Monday, May 13, 2019

FATIMA ANNIVERSARY

2 Samuel, Chapter 3, Verse 11

Ishbaal was no longer able to say a word to Abner, he feared him so.

This is a twisted tale of the leaders of Israel that are being divided in loyalties to either David or the son of Saul “Ishbaal”. Money, Power, Sex and Violence are involved. Hmmm sounds like this could be America splitting between Hillary and the Donald. Do not trust in these things but in He that is.

Aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your [own] hands, as we instructed you, that you may conduct yourselves properly toward outsiders and not depend on anyone.

1 Thessaonians 4:11-12

Ishbaal[1] was one of the four sons of King Saul, born c. 1047 BC. He was chosen as the second king over the Kingdom of Israel, which then consisted of all the twelve tribes of the Israelites, after the death of his father and three brothers at the Battle of Mount Gilboa. He was proclaimed king over Israel by Abner, the captain of Saul's army after his father and brothers were slain in the battle of Gilboa. He was 40 years old at this time and reigned for two years. Upon the death of King Saul, the tribe of Judah seceded from the rule of the House of Saul by proclaiming David as its king, and war ensued. David's faction eventually prevailed, but the war did not come to a close until Abner joined David.

Ishbaal and Abner Quarrel[2]

During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was gaining power in the house of Saul. Now Saul had had a concubine, Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbaal, son of Saul, said to Abner, “Why have you slept with my father’s concubine?”Enraged at the words of Ishbaal, Abner said, “Am I a dog’s head from Judah? As of today, I have been loyal to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and his friends, and I have kept you out of David’s clutches; and today you charge me with a crime involving a woman! May God do thus to Abner, and more, if I do not carry out for David what the Lord swore to him—that is, take away the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel as well as Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba.” Ishbaal was no longer able to say a word to Abner, he feared him so.

Fatima 102 Anniversary[3]

May 13 is the anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady to three shepherd children in the small village of Fatima in Portugal in 1917. She appeared six times to Lucia, 9, and her cousins Francisco, 8, and his sister Jacinta, 6, between May 13, 1917 and October 13, 1917. The story of Fatima begins in 1916, when, against the backdrop of the First World War which had introduced Europe to the most horrific and powerful forms of warfare yet seen, and a year before the Communist revolution would plunge Russia and later Eastern Europe into six decades of oppression under militant atheistic governments, a resplendent figure appeared to the three children who were in the field tending the family sheep. “I am the Angel of Peace,” said the figure, who appeared to them two more times that year exhorting them to accept the sufferings that the Lord allowed them to undergo as an act of reparation for the sins which offend Him, and to pray constantly for the conversion of sinners. Then, on the 13th day of the month of Our Lady, May 1917, an apparition of ‘a woman all in white, more brilliant than the sun’ presented itself to the three children saying “Please don’t be afraid of me, I’m not going to harm you.” Lucia asked her where she came from and she responded, “I come from Heaven.” The woman wore a white mantle edged with gold and held a rosary in her hand. The woman asked them to pray and devote themselves to the Holy Trinity and to “say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war.” She also revealed that the children would suffer, especially from the unbelief of their friends and families, and that the two younger children, Francisco and Jacinta would be taken to Heaven very soon but Lucia would live longer in order to spread her message and devotion to the Immaculate Heart. In the last apparition the woman revealed her name in response to Lucia’s question: “I am the Lady of the Rosary.” That same day, 70,000 people had turned out to witness the apparition, following a promise by the woman that she would show the people that the apparitions were true. They saw the sun make three circles and move around the sky in an incredible zigzag movement in a manner which left no doubt in their minds about the veracity of the apparitions. By 1930 the Bishop had approved of the apparitions and they have been approved by the Church as authentic. The messages Our Lady imparted during the apparitions to the children concerned the violent trials that would afflict the world by means of war, starvation, and the persecution of the Church and the Holy Father in the twentieth century if the world did not make reparation for sins. She exhorted the Church to pray and offer sacrifices to God in order that peace may come upon the world, and that the trials may be averted.

Our Lady of Fatima revealed three prophetic “secrets,” the first two of which were revealed earlier and refer to the vision of hell and the souls languishing there, the request for an ardent devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the prediction of the Second World War, and finally the prediction of the immense damage that Russia would do to humanity by abandoning the Christian faith and embracing Communist totalitarianism.

The third “secret” was not revealed until the year 2000, and referred to the persecutions that humanity would undergo in the last century: “The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated'”. The suffering of the popes of the 20th century has been interpreted to include the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, which took place on May 13, the 64th anniversary of the apparitions. The Holy Father attributed his escape from certain death to the intervention of Our Lady: “... it was a mother's hand that guided the bullet's path and in his throes the Pope halted at the threshold of death.” What is the central meaning of the message of Fatima?

