missile crisis threatened the world with nuclear annihilation, Our Lady was drawing thousands to a remote village in northern Spain, where she appeared to four young girls and displayed spectacular signs and wonders. Her messages were very detailed. Our Lady announced to the girls that the "cup [of divine Justice] is full, is overflowing, in fact." These apparitions seem to be tremendously significant:much of what they say dovetails with messages from other major reported apparitions, such as Medjugorje. This book devotes an entire chapter to the events at Garabandal Spain. Mary speaks, in these apparitions, of the warning, the miracle, and the chastisement. After the warning takes place, many will travel to Garabandal to witness the miracle.

Akita, Japan, 1973--Approved By The Local Bishop

Sister Agnes Sasagawa still receives daily messages in these apparitions, which began when the then-deaf sister witnessed light flooding from inside the opened tabernacle. Sister Agnes was promised healing by Our Lady. That promise was fulfilled, though Sister suffers from the stigmata.

Her convent's statue, an exact replica of the image of The Lady of All Nations, has shed tears on 101 occasions. It was during the Lady of All Nations apparitions that Mary first spoke of herself as Co-Redemptrix. Sister's messages also refer to Our Lady as Co-Redemptrix. On October 13, 1973, Sister Agnes received a message of a chastisement with fire falling from Heaven wiping out the greater part of humanity and of the infiltration of the devil into the Church. (See Chapter 11 on Akita, which discusses these messages.)

Medjugorje, (former) Yugoslavia, 1981--Present

Since June 24, 1981, Mary has appeared as the "Queen Of Peace" to six peasant children in the village of Medjugorje. Since then, nearly all of the now young adults have received daily messages. The essence of Our Lady's messages is expressed in five key points:she calls us to prayer from the heart, fasting, reconciliation with God and neighbor, conversion, and peace. At the present time, these apparitions are the most influential of all the Marian apparitions. Life magazine estimates that over fifteen million pilgrims have traveled to Medjugorje over a ten-year period. Ten years to the day after the Blessed Mother began appearing to the children and begging the world to pray for peace, Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia, and the most brutal war in Europe since World War II began. Several current apparitions are "spin-offs" of Medjugorje, in the sense that the visionaries first experienced their reported visions after a pilgrimage there. (See chapter 12 on Medjugorje for greater details.)

Kibeho, Rwanda, 1981--Approved By Local Bishop

In November 1981, apparitions began in Kibeho, Rwanda, Africa, to seven visionaries:Aiphonsine, Emmanuel, Anathalie, MarieClaire, Stephanie, Agnes, and Vestine. Three of them were boarders in a college administered by nuns in a poor area, and three others live in the bush. Our Lord appeared independently to a young pagan, Sagstasha, who has since taken the Christian name Emmanuel. Our Lord taught him the Our Father and gave him instructions on the faith. Emmanuel was given the following message from the Blessed Mother:

"There isn't much time left in preparing for the Last Judgment. We must change our lives, renounce sin. Pray and prepare for our own death and for the end of the world. We must prepare while there is still time. Those who do well will go to Heaven. If they do evil, they will condemn themselves with no hope of appeal. Do not lose time in doing good and praying. There is not much time and Jesus will come."

Although the apparitions ended for six of the visionaries by 1983, Aiphonsine continues to receive apparitions almost every year on November 28. Her last apparition was on November 28, 1989. In these apparitions, Our Lady calls herself the "Mother of the Word." She emphasizes the importance of the rosary and prayer and to love ourselves and others. Jesus told Emmanuel, "Too many people treat their neighbors dishonestly. The world is full of hatred. You will know my Second Coming is at hand when you see the outbreak of religious wars. Then, know that I am on the way." The Blessed Mother told them, "I have come to prepare the way to my Son for your good and you do not want to understand. The time remaining is short and you are absent-minded. You are distracted by the goods of this world which are passing. I have seen many of my children getting lost and I have come to show them the true way."

The apparitions in Kibeho, Africa, were approved in the first stage by the local bishop on August 15, 1988, thus allowing public devotion. The Church is continuing to review these events.

San Nicolas, Argentina, 1983--Under Investigation

In 1983, Our Lady began appearing to a woman named Gladys Quiroga de Motta in San Nicolas, Argentina. Gladys was given many messages by Our Lord and Our Lady. Since 1990, Our Lady has continued to appear to Gladys but without any messages for the world. Gladys received more than 1,800 messages from October 13, 1983, to February 11, 1990. Father Rene Laurentin, a leading Marian scholar, in his book An Appeal >From Mary in Argentina writes that the message is a simple one:"God wants to renew the covenant with His people through Mary, His Ark of the Covenant."

The response of the people in Argentina to the apparition has been overwhelming. Thousands and thousands of pilgrims have visited San Nicolas and many cures have taken place. Gladys has received the stigmata. The bishop, Monsignor Catagna, is very supportive. A special commission has been studying these apparitions, and official recognition seems to be near. 5

England, 1985--Under Investigation

Patricia [surname withheld], an English housewife and mother of three children, started receiving interior visions and locutions from Our Lord and Our Lady regarding devotion to the Divine Innocence in February 1985. As a Protestant who married a Catholic, she had promised to raise her children Catholic and later converted to Catholicism. The messages, which are continuing, fall into two main categories:devotion to Crucified Innocence and devotion to the Mystical Wounds of Our Lady. Patricia's messages help to explain Mary's role as Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate.

Christ is a victim soul, and Mary is a victim soul; both sorrowful Hearts suffer in reparation for sin. In these messages promoting devotion to the Crucified Innocence, Christ asks us to be victim souls also, united to His sufferings. In His cry of abandonment from the cross--"My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken Me?"--He foresaw many victim souls throughout the ages who also were partakers in His victory. Christ has chosen the late Twentieth Century for the Devotion to Crucified Innocence to be revealed and propagated. It is intended primarily in reparation for the millions upon millions of infants now being aborted 2,000 years after Our Lord's death.

While Calvary was first and foremost the scene of Our Lord's Passion and death, it also caused Our Lady to suffer hidden and mystical wounds. No longer does God want the precious wounds of Our Lady to be hidden. Rather, His people are to understand the tremendous purification mankind received and will receive through devotion to Mary's Hidden and Mystical Wounds. Patricia has said, "When Divine Innocence triumphs in us, then Our Lady's Immaculate Heart will also triumph. This grace has been won by Our Lady's Mystical Wounds." 6

Our Lady Of Lourdes Shrine In Melleray Grotto,

County Waterford, Ireland, 1985--Under Investigation

In the Knockmealdown Mountains, Our Blessed Lady reportedly appeared at Melleray Grotto, where there is a shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes. She appeared first to a seventeen-year-old local girl, Ursula O'Rourke, in August 1985. During the following week she appeared and spoke to two young local boys, Tom Cliffe, twelve years old, and to Barry Buckley, eleven years old. Mary gave them messages of prayer and impending world catastrophes. Each evening Our Lady appeared to the boys shortly after their entry to the grotto and after some of the rosary had been recited. She always appeared on the statue's right hand side when delivering her messages and then receded back into the statue. The boys then would see her as the statue, but with flowing golden hair and a silver crown, her gown moving in the wind, and the fingers and lips of the statue moving to prayer or hymn.

Other local people, adults and children, saw visions of other saints and holy persons, such as Joan of Arc and Padre Pio. One evening, Our Lady appeared to a local farmer, Michael O'Donnell. She told him, "preserve Sunday for prayer."

On August 19, 1985, at Melleray Grotto, Tom Cliffe saw a vision:Our Lord and the apostles were sitting around a table in a big room. Outside in the streets were beggars and some people sweeping with brooms, and dogs were barking. There was a long table with Our Lord at the head. Our Lord had his finger up and seemed to be lecturing one of the apostles. This frightened Tom, as he thought Our Lord was directing his admonitions to him. That same evening, Our Blessed Lady said, "I have a message," and to the boys she said the following:"My message is peace and prayer--tell the people that the water is blessed." Our Blessed Lady was very close to the boys with her arms outstretched. Tom put out his hand to touch her, but she said, "No." She walked back up the steps again and turning at the top she said, "God is angry with the world. The people will have to improve and pray. My message is for all the people of God's Church. The people have ten years to improve and pray, and if not, then this is what will happen." Mary then showed them a vision of future calamitous events.

Inchigeela, Ireland, 1985--Under Investigation

Since August 5, 1985, apparitions of Our Lady have been reported at two distant grottos near Inchigeela, Ireland. Three children, Rosemary O'Sullivan, Marie Vaughn, and Kelly Noonan have claimed to see the Blessed Mother. There have been no further reported apparitions to the children since March 1987. Some of the messages were as follows:

To Rose on June 16, 1986:"I am the Queen of Peace."

To Marie on November 2, 1986:"I wish that the Brown Scapular should be spread more."

To Kelly on February 22, 1987:"Sons and daughters of the world:I beg of you to recite and keep the Ten Commandments."

On July 25, 1986, Our Lady also appeared to Mary Casey, the mother of nine children. She has received several messages. To Mrs. Casey on August 20, 1986, Our Lady said:"Peace. Prayer is the best weapon you have. It is a key that opens God's heart. You must pray to Jesus from your heart. Let your prayer be of genuine gratitude to the Father. The devil is strong with those who fear him and weak with those who despise him. Satan can do nothing to people who have surrendered themselves to God. Go in Peace."

Bessbrook Grotto, Ireland (1987)--Under Investigation

Our Lady appeared in Bessbrook Grotto in the spring of 1987 to Beulah Lynch and Mark Treanor. On Saturday, May 30, 1987, Mark Treanor reported an instant inclination to go to the grotto. There he saw a lady dressed in white looking at him. She was wearing a golden crown. On June 2, Beulah Lynch saw Our Lady. She was unspeakably beautiful, young, motherly, and surrounded by light.

On June 11, Our Lady said to Beulah Lynch:"I am your Mother. I love you. The world must behave. The world must change. A great catastrophe will happen to the world. Tell them to hurry. This is a command from God. The messages here are the messages in Medjugorje. The children in Medjugorje are the children here."

On July 10, Our Lady said to Beulah Lynch:"My child, the messages are not to be taken foolishly. They are serious. They are from God. The world is in great danger. God is not pleased. You have been given a gift from God. Tell the people to come and to pray. Pray and fast and do penance.

On August 20, Our Lady said to Beulah Lynch:"A great disaster will happen to the world. The world must improve. Satan is destroying the world."

On November 11, Our Lady told Beulah Lynch:"My child, I am your mother, Mother of God. You cannot know the wrath of God. God is very, very angry because of the sins of the world. I cannot hold back any longer. I cannot save the world. The people must save the world. The people must come to the grotto, to pray, fast, and do penance before the chastisements start."

Hrushiv, Ukraine (1914, 1986 to 1988)--Under Investigation

Much of what is known about the Ukraine has been provided by Josyp Terelya, former political prisoner of the former Soviet Union for twenty years. The Ukrainian apparition site, called Hrushiv had long been a place of pilgrimage, with reported apparitions as long as two hundred years ago and up to the present day. Josyp Terelya states:

"In 1914 at the Hrushiv shrine, twenty-two peasants saw Our Lady and she predicted eighty or ninety years of hardship for the believers. As at Fatima, she also warned that Russia would become godless and bring mankind precariously close to destruction. It was a significant link to what Sister Lucia of Fatima was told years later--if Russia did not return to Christianity, there might well be another World War and whole nations would vanish." 7

On April 26, 1987 (one year to the hour and the day after the Chernobyl nuclear accident), Our Lady appeared to twelve-year-old Maria Kyzyn in the small rural village of Hrushiv, Ukraine, close to a small Catholic church that has been for centuries a center of Marian devotion. This little church since has attracted large crowds of both Catholic and non-Catholic pilgrims. At one point 20,000 people gathered in a sweet potato field to get a glimpse of Mary. Some estimate that no less than 400,000 have had the great joy of seeing the image of Mary as she visited her children in that most Catholic part of the Ukrainian nation. These apparitions have yielded very powerful messages, as well as remarkable signs and wonders. We will quote a lengthy message from Our Lady, to indicate the powerful intensity of her words in the Ukraine.

Our Lady said:"Teach the children to pray. Teach children to live in truth and live yourselves in truth. Chernobyl is a reminder and a sign for the whole world. Constantly say the rosary. The rosary is the weapon against Satan. He fears the rosary. Say the rosary everyday, constantly at any gathering of people. I have come on purpose to thank the Ukrainian people because you have suffered most for the Church of Christ in the last seventy years. I have come to comfort you and to tell you that your suffering will soon come to an end. Ukraine will become an independent state. Repent and love one another. The times are coming, which have been foretold, as being those in the end times. See the desolation which surrounds the world; the sins, the sloth, the genocide. I come to you with tears in my eyes and I implore you, pray and work for good, and for the glory of God. Ukraine was the first country to acknowledge me as queen and I have received her under my care.

"Work for God, for without this, there is no happiness and no one will gain the Kingdom of God. You shall gain my heart and live in unity. Follow the leaders of the Church boldly and you will gain your own country and power and love amongst the nations of the world. I love the Ukraine and the Ukrainian people for their suffering and faithfulness.. for Christ the King, and I shall protect the Ukraine for the glory and the future of the Kingdom of God on earth. Ukrainians must become Apostles of Christ among the Russian peoples for if there is not a return to Christianity in Russia, there will be a Third World War."

Ukraine is crucial for the conversion of Russia. Russia is the key to peace in the world. Finally, we are told Russia will be instrumental for the conversion of the West. The spark for this chain reaction is Ukraine.

It appears that the United States also has a critical role to play in the conversion of Russia that will bring about true peace. Josyp Terelya heard Our Blessed Mother say, "Pray for Russia. Russia will be converted only when all Christians pray for her restoration. Pray for the unification of the churches in Russia. All Christians should repent and through purification from sin stop the godlessness in Russia from continuing to spread through the world. Pray in brotherly love for the conversion of the Russian people. The believing Ukrainian Christians will save their own nation. Until the West acknowledges its own guilt before the East, Russia will not be able to receive Christ the King." [Note:In the year 1054, Christendom underwent a schism separating the Eastern and Western churches. The term 'conversion' implies the reunification of the disparate parts of the Church under the Pope.]

Mary also showed Josyp several more visions including one of the coup against Mikhail Gorbachev, former Premier of the USSR. Josyp Terelya had this vision in 1987; the incident of the attempted overthrow of Gorbachev occurred in August 1990, three years after it was predicted. We quote Josyp Terelya directly from Witness:"I saw a map of the Ukraine and the bloody river began to dry up. The earth in many places was scorched and took on a black-grey color. This was the color of death. But amid the black-gray ashes, I saw grass sprouting. It was very tall. I saw the people kneeling and crying but I knew these were the tears of joy and salvation. I saw the new Babylon, the red city, that was falling into the earth. In that city, under a Christian temple, was a secret hiding place. There were eight men there--eight rulers, all eight waxen yellow. They laughed horribly and bared their teeth. Gorbachev told me it wasn't he who was in charge of the state. I saw the real leader of the USSR behind a yellow screen:It was Lucifer himself, in the figure of Yeltsin, his eyes red and his face blushed. I looked and from the earth of that city, immense dull red rats, large as dogs, began running. These animals were awful. I know they were poisonous.

"I heard the voice of a woman full of love and goodness. She said, 'You have seen the godless East and West. The difference is that in the West godlessness is not officially recognized. But the goal of godlessness in the East and West is the same. In order to save Russia and the whole world from godless hell, you must convert Russia to Christ the King. The conversion of Russia will save Christian culture in the West and will be a push for Christianity throughout the world. But the Kingdom of Christ the King shall establish itself through the reign of the Mother of God."

[Note:Mary has said Russia must return to Christianity. Mary states in several other messages that the key for stability in the West is the conversion of Russia. Russia appears to have a more strategic role than the other republics in fostering Heaven's peace plan.]

Cuenca, Ecuador, 1988-1990--Under Investigation

Patricia "Pachi" Talbott was a typical teenager, not very interested in religion. When her religion class showed a video of the apparitions at Medjugorje her first response was, "that's ridiculous." Pachi was more interested in modeling, and she was very successful. However, over an eighteen-month period beginning in August 1988, the Blessed Mother has been appearing as "The Guardian of the Faith" to Pachi. Her messages advise remaining faithful to basic Catholic practice:Eucharist, penance, prayer, fasting, consecration to the Two Hearts, devotion to the scapular, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, and inner peace.

Pachi has also been given grave messages. For example, while visiting Tepeyac Hill in Guadalupe, Mexico, Patricia was told by the Blessed Virgin, "There are going to be bad things happening in the world, and what is asked for is conversion." Patricia was told not to reveal the actual secret, as "it would create panic." One month ahead of time Patricia will warn the world of the message through her spiritual advisors. The Virgin has told Patricia the secret has three parts and all three have to do with future chastisements for the world.

The Virgin reportedly told Patricia:"The war is near. It will be started with false peace treaties, treaties in which we should not place our trust. Many countries will be involved, among them, the United States, China, Russia, Rumania... this is why conversion now is so important."

Regarding the three days of darkness that many modern visionaries have predicted, Pachi stated:"The Holy Virgin spoke about them, saying that the earth would go out of its orbit for three days. At that time, the Second Coming of Christ will be near. The devil will take over the world. During those days, families should be in continuous prayer. Because of false prophets, who will falsify the words of Christ, we have to be in the state of grace so we can discern the good from the evil....

"We should not open the doors to our homes to anybody. We are simply to keep on praying. The Virgin said it would be better not even to look through the window because we will see the justice of God over the people. It will be so terrible, that we will not want to see it."

Pachi is not unlike many other youth of her age group. Before the apparitions, her parents had divorced, and in an act of rebellion she attempted suicide. Since 1990 her parents have reconciled. When she first received the apparitions, she was unfamiliar with the writings of Father Gobbi and other mystics around the world, many of whom claim they have received similar messages. Pachi emphasizes that time is short and there will be some point when conversion will no longer be possible. 8

Litmanova, Slovakia, 1990--Under Investigation

Since August 1990, in a small town in Slovakia near the border of Poland, Mary has reportedly appeared to two twelve-year-old shepherd girls, Katarina and Svetka. Our Lady asked them to make sacrifices, attend church, and offer prayers for their sins and the sins of the world. The Blessed Virgin called herself the "All Pure Sinless One." She appears on the first Sunday of each month; in August 1991, over 500,000 people were present for the first anniversary of the apparitions. The people of Litmanova are Greek Catholic. Like Garabandal and Medjugorje Litmanova is a poor village. A miraculous spring flows from the top of a mountain, and (as in so many other places) Mary has said that a sign will be left on the top of the mountain when the apparitions end.

The Vatican as well as the Greek Catholic Bishop of Presov and the Roman Catholic Bishop Jan Hirka are conducting investigations. Our Lady promised a new era of peace and joy. We feel it is important principally because Slovakia (part of the old Czechoslovakia) is a satellite of the former Soviet Union, and freedom of worship is so necessary to the struggling new democracies. The 500,000 participants at the first anniversary Mass shows that, as in Ukraine, the people of former communist lands have a great hunger for God and things spiritual. 9

Apparition Sites

The following is a list of the better-known Marian apparition sites throughout the world. It is by no means exhaustive or conclusive.

1531--Guadalupe, Mexico:Juan Diego

1634--Quito, Ecuador:Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres

1830--Rue de Bac, Paris:Catherine Laboure

1846--LaSalette, France:Melanie Calvat and Maximin Guiraud

1858--Lourdes, France:Bernadette Soubirous

1871--Pontmain, France:Eugene and Joseph Barbadette

1879--Knock, Ireland:Fifteen People

1904--Poland:Father Maximilian Kolbe

1914--Hrushiv:Several People

1917--Fatima, Portugal:Lucia, Francesco and Jacinta (children)

1932--Beuraing, Belgium:Voisin and Degeimbre (children) Banneux Belgium:Mariette Beco

1937--Poland:Sister Faustina

1938--Belgium:Bertha Petit

1940s--Hungary:Sister Marie Natalia

1945--Zagreb, Yugoslavia:Julka

1945--Holland, Amsterdam:Ida Perleman

1947--Marienfried, Germany:Barbara Reuss

1947--Montichiari, Italy:Pierina Gilli

1947--Tre Fontane, Italy:Bruno Cornacchiola

1951--Poland:Barbara Klosowna

1953--Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico:Three Children

1954--Seredne, Ukraine:Anna/Hanya

1954--Fostoria, Ohio:Sister Mildred Mary

1954--Calabria, Italy:Mother Elena Aiello

1954--Windy Gap, N. Ireland:Seamus Quail

1958--Turzovka, Czechoslovakia:Matous Losuta

1961--Garabandal, Spain:Four Children

1962--Skiemonys, Lithuania:

1963--Vietnam:Rosa Maria

1964--San Damiano, Italy:Mama Rosa Quattrini

1965--Belgium:Maguerite

1966--Porto San Stefano, Italy:Enzo Alocci

1968--Italy:Mama Carmela Carabelli

1968--Zeitoun, Egypt:Hundreds of thousands

Since 1970

1972--Milan, Italy:Father Stefano Gobbi

1972--Dozule, France:Madaleine

1973--Akita, Japan:Sister Agnes Sasagawa

1974--Binh Loi, Vietnam:Stephen Ho-Ngoc-Anh

1974--Canada:Brother Joseph Francis

1974--Rome, Italy:Mother Elena Patriarca Leonardi

1976--Betania, Venezuela:Maria Esperanza And Others

Since 1980

1980--Cuapa, Nicaragua:Bernardo Martinez

1980--El Escorial, Spain:Amparo Cuevas

1980--Taiwan:Five People

1981--Kibeho Rwanda, Africa:Seven Children

1981--Medjugorje, Yugoslavia:Six Children

1982--Eisenberg, Austria:Aloisa Lex

1982--Damascus, Syria:Mirna Nazzour

1983--Penablanca, Chile:Miguel Angel Poblete

1983--San Nicolas, Argentina:Gladys Quiroga de Motta

1985--Melleray Grotto, Ireland:Several People

1985--Ballinspitfie, Ireland:

1985--Switzerland:Vassula Ryden

1985--Surrey, England:Patricia

1985--Oliveto Citra, Italy:Several Children

1985--Inchigeela, Ireland:Three Children

1985--Naju, Korea:Julia Kim

1986--Shoubra, Egypt:Thousands

1986--Manila, Phillipines:Soldiers

1987--Bessbrook, Northern Ireland:Beulah Lynch and Mark Treanor

1987--Hrushiv, Ukraine:Marina Kizyn

1987--Mayfield, Ireland:Sally Ann and Judy Considine

1987--Conyers, Georgia:Nancy Fowler

1987--Cuenca, Ecuador:Patricia Talbot

1987--Grushevo, Ukraine:Thousands

1988--Cortnadreha, Ireland:Christina Gallagher

1988--Scottsdale, Arizona:Several People

1988--Phoenix, Arizona:Estela Ruiz

1988--Lubbock, Texas:Three Adults

1989--Canada:Jim Singer

1989--Marlboro, New Jersey:Joseph Januszkiewicz

1989--Kettle River, Minnesota:Steve Marino

1990--Canada:Josyp Terelya

1990--Denver, Colorado:Theresa Lopez

1990--Litrnanova, Czechoslovakia:Two Children

1990--Melbourne, Australia:Josefina-Maria

1991--Mozul, Iraq:Dina

And dozens and dozens more unmentioned...

