More Questions and Answers… On Private Revelation
THE proliferation of prophecy and private revelation in our times can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, the Lord enlightens certain souls to guide us in these times; on the other hand, there are no doubt demonic inspirations and others that are simply imagined. As such, it is becoming more and more imperative that believers learn to recognize the voice of Jesus (see Episode 7 at EmbracingHope.tv).
The following questions and answers deal with private revelation in our time:
Q. Why do you quote unapproved private revelation from time to time?While my writings focus mostly on the words of the Holy Fathers, the Catechism, Early Church Fathers, saints, and some approved mystics and apparitions, I have on more rare occasions quoted from an unapproved source. Note: unapproved does not mean false. In the spirit of Thessalonians, we should not "…despise prophecy. Test everything, retain what is good" (1 Thess 5:19-21). In this regard, I have occasionally quoted some of these other alleged visionaries only when their words do not contradict Church teaching and seem to confirm other prophecy which is approved or common among the body of Christ. That is, I have retained what seems "good."
The ultimate question is not what this or that seer is saying, but what is the Spirit saying to the Church? This requires an attentive and careful listening to the entire People of God.
Christ… fulfills this prophetic office, not only by the hierarchy… but also by the laity. He accordingly both establishes them as witnesses and provides them with the sense of the faith [sensus fidei] and the grace of the word. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 904Twice, John Paul II called us young people to be ‘"morning watchmen" at the dawn of the new millennium"’ (Toronto, World Youth Day, 2002). Wouldn’t discerning the prophetic voice within the Church be part of that duty? Do we not all participate in Christ’s priestly, prophetical, and kingly role? Are we listening then to Christ in the other, or only to "approved" revelation, which sometimes takes years or decades to resolve? What are we afraid of when we have the Rock of our Catholic Faith to help us discern?
To teach in order to lead others to faith is the task of every preacher and of each believer. —CCC, n. 904It is worth repeating the words of Dr. Mark Miravalle, a professor of theology and mariology:
It is tempting for some to regard the entire genre of Christian mystical phenomena with suspicion, indeed to dispense with it altogether as too risky, too riddled with human imagination and self-deception, as well as the potential for spiritual deception by our adversary the devil. That is one danger. The alternate danger is to so unreservedly embrace any reported message that seems to come from the supernatural realm that proper discernment is lacking, which can lead to the acceptance of serious errors of faith and life outside of the Church’s wisdom and protection. According to the mind of Christ, that is the mind of the Church, neither of these alternative approaches—wholesale rejection, on the one hand, and undiscerning acceptance on the other—is healthy. Rather, the authentic Christian approach to prophetic graces should always follow the dual Apostolic exhortations, in the words of St. Paul: "Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophecy," and "Test every spirit; retain what is good" (1 Thess 5:19-21). —Dr. Mark Miravalle, Private Revelation: Discerning with the Church, p.3-4
Q. You quoted Mary Reilly who was part of "Our Lady of the Finger Lakes," but now their website is shut down. Do you know why? Did the Church shut them down?Several readers have written me regarding this alleged visionary’s website. My ministry is not affiliated with Our Lady of the Finger Lakes, or any other visionary or seer. Perhaps a question put to the diocese or the foundation itself will answer why the website is no longer operative.
Q. Aren’t you concerned with leading others astray if you quote private revelation that could eventually be deemed false?The focus of this website is to prepare the reader for the times which are here and coming that Pope John Paul II described as "the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-church…." Aside from the sources mentioned above, I have also included the interior thoughts and words which have come in my own prayer, filtered through the teachings of our Faith, and discerned through spiritual direction.
There is little one can do if someone does go astray, which is why I am encouraging readers and viewers of my webcast to be especially careful in these times when "prophecy" is proliferating from both dark and light sources. Again, your faith should never rest in private revelation, but in the sure teachings of our Catholic Faith.
The Church is like a car. Prophecy is like the headlights of that car that help to illuminate the Way the Church is already on. At times, the path can be darkened by the spirit of the world to such a degree that we need the voice of the Spirit, the voice of prophecy, to help us know the best way to proceed along the Way. Where one needs to be careful is that one does not get into another car!
There is one Car, one Rock, one Faith, one Church. Look out the window once in awhile to see what the headlights are illuminating. But watch for false road signs (and wonders)! Never ever override the Map in your hands, that is, the "oral and written traditions" passed on through the generations. The Map has a name: Truth. And it is the Church who is charged with preserving and updating it to reflect the roads and turnoffs to take in the new and challenging terrain that technology and nihilism present. Ultimately, I will always adhere to and obey any final judgments the Church makes regarding private revelation.
MORE TROUBLING
More troubling than the pitfalls of unapproved private revelation is the present and often "approved" apostasy we see in the Church right now. It is disturbing that many bishops still permit new age practices to proliferate in their diocesan parishes, and especially diocesan endorsed "retreat centers." It is disturbing that in both Canada and the U.S., the social justice arms of the bishops have been sending money to organizations that also promote contraception and abortion. It is disturbing that only a handful of clergy are actively defending the unborn and marriage during and after elections. It is disturbing that pro-abortion politicians are
still receiving Communion. It is disturbing that the teaching on contraception has been virtually non-existent, and even dismissed. It is disturbing that some bishops permit heretical teachers and liberal speakers to address students in our "Catholic" colleges and universities. It is disturbing that our "Catholic" schools are sometimes little more than a cross over the doorway and an "St." in front of the name. It is disturbing that the liturgy and liturgical texts have been altered and experimented upon in many places. It is disturbing that some dioceses permit heretical "Catholic" publications. It is disturbing that some clergy and religious openly oppose the Holy Father. It is disturbing that many "charismatic"or "marian" priests are shuffled to the far regions of their diocese, assigned as hospital chaplains, or forced into retirement. Yes, I find this far more disturbing than the possibility that a little housewife in suburbia, who claims she’s seeing the Virgin Mary, may in fact not be.