Nothing different from what the Church has always taught: it is, as Cardinal Ratzinger, the former Pope Benedict the XVI, has put it, “the exhortation to prayer as the path of “salvation for souls” and, likewise, the summons to penance and conversion.” Perhaps the most well-known utterance of the apparition of Our Lady at Fatima was her confident declaration that “My Immaculate Heart will triumph”. Cardinal Ratzinger has interpreted this utterance as follows: “The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind. The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Saviour into the world—because, thanks to her Yes, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time. The Evil One has power in this world, as we see and experience continually; he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word. From that time forth, the word that prevails is this: “In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise.

Daily Devotions

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Universal Man Plan

· Manhood of Christ Day 5, Tenth Week.

· Listen to the message of Fatima

· 90 Days for our Nation, 54-day rosary-Day 1

It's Time!

Yesterday, I posted on social media that "It's Time!"...

"It was an amazing and intense Lent and Holy Week. Now I am coming off a restorative vacation. I'm picking Monday, May 13 - Our Lady of Fatima- to go all in with spiritual and physical goals ... 90 days of Basic Training Camp to prepare for our great mission - Novena for Our Nation on August 15. Who's in?"

This is meant to be 90 days in which "you take care of business." In other words, what has God been nudging you to do for some time, and you have been putting off? Maybe it is taking off that extra weight, and so maybe it's time to work up toward those 10,000 steps a day, or even get ready for a marathon. Maybe it's time to get that junk food you're craving out of your diet. How has God been nudging you to get going on physical goals?

Spiritually speaking, how much time am I taking for prayer? Am I finding every excuse in the world? Mental prayer? Spiritual reading? Adoration? Rosary? What do I need to become a natural part of my daily prayers.

And so, these 90 days are a time for you to give your "Fiat" to God in the areas you know He has been nudging you to finally get around to doing.

So, take time this weekend praying and listening and making a plan for yourself. God is calling each of us to something unique to each of us. What is that? Write it down this weekend. Make a plan.

But, no matter what you discern to do, please pray, daily, for all all of us joining together to "get strong" for these 90 days.

We move out on Monday. I'm Going In!

May 13 - August 10 - Basic Training for Novena for Our Nation on August 15.

Here's What I Am Doing

This is not meant to be a command that all do what I am doing for these 90 days. I am just sharing what I feel God is "nudging" me to do as an example and possible suggestions. God may have been after you to get after other things for spiritual and physical health and well-being. You should discern for yourself, and customize your own plan.

Fasting & Mortification

I am connecting physical health and well-being to "Fasting & Mortification." In other words, I am "spiritualizing" this area. I will loosen these habits a bit Sundays and Solemnities, but not to reach a level of gluttony. I do not want these "loosenings" to derail me.

Every day except the Sabbath, feast days, and extraordinary events such as celebrating a wedding day.

I will eat one meal each day between a set window of 2-6 hours. For example, 2pm to 6pm (This is also called "intermittent fasting" and is found to be healthy as it burns unwanted fat and regulates body sugar. One can widen or narrow this window and choose a different time of day that suits a lifestyle).
I will drink only water. Coffee and Tea are also allowed.
I will have no sweets or junk food (Allowed on exception days noted above).
I will daily mortify the flesh with exercise (e.g., walking, strength training, etc.)
Whenever I hunger, or sacrifice, or suffer in any way, I will offer it up as I pray a Hail Mary for the conversion of sinners and the end to abortion.

Prayer & Spiritual Life

Some of these I am already doing, some I have been lax about, and some I am adding. I feel this is a great foundational spiritual life for anybody. Realize, I have a private chapel, so getting before the Blessed Sacrament is easy. For many, it may mean coming to Mass early and/or staying later. Or, it may not be possible. Do what you feel God is calling you to do.

Upon waking up, I will pray the Morning Offering.
Before the Blessed Sacrament (if possible), preferably in the morning, I will spend at least 15-20 minutes each day, in meditation and quiet mental prayer.
Before the Blessed Sacrament (if possible), preferably in the morning, I will spend at least 15-20 minutes each day reading and reflecting on the daily Mass readings.
Before the Blessed Sacrament (if possible), preferably in the morning, I will pray the rosary daily for the following intentions:
- An end of abortion
- My growth in holiness
- Mercy, repentance, and conversion for abortionists, pro-choice politicians, pro-choice voters, and all those who are culpable for the stain of abortion in America.
I will pray the Chaplet of St. Michael against the forces of evil in the world.
I will pray the Angelus (6am, noon, 6pm).
I will examine my conscience and privately ask God's forgiveness each night.
I will go to Confession frequently. At least once a month.
I will wear the Brown Scapular (or Scapular Medal)
I will renew my consecration to Mary on a regular basis (at least weekly).
Whenever I am asked for prayers, I will journal their name and daily pray the Sacred Heart Novena Prayer for all those who asked for my prayers (this is how Padre Pio prayed for others).
I will build my Holy Alliance each day by calling upon a Saint to pray with me for a Holy Soul in Purgatory. Then, I will ask my Holy Alliance to pray with me for those who have asked for my prayers, as I pray the Sacred Heart Novena Prayer (Learn about building your Holy Alliance HERE).