3 Prophetess For Our Times

A great and wondrous sign appeared in Heaven:a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in Heaven:an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he may devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to His throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he [the dragon] was not strong enough, and they lost their place in Heaven. The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Revelation 12:1-9

In our day, as issues of the faith are in crisis, Mary will make herself more known. In the message of July 3, 1987, through Father Gobbi, Mary specifically said, "These Are My Times."

"As of this year, in a strong and official way, the times of your heavenly mother will begin.... These are the times of the great chastisement. The cup of divine justice is full, is more than full, is flowing over. Iniquity covers the whole earth; the Church is darkened by the spread of apostasy and of sin. The Lord, for the triumph of His mercy, must as of now purify with His strong action of justice and of love. The most painful, most bloody hours are in preparation for you. These times are closer than you think. Already during this Marian Year, certain great events will take place, concerning what I predicted at Fatima and have told, under secrecy, to the children to whom I am appearing at Medjugorje. Jesus will restore His glorious reign. He will dwell with you and you will know the new times, the new era. You will at last see a new earth and new heavens....

"These are the times of the great mercy. The Father thrills with ardor and wills to pour out upon this poor humanity the torrents of His infinite love. The Father wants to mold with His hands a new creation where His divine imprint will be more visible, welcomed and received and His Fatherhood exalted and glorified by all.

"These are my times. 'These,' that is to say the days in which you are living, are 'mine,' because they are times marked by my great and strong presence. These times will become even more mine, the more my victory will broaden out and become stronger, surpassing the victory which at present is that of my Adversary. This presence of mine will become very strong and extraordinary, above all in the families consecrated to my Immaculate Heart. It will become apparent to all and will become for you a source of a special consolation."

Her intervening role has never ceased. God the Father has willed to use her. She is the messenger and the prophetess. Several of her titles are discussed in the following section.

Titles As Queen For Our Age

Throughout history, the Blessed Mother has actively interceded in the affairs of man.

Prophetess Of These Last Times

On November 22, 1992, Our Blessed Mother stated to Father Gobbi her role very clearly and succinctly. She said, "With the joy of a mother, who sees herself more and more heeded and followed by her little children, along the road which has been pointed out by me, as Prophetess of these last times in which you are living, with my Son, Jesus Christ..."

The Immaculate Conception

God prepared the one predestined to receive His Only Begotten Son into her womb, and into her life. Just as the instructions Yahweh gave for preparing the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament were detailed and precise, because God Himself would reside there, so too, the Church teaches, Mary was uniquely prepared in order to give flesh to her Creator, and to house His growing frame within her body. Because she contained Christ, she has been called the Ark of the New Covenant, and the Church teaches that God prepared her for this in a singular way. Christ did not receive His body from a sin-stained vessel; by the power of the foreseen merit of His death and Resurrection, He had already sanctified Mary by freeing her from original sin from the first moment of her conception within her mother's womb. Jesus created a vessel without sin and without any stain. Pope Pius IX proclaimed this dogma in 1854, and four years later Mary confirmed it when she identified herself at Lourdes as the Immaculate Conception.

Mother of the Church

Mary has always been seen as a model for the Church, and intimately connected to it as its mother. The Church sees the account in John's Gospel of Mary at the foot of the cross as denoting Christ giving Mary to the Church (as its new mother), and the Church to Mary (as her new children). This implies both maternal and filial commitment and responsibility. Mary mothered the Head of the Church--Jesus--so throughout time, she will also mother the Body of Christ. Pope Paul VI, in closing the Second Vatican Council in 1965, formally declared Mary to be "Mother of the Church."

Mary's unique role has been spoken about by others in the Church for centuries. Two such voices in the Seventeenth Century were Blessed Mary of Agreda, a Spanish nun, and Saint Louis de Montfort. Blessed Mary of Agreda said of the Blessed Mother, "It was revealed to me that through the intercession of the Mother of God all heresies will disappear. The victory over heresies has been reserved by Christ for His Blessed Mother. In the latter days, the Lord will in a special manner spread the renown of His Mother. Mary began salvation, and by her intercession it will be completed. Before the Second Coming of Christ, Mary, more than ever, must shine in mercy, might, and grace in order to bring unbelievers into the Catholic faith. The power of Mary in the latter days will be very conspicuous. Mary will extend the reign of Christ over the heathens and the Mohammedans, and it will be a time of great joy when Mary is enthroned as Mistress and Queen of Hearts. An unusual chastisement of the human race will take place towards the end of the world." 1

Saint Louis de Montfort wrote, "But the power of Mary over all the devils will especially shine forth in the latter times, when Satan will lay his snares against her heel:that is to say, her humble slaves and poor children, whom she will raise up to make war against him. They shall be little and poor in the world's esteem, and abased before all like the heel, trodden underfoot and persecuted as the heel is by other members of the body. But in return for this they shall be rich in the grace of God, which Mary shall distribute to them abundantly. They shall be great and exalted before God in sanctity, superior to all creatures by their lively zeal, and so well sustained with God's assistance that, with the humility of their heel, in union with Mary, they shall crush the head of the devil and cause Jesus Christ to triumph."

Saint Louis de Montfort also wrote, "It is Mary alone who has found grace before God (Luke 1:30) without the aid of any other mere creature...she was full of grace when she was greeted by the Archangel Gabriel (Luke 1:28), and was super abundantly filled with grace by the Holy Ghost when He covered her with unspeakable shadow (Luke 1:35); and she has so augmented this double plenitude from day to day and from moment to moment that she has reached a point of grace immense and inconceivable." 2

Mary as the New Eve

The idea of Mary as "the New Eve" was expressed beautifully in the writings of the famous Nineteenth Century convert from Anglicanism, John Cardinal Henry Newman. He wrote:"Though I hold, as you know, a process of development in Apostolic truth as time goes on, such development does not supersede the Fathers, but explains and completes them. And, in particular, as regards our teaching concerning the Blessed Virgin, with the Fathers I am content... the Fathers are enough for me."

Cardinal Newman insisted:"I fully grant that devotion towards the Blessed Virgin has increased among Catholics with the progress of centuries; I do not allow that the doctrine concerning her has undergone a growth, for I believe that it has been in substance one and the same from the beginning." 3

On the ancient teaching of Mary as the Second Eve, Newman quoted from three sources:Saint Justin Martyr (A.D. 120-165), Saint Irenaeus (120-200), and Tertullian (160-240). Of these, Newman said:"Tertullian represents Africa and Rome; Saint Justin represents Palestine; and Saint Irenaeus Asia Minor and Gaul; or rather he represents Saint John the Evangelist, for he had been taught by the martyr Saint Polycarp, who was the intimate associate of Saint John, so of the other Apostles."

We quote from the earliest source, Saint Justin Martyr:"We know that He, before all creatures, proceeded from the Father by His power and will...and by means of the Virgin became man, that by what way the disobedience arising from the serpent had its beginning, by that way also it might have an undoing. For Eve, being a virgin and undefiled, conceiving the word that was from the serpent, brought forth disobedience and death; but the Virgin Mary, taking faith and joy, when the Angel told her the good tidings, that the Spirit of the Lord should come upon her and the power of the Most High overshadow her, and therefore the Holy One that was born of her was Son of God, answered, 'Be it done to me according to Thy word."'

Cardinal Newman showed how the widespread territories represented by the three distinct witnesses indicated that this teaching on Mary as "the Second Eve" was firmly established before the year 200. From the earliest written records of the Church, there was general acceptance of Mary's role. 4

Queen of Heaven and Earth/Queen of Peace

Mary's identity with the Church is nowhere more evident than in the scriptural passages of Revelation, Chapter 12. While some maintain that these passages refer not to Mary but to the Church, they refer to both. "The woman" cries out in the pain of childbirth and delivers a male-child, "the King who rules the nations with an iron rod," Christ the King. These passages strongly relate to the Marian apparitions of our times, which portray Mary as a Queen who will "crush the serpent's head" in the final defeat of the enemy.

As with all her other titles, Mary's title as Queen of Heaven and Earth derives solely from her unique relationship to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Assumption is the doctrine which prepares us to accept Mary's heavenly role as Queen of the Angels. For she is the first of the redeemed to attain the fullness of glory, both in body and in spirit. As she is first, she leads the rest of us to victory, by helping us to navigate through the deceptive snares laid down by Satan to distract and dilute the force of the Good News.

Mary leads us only to her Son, the Source of her life and joy. She teaches us basic, spiritual, common sense principles such as prayer, fasting, and reconciliation with God and neighbor.

The Assumption

Writings dating from the second century indicate that Mary was generally believed by Christians to have been assumed into Heaven:both her body and her soul were taken up to Heaven when her time on earth had come to an end. She has already attained the full glorification that all of the elect are destined to receive at the Final Judgment. Because of her sinlessness, her body did not have to undergo corruption in the grave.

There are many reasons for this belief in Mary's Assumption. Among them is the physical fact that the relics and tombs of the other early Christians were identified, venerated, and in a variety of ways, celebrated. There exists nothing pertaining to Mary, except the house at Loretto, where Jesus was supposedly reared. There is no record or celebration of her death, no tomb, no relics, yet she was perhaps the foremost member of the early Church, due to her closeness to its Founder. She was, after all, the Mother of the Redeemer.

The Church has always held the truth about Mary's Assumption, and in 1950 it was formally declared to be part of Catholic dogma by Pope Pius XII. Mary's Assumption helps bring other aspects of her role into sharper focus, such as her being the Queen of Heaven who has been given a royal part to play in the climax of the great spiritual war being waged in these reported "end times" (Revelation 12).

Devotion to Our Lady was a very strong aspect of the early Church and many church buildings were dedicated to her honor. For example, Clovis I, in the year 101, dedicated a church near Paris to "Our Lady of Argenteuil." "Our Lady Beyond the Tiber" was built in Rome by Calixtus I in the year 224. Saint Helen built a chapel called "Our Lady of the Commencement, which was dedicated by Saint Sylvester in the year 320, and so on.

Legend has it that the first recorded chapel of Our Lady was dedicated by Saint Peter, one of the original Apostles, at Tripoli. The Assumption is not so difficult a doctrine to comprehend when we look at the honor Mary has been given throughout all of history. 5

Queen of the Holy Rosary

As Queen of the Holy Rosary, Mary calls us to prayer as an antidote for our frenetic, late Twentieth Century lives. Previously, through the power of the holy rosary, Mary intervened to save Christianity from Islam at the Battle of Lepanto. The Holy Father called for all Europe to say the rosary when it looked as if Islam would overrun Europe. Many did pray the rosary, and Europe was not overthrown.

Our Queen leads us in a way of meditation that calms our racing minds, focusing our thoughts for an extended period of time on the mysteries of our Redemption. We are exhorted to pray, over and over again, for her powerful intercession on our behalf, both "now, and at the hour of our death," when we know the devil will be doing his utmost to snatch our souls. Mary has said repeatedly that the answer to our personal ills lies in "the frail cord of the rosary."

For example, on October 8, 1984, Our Lady appeared to the Medjugorje visionary Jacov Cob at his home. She said:"Dear children, all the prayers which you recite in the evening in your homes, dedicate them to the conversion of sinners, because the world is immersed in a great moral decay. Recite the rosary each evening." On January 9, 1989, Mary said to the visionaries in Medjugorje:"... during these days I invite you to renew the prayer in your families and to pray all the mysteries of the rosary every evening."

On June 1, 1984, she exhorted, "May the love of God be always in you, because without it, you cannot be fully converted. Let the rosary in your hands make you think of Jesus."

Moreover, on August 8, 1985, Mary instructed, "Dear children, today I call you especially now to advance against Satan by means of prayer. Satan wants to work still more now that you know he is at work. Dear children, put on the armor for battle and with the rosary in your hands, defeat him!"

Queen and Mother of Families

In the July 23, 1987, message to Father Gobbi, Our Blessed Mother stated her role in the family:"I am the Mother and the Queen of Families. I watch over their life, I take their problems to heart, I interest myself not only in their spiritual good but also in the material good of all their members. When you consecrate a family to my Immaculate Heart it is as though you open the door of your house to your heavenly mother, invite her to come in and give her the opportunity to exercise her motherly function in an ever stronger way."

On July 3, 1984, Mary said to the visionaries in Medjugorje:"Dear children, your mother asks you tonight, you who are present, when you get back to your house, renew prayer in your family. Take time for prayer, dear children. I, as your mother, especially want to tell you that the family has to pray together. The Holy Spirit wants to be present in the families. Allow the Holy Spirit to come. The Holy Spirit comes through prayer. That is why, pray, and allow the Holy Spirit to renew you, to renew today's families."

Mary as Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate

"The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come"' (Revelation 22:17). These inspired words from the last sentences of Sacred Scripture should enkindle a hopeful confidence in the people of God concerning the ongoing salvific work of the Holy Spirit and Mary, His Immaculate Spouse, in their contemporary mission of advocacy for the Church today.

It is noteworthy that the scriptural use of the term, Advocate (Greek, "parakletos," literally "called in to help") 6 as used by Jesus at the Last Supper, refers to the coming aid of the Holy Spirit for the future Church (John 15:26). The later use of the same term for Mary's intercessory help for humanity by the Church Fathers further bespeaks the intimate association of the Spirit and the Advocate in the mission of heavenly intercession.7 One scholar remarks that the title of Advocate "is used almost exclusively for Mary, and not for the saints. Because of its broad impact and because it is a name of Sacred Scriptures proper to the Holy Spirit, it contains also a special consecration. In this respect it is particularly appropriate to Mary, the more so since, by reason of her special relationship to Him, the Holy Spirit unites Himself to Mary's petitions with inutterable sighs." 8

The intimate union of the Holy Spirit and Mary can be seen in terms of Mary's role as Advocate, interceding from humanity back to God, just as it was evidenced in Mary's role as Mediatrix, interceding from God to humanity. 9 The contribution of Saint Maximilian Kolbe provides a theological foundation for Mary's role as Advocate in interceding back to God on behalf of humanity in inseparable association with the Holy Spirit.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe explains Mary's role in this way:"Every action has a reaction in view. The reaction is the fruit of the action. God the Father is the primary Principle and the Last End. The Immaculata is full of grace; nothing in the way of grace is lacking to her. The path of grace is always the same; action:from the Father through the Son and by the Holy Spirit [and through] the Immaculata; and then the inverse reaction:from creatures through the Immaculata [by] the Holy Spirit and [to] Christ back to the Father." 10

Mary, therefore, is at the end of the sanctifying action of God (as Mediatrix of all graces), and at the beginning of the reaction of the human family back to God (as Advocate for the People of God). Mary is neither the end nor the starting point of God's action to humanity, but has an instrumental presence at both points because of her intimate union with the Holy Spirit.11 We see this unified mission of advocacy between the Spirit and the Bride of Pentecost. It is the task of Mary, Advocate for the People of God, to implore the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, at times of particular need for the Church. She performs the task of aiding intercession in imploring the Spirit to descend upon the early disciples of the Lord, and will continue this advocating role with the Spirit for the Church. As John Paul II points out, quoting the words of the Second Vatican Council:"We see Mary (Acts 1:14) prayerfully imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation. And so, in the redemptive economy of grace, brought about through the action of the Holy Spirit, there is a unique correspondence between the moment of the Incarnation of the Word and the moment of the birth of the Church. The person who links these two moments is Mary:Mary at Nazareth and Mary in the Upper Room at Jerusalem. In both cases her discreet yet essential presence indicates the path of 'birth from the Holy Spirit.' Thus she who is present in the mystery of Christ as Mother becomes--by the will of the Son and the power of the Holy Spirit--present in the mystery of the Church. In the Church too she continues to be a maternal presence, as is shown by the words spoken from the Cross:'Woman, behold your son!'; 'Behold your mother'." 12

Mary's role as Advocate, imploring the aid of the Holy Spirit for the Church in times of need, will continue for the Church until the Second Coming of Christ, the time of which "only the Father knows" (Mark 13:32). Saint Louis de Montfort, singled out by John Paul II among the many witnesses and teachers for his exceptional contribution to "authentic Marian spirituality," 13 eloquently describes the ongoing fruit of the Holy Spirit and Mary in the members of the Body of Christ, an intercessory and sanctifying action that will only cease with the end of the world:"God the Holy Spirit...has become fruitful by Mary, whom He has espoused. It was with her, in her, and of her that He has produced His greatest masterpiece, which is God made man, and that He goes on producing daily, to the end of the world, the predestined and members of the Body of that adorable Head. This is the reason why He, the Holy Spirit, the more He finds Mary His dear and inseparable spouse in any soul, the more active and mighty He becomes in producing Jesus Christ in that soul and that soul in Jesus Christ.... Mary has produced, together with the Holy Spirit, the greatest thing which has been or ever will be--a God-man; and she will consequently produce the greatest saints that there will be in the end of time. The formation and the education of great saints who shall come at the end of the world are reserved for her." 14

John Paul II confirms Mary's vital role in the preparation of the people of God for Christ's Second Coming through her special intercession, and as the "mediatrix of mercy:" "If as Virgin and Mother she was singularly united with Him in His first coming, so through her continued collaboration with Him she will also be united with Him in expectation of the second...she also has that specifically maternal role of mediatrix of mercy at His final coming, when all those who belong to Christ 'shall be made alive"' (1 Corinthians 15:26). 15 Since Mary's role as Advocate is inseparable from the divine action of the Spirit, it will be the Spirit and the Bride who will jointly prepare the world for the glorious return of Christ the King (Matthew 16:27; Mark 13:26; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) and again say, "Come" (Revelation 22:17).

But indeed not only at Christ's Second Coming, but whenever the Church faces difficult times, the Spirit and the Advocate are called in to help the People of God. Clearly in our own age, the Church and the world are not without their significant dangers and trials. John Paul II has repeatedly referred to the anxious times of the contemporary Church and world, and the new threats which face contemporary humanity. 16

The present Holy Father specifies such grave concerns for the contemporary world in his encyclical On the Mercy of God:"Let us appeal to the love which has maternal characteristics and which, like a mother, follows each of her children, each lost sheep, even if they should number millions, even if in the world evil should prevail over goodness, even if contemporary humanity should deserve a new 'flood' on account of its sins....and if any of our contemporaries do not share the faith and hope which leads me, as servant of Christ and steward of the mysteries of God, to implore God's mercy for humanity in this hour of history, let them at least try to understand the reason for my concern. It is dictated by love for man, for all that is human and which, according to the intuitions of many of our contemporaries, is threatened by an immense danger." 17

Our own age, therefore, is certainly not exempt from the need to recognize and call upon Mary as our Advocate today, so that she can once again implore the renewed descent of the Holy Spirit for the spiritual revitalization of the People of God in the modern world.

***

Church teaching warns us about exaggerating Mary's privileges. Mary must always be seen as subordinate to Christ.

Nowhere is this more evident than an incident in Medjugorje with Father Shamon of Rochester, New York, author of a recent book on the Apocalypse. While Father Shamon was visiting the apparition room in Saint James Church on three separate occasions, he brought the consecrated Host into the room. His intent was to "test the spirits." When Mary appeared to the visionaries, Father Shamon was unable to kneel as all do in her presence. His knees had locked! This happened all three times. Being greatly distressed, he then heard a woman's voice audibly say, "I will not have my Son kneel to me."

The texts of Vatican II explain, "We have but one Mediator, as we know from the words of the apostle, 'For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, Himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all' (1 Timothy 2:5-6). The maternal duty of Mary toward men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power. For all the saving influences of the Blessed Virgin on men originate, not from some inner necessity, but from the divine pleasure. They flow forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rest on His mediation, depend entirely on it, and draw all their power from it. In no way do they impede the immediate union of the faithful with Christ. Rather, they foster this union. " 18

"By her maternal charity, Mary cares for the brethren of her Son who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties, until they are led to their happy fatherland. Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, and Mediatrix. These, however, are to be so understood that they neither take away from nor add anything to the dignity and efficacy of Christ the one Mediator." 19

Writing in 1918, Pope Benedict XV spoke of Mary's role as Co-Redemptrix:"Mary suffered and nearly died with her suffering Son; for the salvation of mankind she renounced her mother's rights, and as far as it depended on her, offered her Son to placate divine justice; so we may well say that she, with Christ, redeemed mankind." 20

Mary's message to Father Gobbi, on July 13, 1980, further elucidates her role as Co-Redemptrix. "Jesus is the only Redeemer because He alone is the mediator between God and men. He has however willed to take into partnership in his redemptive work all those who have been redeemed by Him, so that the merciful work of His love may shine forth in a greater and more wonderful way....

"I am for you the perfect model of your cooperation in the redemptive work accomplished by my Son. In fact, as Mother of Jesus, I have become intimately associated with Him in his work of redemption.

"My presence beneath the Cross tells you how my Son has willed to unite his Mother completely to all His great sufferings, at the time of his passion and His death for you.

"If the cross was his scaffold, the pain of my Immaculate Heart was like the altar on which my Son offered to the Father the Sacrifice of the new and eternal covenant.

"My task as a Mother is that of helping my children in every way to attain salvation; and today still, it is that of cooperating in a very special way in the redemption accomplished by my Son Jesus. My role as true mother and Co-Redemptrix will become manifest to all."

On September 15, 1990, Our Blessed Mother reaffirmed her role as Co-Redemptrix through Father Gobbi. "You will see the greatest marvels everywhere, because the times of my maternal co-redemption have arrived." Saint Louis de Montfort called this role of Mary in the latter times a "great mystery, and let all tongues be mute."