Q. What is your impression from those who are in the spirit of prophecy of what is to come in 2010?Someone recently commented that they do not follow private revelation "because there is so much of it, and it’s just confusing." I can sympathize with this.
Your first concern should be with "date-setting." It is not impossible that the Lord could inspire a specific time and place, but such predictions have almost always proven to be inaccurate. Once, when meditating on our times and the chronology of events, I sensed the Lord say that His justice is like an elastic band. When the sins of the world stretch God’s justice to the point of breaking, someone, somewhere, may offer up a plea… and God’s mercy suddenly grants more time, and the elastic loosens again for perhaps another few years, or even a century. We know for certain that in the Fatima apparitions of 1917, an angel of justice with a flaming sword was "postponed" due to Our Lady’s intervention. This mitigation of God’s justice is found in several instances in the Old Testament as well.
…if my people, upon whom my name has been pronounced, humble themselves and pray, and seek my presence and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and revive their land. (2 Chron 7:14)When it comes to other prophecies, we can speculate—and sometimes that’s all we can do. But if we are following the Map—the Public Revelation of Jesus Christ, that is, the Sacred Tradition revealed to us in the "deposit of faith," then such dire predictions really shouldn’t change a whole lot in how we are living.
We should be following the teachings of Christ at every moment such that we are always prepared to meet Him. I sometimes think about future events predicted in the Gospels or approved revelations, and my conclusion is always the same: I could die in my sleep tonight. Am I ready? This is in no way to negate the purpose and grace that prophecy is for the Church, namely, for building up the Body of Christ:Since authentic prophecy never adds to Sacred Tradition, "the headlights" might, for example, point us to certain actions at critical bends in the road, such as a renewed call to pray the Rosary, to return to the Sacrament of Confession, or consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Nothing here adds to the deposit of faith, but calls us to particular actions, needed "rest stops," which are remedies for the evils in a particular time.On this point, it should be kept in mind that prophecy in the biblical sense does not mean to predict the future but to explain the will of God for the present, and therefore show the right path to take for the future. —Cardinal Ratzinger (POPE BENEDICT XVI), Message of Fatima, Theological Commentary, www.vatican.va
MORE CONFUSION
Q. What do you think of the website www.catholicplanet.com?
I will answer this question because this website is creating a lot of confusion for some people. A man claiming to be a Catholic "theologian" actually lists dozens of alleged private revelations on his site, and then on his own authority, concludes which ones are true and which are false.
Aside from numerous theological errors evident in this person’s deductions, he himself has made predictions that the so-called "illumination of conscience" or "warning" would occur in April of 2009. He has now revised the date to 2010. This startling revision, by default, throws this individual’s judgment into question; by his own definition, he is a "false prophet." (I noticed that I have made his "list" as a false prophet. So be careful what you read on my site!!) See also this article at CatholicCulture.org for other considerations when you are discerning the content of catholicplanet.com.
There is so much confusion! But then, brothers and sisters, this is the hallmark of Satanic activity: confusion and discouragement. The remedy is always the same: renew your faith in Jesus; renew your life of prayer—daily prayer; attend the Sacraments frequently; and heed the voice of our chief shepherd, the Holy Father, who speaks the mind of Christ as the primary "revelation" for our time. Pray the Rosary, as Pope John Paul asked us to do; fast as Jesus urged us in the Gospels;. and above all, love and serve your neighbour. For without love, everything else is empty. Do not relinquish your zeal! Isn’t the temptation amidst all this confusion to simply say, "Forget it… I’m just going to ignore it all…"? If you follow Jesus, you will recognize His voice; you have nothing to be afraid of. This is not the time to hide, but to let the light of Christ, of truth, shine through your actions and words, your whole life.
2010?
To answer your question now directly… there is a quickening among many faithful, solid Catholics, a sense that "something" is impending. Really, you don’t need to be a prophet to see that the world has begun a rapid transformation.
At the forefront, warning of this tsunami of change, has been Pope John Paul II and now Pope Benedict. My book, The Final Confrontation, speaks of this moral and spiritual tsunami, heavily quoting these two pontiffs who make an inarguable and unmistakable case for our times. Being asleep in one’s faith is not an option.In this regard, I will go back to one of the first inspirations in all of my writings, a word which has formed the foundation for everything else here: "Prepare!" That was followed a few years later with another word, that 2008 would be the "Year of the Unfolding." Indeed, in October 2008, the economy began a collapse (that has been artificially delayed by printing money and borrowing) that has resulted in a continued and open call for a "new world order." I believe 2010 will likely be, as has 2009, a continued unfolding of what has already begun. How long this "unfolding" takes and its exact dimensions, I have no idea. But it’s clear to one with eyes to see that the landscape is changing fast. Ultimately, as we reject Christ and His commandments, I believe we are heading into chaos… a Great Storm.
Here are a few writings that may be worth re-reading that give the general picture that I have felt moved to write regarding the specific period we are in. I have placed them in the chronological order in which I was inspired to write them so that you have a sense of where my writings have come from, and where they are going. Of course, keep your discernment cap firmly on:
Lastly, here is a simple prayer that has been calculated for our times, a prayer given through the approved revelations of St. Faustina. Let it become the song that quietly accompanies your day as the growing tsunami of deception gathers strength…
Jesus I trust in You.
FURTHER READING:
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