Our Lady Of All Nations

Our Lady said at Fatima:"In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph." Has the time come for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart to begin? Why was the statue of Our Lady of Akita designed from a picture of Our Lady of All Nations? Many Mariologists believe that the revelations of Our Lady of All Nations, also known as Our Lady of All Peoples, hold the key to these questions and foretell future events that the world will undergo before the year 2000. 21

This doctrine brings forth the full truth about Mary and her participation in the work of man's salvation through faith and obedience. It was through her co-operation with the Redeemer, both at the Incarnation and at Calvary, that we give her the title of Co-Redemptrix. The prefix "Co" does not mean equal, but comes from the Latin word "cum" meaning "with." Mary does not participate as an equal, but as one who shared with her Son in the redemptive process. Co-Redemptrix literally means, "with the Redeemer."

In her role as Mediatrix of Graces, Mary cooperates with the perfect mediation of Jesus Christ between God and man. She shares in distributing graces to the People of God, the "gifts of eternal salvation" obtained from the cross (John 19:26). As Advocate, Mary brings to God the petitions of the People of God.

The doctrine concerning Mary as Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate does not present anything that is fundamentally new in Church teaching. These roles are firmly present in Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition, as taught by the Church's Magisterium.

The apparitions of Amsterdam began on March 25, 1945, (the Feast of the Annunciation) and continued until May 31, 1959, during which time there were fifty-five visions. Our Lady appeared to a middle-aged woman named Ida Perleman and gave messages to Ida that foretold future events concerning many nations, especially changes that would take place in the Church. The most significant prophesy given by Our Lady concerns the last dogma in Marian history to be declared by the Pope. This dogma will declare that Mary is to be known as Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate.

It is widely believed that the triumph of the Immaculate Heart can only begin after the Church declares this dogma. Let us look briefly at some of Our Lady's messages.

In her first vision of March 25, 1945, Ida was shown that World War II in Holland would end on May 5, 1945. In her message of May 13, 1955, she warned the clergy to be "on guard against false doctrines:especially in what concerns the Eucharist." She also warned of a great apostasy that would come from within the Church. Our Lady revealed to Ida the coming of the Second Vatican Council which was later opened on October 11, 1962, by Pope John XXIII.

During her fifty-fourth vision which occurred on February 19, 1958, Our Lady said to Ida, "I am going to tell you something you are not to mention to anyone, not even to the Sacristan or to your director. Once the event has occurred you will be allowed to mention to them that the Lady has told you this now. This is the communication:Listen, the present Holy Father, Pope Pius XII, will be taken up among our number at the beginning of October of this year. The Lady of All Nations, the Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate, will lead him to eternal joy."

Since this frightened Ida, Our Lady told her to seal the message and give it to her spiritual director, Father Frehe, with instructions that it not be opened until October 1. Pope Pius XII died unexpectedly on October 9, 1958.

In her message of December 8, 1952, she said, "I come to unite nations, all nations in the Spirit, the true Holy Spirit." Our Lady said that the times foretold in the past have arrived and that a new era is opening. She frequently repeated, "these are our times."

On September 15, 1990, through Father Gobbi, Our Lady emphasized her role again:"You are the children of my motherly predilection. You have been chosen by me to form part of my victorious cohort. You are an important part of my plan as Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix. My Son Jesus wanted me beneath the Cross, to associate my Immaculate suffering with his divine suffering. He wanted to unite my human suffering to His and He associated me intimately in the mystery of His redemption. Thus He called me to be true Co-Redemptrix."

The Last Dogma In Marian History

One of the most significant revelations of Our Lady of All Nations was given on November 15, 1951, when Our Lady appeared on the Earth-globe, with a cross at her back, rays streaming from her outstretched hands, and a multitude of sheep gathered around the globe. She said:"The Lady of All Nations is here, standing before the cross of her Son; her feet are placed in the very midst of the world, and the flock of Jesus Christ surrounds her. It is as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix that I come at these times. I was Co-Redemptrix from the moment of the Annunciation. This is the meaning:the mother has been constituted Co-Redemptrix by the will of the Father. Tell this to your theologians. Tell them likewise that this dogma will be the last in Marian history."

Our Lady revealed to Ida Perleman during her fiftieth vision on May 31, 1954, that on a future date of May 31, the Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate would receive her official title of Our Lady of All Nations. In the course of the same message, the Lady also said:

"When the dogma--the last dogma in Marian history--has been proclaimed, the Lady of All Nations would procure peace, genuine peace for the world. But the nations must say my prayer in union with the Church. Then they will experience that the Lady has come as Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate. So be it."

On February 11, 1951, during her twenty-seventh vision, Our Lady taught Ida Perleman the following prayer:

LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF THE FATHER,

SEND FORTH NOW THY SPIRIT OVER ALL THE EARTH.

LET THE HOLY GHOST LIVE IN THE HEARTS OF ALL NATIONS,

THAT THEY MAY BE PRESERVED

FROM MORAL DECLINE, DISASTERS, AND WAR.

MAY THE LADY OF ALL NATIONS,

WHO ONCE WAS MARY,

BE OUR ADVOCATE.

AMEN.

When Our Lady gave this prayer, she said:"This prayer is short so that it could be said by everyone in this busy modern world. It is given to invoke the true Spirit on the world." The propagation of this prayer began after the ecclesiastical approbation in the Netherlands in 1951 and has been backed by the ecclesiastical approbation of more than thirty bishops abroad. The events are presently being investigated. We await the final judgment by the Catholic Church, which we expect in the next several years. For the fulfillment of all the events that were foretold, this dogma must be proclaimed. Cardinal Ratzinger as head of the Propagation of the Faith of the Catholic Church has prompted the re-investigation and has authorized Dr. Mark Miravalle of the Franciscan University to write and release information about this dogma. The information was released on May 27, 1993, in a book entitled, Mary:Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate.

Ark of the New Covenant

On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every first-born--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt; I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt (Exodus 12:12-13).

Just as the ancient Hebrews were warned to paint their doorposts with the blood of a lamb so the angel of death would pass over their houses, we too, are being warned about catastrophic events that lie ahead. The members of this invisible army, small in number and consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Most Sacred Heart of her Son, are being protected from the events that are to come.

After Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt, it was later protected by God's presence in the Ark of the Covenant. All were given the opportunity for refuge but only a few responded to the call of God's voice in Noah's time. Noah was a laughingstock--until the rains came. We are being told in graphic and specific detail where our safety and refuge should lie--in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Wrong has become right and right has become wrong (Isaiah 5:20). Pornography is not even questioned. The rock star Madonna has become a cultural heroine; she simultaneously wears a Lucifer ring on her finger and a rosary around her neck. The virtuous are scorned and ridiculed. "They are not enlightened, their approach has become simplistic, they are all so unsophisticated" is the common cry from those more worldly. In a world increasingly buffeted by forces seemingly beyond our ability to stem or stop--crime, war, abortion, famine, divorce--looking for strength in the simple Virgin of Bethlehem might seem a little naive. But God's plans often are directed to the meek and humble.

Consider what Our Lady said to Father Gobbi and the Marian Movement of Priests on October 29, 1977:"Do not be surprised, beloved sons, that my Adversary does everything he can to obstruct this Work of mine. His favorite weapon is to sow doubts and perplexity about what I am doing in the Church. He tries to base these doubts on reasons which are seemingly solid and justifiable. Thus he instills a critical attitude toward whatever I tell you, even before you have received and understood my words.

"You happen to hear of certain brothers of yours who are cultured men and often even experts and masters in theology, who reject those things I tell you, because they sift all my words with their minds, which have already been filled with the richness of their culture. And so they find insurmountable difficulties precisely in those phrases which are so clear to the simple and small. My words can be understood and accepted only by one whose mind is humble and well-disposed, who has a simple heart, and whose eyes are clear and pure. When the Mother speaks to her children, they listen to her because they love her. They do whatever she tells them, and thus they grow in knowledge and life.

"Those who criticize her even before they have listened to her, and those who reject what she says before putting it into practice cannot be her children. These people, even though they increase in learning, cannot grow in wisdom and life.

"I tell you this so you will not be troubled if you hear that even the learned and the teachers find difficulty in my words, while everything appears so clear and simple to whomever I call to be little. Look to your heavenly Mother who knows very well where and how to lead you so the plan of her Immaculate Heart may be fulfilled. Do not allow yourselves to be either discouraged or surprised by the doubts and the perplexities which can even increase, without however being prejudicial in any way to my grea}t Work of Love."

On July 30, 1986, Our Blessed Mother explained another of her roles through Father Gobbi:"This is the moment for all to take refuge in me, because I am the Ark of the New Covenant. At the time of Noah, immediately before the flood, those whom the Lord had destined to survive His terrible chastisement entered into the ark. In these your times, I am inviting all my beloved children to enter into the ark of the new covenant which I have built in my Immaculate Heart for you, that they may be assisted by me to carry the bloody burden of the great trial, which precedes the coming of the day of the Lord. Do not look anywhere else. There is happening today what happened in the days of the flood."

Our Blessed Mother spoke through Gladys of Argentina on February 6, 1987, about her role as the Ark of the New Covenant. "My daughter, in this time, I am the Ark, for all your brethren! I am the Ark of peace, the Ark of salvation, the Ark where my children must enter, if they wish to live in the Kingdom of God."

Mother of the Second Advent

On January 1, 1990, through Father Gobbi, Mary further stated she is the Mother of the Second Advent. "...I want to take you by the hand and accompany you on the threshold of this decade, which you are beginning precisely on this day. It is a very important decade. It is a period of time particularly marked by a strong presence of the Lord among you. During the last decade of your century, the events which I have foretold to you will have reached their completion. Therefore it is necessary that you allow yourselves to be formed, one and all, by my motherly action.

"...During these years I am preparing you, by my Motherly action, to receive the Lord Who is coming. This is why I have asked you for the consecration to my Immaculate Heart:to form all of you in that interior docility which is necessary for me in order that I may be able to work in each one of you, bringing you to a profound transformation which should prepare you to receive the Lord worthily.

"I am the Mother of the Second Advent. I am preparing you for His new coming. I am opening the way to Jesus who is returning to you in glory. Make level the high hills of pride, of hatred, of violence. Fill in the valleys dug by vices, by passions, by impurity."

Mary as the Precursor of Christ's Coming

Pope John Paul II, in his recent papal encyclical Redemptoris Mater, speaks of Mary as the historical precursor of Christ:"The Church has constantly been aware that Mary appeared on the horizon of salvation history before Christ.... When the fullness of time was drawing near--the saving advent of Emmanuel--she who was from eternity destined to be His mother already existed on earth. The fact that she preceded the coming of Christ is reflected every year in the liturgy of Advent." 22

Today's Marian messages are rooted in solid Church teaching about the Mother's role. They carry the basic historical themes into the peculiar atmosphere of our troubled times, when people of conscience know that things cannot continue to deteriorate as they are now doing. The following, rather startling message to Father Gobbi on July 30, 1986, seems to relate in an explicit way to the above quote from Redemptoris Mater.

"This is the moment for all to take refuge in me, because I am the Ark of the New Covenant. At the time of Noah, immediately before the flood, those whom the Lord had destined to survive His terrible chastisement entered into the Ark. In these your times, I am inviting all my beloved children to enter into the Ark of the New Covenant, which I have built in my Immaculate Heart for you, that they may be assisted by me to carry the bloody burden of the great trial, which precedes the coming of the Day of the Lord."

On January 1, 1987, Our Blessed Mother spoke to Father Gobbi about her mission:"I am the Mother of God.... The mission which has been entrusted to me by the Most Holy Trinity should now be acknowledged by the whole Church. I am the dawn which is arising to announce the great day of the Lord.

"During these years, the Church and all of humanity will be left stupefied before the great events of grace and salvation which the Immaculate Heart of your heavenly Mother will bring to you."

The Fragrance Of Roses

Mary's presence is manifested in many places. She often appears with the smell of perfume or roses. The people of the Marian movement are quite familiar with the scent of roses and it is her way of letting people know she is among them. On dozens of occasions we have been among people who will smell a beautiful fragrance and then someone will whisper, "Does anyone smell roses?" Usually several people will be in agreement. The Blessed Mother discussed this sign with Father Gobbi on January 24, 1984:

"A fragrant sign of my maternal presence is to be found in the apparitions I am still making in many regions of the world. Yes, in these times I am appearing in Europe, in Asia, in Africa, in America, and in distant Oceania. The whole world is wrapped in my mantle.... By the sign I give you with the fragrance I exude, sometimes of lesser, sometimes of greater strength, I wish to show you that I am always among you, but especially when you are more in need of me. If you do not recognize the perfume, or you notice it in a very faint way, it is not because I do not love you, or because you are wicked."

Uncharted Waters

Concerning the mystical phenomena around us, we are in uncharted waters. The apostasy, the tribulation, the purification, the imminent great chastisement, the second advent, and the new era of peace, have all been predicted in Scripture by Our Lord for the end times. Mary has been appointed to pilot us through these waters until the Second Coming of the Lord. As Saint Thomas Aquinas said after writing his Summa, and defending the faith for a lifetime, "All I have written is mere straw" as he encountered the living God at his death. The systematic theology for Aquinas was acceptable then, as it is today. Aquinas spoke and wrote about God with great inspiration from the Holy Spirit. However, when he met God in the supernatural realm of death, he realized his words had less value as they were no longer adequate to describe his emotions and what he was witnessing. As the mystery is manifested where Mary is appointed Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate, the Mother of the Second Advent, and the Ark of the New Covenant, and other names that baffle our thinking, we must remain open to the mysteries of Heaven.

The Blessed Mother is doing all that is necessary to assure the salvation of her children. Will a mother not do all that she can for the safety of her children if she is able? Because of the apostasy we are living through, the Blessed Virgin Mary told the world through the visionaries of Medjugorje she will do all she can in this span of time:"I wish to continue giving you messages like never before in history since the beginning of time." During the spring of 1982, the visionaries asked the Blessed Mother about other alleged apparitions. They asked, "People are surprised that you are appearing in so many places!" The Blessed Mother responded, "If it is necessary, I will appear in each home." 23

Conclusion of Apparitions?

The October 25, 1992, message of Medjugorje states, "Therefore, dear little children, listen and live what I tell you, because it is important for you, when I shall not be with you any longer, that you remember my words and all which I told you."

This message is significant for us. Mary weaves a theme with her messages and often gives hints and directives on present or future events. It would appear her mission to provide warnings for the world may be nearing completion. Mary has told the visionaries of Medjugorje when her apparitions cease there, three warnings will come to the world. After the third warning, a visible sign will appear for all humanity to see at the place of the apparitions in Medjugorje. The sign will be a testimony of the authenticity of the apparitions. After the visible sign, those who are still alive will have little time for conversion. Recently, Mary is asking for weekly confession, frequent communion, and to remain in a constant state of grace.

4

Prophets In Our Midst

The eyes of Yahweh rove to and fro across the whole world to display His might on behalf of those whose hearts are wholly His.

2 Chronicles 16:9

Today, as never before, we have many special men, women, and children graced with gifts to help others prepare for the coming calamitous times. Just as in the Old Testament God raised up prophets to sound the alarm, today God has given to this era prophets and holy people.

Many of these messages are being heard in all the major faiths. Because the times are extremely urgent, Heaven has provided us with many signs and prophets to warn us. As the world becomes more chaotic and the apostasy, the loss of faith, in the Catholic Church increases, God has raised up these prophets in our times to point out the moral dangers, the heresies, the causes of our difficulties.

The majority of messages have been given since 1981, the year of the first apparition in Medjugorje. Many of the people presently receiving apparitions or messages have been to Medjugorje or have been profoundly affected by Our Lady's appearances there. Many prayer groups throughout countries today such as the United States are a fruit of experiences from trips to this remote village. These specially graced individuals are used as beacons of light to point out the hazardous obstacles on the way to a true faith in God. Today, we have no excuses for not reforming our lives, because Our Lady is appearing all over the world. If someone does not know of any apparitions or their messages, there simply is no interest on his part. The messages and warnings speak foremost of the need for personal conversion. Our Lady in all authentic apparitions stresses the need for conversion, prayer, fasting, penance and personal consecration.

The messages from the mystics living today echo Our Lady's main messages and warnings. The Blessed Mother has spread her messages throughout the world, not only through her apparitions but also through her prophets' messages as well.

Discernment

One is not a sinner if he does not believe in locutions, heavenly messages, or visions. Belief in apparitions is not the cornerstone of our faith, nor should it be. Frequently, there have been instances of cross-cultural problems in interpretations. This is normal and sometimes is the cause of confusion. Heavenly appearances are more seasoning to what is already a sumptuous feast, and apparitions continue to feed our spirits. Mary's role is pointing to Jesus much in the same way John the Baptist said, "I must decrease, and He must increase" (John 3:30).

The last apparition to receive full recognition by Rome was Beauraing and Banneux, Belgium, in 1932/1933. Many more recent apparitions have the approval of the local bishop. To date, even Medjugorje has not received formal approval from Rome, although nearly 15 million persons have visited the site as well as an estimated 15,000 clergy. Because Marian apparitions are a stumbling block for so many of the faithful, formal Church approval for legitimate apparitions is desirable. On the other hand, the Church must move slowly to fully investigate and observe the long-term fruits and carefully discern exactly what is happening.

To allow more freedom of the Spirit for a particular age, Pope Paul VI allowed in 1966, "publications about new appearances, revelations, prophecies, and miracles to be distributed and read by the faithful without the express permission of the Church, providing that they contain nothing which contravenes faith and morals. This means no imprimatur is necessary." 1 This allows flexibility so the Spirit is not quenched.

However, this new freedom also opens the door for potential abuse. The realm of the spirit means different things to different people, and Satan often appears as an angel of light. The barometer must be the fruit it produces. Darkness cannot give light. We often know God by what He is not. He is not envy, confusion, anger, or strife. God is virtue and integrity. He is peace, gentleness, love, kindness, meekness, and humility. The atmosphere surrounding an apparition can be a significant measuring rod for authenticity. Do the statements of the prophets stand the test of time? Are the visionaries obedient to the Magisterium of the Church and the local bishop? Are the messages creating peace or widespread confusion?

To understand more about these modern-day prophets, a short introduction will be given for several mystics. Keep in mind that these individuals are only a few, chosen by the authors of this book for their powerful messages. These people are under spiritual direction and many have gone through the scrutiny of an investigation by the Church. Like Medjugorje the apparitions, visions, and locutions associated with each messenger are still continuing--for how much longer we are unsure.

The messages in their totality deliver more to us for our salvation than the messages that refer to the warnings of terror and tribulation for mankind. We have cited only excerpts from thousands of Marian messages to emphasize the seriousness of our age and the fervor with which Heaven is trying to get our attention. A complete anthology of Marian apparitions and prophets would be overwhelming. Some big events must be close at hand because Mary is speaking with a frequency and an urgency like never before in all history. 2

Some Prophets Of Today

Father Don Stefano Gobbi. On May 8, 1972, a simple Italian priest named Father Don Stefano Gobbi was taking part in a pilgrimage to Fatima. An interior force began to assure him that "The Immaculate Heart of Mary" would provide a remedy for the problems the Church was facing among its own clergy. Our Lady, using him as a humble instrument, planned to raise up a cohort of priests throughout the world willing to consecrate themselves to her Immaculate Heart, make a strong commitment of fidelity to the Pope and the Church united with him, and lead the faithful into the secure refuge of her motherly heart. In July 1973, Father Gobbi began to write down some of the locutions Mary had been giving him. He gathered them into a book called, Our Lady Speaks To Her Beloved Priests. A later version, including more messages, was entitled To The Priests:Our Lady's Beloved Sons.

This truly remarkable book has been translated into many languages, and has been the main instrument used to form the Marian Movement of Priests (MMP). MMP is a true spiritual movement, not a man-made organization. To date, over 300 bishops and cardinals and over 55,000 priests world-wide have embraced its aims and made the suggested commitments. The messages themselves, which have come to Father Gobbi in the form of "interior locutions," deal with the end times, holiness, the coming of Christ in His glory, and a host of other topics pertinent to our day.

Christina Gallagher. Since 1981, a young Irish plumber's wife and mother of two teenagers has been receiving very urgent messages from Jesus, Mary, and various saints, with information about the sins of our day giving rise to calamities which are soon to come. No reputable visionary gives dates--the Blessed Mother warns us, as does Scripture, to be wary of those who speak of specific dates. Yet Christina's messages indicate that we can expect to see events unfold almost imminently. Christina is under the spiritual direction of Father Gerard McGinnity of Ireland, a noted Marian expert with a doctorate in patristics, who is convinced of the authenticity of Christina's experiences. Christina is one among an increasing number of visionaries who spontaneously receive, in their own flesh, wounds which are like those Christ had when He was crucified. Christina suffers from these wounds, called the stigmata, in the form of bloody welts around her forehead, like the crown of thorns.

Maria Esperanza. Maria Esperanza De Bianchini, a devoted wife and the mother of seven children, resides in Betania, Venezuela. Since the age of five, when a vision of Saint Therese (the Little Flower) threw her an actual rose which she caught and ran to give her mother, Maria has experienced a life filled with mystical phenomena. In fact, she was shown as a teenager a vision of a specific piece of land where Mary would later appear. Maria and her husband found the land that corresponded exactly to her earlier vision, and in March 1974, they purchased it. Since March 25, 1976, Mary has been appearing at Betania as "Mother of Reconciliation of All People." Before Our Blessed Mother appears to Maria, a large blue butterfly will often immediately precede her arrival.

Besides the apparitions with their beautiful messages, Mrs. Esperanza continues to be blessed with mystical phenomena:on Good Friday, she bleeds with the stigmata of Christ; at times the Eucharist miraculously appears on her tongue; the aroma of roses attends her presence. Many of the thousands of visitors to Betania also see the Blessed Mother. A Eucharistic host which spontaneously started to bleed in a priest's hands has been studied, found to be authentic, and is now enshrined in the bishop's residence. One particular apparition, when 108 people saw Our Lady in Betania, occurred on March 25, 1984, and has been approved by Bishop Pio Bello, head of the local diocese.

Maria has received many apocalyptic messages, including the following, which seems to refer to the warning:"There is coming the great moment of a great day of light. The consciences of this beloved people must be violently shaken so that they may 'put their house in order' and offer to Jesus the just reparation for the daily infidelities that are committed on the part of sinners...." 3

Mirna of Damascus, Syria. Several yards from where Saint Paul reportedly was knocked off his horse, blinded, and commissioned as "Apostle to the Gentiles," a young housewife and mother of two toddlers has been receiving some of the most startling mystical phenomena being reported thus far. Mirna, a shy, beautiful young woman, a Melkite Greek Catholic, happily married to a Greek Orthodox man, receives words from Our Lord about His desire for unity, particularly between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches, which separated in 1054. The main unifying factor for the Orthodox and Roman Catholics will be the Blessed Virgin, as her proper role is understood in both faiths.

Mirna not only has the stigmata, which appear on Good Friday and have been captured on video footage, but icons around her pour forth oil--pure 100 percent olive oil. Mirna's body also exudes this pure olive oil, and sensational healings have been documented when people are exposed to the oil and Mirna's prayers. The local Orthodox bishop has posted his approval of Mirna's experiences above her door. 4

Julia Kim. Mrs. Kim lives in Naju, Korea, and is a married convert to Catholicism and the mother of four children. She experienced a dramatic physical healing after doctors had sent her home from the hospital to die. Since June 30, 1985, a small statue owned by Julia has wept tears of water and of bright red blood--for over seven hundred days. Recently, the statue has been oozing fragrant oil. Jesus and Mary both appear to Julia, and their messages are profound. They have asked Julia to suffer as a "victim soul" to make reparation to Jesus for the sins of others, particularly the sin of abortion. She experiences intense agonies, signs of Heaven's distress at our wanton disregard for human life and God's will to create and bless it. Julia undergoes the agonies of a child as it is being aborted. Sometimes her sufferings last hours. When she receives the Eucharist, it has been photographed on her tongue as real flesh and blood. Julia has the visible stigmata, and the odor of roses is distinct (and remains so, often for months) on objects which she has handled. Julia is under the spiritual direction of Father Raymond Spies. 5

Jim Singer. Jim Singer was born in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, in 1952. He is married with two daughters and lives in Ontario, Canada. Until 1991, Jim was the plant manager of a well-known chemical company. In 1991, the firm restructured and made staff reductions affecting Jim. His wife Natalie works at the rectory of the Catholic church they attend. Jim and his wife are Croatian. In Jim's messages, Croatia is referred to as his "ancestral homeland." Long before the hideous war broke out in that part of the world, the Lord had predicted this to Jim and his family.

Jim received one hundred messages from May 1989 to September 1989; since then, they have been less frequent. Jim's messages contain originality, economy of language, and power. Much is said in a few words. Jim introduces us to a new title of Satan:the "Shining Darkness." On May 23, 1993, the Lord spoke to Jim about this "Shining Darkness."

"...so much of that which I admonished you is about to be fulfilled already. I speak to you again because so many of My beloved children of this world continue to wander through this perilous age apathetic to My admonishments, oblivious to the signs of this age, ignoring My calls. I entrusted much to you, I again say to each of you:use all My gifts; let My gifts be your only nourishment. The Shining Darkness lives among you; he is powerful and believe that he does exist. But I tell you again:do not live in fear of his evils. Instead, look at them, look at them well! Tear off the malefactor's numerous masks and firmly confront him. Let the gifts of My Spirit be your shield. Make your sincere, loving prayer your weapon. My children must know that they can only be saved through Me. Know that I alone am your true sanctuary. I want all My children with Me. I desire fidelity, I desire perseverance from each one of My children. I am the Truth, I am the Way, I am the Life. Never forget, it is I who fill with strength every step of each one of My children who walks through life in service to Me." 6

Six Children of Medjugorje, (former) Yugoslavia. Because we have devoted a chapter to this apparition, we will only briefly mention here that since June 25, 1981, six children in a remote village in Bosnia-Herzegovina have been receiving daily visits with messages from the Blessed Virgin, calling herself the "Queen of Peace." She has been begging the people to amend their lives through prayer from the heart, fasting, reconciliation with God and neighbor, conversion, and peace. Ten years to the day after these visions began, neighboring Croatia seceded from the Yugoslav Federation, sparking the bloodiest war in Europe since World War II. Medjugorje is directly in the middle of this horror, yet all reports have described the people there as peaceful, calm, and loving. Medjugorje has had more impact on the world in the shortest period of time of any apparition--ever. Many other current visionaries report that their experiences with the Mother of God began only after returning from a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. Life magazine reported that over 15 million pilgrims have visited this tiny village. The reports of healings, conversions, signs, and wonders are truly astounding. Our Lady, Queen of Peace, has recently said that Medjugorje "is a sign" for the world. She warns about a coming chastisement which will make the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina look like mere child's play.

Luz Amparo Cuevas. Since June 14, 1981, Our Blessed Mother has been appearing to a poor, simple housewife and mother of seven children in Escorial, Spain. Our Lady has revealed herself as Our Lady of Sorrows and has pleaded with Luz Amparo to relay to more and more people the importance of prayer and fasting, of offering daily sacrifices to the Lord, of separating themselves more from the comforts and corrupting influences of the world, of cultivating devotion to the Sacred Heart of her Son, to His passion and death, and to His presence in the Holy Eucharist. By doing so, they can help to alleviate Our Lady's own sorrows and prepare themselves to confront the dangers of this age.

Luz Amparo has known continual pain and suffering since the beginning of her life. Her mother died when she was six months old. Her father remarried, and her stepmother treated her cruelly. From the age of seven, she was expected to bring in money to the family by working at sidewalk sales. When the little child brought home little or no money, she was beaten, deprived of meals, and cast outdoors to sleep like a homeless waif.

When she was nine years old, she had to be hospitalized for prolonged exposure and for malnutrition. After that, her stepmother kept her at home, frequently locked up in a closet with only dry oatmeal and water for her nourishment. Her education was neglected, and she was rarely sent to church. The little martyr survived mainly on account of her great devotion to Mary, the Mother of God, whose protection she constantly implored.

At the age of sixteen, she married a man much older than herself who also treated her poorly. He suffered from alcoholism and frequent unemployment. Luz Amparo became employed in the homes of the wealthy to do housework and thus was able to raise and educate her children. One of her sons is now a doctor practicing medicine in Madrid.

In the late 1970s, she suffered from cancer and was diagnosed as terminally ill. Her wealthy employers took her to Lourdes in a wheelchair. At Lourdes she was miraculously healed, and two years later in 1981 the Blessed Mother began to appear to Amparo in Escorial. It was on October 16, 1980, that Luz Amparo began to receive her first favors from Heaven. That day she was doing housework for a family when she experienced an interior locution inviting her to "pray for the peace of the world; pray for the conversion of sinners." Almost immediately, she began to bleed from her forehead and from her hands. She asked in an audible tone, "What is this?" In answer to that question, she received a vision of Our Lord on the Cross and the following explanation:"My daughter, it is the passion of Christ. You are called to live it completely," to which Amparo replied, "But I cannot endure it!" Then she heard the voice of the Lord saying:"If you cannot endure these sufferings for a few seconds, how was I able to endure them for long hours on the Cross, dying for those who crucified Me? You will be able to help save many souls by bearing these sufferings." Amparo agreed to accept these sufferings for the salvation of souls.

From that day, the spiritual life of Amparo was deeply changed. She began to receive invisible stigmata. These invisible signs of the Lord's sacrifice of His Body and Blood for our salvation, occasionally became externalized; her forehead, eyes, mouth, hands, knees, and feet were covered with blood. On all occasions, when the stigmata became externalized, a very pleasant and fragrant perfume surrounded her. Amparo has received many messages about the chastisement and the three days of darkness.

Estela Ruiz. A wife and mother of seven, who resides in Phoenix, Arizona, Estela has received apparitions and messages since December 3, 1988. Mary appears as "Our Lady of the Americas" with messages for all of us. These messages are read to the crowds of people that come to her home. Our Lady appeared to Estela almost daily in 1989, and all of her seven grown children were converted to lives of holiness.

Unlike her husband, Estela had been a skeptic of apparitions and messages until Our Lady began appearing to her. When her husband went to Medjugorje in September of 1988, she was more interested in beginning a career after raising seven children. While walking by a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe that her husband had painted in their home, she heard the beautiful voice of a woman say, "Good morning, daughter." Her first response was to think that she was hearing things. Two days later, after forgetting about the incident, the same thing happened again. She began to think it might be real. After his return from Medjugorje, she looked into the eyes of her husband of thirty years, and he looked different. Something had changed him. Estela realized that Our Lady was changing her as well.

Several months later, in December of 1988, the Blessed Mother began to appear to Estela. During the first apparition, Our Lady told her, "I have come to ask you to be my messenger, and I want to know if you will do it? I'm going to help you and your children make many changes. There will be a period of time where I will prepare the family and I will send many messages to the family." Since then, the family has all experienced conversions resulting in great changes. A son who was addicted to drugs has been completely healed and is now a powerful witness for Our Lord.

A message received by Estela on January 19, 1991, is not unlike those in many other parts of the world. It referred to the basics of prayer, conversion, and fasting. Mary said, "For those who have listened to my call I now ask that you commit yourselves to my work. Begin your life of prayer in earnest and let nothing keep you away from that commitment. I am now asking the Americas for fasting as a sacrifice of love. Begin your fasting immediately. I need your commitment of prayer and sacrifice. There is no more time to dwell on your small self concerns. Leave self-pity and anger with others. There is no more time for that behavior. If you have not yet learned to love those around you, how can you expect the world to learn the love of which I have been speaking about.... I ask that you offer two fasting days a week for peace in the world. We must not and cannot give up hope..."

On one occasion, Our Lady appeared to Estela Ruiz at the Immaculate Heart Church in Phoenix. Estela reported, "I asked Our Lady who she was, what she was doing, and who had sent her. Our Lady said, "I am the Immaculate Heart of Mary." She then said, 'This is my reign--this is the time of my reign. I am here to bring my children back to my Son. The one who sent me is God, Our Father.' I then asked her who she was and she said, 'I am the Immaculate Heart of Mary, but I am the same one that has appeared all over the world.' She told me, 'Look around this church and see all the different forms in which I have appeared."'

Estela said that in this church they have statues of Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Our Lady of Fatima. Our Lady said:"Yes, I am the Mother of God, and I have appeared in different places. There is only one and that is I and I am all of these. But I come today, at this time, as the Immaculate Heart of Mary as this is the reign of my Immaculate Heart. And I've come to call my children back to God."

In another message given on March 2, 1991, Our Lady said, "I ask that you continue to pray for peace in the world. You need to understand that peace is not brought about by victory in a battle, but by change in men's hearts and lives.... Men need to understand that if hearts do not change, the devastation and destruction of each other will continue throughout the world

The diocese of Phoenix established a commission of inquiry under Bishop Thomas O'Brien to investigate the claimed apparitions. The bishop stated, after reviewing the findings of the commission:"It is our assessment that no harm is presently done to either the Church as an institution or to the faithful by the devotions...." As Our Lady of the Americas, Mary is inviting us to recognize the true meaning of our lives and to strengthen and intensify devotion to Our Lord Jesus Christ. 7

Theresa Lopez. Theresa Lopez of Denver, Colorado, has been told she will be one of many sparks igniting the faith of the lukewarm in the West. Theresa grew up Catholic and like many others of her generation had lost interest in the faith so she could "go out into the world." Both she and her husband Jeff had not been married in the Church in previous marriages, with the problems of annulments, single parenthood, and divorce.

On April 3, 1990, Theresa awoke in the middle of the night hearing a voice telling her to "read the word." After realizing it was not a prank of her children, she opened the Bible to Ephesians 1:15-19. The words she read were:"For my part, from the time I first heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the members of the church, I have never stopped thanking God for you and recommending you in my prayers. May the God of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, grant you a spirit of wisdom and insight to know Him clearly. May He enlighten your innermost vision that you may know the great hope to which He has called you, the wealth of His glorious heritage to be distributed among the members of the church, and the immeasurable scope of His power in us who believe." After reading until dawn she conveyed her experience to Jeff, her husband. In amazement, Jeff produced a tattered piece of paper from his wallet written down ten years earlier during a low point in his life with the identical verse written on it. In March of 1991, Theresa felt called to go to Medjugorje, where she experienced several spiritual phenomena with the visionaries and with some of the pastoral team, including Father Slavko Barbaric, one of the Franciscan Fathers assigned to Saint James Church.

Upon returning to the United States, the spiritual phenomena continued. She heard a voice say, "Bring my children to the spring," and the only spring she could think of was at the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, Colorado. Word began to spread and the crowds came much as at other apparition sites throughout the world. Another locution instructed, "I desire all of you to gather on the second Sabbath of the month." Phenomena such as the Blessed Mother's image on the tabernacle with two doves on each side, an image of Jesus as shepherd, bright lights shining from the tabernacle, and instances of people witnessing the visions of the Blessed Mother have occurred. On one occasion after a message, Theresa said, "Mother, I love you" to the Blessed Mother. She then came forward and kissed Theresa on the forehead.

The scene is similar to the one in Medjugorje and apparitions elsewhere in the world. There is no explanation in the natural realm. Only in the supernatural realm can such occurrences be explained. Self-described as a marginal Catholic, Jeff had never prayed a rosary until their infant daughter died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Theresa would consider praying the rosary only at funerals. Josyp Terelya, who was imprisoned for over twenty years in the former Soviet Union because of his faith, has said that this site will be a place where many miracles will take place, and it will become a very great pilgrimage center just like Fatima and Medjugorje. 8

Josefina-Maria. Josefina-Maria was born in Melbourne, Australia, of Italian parents. She is married, works as a schoolteacher, and lives a simple life centered on her work, her domestic duties, and prayer. Josefina began receiving messages from Our Lord and Our Lady on September 20, 1990; since then she has received over 1000.

Josefina's messages are meant for the world. They speak of peace, conversion, prayer, fasting, faith, simplicity, humility, and the limitless love and mercy of God. The messages have already borne much fruit in the Melbourne area, inspiring the formation of special prayer groups and renewed devotion to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts.

As with others of today's visionaries, the Lord is using Josefina to warn the world that the times of God's Justice are at hand. More and greater chastisements loom on the horizon, says Jesus through Josefina. But He also tells us not to fear, for the punishments will serve for the salvation of souls and to renew a world that has been despoiled by greed and sin.

"Be not afraid, My people," Jesus said through Josefina on July 22, 1993. "I love you with My Most Sacred Heart. Everyone must pass through Me before they go to the Father."

"My people, many plagues and disasters are befalling the earth, and yet many do not recognize these as being those which are foretold in Scripture. But My people, do not be afraid, for My divine hand protects you like a blanket. Those of you who belong to Me have nothing to fear. You will not be harmed.

"The sufferings of the times we are in are for the salvation of souls, My people, My little ones. Be not afraid, My humble ones; those of you who have given Me your lives, and given Me your all... My Father's plan [to renew the face of the earth] is unfolding. Remain in peace and be constant in love, leading My people in peace; but always reminding them of My love. Make sacrifices, My children, and be My co-redeemers in helping in My Father's plan." 9

Joseph Januszkiewicz. The media also have extensively reported alleged Marian apparitions to Joseph Januszkiewicz of Marlboro, New Jersey, who was instantly cured of a serious, work-related back injury and a partial hearing loss after a visit to Medjugorje in 1988. He went there as a skeptic, but in 1989 he began receiving messages from Mary. The apparitions which began on a daily basis on March 17, 1989, now occur publicly on the first Sunday of each month and on a sporadic basis privately. There is a specific orientation of his messages for the clergy. This apparition is under examination by Church authorities in the Trenton, New Jersey, diocese. 10

There are many more men and women of God that we want to mention briefly, such as Josyp Terelya, a Ukrainian Catholic dissident now living in Canada; Julka of Zagreb (former Yugoslavia); Sister Lucia of Fatima; Sister Agnes Sasagawa of Akita; the visionaries of Garabandal; Eileen George of Worcester, Massachusetts; Sister Anna Ali, Kenya; Father James Bruse of Lake Ridge, Virginia; Mariamante of the Apostolate of Holy Motherhood, Michigan; Sister Natalia of Hungary; Dozule, France; and others.

By no means is this list a definitive one. It is impossible to list all of the prophets in our age receiving messages from Jesus or the Blessed Mother. The Book of Kings tells the story of how Elisha would not leave the side of Elijah, as Elisha and "the company of prophets" knew in advance that Elijah was to be taken to Heaven. God had communicated this to the "company of prophets." The lineage of prophets from the earliest of time to the present day remains unbroken.

5

Our Lady's Role In Salvation

...but the Blessed Virgin's salutary influence on men originates not in any inner necessity but in the disposition of God. It flows forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rests on His Mediation, depends entirely on it and draws all power from it....

Lumen Gentium, Vatican II

Saint Louis de Montfort in the Seventeenth Century, wrote about what it would be like for the Church in the latter days, and the role of Mary in that plan. He stated, "In the Second Coming of the Lord, Mary will be made known in a special way by the Holy Spirit so that through her, Jesus may be better known and served.... Mary will shine forth higher than ever in these latter days to bring back poor sinners who have strayed from the Family of God.... However, souls hardened by impiety will provoke a terrible rebellion against God attempting to lead all souls astray (even those who oppose their revolt) and they will cause many to fall by their threats, snares and alluring promises.... Satan, knowing that he has little time left, will redouble his efforts and his combats. He will conjure up cruel persecutions and put terrible snares in the path of the faithful.... Mary will raise up apostles of the latter times to make war against the evil one.... They shall be little and poor in the world's esteem and will even be persecuted by other members of the Body of Christ. But they shall be rich in grace and Mary will bless them abundantly.... They will have recourse to Mary in all things and they will know the shortest and most perfect way of going to Jesus and they will belong entirely to Him.... They shall be the true apostles of the latter times, to whom the Lord shall give the word and might to work marvels and to carry off the spoils of His enemies.... They shall carry the gold of love in their hearts, the incense of prayer in their spirit, the myrrh of mortification and self-sacrifice in their bodies.... They shall be true disciples of Jesus Christ, faithfully following in His footsteps, teaching the narrow way to salvation according to the Holy Gospels.... These are the great men who will come at the end of time and Mary is the one who by order of the Most High will fashion them to extend God's Kingdom and to manifest the Lord's victorious triumph over the impious and over all His enemies." 1

Given A Unique Role

The apparitions started as early as AD 41, with the arrival of Saint James as a missionary on the Iberian Peninsula. One may hear and see the story today in Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, one of the largest basilicas in all of Europe. It is dedicated to Saint James, Apostle of Jesus Christ. It is interesting to note that Saint James was the first apostle to be martyred in the Church, and the Blessed Mother has said that her last apparitions for the public in this epoch will be at Saint James Church in Medjugorje.

Mary has a unique relationship to the Holy Trinity:she is the daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son, and spouse of the Holy Spirit. It was solely from Mary that Jesus received His humanity, as He had no earthly father. The Council of Ephesus in 431 declared that Mary is "God-bearer" or Theotokos. No other creature had, or can ever have, this unique relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Through Mary's humility, obedience, and faith, the human and the divine became blood relatives, in the Incarnation of the God-Man. The Father chose one woman out of all the beings He created to cooperate in giving a human nature to His only-begotten Son.

This is a profound mystery. No angel nor any man was chosen to receive this honor of presenting the long awaited Messiah, the Light, and the Redeemer of Mankind, into the darkness of the world. Instead, a humble young Virgin was given the joy of assisting in preparing a body for God (Hebrews 10:5), in order that He might manifest Himself as one of us. Mary was predestined from all eternity by God to carry out this role. She most perfectly represents the "highly favored daughter" of Zion, prefigured in Sacred Scripture, who cooperates in the deliverance of her people, Israel. She was the one whom the angel greeted with the words, "Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you," fulfilling to the letter Isaiah's prophecy made hundreds of years earlier that "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (Isaiah 7:14), a name which means "God is with us."

Mary's role derives entirely from her relationship to Jesus Christ. She was enabled to receive God into her very being, because He had prepared her specifically for this role. By a singular privilege, she was totally pure, oriented only towards God, empty of all self-importance and self-will. Her humility and lowliness enabled the Light to be mirrored perfectly in her soul. Similarly, she was specially prepared by God so that she, like her Son, was never under the dominion of original sin. Like John the Baptist, Mary was a precursor to Eternal Light but was not that Light herself. However, she has an utterly unique relationship with that Light, and it symbolizes the new relationship we are all intended to have, when we finally attain the fullness of our heavenly reward.

As we explore the Church's understanding of Mary, we remember that she is a human being, and like each of us, has no glory whatsoever, apart from God. But because Our Lord became man through the Virgin Mary, we would be foolish not to seek out the fullness of the message the Lord wished to convey. For God's choices are not whimsical; rather, they are profound in wisdom. The Church's constant reflection and prayerful study over time have discerned great meaning in Mary's role, both in Heaven and on earth. Her preparation for her earthly role is "the Immaculate Conception," a doctrine stating that she was preserved at conception from the stain of original sin. This was proclaimed by Pius IX in 1854 and confirmed four years later to Saint Bernadette at Lourdes, when the Blessed Mother said, "I am the Immaculate Conception."

Nearly 2,000 years ago, God united a human nature to Himself, in the womb of a Virgin. The ancient Hebrew Scriptures had foretold this event, and the Jewish people patiently awaited the prophecies' fulfillment. An angel, Gabriel, appeared to Mary, as the angel Lucifer had once appeared to Eve. Unlike Eve, who succumbed to the devil's temptation to glory ("and ye shall be as gods"), Mary humbly consented to the Father's eternal plan, agreeing to conceive God's only-begotten Son within her womb. She said simply, "I am the handmaiden of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word," and the promised redemption of all mankind began to unfold before the darkened eyes of the world.

Saints and Popes throughout much of Church history have spoken of Our Lady's intimate association with Christ in our redemption. They have also spoken of her mediation of grace to us and of her unceasing prayer to her Divine Son on our behalf. The Popes of the past have clearly taught the doctrines of Our Lady as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces. These truths have not yet been solemnly defined as dogma, but they are a part of our Catholic heritage. Note that the dogma of the Assumption was not defined until 1950, even though the liturgical feast was established by the Church in the Sixth Century, and Christian writings testify to it as early as the Second Century.

Mary has revealed to many mystics that the Lord wishes us to accept and invoke her as Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate to complete the Church's official recognition of what the Almighty has done for and through her (Luke 1:49). The visions of Ida Perleman of Amsterdam and "The Lady Of All Nations" confirm this role.

Jesus Christ, as Scripture and Tradition teach, is the Mediator between God and man, our Redeemer and Intercessor before the Father. From Christ, by the will of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit, proceeds all grace and our salvation. But in His unceasing activity on our behalf, Jesus does not hesitate to share His own prerogatives with those whom He is not ashamed to call His brothers (Hebrews 2:11). For example, He is the only High Priest, yet He shares His priesthood with the ordained ministers of His Church. Jesus shares with His beloved Mother His divine privileges to the extent that she, as a created human being, is capable of possessing them. Vatican II teaches that Our Lady's mediation is a sharing in the unique source that is the mediation of Christ Himself.

The Greek Fathers understood the Incarnation to be a true redemptive act, not just the necessary prelude to the Cross. All of creation has been sanctified since the Son of God united a created nature to Himself. Thus Mary played an essential cooperative role in our redemption by giving flesh to the Word. Saint Augustine speaks of the womb of the Virgin Mary as the bridal chamber wherein divine nature united itself to human nature. Yet this is not the completion of her cooperation.

Our Lady said to the visionary Ida of Amsterdam:"The Lord and Master had predestined the Lady for sacrifice. For the sword had already been directed at the heart of the Mother' 2 (Luke 2:35). Mary was chosen by God to share interiorly in the sufferings of Jesus in a unique fashion--and this is not simply because she alone had a mother's love for Him. Jesus, the New Adam, chose to associate Mary, the New Eve, as a bridal partner in His work of redemption. Mary as the New Eve has been explicitly taught as early as the middle of the Second Century by Saint Justin.

The whole Church is the Bride of Christ. Mary, because she represented fully in herself the Church, not only suffered with Christ but also received from Him the fullness of the grace of redemption, for all people of all times. Because of this cooperation with our redemption, Our Lady has become the Mediatrix of Grace to all those whom Christ has made her children at Calvary.

Christ, as the God-man, accomplished the work of our redemption, yet He willed to associate Mary with this work. He grants His saving grace to the whole Church through the mediation of Mary, who stood by the Cross and took us all into her maternal suffering. Our Lady stands not only as Mediatrix of Grace from Christ to us; as Advocate, she brings our prayers and needs to Him. As Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate, Mary lives in the glory of the Lord as His Mother and Handmaid.

Tradition

Catholic veneration of Mary is directly related to and derived from Catholic faith in Christ. If He is not the Eternal Son of God made flesh for our salvation, then Mary does not deserve any more honor than the mother of some famous person. Saint Louis de Montfort wrote that Mary is not worth an atom of importance compared to Jesus. Yet many of our beautiful writings about Mary come from Saint Louis. But if Jesus is all that the Bible and the Church say He is, then Our Lady is worthy of the honor due to the Mother of God. Catholic teaching does not instruct anyone to worship Mary. Rather, Catholics venerate Mary because of the role that was given her.

The Marian dogmas that were defined in the early Councils of the Church were done so to safeguard the truth of the Christological dogmas which were disputed. The Mother cannot be separated from the Son. Certain inescapable conclusions concerning Our Lady follow from what has been revealed about Christ. The Church has carefully defined and faithfully preached these truths throughout her history. Excluding Our Lady from the mystery of God and our salvation can only leave one with an impoverished form of Christianity bereft of the totality of Christ's redemptive mission.

Mary And Her Protestant Children: A Critical Explanation

The Catholic Faith and the other major denominations have been at odds since the Reformation on many issues. The definition of the Eucharist as a symbolic act or the Real Presence, the issue of faith and tradition, and the Blessed Mother are only a few of the issues that divide Catholics from Protestants. Due to the complex nature of this subject, it is impossible adequately to mention all of the issues which divide us, but, we hope some insight will be gained to shed more light than heat on the subject of Catholic devotion to Mary.

Devotion to Our Lady is a precious jewel in the crown of Catholicism, but it seems to be a thorn in the flesh for most Protestants. Practically all Catholic Marian doctrines are rejected by the vast majority of Protestants. This is an unfortunate heritage of the "Reformation," although the reformers themselves were much more Catholic in their thought and devotion than most of their spiritual descendants. The seemingly endless series of schisms which began with Luther have separated numerous Christians from their Mother the Church, and from their mother Mary, and yet Martin Luther himself had a deep devotion to the Mother of God.

Here we will briefly examine a few basic ideas characteristic of much of Protestantism, which constitute an obstacle to the acceptance of Marian doctrines as well as other truths taught by the Catholic Church. Admittedly, we cannot speak authoritatively for every Protestant church or sect, nor can we go into great detail. But we can gather some insights into a few common beliefs and ways of thinking among Protestants that unnecessarily limit access to the fullness of the truth of divine revelation and the means God has used to communicate it to us.

Holy Tradition is one of the chief areas of contention. The principle of "Scripture alone" (Sola Scriptura) as the sole source of divine revelation is a hallmark of Protestantism. Yet Scripture supports the concept of tradition (2 Thessalonians 2:15; 2 Timothy 2:2), and nowhere does Scripture state that Scripture alone is the whole of revelation. If the "Sola Scriptura" principle cannot be found in the Bible, how can it be upheld by those who believe only what the Bible says?

The Bible often refers to the preached Gospel, the oral tradition which preceded (and still accompanies) the written one. If the Bible is the only source of revelation, then the first generations of Christians had no revelation, for they had no Bible or rather, no New Testament. But in truth they did have the Word of God:it was preached to them by the Apostles and their successors.

There are doctrines concerning Our Lady which are not explicitly taught in Scripture, but which have been handed down through Holy Tradition, as faithful expressions of the beliefs and practices of the Church founded by Jesus Christ. Often Catholics speak of Scripture and Tradition as the sources of revelation. But perhaps it would be more accurate to speak of Scripture in Tradition, since every authentic teaching--whether oral or written--which has been handed down from the Apostles through their successors is part of Holy Tradition, the heritage of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Teaching Authority Of The Church

Who determines that a particular teaching rightly expresses the apostolic faith? Here is another difficulty for non-Catholics:the authority of the Catholic Church. Jesus promised to set His Church on the rock of Peter, giving him the "power of the keys" to bind and loose, with the further promise that the gates of hell would never prevail against it (Matthew 16:18-19). He also promised that the Holy Spirit would be with His Church, leading His disciples into the whole truth (John 16:12-13). Therefore the Church, with the guaranteed guidance of the Holy Spirit, is empowered to judge the authenticity of any teaching which is proposed as expressing the apostolic faith.

The multiplication of Protestant sects is due in significant measure to the failure of their reliance on personal interpretation of Scripture (ostensibly led by the Holy Spirit) as a means of discerning the truth. The Holy Spirit has not created the division and confusion resulting from contradictory personal interpretations.

A clear example of God's gift of the assistance of the Holy Spirit to His Church is that the Church was able to decide, among many writings attributed to the apostles, and other writings being read in the liturgical assemblies, which ones were divinely inspired and which ones were not. The canon of the New Testament was not completely set until the end of the Fourth Century (although most canonical books were accepted before then). If the Church can discern which writings constitute the word of God, then she can certainly discern which traditions and teachings constitute divine revelation.

The Ecumenical Councils are examples of the way the Church clarified the teachings of the Gospel and defended them against heretical misinterpretation. The history of the development of Marian doctrines is more evidence of the way the Holy Spirit has led the Church into the whole truth about the Christian faith. He did say that He would be with us always, that the Spirit would lead us, and that His Church would not be overcome by the power of hell. Jesus with us through His Spirit in the Church is the living Tradition which communicates with ever brighter clarity the Gospel of salvation to every age and culture. The very last paragraph in the gospel of Saint John (John 21:25) points implicitly to the existence of a tradition:"There are, however, many other things that Jesus did; but if every one of these should be written, not even the world itself, I think, could hold the books that would have to be written."

The Incarnation

The Incarnation of the Son of God is believed by all Christians. But Catholic theology rightly sees the Incarnation as much more than a necessary prerequisite for the atoning death of Jesus. Much Protestant theology focuses exclusively on the Cross, and this tends to restrict theological reflection on the Incarnation. Such reflection would naturally lead to the awareness of the indispensable role of Our Lady in the work of our salvation, and of her exalted dignity in the eyes of God.

Many Fathers of the Church, especially the great Patristic Fathers, understood the Incarnation to be itself a redemptive act, although not the completion of redemption. The astounding reality of God becoming man, uniting a created nature inseparably to His uncreated nature, is enough to sanctify all creation and to bring it into a new relationship to Himself. According to the wisdom of God, Mary's role in the divine Incarnation is essential:by her personal consent she gave flesh and blood to God. The Father saw Mary from all eternity as the Woman full of grace who alone would give His Son to the world as the God-man, our Savior.

But if Mary were just a devout Jewish girl who happened to be as good a choice as any to give birth to the Messiah (as well as to other children, many falsely claim), and who then could fade into obscurity, the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation is robbed of its richness. It is inconceivable that the only woman destined to give birth to God in the flesh would not have received extraordinary graces for this exalted vocation, or that God would not desire to glorify in a special way one so graced. Yet the great fear of giving the least bit of attention or honor to the Mother of Jesus keeps many from appreciating the fullness and depth of the wisdom and love of God, who "sent forth his Son, born of a woman..." (Galatians 4:4). The Incarnation also provides the rationale for the whole sacramental system as well as for the use of sacred images, all of which is generally rejected in Protestantism. 3

Openness To The Holy Spirit

Mary's role is always one of "magnifying the Lord." In the first chapter of Luke, we see one of the most beautiful passages in Scripture. Zechariah the High Priest, was married to Elizabeth, and both are on in years. Elizabeth is barren and childless and suffers from the humiliation of this state. Zechariah makes every attempt to please God and be a righteous man in his daily life. While in the sanctuary, the angel Gabriel visits Zechariah at the altar, and Gabriel says, "Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John. Even from his mother's womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit... and be filled with the power of Elijah" (Luke 1:11-17). Zechariah the High Priest, the man of God, doubts the angel and says, "How can I be sure of this? For I am old and my wife is getting on in years." For doubting, the angel Gabriel immediately strikes him dumb until the birth of John. Gabriel did this "because you [Zechariah] did not believe my words (Luke 1:20). Elizabeth conceives, bears a son and names him John, as the angel had given her this prompting for his name. She no longer suffers humiliation as she is now with child.

Gabriel then visits Mary (Luke 1:26) and says, "Rejoice so highly favored! The Lord is with you." Like Zechariah, she is fearful at the beginning, and Gabriel says, "Do not be afraid, you are to bear a son and call him Jesus. He will be great and called Son of the Most High." Mary, being a virgin, does not understand how she can conceive. Gabriel responds, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow" (Luke 1:36). "And the child will be called the Son of God." Mary's response is in stark contrast to Zechariah the High Priest:"I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me. And the angel left her" (Luke 1:38).

Mary believed with all her heart the angel's words; she just did not understand. Gabriel explained that God would miraculously allow her to be with child. She accepted everything, even without the benefit of complete understanding. She takes his words, on faith, to be true.

Mary visits Elizabeth her cousin and both are aware she is carrying the Son of God. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, says, "Blessed is she who believes that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled."

Mary's Response

Mary's response is the model for all Christians. She believed what Heaven ordained. She did not doubt, but in her littleness trusted. Nothing is more illogical than the Holy Spirit coming upon a virgin, the virgin conceiving, and then bearing the Son of God.

Since Mary was chosen from the very beginning for a very special and exalted role, is it not fitting that the role of Mary is to increase if Heaven ordains it? In contrast to Eve, she freely and willingly accepted the role, and thus allowed God's redemptive act to be accomplished through her. She, like Eve, could have rejected this, but she as the New Eve assumed the role destined for her.

Mary separated herself from all of humanity and accepted the Will of the Father in her life. She became the chosen vessel for Heaven to present the Redeemer of all mankind. The lowly woman of Nazareth had been created by God the Father for the purpose of bearing Jesus. God had chosen a way to come into the world defying all human reason, manifesting an unconventional birth to an unconventional death:the Redeemer, born of a poor and humble woman, in a stable.

Mary's journey from Nazareth to the Upper Room took thirty-three years in time, but it took far more in terms of her understanding of what it means to be a Christian. It was a most demanding journey:at times incredible, at times joyous, at times difficult, at times puzzling. It was a journey of many twists and turns, but at every bend she was open to God's Word, took it into her heart, and pondered its meanings and its implications.

And she trusted.

To listen to the Word of God, to ponder it, to accept it, not only with the intellect but with the heart and the will, and to be the source of its incarnation--this is what Mary tells us being a Christian means.

The Magnificat

And Mary said, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord

and my spirit exults in God my savior;

because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.

Yes, from this day forward, all generations will call me blessed,

for the Almighty has done great things for me.

Holy is His name,

and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear Him.

He has shown the power of His arm,

He has routed the proud of heart.

He has pulled down princes from their thrones

and exalted the lowly.

The hungry He has filled with good things,

the rich He sent away empty.

He has come to the help of Israel His servant,

mindful of His mercy--according to the promise he made to our ancestors--

of His mercy to Abraham and to his descendants forever" (Luke 1:46-55).

Here is the Blessed Mother's gift and example to the world for all of us to imitate. The Blessed Mother magnified God's glory. Mary's will was God's will, and she was open to His gifts. Mary's role is that of model and intercessor before the throne of God on behalf of all mankind, as the words to this beautiful hymn proclaim:

Tota pulchra es Maria,

Et Macula Originalis

Non, non, est in te.

Tu gloria Jerusalem,

Tu laetitia Israel,

Tu honorificentia

Populi Nostri.

Intercede pro nobis

Ad Dominum Jesum Christum.

You are all beautiful, O Mary,

and the stain of original sin

is not in you.

You are the glory of Jerusalem,

You are the joy of Israel

You are most honored

by our people;

Intercede for us

to the Lord, Jesus Christ.

BOOK II

A MOTHER'S WARNING 6: The Secrets Of The Apocalypse

I am opening for you the sealed book, that the secrets contained in it may be revealed.

Our Lady to Father Don Stefano Gobbi

Marian Movement of Priests

October 13, 1988

For nearly 2,000 years, the Book of Revelation has been at best an enigma, a riddle, and a puzzle. Ask five people to interpret a verse and you will get five versions for a response. Maybe six.

Most of those who have tried to interpret this mysterious book of the Bible have failed. Some have speculated about the numerology of 666 and its applicability to several world leaders. Gorbachev and the port wine stain on his forehead were thought by some to be ingredients to the riddle; the beast with ten horns was the emergence of the ten nations of the Common Market with its one currency; the seat of Rome was the whore of Babylon. The list progresses from the entertaining to the absurd. Until now.

Revelation brings with it some unique promises:to all who read it, a special grace is given (Revelation 1:3); to all who add anything to the messages, "God will give to him the plagues contained in the book. For all who subtract, God will cut off his share of the tree of life" (Revelation 22:18).

In his book Apocalypse:The Book for Our Times, Father Albert Shamon suggests why this book is so hard to understand. He proposes it was written in such a symbolic manner as to keep hidden the secrets of God from the enemies of God. Enlightenment is needed. Until recently, Revelation has been a sealed book in which readers were given only rare glimpses of eternal truth.

Genesis And Revelation

The Book of Revelation cannot be understood rightly without going back to a passage in Genesis. Here, "the woman" (Eve) is forever cast out of the garden of paradise because of her cooperation with "the serpent," who is punished by being cast to the earth. "And the Lord God said to the serpent:Because thou hast done this thing, thou art cursed among all the cattle, and beasts of the earth:upon thy breast shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed:she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel" (Genesis 3:14-15).

Revelation promises that one day the head of the serpent will be crushed by "the woman" (the "New" Eve, as the Church Fathers would refer to Mary). "The woman" Eve had a decisive role in the fall of mankind, through her disobedience to God and desire to exalt herself. "The woman" Mary has a decisive role in the salvation of mankind, through her obedience to God, Who has "regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed." (Luke 1:48) The fulfillment of GodÕs promise of salvation in Revelation 12 (the Woman clothed with the sun battles the serpent and crushes his head) complements the original promise made in Genesis 3.

The prophecy of Genesis 3 has been fulfilled with Revelation 12, where Mary is the great sign in Heaven:"And a great sign appeared in Heaven:a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars." Pope Paul VI, in his 1967 encyclical, Signum Magnum, identified the Lady of Fatima as the biblical representation of the Woman clothed with the sun.

The Sealing Of The Scroll

"I saw in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne there was a scroll that had writing on the back and on the front and was sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a powerful angel who called out with a loud voice, ÔIs there anyone worthy to open the seals of it?Õ But there was no one, in Heaven or on the earth or under the earth, who was able to open the scroll and read it. I wept bitterly because there was nobody fit to open the scroll and read it, but one of the elders said to me, ÔThere is no need to cry:the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed, and he will open the scroll and the seven seals of itÕ (Revelation 5:1-5).... Then I saw the Lamb break one of the seven seals" (Revelation 6:1-1).

In Chapters six, seven, and eight of Revelation, the seals are broken. The seventh seal in Chapter eight, "was broken and there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour. Next I saw the seven trumpets" (Revelation 8:6), which are various forms of disasters upon the earth. In Chapter eleven, the seventh angel blew his trumpet.

"The nations were seething with rage and now the time has come for your own anger, and for the dead to be judged, and for your servants the prophets, for the saints and for all who worship you, small or great, to be rewarded. The time has come to destroy those who are destroying the earth. The sanctuary of God in Heaven opened, and the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it. Then came flashes of lightning, peals of thunder and an earthquake, and violent hail" (Revelation 11:18-19). "Now a great sign appeared in Heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, standing on the moon, and with the twelve stars on her head for a crown" (Revelation 12:1).

Mary, the Woman clothed with the sun, appears as a sign and explains the secrets of the Book of Revelation. On April 12, 1947, at Tre Fontane (Three Fountains), in Rome, Italy, Our Blessed Mother announced, "I am the Virgin of Revelation."

The Virgin Of Revelation

Announcing herself as the Virgin of Revelation at Tre Fontane, Italy, Mary appeared to Bruno Cornacchiola, a hardened, extremist enemy of the Church, who was plotting to kill the Pope. She was carrying the Sacred Scriptures in her arms. Through this event Bruno experienced a profound conversion and was convinced of his false beliefs concerning Sacred Scripture and the error of his thinking on Our LadyÕs life. He was taught by Our Lady herself the history of her life, from its origin to her glorious assumption into Heaven. Bruno experienced a radical conversion and eventually presented to the Pope the knife that he was to use to kill him.

In recent years, Our Blessed Mother has been interpreting and explaining the Book of Revelation in messages given to the Marian Movement of Priests and to other reported visionaries. In these messages, she speaks of her reasons and mission in making these mysteries understood.

The Woman clothed with the sun explicitly stated her role through Father Gobbi on April 24, 1980:"I am the Virgin of Revelation. In me, the masterpiece of the Father is realized in such a perfect manner, that He can shed on me the light of His predilection. The Word assumes His human nature in my virginal womb, and thus can come to you by means of my true function as Mother. The Holy Spirit draws me, like a magnet, into the depths of the life of love between the Father and the Son, and I become interiorly transformed and so assimilated to Him as to be His spouse....

"I will bring you to the full understanding of Sacred Scripture. Above all, I will read to you the pages of its last book, which you are living. In it, everything is already predicted, even that which must still come to pass. The battle to which I am calling you is clearly described, and my great victory is foretold."

In 1846, Our Blessed Mother at LaSalette described the events foretold in the book of Revelation. In 1917 at Fatima she reiterated what she had said at LaSalette adding certain details. The Blessed Mother foretold many major events that would take place in this century--events that did occur. These events included World War II, the spread of communism throughout the world and the persecution it would inflict upon the Church, ecclesiastical impurity, modernism, the apostasy, and the moral decline of our civilization.

On May 13, 1979, Mary spoke to Father Gobbi about the Woman clothed with the sun in Revelation 12. "I have come from Heaven to reveal to you my plan in this struggle which involves everyone, marshalled together at the orders of two opposing leaders:the Woman clothed with the sun and the Red Dragon.

"I have shown you the road you must take:that of prayer and penance.

"I am now announcing to you that this is the time of the decisive battle. During these years, I myself am intervening, as the Woman clothed with the sun, in order to bring to fulfillment the Triumph of my Immaculate Heart which I have already begun through you, my beloved sons."

I Am Opening For You The Sealed Book

In words given to the Marian Movement of Priests and to other reported visionaries, Our Lady identifies entities, concepts, or institutions in the Apocalypse (the Book of Revelation) as beasts or animals. For instance, the Red Dragon is Marxist atheism, the Black Beast as swift as a leopard is Freemasonry, the beast like a lamb is ecclesiastical Masonry, and the number of the beast is 666. A full and satisfactory explanation is given in detail after centuries of speculation. In these messages, she also states in great detail the true nature of the Book of Revelation. For years the Blessed Mother had been preparing us; starting in the late 1980s, she began to reveal the specific meaning of the verses in the Apocalypse. Several of the more prominent interpretations are briefly given below.

In the October 13, 1988, message of Mary to Father Gobbi Our Blessed Mother spoke of her role as a witness and a precursor to the secrets of Revelation. She stated, "I announce to you that the time of the purification has now reached its culmination and that you are therefore called to live through the most painful moments which have been foretold to you. The Lord is sending me to you that I might bring to fulfillment the task which the Most Holy Trinity has entrusted to me in these times of yours.

"I am opening for you the sealed book, that the secrets contained in it may be revealed. I have gathered you from all sides and you have been formed by me in order to be ready for the great events which are awaiting you. Only in this way are you able to carry out your important mission." 1

The Red Dragon And The Black Beast:

Communism And Freemasonry

On June 29, 1983, Our Blessed Mother through Father Gobbi exposed by name the two institutions that have made significant efforts to destroy the Church:"... The Red Dragon is Marxist atheism, which has now conquered the whole world, and which has induced humanity to build a new civilization of its own, without God. In consequence, the world has become a cold and barren desert, immersed in the ice of hatred and in the darkness of sin and impurity. The Black Beast is also Masonry which has infiltrated the Church and attacks it, wounds it, and seeks by its subtle tactics to demolish it."

The Huge Red Dragon

On May 14, 1989, the Woman clothed with the sun again spoke to Father Gobbi about the vast territory and conquests of the Red Dragon:"The huge Red Dragon is atheistic communism which has spread everywhere the error of the denial and of the obstinate rejection of God. The huge Red Dragon is Marxist atheism, which appears with ten horns, namely with the power of its means of communication, in order to lead humanity to disobey the ten commandments of God, and with seven heads, upon each of which there is a crown, signs of authority and royalty. The crowned heads indicate the nations in which atheistic communism is established and rules with the force of its ideological, political and military power.

"The hugeness of the dragon clearly manifests the vastness of the territory occupied by the uncontested reign of atheistic communism. Its color is red because it uses wars and blood as instruments of its numerous conquests.

"The huge Red Dragon has succeeded during these years in conquering humanity with the error of theoretical and practical atheism, which has now seduced all the nations of the earth. It has thus succeeded in building up for itself a new civilization without God, materialistic, egoistic, hedonistic, arid and cold, which carries within itself the seeds of corruption and of death."

Maximin Giraud the visionary of LaSalette, spoke of the monster (communism) that would arise at the end of the Nineteenth or the beginning of the Twentieth Century. As mentioned in the Marian Movement of Priests message No. 267, the Black Beast is Freemasonry. The topic of Freemasonry is a large and complex subject; few people are aware how deep the roots of this sect actually reach. Freemasonry is perhaps the single greatest secular power on earth today and battles head to head with the things of God on a daily basis. It is a controlling power in the world, operating behind the scenes in banking and politics, and it has effectively infiltrated all religions. Masonry is an elite world-wide secret sect undermining the authority of the Catholic Church with a hidden agenda at the upper levels to destroy the papacy. The papacy remains a target because of the control and influence Rome exerts--something Freemasonry wants.

The messages Mary communicates are not idle talk. The Blessed Mother has stated clearly through Father Gobbi that the transition of power from communism to democratic freedom was a peaceful one in Eastern Europe and Russia because of her intervention. She also has stated that her next target to dismantle is Freemasonry.

The New World Order

Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network has given an account of the secular and religious aspects of this movement toward a one-world government that is nearly unparalleled in scope because of his understanding of both. What is the power that seems to thwart the things of God? Where is it? Who is in control of it now? Will a system of power and authority be put into place without any groundwork being established? Does the enemy have a structure? Will it happen overnight or have foundations been laid? Remember the words of the Blessed Mother and the Scriptures on so many occasions. A frequently repeated message is that Satan is strong and wishes to destroy the work of God and uses many means to achieve that goal. According to Mr. Robertson in his book The New World Order, Freemasonry on both the secular and religious levels has had the greatest negative impact in society today in dismantling that which is of God. Its agenda is control. Mr. Robertson cited as a source the former prime minister of England, Benjamin Disraeli, who once wrote:The world is governed by very different personages than what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes."

Woodrow Wilson, whose principal adviser was a behind-the-scenes operator, said:"There is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive that they better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it." 2

The Beast Like A Leopard:

Secular/Political Freemasonry

In a message dated June 3, 1989, to the Marian Movement of Priests, Mary said how subtle and pervasive this force is in the world today:"If the Red Dragon is Marxist atheism, the black beast is Freemasonry. The Dragon manifests himself in the force of his power; the black beast on the other hand acts in the shadow, keeps out of sight and hides himself in such a way as to enter everywhere. He has the claws of a bear and the mouth of a lion, because he works everywhere with cunning and with the means of social communication, that is to say, through propaganda. The seven heads indicate the various Masonic lodges, which act everywhere in a subtle and dangerous way.

"This Black Beast has ten horns and, on the horns, ten crowns, which are signs of dominion and royalty. Masonry rules and governs throughout the whole world by means of the ten horns. The horn, in the biblical world, has always been an instrument of amplification, a way of making oneÕs voice better heard, a strong means of communication. For this reason, God communicated His will to His people by means of ten horns which made His law known:the Ten Commandments. The one who accepts them and observes them walks in life along the road of the divine will, of joy and of peace.

"The task of the Black Beast, namely of Masonry, is that of fighting, in a subtle way, but tenaciously, to obstruct souls from traveling along this way, pointed out by the Father and the Son and lit up by the gifts of the Spirit. In fact if the Red Dragon works to bring all humanity to do without God, to the denial of God, and therefore spreads the error of atheism, the aim of Masonry is not to deny God, but to blaspheme Him.... This is why in these times, behind the perverse action of Freemasonry, there are being spread everywhere black masses and the satanic cult. Moreover Masonry acts, by every means, to prevent souls from being saved and thus it endeavors to bring to nothing the redemption accomplished by Christ....

"The task of the Masonic lodges is that of working today, with great astuteness, to bring humanity everywhere to disdain the holy law of God, to work in open opposition to the Ten Commandments, and to take away the worship due to God alone in order to offer it to certain false idols which become extolled and adored by an ever-increasing number of people:reason, flesh, money, discord, domination, violence, pleasure....

"Now you understand how, in these times, against the terrible and insidious attack of the Black Beast, namely of Masonry, my Immaculate Heart becomes your refuge and the sure road which brings you to God. In my Immaculate Heart there is delineated the tactic made use of by your heavenly Mother, to fight back against and to defeat the subtle plot made use of by the Black Beast."

The Beast Like A Lamb: Ecclesiastical Masonry

On June 13, 1989, immediately after giving a tutorial on political Masonry, the Blessed Mother offered insight to the Marian Movement of Priests into ecclesiastical Masonry and its power on earth:"There comes out of the earth by way of aid to the black beast which arises out of the sea, a beast which has two horns like those of a lamb.... To the symbol of the sacrifice there is intimately connected that of the priesthood:the two horns. The high priest of the Old Testament wore a headpiece with two horns. The bishops of the Church wear the miter--with two horns--to indicate the fullness of their priesthood.

"The Black Beast like a leopard indicates Freemasonry; the beast with the two horns like a lamb indicates Freemasonry infiltrated into the interior of the Church, that is to say, Ecclesiastical Masonry, which has spread especially among the members of the hierarchy. This Masonic infiltration, in the interior of the Church, was already foretold to you by me at Fatima, when I announced to you that Satan would enter in even to the summit of the Church. If the task of Masonry is to lead souls to perdition, bringing them to the worship of false divinities, the task of Ecclesiastical Masonry on the other hand is that of destroying Christ and his Church, building a new idol, namely a false christ and a false church."

The writings and visions of Blessed Sister Anna-Katarina Emmerick, an Augustinian nun in the 1800s who bore the stigmata of Our Lord and spent a life of suffering, offer prophetic insight. Sister Emmerick wrote on May 13, 1820:"Once more I saw that the Church of Peter was undermined by a plan evolved by the secret sect [Masonry], while storms were damaging it. But I saw also that help was coming when distress had reached its peak. I saw again the Blessed Virgin ascend on the Church and spread her mantle [over it]. I saw a Pope who was at once gentle, and very firm.... I saw a great renewal, and the Church rose high in the sky."

Sister Emmerick saw other visions between August and October 1820. She continued, "I see more martyrs, not now but in the future.... I saw the secret sect relentlessly undermining the great Church. Near them I saw a horrible beast coming up from the sea. All over the world, good and devout people, especially the clergy, were harassed, oppressed, and put into prison. I had the feeling that they would become martyrs one day."

"When the Church had been for the most part destroyed [by the secret sect], and when only the sanctuary and altar were still standing, I saw the wreckers enter the Church with the Beast. There, they met a Woman of noble carriage who seemed to be with child because she walked slowly. At this sight, the enemies were terrorized, and the Beast could not take but another step forward. It projected its neck towards the Woman as if to devour her, but the Woman turned about and bowed down [towards the Altar], her head touching the ground. Thereupon I saw the Beast taking to flight towards the sea again and the enemies were fleeing in the greatest confusion. Then, I saw in the distance great legions approaching. In the foreground I saw a man on a white horse. Prisoners were set free and joined them. All the enemies were pursued. Then, I saw that the Church was being promptly rebuilt, and she was more magnificent than ever before"

The Number Of The Beast:666

In the following words from Our Blessed Mother through Father Gobbi on June 17, 1989, she told how Satan has led mankind away from the true Church through numerous religious revolutions; revolutions that will continue until Satan finally appears in human form. Our Lady also explained why the Book of Revelation associates the Antichrist with the number 666. Below are insights into what may be the greatest historic riddle of them all:

"In the thirteenth chapter of the Apocalypse it is written, ÔThis calls for wisdom. Let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast:it represents a human name. And the number in question is 666 (six hundred and sixty-six).Õ With intelligence, illumined by the light of divine Wisdom, one can succeed in deciphering from the number, 666, the name of a man and this name, indicated by such a number, is that of the Antichrist.

"Lucifer, the ancient serpent, the devil or Satan, the Red Dragon, becomes, in these last times, the Antichrist. The Apostle John already affirmed that whoever denies that Jesus Christ is God, that person is the Antichrist. The statue or idol, built in honor of the beast to be adored by all men, is the Antichrist.

"Calculate now its number, 666, to understand how it indicates the name of a man. The number, 333, indicates the divinity. Lucifer rebels against God through pride, because he wants to put himself above God. 333 is the number which indicates the mystery of God. He who wants to put himself above God bears the sign 666, and consequently this number indicates the name of Lucifer, Satan, that is to say, of him who sets himself against Christ, of the Antichrist.

"333 indicated once, that is to say, for the first time, expresses the mystery of the unity of God. 333 indicated twice, that is to say, for the second time, indicates the two natures, that of the divine and the human, united in the divine person of Jesus Christ. 333 indicated thrice, that is to say, for the third time, indicates the mystery of the Three Divine persons, it expresses the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Thus the number, 333, expressed one, two and three times, expresses the principal mysteries of the Catholic faith, which are:(1) the Unity and the Trinity of God, (2) the incarnation, the Passion and death, and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"If 333 is the number which indicates divinity, he who wants to put himself above God himself is referred to by the number 666.

"666 indicated once, that is to say, for the first time, expresses the year 666, six hundred and sixty-six. In this period of history, the Antichrist is manifested through the phenomenon of Islam, which directly denies the mystery of the divine Trinity and the divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Islam, with its military force, breaks loose everywhere, destroying all the ancient Christian communities, and invades Europe and it is only through my extraordinary motherly intervention, begged for powerfully by the Holy Father, that it does not succeed in destroying Christianity completely.

"666 indicated twice, that is to say, for the second time, expresses the year 1332, thirteen hundred and thirty-two. In this period of history, the Antichrist is manifested through a radical attack on the faith in the word of God. Through the philosophers who begin to give exclusive value to science and then to reason, there is a gradual tendency to constitute human intelligence alone as the sole criterion of truth. There comes to birth the great philosophical errors which continue through the centuries down to your days. The exaggerated importance given to reason, as an exclusive criterion of truth, necessarily leads to the destruction of the faith in the word of God.

"Indeed, with the protestant Reformation, Tradition is rejected as a source of divine revelation, and only Sacred Scripture is accepted. But even this must be interpreted by means of the reason, and the authentic Magisterium of the hierarchical Church, to which Christ has entrusted the guardianship of the deposit of faith, is obstinately rejected. Each one is free to read and to understand Sacred Scripture according to oneÕs personal interpretation. In this way, faith in the word of God is destroyed. The work of the Antichrist, in this period of history, is the division of the Church and the consequent formation of new and numerous Christian confessions which gradually become driven to a more and more extensive loss of the true faith in the word of God.

"666 indicated thrice, that is to say, for the third time, expresses the year 1998, nineteen hundred and ninety-eight. In this period of history, Freemasonry, assisted by its ecclesiastical form, will succeed in its great design:that of setting up an idol to put in the place of Christ and of his Church. A false christ and a false church. Consequently, the statue built in honor of the first beast, to be adored by all the inhabitants of the earth and which will seal with its mark all those who want to buy or sell, is that of the Antichrist.

"You have thus arrived at the peak of the purification, of the great tribulation and of the apostasy. The apostasy will be, as of then, generalized because almost all will follow the false christ and the false church. Then the door will be open for the appearance of the man or of the very person of the Antichrist!

"...Take courage! Be strong, my little children. To you befalls the duty, in these difficult years, of remaining faithful to Christ and to His Church, putting up with hostility, struggle and persecution. But you are a precious part of the little flock, which has the task of fighting against, and in the end of conquering, the powerful force of the Antichrist."

At LaSalette in 1846 Our Blessed Mother predicted, "Rome will lose the faith and become the seat of Antichrist, the Church will be in eclipse...."

A Crown Of Twelve Stars

A title is given to the Blessed Mother as Mother and Queen of all the Church. On December 8, 1989, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Our Blessed Mother gave Father Gobbi another message about her role as the Woman clothed with the sun and her role in waging the battle against the serpent.

"...At the end, I am seen as the Woman Clothed with the Sun, who has the task of fighting against the Red Dragon and his powerful army, to conquer him, to bind him and to drive him away into his kingdom of death, that Christ alone may reign over the world. Behold me, then, presented by Sacred Scripture in the splendor of my maternal royalty:ÔAnd another sign appeared in the heavens:a Woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

"About my head there is therefore a crown of twelve stars. The crown is the sign of royalty. It is composed of twelve stars because it becomes the symbol of my maternal and royal presence in the very heart of the people of God.

"The twelve stars represent the twelve tribes of Israel, which compose the chosen people, selected and called by the Lord to prepare for the coming into the world of the Son of God, the Redeemer. Because I am called to become the Mother of the Messiah, my purpose is that of being the fulfillment of the promises, the virginal shoot, the honor and the glory of all the people of Israel....

"The twelve stars also signify the twelve apostles, who are the foundation upon which Christ has founded His Church. I was often with them, to encourage them to follow and to believe in Jesus, during the three years of His public mission. In their place, together with John, I stood beneath the Cross at the moment of the crucifixion, of the agony and of the death of my Son Jesus.

"I Am Mother And Queen Of All The Church.

"...The twelve stars also signify a new reality. Indeed the Apocalypse sees me as a great sign in Heaven:the Woman clothed with the sun who does battle with the dragon and his powerful army of evil. And so the stars about my head indicate those who consecrate themselves to my Immaculate Heart; who form part of my victorious army; and who allow themselves to be guided by me in order to fight this battle and to attain in the end our greatest victory....

"The twelve stars, which form the luminous crown of my maternal royalty, are made up of the tribes of Israel, of the apostles and of the apostles of these last times of yours."

The Mark On The Forehead And Hand

The Book of the Apocalypse describes a mark on the hand or forehead that will be imprinted on those that follow the beast:

"Then I saw another angel flying high overhead, with everlasting good news to announce to those who dwell on earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. He said in aloud voice, ÔFear God and give Him glory, for His time has come to sit in judgment. Worship Him who made Heaven and earth and sea and springs of water.Õ A second angel followed, saying:ÔFallen, fallen is Babylon the great, that made all the nations drink the wine of her licentious passion.Õ

"A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice, ÔAnyone who worships the beast or its image, or accepts its mark on forehead or hand, you will also drink the wine of GodÕs fury, poured full strength into the cup of His wrath, and will be tormented in burning sulfur before the holy angels and before the Lamb. The smoke of the fire that torments them will rise forever and ever, and there will be no relief day or night for those who worship the nameÕ." (Revelation 14:6-11).

In a related message, Our Lady explained more about a sign on the foreheads of the faithful. In this apparition, Our Lady appeared to Matous Losuta, a forester in the village of Turzovka, Czechoslovakia, in 1958. For his faith, Matous was imprisoned for three years by the communist authorities. Mary has told Matous, "All my children will receive and carry the sign of the cross on their foreheads. This sign only my chosen ones will see. These chosen ones will be instructed by my angels how to conduct themselves. My faithful will be without any kind of fear during the most difficult hours. They will be protected by the good spirits and will be fed by Heaven from where they will receive further instructions. They will fall into a deathlike sleep, but they will be protected by angels. When they awake they will be like those newly born. Their bodies will be beautiful and their souls will be steeped in God. The earth will be beautiful and my chosen ones will see how God takes care of them." 3

In a message dated September 8, 1989, to the Marian Movement of Priests, Mary further explained the Mark of the Beast:"Allow yourselves to be nourished and formed by me; allow yourselves to be led by me with docility; allow yourselves to be signed by me with my motherly seal. These are the times when the followers of him who opposes himself to Christ are being signed with his mark on the forehead and on the hand.

"The mark on the forehead and on the hand is an expression of a total dependency on the part of those who are designated by this sign. The sign indicates him who is an enemy of Christ, that is to say, the sign of the Antichrist. And his mark, which is stamped, signifies the complete belonging of the person thus marked to the army of him who is opposed to Christ and who fights against His divine and royal dominion.

"The mark is imprinted on the forehead and on the hand. The forehead indicates the intellect, because the mind is the seat of the human reason. The hand expresses human activity, because it is with his hands that man acts and works.

"Nevertheless it is the person who is marked with the mark of the Antichrist in his intellect and in his will. He who allows himself to be signed with the mark on his forehead is led to accept the doctrine of the denial of God, of the rejection of His law, and of atheism which, in these times, is more and more diffused and advertised. And thus he is driven to follow the ideologies in mode today and to make of himself a propagator of all the errors.

"He who allows himself to be signed with the mark on his hand is obliged to act in an autonomous manner and independently of God, ordering his own activities to the quest of a purely material and terrestrial good. Thus he withdraws his action from the design of the Father, who wants to illumine it and sustain it by His divine providence; from the love of the Son who makes human toil a precious means for one's own redemption and sanctification; from the power of the Spirit who acts everywhere to interiorly renew every creature.

"He who is signed with the mark on his hand works for himself alone, to accumulate material goods, to make money his god and he becomes a victim of materialism.

"He who is signed with the mark on his hand works solely for the gratification of his own senses, for the quest of well-being and pleasure, for the granting of full satisfaction to all his passions, especially that of impurity, and he becomes a victim of hedonism.

"He who is signed with the mark on his hand makes of his own self the center of all his actions, looks upon others as objects to be used and to be exploited for his own advantage and he becomes a victim of unbridled egoism and of lovelessness.

"If my Adversary is signing, with his mark, all his followers, the time has come when I also, your heavenly Leader, am signing, with my motherly seal, all those who have consecrated themselves to my Immaculate Heart and have formed part of my army."

And so a different perspective is seen which has not been understood previously. The devil and the Blessed Mother both sign all they call their own.

The people of God are being given adequate time to build an ark in preparation for the next "deluge" that will once again be sent to chastise the earth. This time the deluge will not be by a flood but by fire. Heaven's pattern is often to give information on a "need-to-know basis" and will usually give only little bits at a time. One source of information, Father Gobbi, has been speaking to us through the Marian Movement of Priests since 1973, offering guidance for our day.

We must listen to such visionaries if we expect to understand the times in which we are living.

7 "Why Am I Weeping"

Mary went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw Him she threw herself at His feet, saying, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." At the sight of her tears, and those of the Jews who followed her, Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came from the heart, "Where have you put him?" They said, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept; and the Jews said, "See how much He loved him!"

John 11:32-36

The question must be asked, "Why are there tears?" Why does Mary weep? Throughout the world statues weep, icons emit a fragrance of perfume and roses, and the critical question continues to go unasked. Why is this phenomena taking place?

Besides the growing number of Marian apparitions, other miraculous phenomena are multiplying as well. From all across the world come reports of statues of Mary weeping, weeping for the sins of the world and for the disasters that appear to be ahead of us. Most recently, reports are that Mary has begun weeping tears of blood as a sign of the impending chastisement. As Jesus wept tears of blood in the Garden of Olives before His crucifixion, so too statues around the world are now turning from tears of water to tears of blood. A message is being sent.

Our Lady's message to Father Gobbi on July 13, 1973, "The Reason for My Tears," was her fourth message to him. The theme of tears has continued through the years, reaching a higher degree of urgency. Her tears are frequent, to help her children understand the days in which we are living.

Mary stated, "The reason for my tears, for a mother's tears, is my children who, in great numbers, live unmindful of God, immersed in the pleasures of the flesh, and are hastening irreparably to their perdition. For many of these my tears have fallen in the midst of indifference and have fallen in vain. Above all the cause of my weeping is the priests:those beloved sons, the apple of my eye, these consecrated sons of mine. Do you see how they no longer love me? How they no longer want me? Do you see how they no longer listen to the words of my Son?"

Mary further explained through Father Gobbi why her tears continue:

Why Am I Still Weeping?

"Why am I still weeping? I am weeping because humanity is not accepting my motherly invitation to conversion and to its return to the Lord. It is continuing to run with obstinacy along the road of rebellion against God and against His law of love. The Lord is openly denied, outraged and blasphemed. Your heavenly Mother is publicly despised and held up for ridicule. My extraordinary requests are not being accepted; the signs of my immense sorrow which I am giving are not believed in. Your neighbor is not loved; every day attacks are made upon his life and his goods..."

My Heart Is Bleeding

Mary spoke again through Father Gobbi on September 6, 1986, bringing the message to another level of urgency:"I am your most sorrowful Mother. Again today, I am causing copious tears to fall from my merciful eyes. They want to make you understand how great the sorrow of the Immaculate Heart of your heavenly Mother is. My heart is bleeding. My heart is transfixed with deep wounds. My heart is immersed in a sea of sorrow.

"You live unconscious of the fate which is awaiting you. You are spending your days in a state of unawareness, of indifference and of complete incredulity. How is this possible when I, in so many ways and with extraordinary signs, have warned you of the danger into which you are running and have foretold you of the bloody ordeal which is just about to take place? Because this humanity has not accepted my repeated call to conversion, to repentance, and to a return to God, there is about to fall upon it the greatest chastisement which the history of mankind has ever known. It is a chastisement much greater than that of the flood. Fire will fall from Heaven and a great part of humanity will be destroyed. The Church of Jesus is wounded with the pernicious plague of infidelity and apostasy. In appearance, everything remains calm and it seems that all is going well. In reality, she is being pervaded with an ever widening lack of faith which is spreading the great apostasy everywhere. Many bishops, priests, religious and faithful no longer believe and have already lost the true faith in Jesus and in His Gospel. For this reason, the Church must be purified, with persecution and with blood....

"Sin is being committed more and more, it is no longer acknowledged as an evil, it is sought out, it is consciously willed and it is no longer confessed. Impurity and lewdness cover the homes built by your rebellion. This is the reason why my heart is bleeding:because of the obstinate disbelief and the hardness of your hearts."

Before 2000?

The words of Christina Gallagher echo those Our Lady spoke to other visionaries. "The chastisement has to come, to cleanse not only the world, but the Church, because the darkness is even in the Church," said Mrs. Gallagher. She believes that everything she has been shown or told about will be accomplished before the year 2000.

Our Blessed Mother has said:"My child, pray, pray, pray! You do not know the dreadful times which lie ahead for my children! Oh my little ones, there are dreadful times ahead of you, in battle! So many of my children will be destroyed and lost! The justice of God is unthinkable! Oh, my heart weeps blood for my children, who do not listen, and continue in their sinful ways! The angels and saints cry out to God to purify the world! My child, be not afraid, my peace be with you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit." 1

The Plea From A Mother's Heart

The Blessed Mother told a young mother living in the midwestern United States the reasons for her tears. The woman receiving the locutions has sought anonymity to protect the privacy of family life. She uses the pseudonym "Mariamante."

The Blessed Mother told her:"I am speaking directly to your soul. This is by no ordinary means. Although God has given me this power, I have seldom used it in the past as it was not necessary in a more pious age when the Church was revered. Sadly, this is now not the case. This is why I must employ other means to speak to my children."

The Blessed Mother said to her on February 22, 1987:"God has given me the power to touch the hardest of hearts. Indeed, it has always been this way down through the ages. However, it is ever so urgent now that I must employ extraordinary means by which to reach my children so hardened by sin.... O, how I wish that I could persuade all my priest sons to return to their rosaries, but so many have become hardened in sin, it grieves me. They have forgotten how to pray. I plead with them from a mother's heart to return to prayer. This alone will save them. See my tears. I cry for their souls once so spotless and pure and now defiled by sin. Purity and humility, obedience and poverty, prayer and penance--this will lead them back to my Son Who also loves them so."

Rosa Mystica

Rosa Mystica (Mystical Rose) statues have been reported weeping tears as well as blood. Over eighty of these events have been witnessed and reported to the Vatican.

In 1947, the Blessed Virgin appeared to Pierina Gilli of Italy. Our Lady was sad, and her tears fell to the floor. Her breast was pierced by three swords. Our Lady said, "Prayer, Penance, and Expiation" and then was silent. On the second apparition, instead of swords piercing her breast, she had three roses:one white, one red, and one gold. Our Blessed Mother told Pierina that the first sword signified the loss of vocations. The second sword was for the priests, monks, and nuns who live in mortal sin. The third sword was for the priests and monks who commit the treason of Judas, meaning those who give up their vocation and often their faith and become enemies of the Church. The white rose is the spirit of prayer, the red rose is the spirit of expiation and sacrifice, and the gold or yellow rose is the spirit of penance. Additional apparitions displayed the displeasure of Heaven with those who sin against holy purity. 2

The books and statues of the Rosa Mystica apparitions have been extremely popular with the laity and clergy. The messages to Pierina Gilli from Our Lady about the priesthood seem quite prophetic in light of recent scandals with some clergy and the sexual molestation of children. Our Lady had emphasized the necessity for prayers and holy purity for religious.

Father James Bruse

Father James Bruse of Lake Ridge, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., is only the third priest in the history of the Roman Catholic Church to have the stigmata, the five wounds of Christ. (The other two priests were Padre Pio, who died in 1968 and Father Gino, who is currently living in Italy.) Legend has it that Saint Paul also had the stigmata. Father Bruse has received international media attention, including a U.S. News and World Report cover story on March 25, 1993, for the stigmata and various phenomena such as statues weeping, bleeding, and changing colors in his presence.

Since Christmas 1991, statues around Father Bruse have been weeping, bleeding, and changing colors. One of these statues at his rectory at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, wept blood; another statue of Our Lady of Fatima wept tears. The first statue that began weeping was Our Lady of Grace, a statue that belonged to Father Bruse's family. Two, thirty-six inch hand carved Medjugorje statues obtained by Signs of the Times, Sterling, Virginia, as Pilgrim statues were brought to Father Bruse to be blessed for their mission. One of these Medjugorje statues was blessed in April 1992 and wept for three hours in front of hundreds of people at Saint Elizabeth Anne Seton Church. This statue is now being sent over the east coast of the United States visiting various parishes. It has wept four times during the course of its journey. The second Medjugorje statue was blessed by Father Bruse in May 1992, and this too has wept. This pilgrim statue is also traveling on the west coast, and there have been stories of conversions and healings wherever the statue goes.

Father Bruse feels that these phenomena of the stigmata, conversions, healings and the weeping statues are real but are pointing to Christ. He said:"Christ is the real power behind all these phenomena. Christ is preparing us for the Kingdom of God." Of course, this has always been the mission of His Church, "but perhaps Christ is preparing us more quickly; saying 'be prepared,' but shouting it out now. It's as if Christ is saying 'wake up! Let's get moving on our spirituality.' I believe it's building up to something big...."

Father Bruse noted the extreme rapidity and depth of the conversions taking place:"Something that would normally have taken place over a lifetime is taking place, for many thousands of people, over a short period of time. Along with the conversions, many healings also have been taking place. There have been reports of healings of cancer and other diseases. The most important changes, however, have been the changed lives, the inner conversions." 3

Father Bruse is presently under investigation by the Church authorities in his diocese.

8 LaSalette: Satan in the World

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority l will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if you will worship before me, all will be Yours." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind me Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.'"

Luke 4:5-8

To Destroy The Work Of God

In trying to understand the role of Satan in the world today, we must ask ourselves that if the devil will tempt Jesus Christ Himself, and offer power, authority, and the wealth that accompany the worship of Satan, what is he capable of doing to us who are not as familiar with the strategies that have been used for thousands of years? We must humbly yet firmly rely on the wisdom of the ages and messages from Heaven that are applicable to the times in which we live if we expect to combat the evil in our midst.

One must remember at the very outset that the full attainment of the prize of eternal life is not achieved here on this earth. God's system of government is the Church, and man's system is power, Masonic lodges, wealth, avarice, and unjust governments. Who runs these places at the highest levels? Often times it is not the people of God. Ultimately the battle is of good versus evil, with the wars being waged for the hearts, minds, and souls of men.

The role of Satan in the world today is what it has always been. His sole mission is to destroy the work of God and that which is good. Prophets and apparitions warn us of his tactics. Words and phrases describing him include:seducer, evil one, snake, and an endless litany of foul things not of God. There is no good in him. However, the modern world has trivialized him as a harmless caricature with horns and a pitchfork rather than as the great destructive force he really is. His greatest source of power and comfort is that many believe that he does not exist.

Saint Paul speaks of arming ourselves for the spiritual world in which we live. "Put God's armor on so as to be able to resist the devil's tactics. For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the sovereignties and the powers who originate the darkness in this world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens" (Ephesians 6:10-11).

Warnings About The Evil One

Our Lady gave this message to Maria Pavlovic, a visionary in Medjugorje, on September 25, 1992:"Today I also wish to tell you:I am with you also in these restless days in which Satan wishes to destroy everything which I and my son Jesus are building up. In a special way he wishes to destroy your souls. He wishes to guide you as far away as possible from Christian life as well as from the Commandments, to which the Church is calling you so you may live them. Satan wishes to destroy everything which is holy in you and around you. Therefore, little children, pray, pray, pray, in order to be able to comprehend all which God is giving you through my comings." 1

On January 25, 1991, the Blessed Mother spoke at Medjugorje of Satan's evil plan:"Satan is strong and wishes to destroy not only human life but also nature and the planet on which you live...."

On October 7, 1983, Mary said to Father Gobbi:"Today, Satan is successfully conquering everything with the spirit of pride and rebellion against God, and he is terrified by those who follow your heavenly mother along the road of littleness and humility."

On June 7, 1986 to Father Gobbi, Mary spoke of Satan's effectiveness:"There are evils of a social order, such as divisions and hatred, famine and poverty, exploitation and slavery, violence, terrorism and war. To be protected from all these evils, I invite you to place yourselves under shelter in the safe refuge of my Immaculate Heart. But, in these times, you have need above all of being defended from the terrible snares of my Adversary, who has succeeded in establishing his reign in the world. It is the reign which is opposed to Christ; it is the reign of the Antichrist. In this last part of your century, this reign of his will reach the peak of its strength, of its power, of its great seduction. The hour is in preparation when the man of iniquity, who wants to put himself in the place of God to have himself adored as God, is about to manifest himself in all his power."

Saint Louis de Montfort addressed the conflicting roles of Heaven and hell:"What Lucifer has lost by pride, Mary has gained by humility. What Eve has damned and lost by disobedience, Mary has saved by obedience. Eve, in obeying the serpent, has destroyed all her children together with herself, and has delivered them to him [Satan]; Mary, in being perfectly faithful to God, has saved all her children and servants together with herself, and has consecrated them to His Majesty." 2

The Warning Of LaSalette, France

Our Blessed Mother's message of September 19, 1846, given at LaSalette, France, is seldom mentioned. It was given to two children, Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud, during an apparition that was approved by the Church in 1851. Its message has been overlooked to the present day, partly because after the apparition several different versions of the secret were circulated and determining the authentic message was difficult. The version from which we quote here is generally believed to be the most authentic and is awe-inspiring in its prophetic and predictive power. 3

The message was not only for France but for the Church and the whole world. The message tells of future world events in great detail; it has great relevance for our times. The message is stated in its entirety because of its importance in our day. The apostasy we are now living was all foretold at LaSalette. The message at LaSalette helps explain why the devil has so much dominion and power in our world today, although Mary says he is now losing power.

"Melanie, what I am about to tell you now will not always be a secret. You may make it public in 1858.

"The priests, ministers of my Son, the priests, by their wicked lives, by their irreverence and their impiety in the celebration of the holy mysteries, by their love of money, their love of honors and pleasures, the priests have become cesspools of impurity. Yes, the priests are asking for vengeance, and vengeance is hanging over their heads. Woe to the priests and to those dedicated to God who by their unfaithfulness and their wicked lives are crucifying my Son again! The sins of those dedicated to God cry out towards Heaven and call for vengeance, and now vengeance is at their door, for there is no one left to beg mercy and forgiveness for the people. There are no more generous souls, there is no one left worthy of offering a stainless sacrifice to the Eternal God for the sake of the world.

"God will strike in an unprecedented way. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! God will exhaust His wrath upon them, and no one will be able to escape so many afflictions together. The chiefs, the leaders of the people of God have neglected prayer and penance, and the devil has bedimmed their intelligence. They have become wandering stars which the old devil will drag along with his tail to make them perish. God will allow the old serpent to cause divisions among those who reign in every society and in every family. Physical and moral agonies will be suffered. God will abandon mankind to itself and will send punishments which will follow one after the other for more than thirty-five years.

"The society of men is on the eve of the most terrible scourges and of gravest events. Mankind must expect to be ruled with an iron rod and to drink from the chalice of the wrath of God. May the curate of my Son, Pope Pius IX, never leave Rome again after 1859; may he, however, be steadfast and noble, may he fight with the weapons of faith and love. I will be at his side. May he be on his guard against Napoleon:he is two-faced, and when he wishes to make himself Pope as well as Emperor, God will soon draw back from him. He is the master-mind who, always wanting to ascend further, will fall on the sword he wished to use to force his people to be raised up.

"Italy will be punished for her ambition in wanting to shake off the yoke of the Lord of Lords. And so she will be left to fight a war; blood will flow on all sides. Churches will be locked up or desecrated. Priests and religious orders will be hunted down, and made to die a cruel death. Several will abandon the faith, and a great number of priests and members of religious orders will break away from the true religion; among these people there will even be bishops.

"May the Pope guard against the performers of miracles. For the time has come when the most astonishing wonders will take place on the earth and in the air.

"In the year 1864, Lucifer together with a large number of demons will be unloosed from hell; they will put an end to faith little by little, even in those dedicated to God. They will blind them in such a way, that, unless they are blessed with a special grace, these people will take on the spirit of these angels of hell; several religious institutions will lose all faith and will lose many souls.

"Evil books will be abundant on earth and the spirits of darkness will spread everywhere a universal slackening in all that concerns the service of God. They will have great power over nature:there will be churches built to serve these spirits. People will be transported from one place to another by these evil spirits, even priests, for they will not have been guided by the good spirit of the Gospel, which is a spirit of humility, charity and zeal for the glory of God. On occasions, the dead and the righteous will be brought back to life. (That is to say that these dead will take on the form of righteous souls which had lived on earth, in order to lead men further astray; these so-called resurrected dead, who will be nothing but the devil in this form, will preach another gospel contrary to that of the true Christ Jesus, denying the existence of Heaven; that is also to say, the souls of the damned. All these souls will appear as if fixed to their bodies).

"...The Vicar of my Son will suffer a great deal, because for a while the Church will yield to large persecution, a time of darkness, and the Church will witness a frightful crisis. The true faith of the Lord having been forgotten, each individual will want to be on his own and be superior to people of the same identity. They will abolish civil rights as well as ecclesiastical, all order and all justice would be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy, lies and dissension would be seen without love for country or family.

"The Holy Father will suffer a great deal. I will be with him until the end and receive his sacrifice. [Note:Father Gobbi uses this exact term to indicate the present Pope, John Paul II.] The mischievous would attempt his life several times to do harm and shorten his days but neither he nor his successor will see the triumph of the Church of God.

"All the civil governments will have one and the same plan, which will be to abolish and do away with every religious principle, to make way for materialism, atheism, spiritualism and vice of all kinds. In the year 1865, there will be desecration of holy places. In convents, the devil will make himself like the king of all hearts. May those in charge of religious communities be on their guard against the people they must receive, for the devil will resort to all his evil tricks to introduce sinners in to religious orders, for disorder and the love of carnal pleasures will be spread all over the earth.

"...France, Italy, Spain and England will be at war. Blood will flow in the streets. Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian. A general war will follow which will be appalling. For a time, God will cease to remember France and Italy because the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been forgotten. The wicked will make use of all their evil ways. Men will kill each other, massacre each other even in their homes. At the first blow of His thundering sword, the mountains and all nature will tremble in terror, for the disorders and crimes of men have pierced the vault of the heavens. Paris will burn and Marseille will be engulfed. Several cities will be shaken down and swallowed up by earthquakes. People will believe that all is lost. Nothing will be seen but murder, nothing will be heard but the clash of arms and blasphemy.

"The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God's people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession. And then Jesus Christ, in an act of His justice and His great mercy will command His angels to have all His enemies put to death. Suddenly, the persecutors of the Church of Jesus Christ and all those given over to sin will perish and the earth will become desert-like. And then peace will be made, and man will be reconciled with God. Jesus Christ will be served, worshipped, and glorified. Charity will flourish everywhere. The new kings will be the right arm of the holy Church, which will be strong, humble, pious, poor but fervent in its imitation of the virtues of Jesus Christ. The Gospel will be preached everywhere and mankind will make great progress in its faith, for there will be unity among the workers of Jesus Christ and man will live in fear of God.

"This peace among men will be short-lived. Twenty-five years of plentiful harvests will make them forget that the sins of men are the cause of all the troubles on this earth. A forerunner of the Antichrist, with his troops gathered from several nations, will fight against the true Christ, the only Saviour of the world. He will shed much blood and will want to annihilate the worship of God to make himself be looked upon as a God.

"The earth will be struck by calamities of all kinds (in addition to plague and famine which will be widespread). There will be a series of wars until the last war, which will then be fought by the ten kings of the Antichrist, all of whom will have one and the same plan and will be the only rulers of the world. Before this comes to pass, there will be a kind of false peace in the world. People will think of nothing but amusement. The wicked will give themselves over to all kinds of sin. But the children of the holy Church, the children of my faith, my true followers, they will grow in their love for God and in all the virtues most precious to me. Blessed are the souls humbly guided by the Holy Spirit! I shall fight at their side until they reach a fullness of years.

"Nature is asking for vengeance because of man, and she trembles with dread at what must happen to the earth stained with crime. Tremble, earth, and you who proclaim yourselves as serving Jesus Christ and who, on the inside, only adore yourselves, tremble, for God will hand you over to His enemy because the holy places are in a state of corruption.... It will be during this time that the Antichrist will be born of a Hebrew nun, a false virgin who will communicate with the old serpent, the master of impurity, his father will be B. At birth, he will spew out blasphemy; he will have teeth, in a word, he will be the devil incarnate. He will scream horribly, he will perform wonders, he will feed on nothing but impurity. He will have brothers who, although not devils incarnate like him, will be children of evil. At the age of twelve, they will draw attention upon themselves by the gallant victories they will have won; soon they will each lead armies, aided by the legions of hell.

"The seasons will be altered, the earth will produce nothing but bad fruit, the stars will lose their regular motion, the moon will only reflect a faint reddish glow. Water and fire will give the earth's globe convulsions and terrible earthquakes which will swallow up mountains, cities.... Rome will lose the faith and become the seat of the Antichrist.

"The demons of the air together with the Antichrist will perform great wonders on earth and in the atmosphere, and men will become more and more perverted. God will take care of his faithful servants and men of good will. The Gospel will be preached everywhere, and all peoples of all nations will get to know the truth.

"I make an urgent appeal to the earth. I call on the true disciples of the living God who reigns in Heaven; I call on the true followers of Christ made man, the only true Savior of men; I call on my children, the true faithful, those who have given themselves to me so that I may lead them to my divine Son.... Finally, I call on the Apostles of the Last Days, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ who have lived in scorn for the world and for themselves, in poverty and in humility, in scorn and in silence, in prayer and in mortification, in chastity and in union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It is time they came out and filled the world with light. Go and reveal yourselves to be my cherished children. I am at your side and within you, provided that your faith is the light which shines upon you in these unhappy days. May your zeal make you famished for the glory and the honor of Jesus Christ. Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends.

"The Church will be in eclipse, the world will be in dismay. But now Enoch and Eli will come, filled with the Spirit of God. They will preach with the might of God, and men of good will believe in God, and many souls will be comforted. They will make great steps forward through the virtue of the Holy Spirit and will condemn the devilish lapses of the Antichrist. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! There will be bloody wars and famines, plagues and infectious diseases. It will rain with a fearful hail of animals. There will be thunderstorms which will shake cities, earthquakes which will swallow up countries. Voices will be heard in the air. Men will beat their heads against walls, call for their death, and on another side death will be their torment. Blood will flow on all sides. Who will be the victor if God does not shorten the length of the test? All the blood, the tears and the prayers of the righteous, God will relent. Enoch and Eli will be put to death. Pagan Rome will disappear. The fire of Heaven will fall and consume three cities. All the universe will be struck with terror and many will let themselves be led astray because they have not worshipped the true Christ who lives among them. It is time; the sun is darkening; only faith will survive.

"...Now is the time; the abyss is opening. Here is the king of kings of darkness, here is the Beast with his subjects, calling himself the Savior of the world. He will rise proudly into the air to go to Heaven. He will be smothered by the breath of the Archangel Saint Michael. He Will fall, and the earth, which will have been in a continuous series of evolutions for three days, will open up its fiery bowels; and he will have plunged for eternity with all his followers into the everlasting chasms of hell. And then water and fire will purge the earth and consume all the works of men's pride and all will be renewed. God will be served and glorified."

Nearly all of the mystics and visionaries in our midst today speak about Satan in a very personal way. Never do they describe him as an ethereal, esoteric, impersonal, or imaginary being.

Satan Is Real

Patricia of Ecuador is aware of Satan's role in our world today. Our Lady told her:"...for there is a hell as there is a Heaven, but there is only one King, God the Father; for Satan exists who contains hatred, perversion and all that does not give peace to your hearts. My children, give your hearts over; do not allow Satan to penetrate your heart. Fight against evil and give your heart to the Sacred Heart of my Son and to my Immaculate Heart. And all that I tell you is in Sacred Scripture. Fulfill what I ask of you. Diabolic trends, and there are many in the world, try to affect and entangle my little souls. Satan will reach the summit, being adored by my children. His images will be idolized. A false prophet exists who will entangle them saying that he is God, but he is from the blood of the demon. He will betray the Father. And the one who has the heart and wisdom will realize that he [the false prophet] carries the number of the beast, "666" on his right hand. Satan is set loose to touch my little ones, but I am that Woman whom the Father announced, who will crush the head of the serpent that is Satan.

"...and so Satan has penetrated in the very depths of the Holy Church. But do not judge those who judge you.

"Another of Satan's victories is that young women, my little ones, give themselves to men before marriage. They have no right, for the body and the soul belong to God and they may do it only if He allows it through the blessed Sacrament [of Marriage], because what God unites man cannot separate.

"Another great victory of Satan is divorce. Those who fail in one of the greatest blessings, matrimony, having many lovers and try to separate and divide that which the Father has united. Another great victory is abortion, which is an attempt against the great blessing of the Father, life.

"Another great victory of Satan are fashions, styles, and the way young women dress for Mass, obscenely. They arouse temptation to sin. They should be respectful and dress in a way in which they will not be looked at sinfully, rather with honesty and respect. For you know that fashions and music are a great victory for Satan. For, with fashions he moves people to become slaves of money and of sin. For those who exhibit their body, and who do not repent, will be judged, because the Father did not give the body to be exhibited, but to take care of it as a temple of God.... Music [insulting God], in how many messages I have asked you to abandon it, for you know they are praises to Satan and they will remain engraved in your mind, for he infuses them and they will remain engraved in your life. He, through this music, makes mockery of the Father, of my beloved Son, and of the Spirit of God, and of me, His Mother. His great victory is to be idolized to the point of offering rituals with human blood and other human elements and [they] have even offered the sacrifice of their life in order to give their soul to Satan. He has managed that images be made to adore him, and they have their book which they say is sacred, for they have great temples for his adoration." 4

Encounters With The Enemy

One feature common to most apparitions is that whenever Mary comes with a message of peace and conversion, a visit by Satan soon follows. There seems to be a sort of heavenly rule involved:Those privileged to experience special graces must often suffer from diabolical attacks.

One person to suffer from such an attack is Father Ken Roberts, the popular lecturer and evangelist. Father Roberts would often bring groups of teenagers over to Medjugorje for a pilgrimage. Being in Medjugorje often inspired most of the youths to commit themselves to living their faith. It was a place of great grace, and Father Roberts decided to capitalize on the opportunity for the conversion of rebellious teens. But a small number of the teens showed more interest in partying than praying.

One night one of these teens rushed into Father Robert's room and woke him with some startling news:Satan had come as a surprise guest to the nightly party and was now terrorizing the would-be revelers. Father at first thought this was another prank. But the fear in the boy's eyes made him think otherwise.

After entering the room, the priest noticed a severe drop in temperature. It had suddenly become bone-chillingly cold. Then he was overcome by the stench of sulfur. All doubt of a demonic presence left him when he heard an unearthly voice resound through the room:"Ha, ha, ha! I know who you are, priest of God!"

The voice was coming through the lungs and lips of a young seminarian. Father had brought him along to help oversee the teens on the trip. But this was not the seminarian Father Roberts knew. The man's face was contorted with rage with his eyes rolling wildly. His hand held a menacing switchblade. And his body--his skinny, unathletic body--was just barely restrained by the hold of four husky males.

Father had never been in such a situation before. As a post-Vatican II priest, he did not have much of an idea what to do. He tried laying hands on the seminarian and praying, but was assaulted with a string of curses and filth such as he had never heard before or since. He tried saying prayers in English, Latin, and French, only to hear the possessed seminarian mimic his every word-backwards. In desperation, the priest finally threw some holy water onto the young man. The seminarian returned to his senses. The smell of sulfur was cleansed from the air, and the coldness was gone. The demon had vanished.

The encounter did, however, have two long-lasting effects. The first was that the partying teens immediately became surprisingly sober. They exchanged their beer bottles and rock and roll music for Bibles and rosaries. The next day the teens sat through every Mass no matter the language! The second was that Father Ken Roberts realized it was time to brush up on some traditional exorcism prayers.

Christina Gallagher

Christina Gallagher, the Irish mystic, also speaks of Satan in a very personal way. Christina had an experience in which she saw Satan face to face. She was terrorized, and it took several days for her to recover from the experience.

The messages given since 1988 to Christina, and still continuing, have constantly referred to the vital importance of turning to God "while there is still time." They contain a note of great urgency.

Our Lady has indicated that the purification can be lessened if people change their ways and return to God. But she also has said that her pleas are being ignored. On May 30, 1989, Christina Gallagher received the following message. "My children, so many of you cry out to me for help. I cannot help you unless you want help yourselves. You pray when in need. Sin in the world is causing so much destruction, disaster and illness of all sorts, but you remain blind. Satan is so strong now, he is destroying so many of my poor innocent children, because of the sinful ones. When are my children going to understand how much prayer, fasting, and sacrifice is needed to overcome all the darkness that overshadows the world? My children cry out to me only when everything else has failed. I want to help but you must decide. My children, the Purification is on the way. How my heart bleeds for my children who are blind and deaf....." 5

A Steady Decline

In the early part of the Eighteenth Century, French philosopher Alexis De Tocqueville was traveling throughout the United States. As a result of his travels, he wrote Democracy in America, a book filled with his insights and experiences. The book has become a classic on the early formative years of the Republic. He recognized that the United States was at that time already a great nation that would become a stronger presence throughout the world. He continued to ask himself, what was it about America that made it great? He said he looked for America's greatness in its cities and did not find it; he looked in the countryside and did not find it:he looked in its factories and did not find it, he looked everywhere and was not able to find it. Finally, as he went into its churches, he found what made America great. In a most prophetic way he stated in so many words America was great because America was good. In Medjugorje, Mary said that Satan is especially focused on destroying the United States because of the role God has given it in maintaining peace in the world.

As the post-communist world eases restrictions for religious worship, we in America and the West are heading in the opposite direction. In a public school, a teacher was forbidden to have a Bible on his desk. In Oregon, the Department of Education is endorsing a program to distribute an informational brochure to educate young school children on how to protect themselves for homosexual sex. The examples are numerous and become more perverse each passing year.

As we have stripped school prayer from our classrooms, silent or otherwise, we have seen a tremendous decline in our schools and in our society. All totalitarian regimes have known that if the symbols of a nation are taken away, it will lose its sense of identity. Inadequately prepared, the children of today are for the most part insensitive to spiritual truths.

Another area in which America has precipitously declined is popular culture. Nudity and themes of indecent behavior are the norm rather than the exception. What was considered unacceptable only a few years ago passes unchallenged today. Hollywood has replaced happy endings with themes of violence, sex, and four-letter words. When a movie delivers a "serious message," it is usually an attack on religion, patriotism, or the family. Hollywood has launched a wholesale assault on traditional values, and few seem to object. Those who do object are often ridiculed.

In a few short years we have drifted from goodness and truth. As we stray from the standards set by God, history has taught us through historians Arnold Toynbee, Will Durant, and others, that our high moral standards will only change through revolutions and turbulence. A likely outcome for the excesses in our culture is a totalitarian regime to control it. Anything in excess soon becomes its opposite.

Abortion--The Ultimate Child Abuse

The Lord said to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you (Jeremiah 1:5). Abortion never could have happened in the world unless there was an apostasy of faith first. Much in the same way, apostasy could never have happened unless modernism and the various heresies preceded it. The erosion of faith is directly responsible for ushering in the abortion movement.

Nowhere do we see how far we have drifted until we look at how we view abortion. In the United States today, there is an abortion every twenty seconds, over 4,300 per day, according to Human Life International. That daily tally yields a ghastly annual total of an estimated 30 million abortions since Roe v. Wade in 1973.

The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), if passed by the U.S. Congress, will eliminate waiting periods, parental consent requirements, and "informed consent" for women. It will create a legislative structure that makes it legal to kill unborn children throughout the nine months of pregnancy. We are a nation that imposes a $5,000 fine on anyone who destroys an eagle's egg, yet we allow medical personnel to keep babies alive long enough to "harvest" their brains and other body parts for fetal tissue experimentation. 6

Some studies show that the average number of abortions per woman in the former Soviet Union is seven per lifetime. Seventy out of every one hundred conceptions ends in abortion in the former Soviet Union. World-wide, the number of abortions is even more astounding. Communist China has approximately 1.4 billion citizens and imposes severe social and financial penalties for having more than one child; third trimester abortions are common. For the world, the number of abortions has reached into the hundreds of millions. Here lies a major reason for the purification that lies ahead.

Several years ago Mother Teresa said, "the fruit of abortion is nuclear war." She also said, "If we spent one hour before the Blessed Sacrament, abortion would stop." 7 Time will be our judge. Never could abortion have been so widely accepted if the churches in the world had taught the Gospel. The sin of abortion is one of the principal reasons for the threats of a chastisement upon the earth.

The Scriptures show us we may violate spiritual laws for a season, but at some point God the Father seems to say, "Enough is enough." Abortion is one of these instances.

Heaven's View Of Abortion

Following are excerpts from the messages from Jesus and Mary, as well as quotations from visionaries regarding the sin of abortion. 8

The Blessed Virgin Mary to Bacco Umberto, Oliveto Citra, Italy, August 6, 1986:"My children, I have come to earth for you, to open your hearts for God. My son, look around you:the world is full of sin, many of your brothers and sisters have been killed through abortion and God does not want this because they are His creatures. For these people He has reserved many punishments."

Visionary, on Our Lady's sorrow over abortion:Oliveto Citra, Italy, May 24, 1985:"Like Jesus, our heavenly mother defends the life and innocence of the children. When she asks for prayer and penance for the conversion of sinners who provoke the wrath of God, certainly she has in mind the provocation of God's justice by scandalizing the innocent. In one of the messages she spoke emphatically against the abominable crime of abortion, declaring...among those killed were priests and saints."

Visionary/locutionist Mike Slate, of Lubbock, Texas:"Once she came to us during the rosary all dressed in snow white. Then her beautiful white dress began turning blood red. As we knelt there amazed, she explained to us that her dress was turning red because of the blood being shed by aborted children.

The Blessed Virgin Mary to Steve Marino, Green Bay, Wisconsin, April 9, 1991:"...I ask you to keep on trusting me and believing. I want you to tell everyone just how much Jesus loves them. He loves everyone so much that he has withheld His hand of Justice to give me, your mother, time to bring more souls to my Son. The murdering of so many innocent and beautiful children in the wombs of their mothers, the great apostasy that is spreading through our Church, the sin of immorality-do you realize children that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit? There is still time to convert, but you must not delay because the time is very short and everything will change. I, your mother, have come to show you the way. Prayer is the way, my children.... I pray before the cross of Jesus for your conversion."

The Blessed Virgin Mary to "Mariamante" March 7, 1987:"As you know, Satan has targeted the family and the priesthood because these are the holiest of vocations from which most of my children come to me in Heaven. Sadly, many children are not even born into families today, but are orphaned even before their birth by the choice of their parents who do not want them. This grieves my heart so. Cherish your children and give them the stable environment they deserve."

The Lord to Mariamante, March 8,1987:"The Lord deals out vengeance with a two-edged sword and vengeance is Mine says the Lord. Those who have mutilated their bodies in the never ending attempt to prevent life are in need of repentance. They have sinned in a grievous manner and should remain chaste in atonement for their sin. Behold the sorrow which this aberration of today's society has caused, particularly to the children who are victims of it, victims in the sense of having all in the material realm but deficient in love due to having no brothers and sisters. The parents who have opted to destroy life even before it has begun have the modern world's thinking. They suffer from loneliness, lack of filial affection, and in all manner that is manifested directly from this aberration. To deny human life because of the whimsical and precarious excuses of today's person is an outrage against the divine order, and is directly responsible for much of the sin and tragedy that you witness today."

The Blessed Virgin Mary to J.D., District of Columbia, May 27,1992:"My child, I have come to speak to the world. Multitudes know me under this image as Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of the Americas, and Patroness of the Unborn. I come here this evening as My Son requests that I be recognized in this image circulated around the world as a means of conversion and of bringing an end to the sins of abortion. Even as I speak, Satan mounts opposition to this plan. But the grace of my heart is greater than any power of darkness. Child, I give you this message through the grace of my heart. Now you must make it known."

Our Lord to Christina Gallagher, Melleray Grotto, County Waterford, Ireland, September 21, 1990:"The three sins which grieve my heart most deeply at this time are abortion, the killing of the innocents, the sacrificing of the innocents to Satan, and the abuse of the innocents."

The Blessed Virgin Mary to Father Don Stefano Gobbi, Italy, September 8, 1983:"To me, little ones are all those infants who, already conceived, are to be put to death purposely while still in the wombs of their mothers. The love and the anxiety of your heavenly mother, and of the Church, for their salvation, with the innocent blood being spilled by those who despise and disobey the Law of God, are a baptism of blood and desire saving all of them.

The Blessed Virgin Mary to Father Don Stefano Gobbi, Italy, November 15,1990:"Abortions--these killings of innocent children, that cry for vengeance before the face of God--have spread and are performed in every part of your homeland. The moment of Divine Justice and of Great Mercy has now arrived. You will know the hour of weakness and of poverty; the hour of suffering and defeat; the purifying hour of the Great Chastisement."

Visionary Mirjana Dragicevic Soldo, Medjugorje, former Yugoslavia, June 1991, in answer to the question, "Did The Blessed Virgin Mary mention abortion in the United States?" -- "Not only in the United States, but all over the world. In the second year of the apparitions, I asked the Blessed Mother about abortions, because I grew up in the city and in an environment where there are a lot of them. The Blessed Mother said that there is no sin for God which can't be forgiven. But for the abortion, you have to do penance all your life, not only the mother but both parents, mother and father. Mirjana asked the Blessed Mother what happened to the babies, and the Blessed Mother said that 'they are with me.'"

The Blessed Virgin Mary to an American man, August 4, 1990:"I want you to, immediately, place your entire pro-life force and efforts under my banner as your Lady of Guadalupe. I will give you my powerful protection and help. I will lead you to victory over the forces of death which are preying upon babies in the wombs of their mothers.... Together, my dear children, we will end the horrible evil of abortion. I will help you stop all abortions. There will be no exceptions. Together we will bring about a new era of protecting all human life, that is, each person, from conception to natural death.... I will put a stop to the present bloody human sacrifice like I did among the pagans after the miracle of my image began in 1531."

Our Lord to Zdenko "Jim" Singer, Canada, 1991:"Dear children, for your good I gave you the Law. Do not kill. Among these children [who are aborted] is a large number of them who were a gift to you for your own good. The Shining Darkness knows this and he still rules your hard hearts. These very ones, these innocent ones, were intended to deliver you from the despairs from which you now suffer. These innocent souls were intended to rule and advance this world which I gifted you, in the manner that I teach you, in My love."

Guadalupe, Mexico 1531

Nowhere has the role of the Blessed Mother been more magnificent than in what is now Mexico. In 1531, she introduced herself to the Americas in a little village in Guadalupe, Mexico. The story is so significant we have included details which should help you to understand her intervening role in history. It was the first apparition that had world-wide acclaim.

The armadas of Spain and Portugal primarily went to find new lands for the bounty of gold that would be brought back to their homeland. They pillaged, plundered, and ravaged the island nations in their relentless pursuit of wealth in what amounted to legalized genocide. Columbus had landed thirty-nine years earlier, and the clash of cultures began. In Mexican [Aztec] civilization, human sacrifice claimed tens of thousands of lives per year. This was the historical setting for the Blessed Virgin's intervention where she identified herself as the "Patroness of the Americas" although her banner title was, "The Mother of all My Children." She appeared on the highest point on the mountain (the Indians worshipped as high as possible to seek God) and the color of her tilma or cloak was the color of their own Aztec god signifying royalty.

In 1531, tensions were reaching the breaking point between the native Indians and the Spaniards in the New World. Cortez had conquered, but his forces were barbarously mistreating the Indians, who vastly outnumbered the Spaniards. Franciscan missionaries had recently come into what is now Mexico, to spread the Gospel. They were viewed with more trust than were the Spanish soldiers, but the territory was on the brink of a bloodbath. The Aztec religion required human sacrifice:an estimated 20,000 human beings were annually slaughtered and mutilated, their beating hearts cut out of their living breasts, as Aztec priests offered their sacrifices to appease the sun and serpent gods whom they worshipped.

Juan Diego Of Guadalupe

Early on the morning of December 9, 1531, a childless widower named Juan Diego, a fifty-seven-year-old Indian convert of five years, was walking to the Church of Saint James to attend Mass. He heard a heavenly choir, and then he heard a soft and gentle woman's voice calling him "Juan Diego! ...Juanito!" Juan climbed the hill, towards the sound. The sun had not yet risen, yet Juan gasped as he saw a young Indian girl, barely sixteen years of age, apparently pregnant, and incredibly beautiful. She was dressed in the aqua mantle reserved for royalty, with a black cross on the brooch at her neck and was bathed in golden beams of light. Rainbow colors of such intensity surrounded the apparition such that the very stones on the ground appeared like jewels. She spoke gently to Juan Diego, identifying herself as the Virgin Mary. She told him to convey to the bishop, Fray Juan de Zumarraga, that she desired a church to be built in this place, so that she might console and help all the people.

The bishop suggested to Juan that the Lady provide a sign. Mary promised she would, if Juan would return at daybreak, on Monday, December 11. Mary instructed Juan Diego to climb to the top of Tepeyac Hill and pick the flowers he found there. Juan obediently made his way up the rocky and frost-covered hill where not much of anything could grow at any time, especially in December. There he found Castillian roses of all colors in full summer bloom, dripping with dew. He gathered them in his tilma and brought them back to the Lady. She rearranged them carefully on the tilma, tied them up tightly, and instructed Juan to present them to the bishop as his requested sign.

Juan Diego rushed to the bishop's residence. He told the bishop all the Lady had said. When he opened his tilma, the roses cascaded onto the floor. There was shock on the bishop's face. He fell to his knees before Juan Diego, yet he was not looking at the flowers, Juan saw, but at him--at his tilma. Juan looked down. The image of the beautiful Lady, as Juan had seen her, was taking form on the tilma, like a modern-day developing photograph. When the Bishop and the other Indians in the room saw the tilma, they all fell to their knees.

What did they each see? The bishop, of course, saw the Blessed Virgin Mary, as his faith had taught him she might appear. She was the "woman clothed with the sun and standing on the moon," the Mother of Jesus Christ. The Indians, not sharing a Christian heritage, saw something quite different. They saw someone from the heavens (with stars on her cape and standing on the moon), a queen dressed in the color aqua, reserved for royalty. She stood before the sun, indicating she was greater than the Aztec sun god, and atop the moon, symbolic of the serpent god, Quetzalcoatl. She wore the belt of her dress high, indicating she was pregnant. Her eyes were downcast, showing humility. Thus, although greater than the Aztec gods, she was not herself a goddess. Finally, she wore a black cross in her brooch. The Aztec princess had recently had a dream in which she had seen a black cross as the sign of the conqueror. Miracles of healing followed in the next few days. Mary's request for a church to honor her was granted. Over the next three years, a mass conversion never before or since seen within Catholicism occurred. The bloody pagan custom of Aztec human sacrifice ceased completely. 9

The Sequel

Guadalupe is an Indian word which means "she who crushes the serpent." In 1990, Mary reportedly began appearing to a man in Seattle, Washington, as the "Virgin Of Guadalupe," asking that all the pro-life forces be assembled under her banner as "Protectress of the Unborn." Her purpose was to finally end abortion, just as she stopped the Aztec custom of bloody human sacrifice nearly 500 years ago. She told the Seattle visionary that she will end the Twentieth Century's bloody sacrifice of innocent human lives that we call abortion. Several replicas of her original image were commissioned by the Mexican bishops to travel throughout the Americas with this mission in mind. There have been many reported signs and wonders associated with the travels of these "Missionary Images" of Juan Diego's tilma, including healings, solar phenomena, and verified reports of rose petals materializing and cascading from the images. If Mary was a sign of hope in 1531, Our Blessed Mother is much more of a needed sign of hope in our day.

At this present moment, we can see no end to abortion. However, Our Blessed Mother is always several steps ahead of us, and with the symphony of prayers and the powerful intercession of Our Lady and Christ her Son, the scourge of abortion will be eliminated as was the Aztec horror of human sacrifice. We must, however, emphasize that Our Lady said, "together we will end abortion." She needs our prayers, sacrifices, and help.

Others Speak

Messages have come from Gladys of San Nicolas, Argentina, and stigmatist Julia Kim of Naju, Korea. They warn of Satan's activity in the world, particularly regarding abortion.

Gladys

"My children, in the large cities of the world, atheism and total indifference toward God are to be seen. The wicked one has risen like an effervescence, covering weak minds with his wickedness and dominating" (September 2, 1985).

"My daughter, the evil one is triumphant now, it is true, but it is a victory that will last briefly. The Lord is only giving him time, the same time that He gives man for him to return to God. That is why vices and worldly madness increase more every day. The weaknesses will have to become strengths, and in this I will be able to get rid of evil. As yet, man's heart is not totally invaded" (October 11, 1986).

"There are so many insane passions everywhere, my children, that blindness has taken hold of many people. Sin surpasses all measure. The devil wants to have full domination over the earth. He wants to destroy" (June 2, 1985).

"You know my daughter, a tempest has broken out, a terrible tempest, the work of the devil. It is that the Lord's Word is a stumbling stone for many sinners. But repeat what I so often said to you:the work of God is great, there is no evil able to stop it" (April 6, 1986).

"Daughter, the earth is inhabited, but it seems uninhabited, a very great darkness is over it. God's warning is over the world! Those who stay in the Lord have nothing to fear, but those who deny what comes from Him have" (October 14, 1986).

"Gladys, pray also for the children that are not born, that do not see the light of day. The abortions are so many, so many the attempts on lives that only belong to God!" (March 7, 1987).

Julia Kim:"I suffer most painfully when I behold children dying so soon after conception, put to death by the chemicals many women use to stifle life at its beginning. I plead with you to alleviate my anguish by your sacrifices and your prayer of reparation. I am pleading with priests everywhere:Please do not allow my tears to flow in vain. I desire that my dear priests would become victim souls for the conversion of sinners and for the salvation of mankind. Satan is disguising himself in various ways--outwardly good, charitable, intellectual and holy in appearance--but ultimately intending to create division, heresy and confusion. The best way to counteract these efforts of the evil one to weaken the church is to put my messages into practice" (June, 1989).

Satan's Final Hour

This message was received on October 13, 1987, at Fatima, Portugal, on the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of the Fatima apparitions. The message relayed information to the Marian Movement of Priests regarding Satan's final hour.

"These are seventy years during which I have descended from Heaven into your midst as the Woman Clothed with the Sun. These are seventy years during which my Adversary, Satan, has come up from the abyss into your midst, to manifest himself as the Red Dragon in all his terrible power. In fact, he has succeeded in extending his reign in many nations and in spreading his action of denial and of rebellion against God to every part of the earth.

"Thus, during the period of these seventy years, the Red Dragon has bound men with the chain of his slavery. He has made you slaves of pride and of haughtiness, with the deceptive illusion of bringing you to getting along without God, of putting your own selves in the place of God, so that in you he may be able to renew his act of rebellion and of defiance against the Lord. Thus he has spread everywhere the error of atheism and has driven humanity to build a new civilization without God."

Satan's authority and limited time is seen in Our Lady's message of January 1, 1992, to Father Gobbi:"Lift up your eyes from this dark epoch in which you are living and do not fear if, at present, Satan is the uncontested ruler of the world and the master of all humanity. Soon his reign will be reduced to a heap of ruins and his power will be destroyed, because I myself will bind him with a chain and will shut him up in his pool of eternal fire and death, from which he will be no longer able to get out. And it will be Jesus Christ, King of eternal glory, who will reign over the whole renewed world and thus bring about the beginning of the new times, which are on the point of arriving.... I announce to you that your liberation is near."

Mary's remedy for Satan's conquest was given to Father Gobbi on October 7, 1983:"Satan's pride will again be conquered by the humility of little ones, and the Red Dragon will find himself decisively humiliated and defeated when I bind him not by a great chain but by a very frail cord:the holy rosary."

We are now at the tail end of Satan's reign, near the time when the mystery of iniquity will surface and show his face for the world to see. The evils of abortion, homosexuality, and all impurities are today accepted as normal. Wrong has become right, and there are no objections from our clergy, elected leaders, or the majority of our citizens. Our cities are centers of violent crime, where it is unsafe even to walk in the evening. Drugs are pervasive and are destroying our youth on a world-wide scale. Many families are so ravaged by numerous ills that few are untouched in the immoral climate of our times.

Satan has had his reign, and the Woman clothed with the sun will soon crush the head of the serpent. The destruction has taken its toll to where there has nearly been a complete loss of faith. The predictions of LaSalette have all come true in "Satan's Century."