Crucified with Christ -The extraordinary Mystics of the Church

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church..." -St Paul to the Colossians- (Colossians 1:24)

This website is devoted to the countless Mystics of the Catholic Church, including the popular Saint mystics, and also those who are not so well known. Some of the mystics presented here have been formally beatified or canonised, and others have not. Some may never be formally raised to the altars. It is not the authors intention to anticipate the judgement of the Catholic Church in presenting the lives of those not yet formally beatified or canonized. For those not canonised, the statements presented herein rest on human authority alone. The author submits wholeheartedly to the infallible wisdom and judgement of the Catholic Church in regards to the persons presented on this website. Please see this important note on judging mystics and private revelations and obedience to the Catholic Church

In 1 Thess. 5:19-22, St. Paul says: "Do not extinguish the Spirit. Do not despise prophecy. Test everything; retain what is good". So essentially Paul encourages us not to despise prophesy, but at the same time he tells us to be cautious and to test the spirits. The extraordinary life of the false mystic Sr. Magdalena of the Cross who was guided by the devil for 50 years is meant to be a warning to everyone of the dangers of false mysticism and phony visionaries.

Blood and Fire -The mystery of suffering and love in the extraordinary lives of the mystics
The central point of Christianity is that Jesus suffered a horrible death on the Cross so that we may be forgiven of our sins. Scripture says- "...Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed." (Isaiah. 53:4-5) Thus, Jesus became a victim for our sins, and because of this at the same time a sword of sorrow pierced the heart of His Mother, who suffered in union with Her Divine Son. (cf. Luke 2:34-35).

A Mystic essentially is anyone who actively and willfully seeks a direct relationship and union with God through prayer and devotion. A Mystic need not be one who receives extraordinary mystical graces such as visions, ecstacies or inner locutions. In other words, a mystic need not receive direct communication from God. This website however will explore the extraordinary Mystics who are called by God to a special sacrificial union with Him, and most of the individuals on this website have received extraordinary mystical graces from God to strengthen and guide them in their mission within the Church. By the express Will of God, the Mystics are united with Jesus and Mary in suffering for the conversion of sinners. As victim souls, they are fastened to the Cross in union with Jesus in order to continue our Saviours offering to the Father, in reparation for our sins. In other words, they are coredeemers with Christ and their mission is to lead souls to God. They are the great lovers of God who offer and give of themselves completely to "fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church" (Colossians 1:24). Although the Mystics are often submerged in a sea of pain, as willed by God, they are also at the same time full of love, joy and happiness, ravished by the love of God, in a joyful union with Jesus and His Mother.

And so we have for example the remarkable Saint Gemma Galgani saying to Jesus in a ecstasy of love- "Jesus possesses my heart, and being in possession of Jesus I find that I can smile, even in the midst of so many tears. I feel, yes, I feel that I am happy even in the midst of so many sufferings." Because of their unique participation in the Passion, and consequently their special union with Jesus, the Mystics of the Church are known for their extraordinary expressions of love for God and souls. Often, these accents of love that dart forth from their hearts all on fire for the love of God are captured in their diaries and letters, or in many cases, in their words of love that escape from their lips while in ecstasy, and are carefully noted by those nearby. Such expressions of love are truly a treasure that inspires and inflames the heart of those of us who read them. The expressions of love and devotion that we have from the mystics coupled with the example of their lives of heroic sacrifice, suffering and virtue, form a treasure of the most exquisite spiritual gems and pearls, unique to each mystic, of which we hope to offer on this website. We can learn so much from the lives of the Mystics.

Because of our weak human nature, we naturally shy away from suffering and sacrifice, and the lives of many of the Mystic-victim souls are certainly full of sacrifices and sufferings! But we must not shy away from the Mystics, as they provide us with a treasure of devotion, inspiration and spiritual guidance, showing us first hand how God is to be loved with all ones heart, in all times and seasons, and especially during times of sufferings, trials and sacrifices. In fact, it is the mystic-victim souls in particular who address the "problem" of human suffering. They teach us how to suffer in union with Jesus, offering to Jesus our sufferings and sacrifices, and uniting our sufferings with Him. The Mystics teach us that quite often love and sacrifice go hand in hand, and that even amidst our adversities it is always our union with the Passion of Jesus that gives us strength, peace and joy.

Latest Articles: Hell stories- How the holy fear of Hell has made countless Saints and also Theresa Caputo-"The Long Island Medium" and the position of the Catholic church on psychics and mediums and also Beautiful relic lockets, relic locket rosaries, holy prayer cards etc. now availible in the New St Gemma Gift Store and also Amazing stories from the souls in Purgatory and also Teresa Musco -Mystic & Stigmatic who died at age 33 and also The remarkable stigmatic blood writings (hemography) in the life of Natuzza Evolo and also Medjugorje and the upcoming decision of the Church- A cause for concern? and also The miraculous conversion of prisoner Claude Newman in Mississippi in 1945 through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and also Sister Magdalena of the Cross -The nun who made a 40 year pact with the devil and also The Mystic Voice from the next life- The amazing story of Adam Livingston and also Blessed Elena Aiello, Mystic, Prophet & Stigmatic and also Little Nellie of Holy God -The amazing life of Nellie Organ and also Mary Crushes the Serpent -The Virgin Mary's role in the lives of the Victim Souls and also The miraculous intercession of St Therese of Lisieux in the lives of 5 Mystics and also Centuries old advice on how to get rid of evil spirits and also United with Jesus -Mystics who died at age 33

-Calendar of Feast days & Memorial dates for those highlighted on this website
______________________________________________

Quotes from some of the Mystics on this website:
St Gemma Galgani:"Two sentiments were born in my heart the very first time that I felt and saw Jesus dripping in blood. The first one was to love Him, and to love Him to the point of sacrifice....the other thing that was borne in my heart after seeing Jesus was a great desire to suffer something for Him, seeing how much He had suffered for me!.." -St Gemma Galgani -Click here for more of the great lover of Jesus, St Gemma Galgani
---------------
Therese Neumann: Therese Neumann was once asked how it was possible that she never ate or drank and lived on the Eucharist alone, and she responded “The Saviour can do all things. Did He not say that “my Flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink?”-Click here for more on Therese Neumann
---------------
Gabrielle Bossis:"As you look back over your life, don't you see that My will was always for your good? This is because I love you, and it's the same for everyone, since I love each of you individually. I see you all differently; I see every detail about you, do you understand? My love is not of global love. I need each one of you as though you were the only person in the world, as though the cosmos had been created for you alone, and My love is greater than the cosmos. So let this thought be a strength to you and your smiling calm." -Some of the many words of Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis
---------------
Sister Consolata Betrone:"See Consolata, the enemy will make every effort to shake your blind faith in Me. But you must never forget that I am and love to be always kind and merciful. Understand my heart Consolata; understand my love, and never permit the enemy to gain entrance into your soul, even for an instant, with a thought of a lack of confidence in Me. Believe Me, I am solely and always kind; I am solely an always like a parent to you! So, imitate the children who at every little scratch of the finger, run at once to mother to have it bandaged. You should always do the same and remember that I will always cancel out and repair your imperfections and faults, just as a mother will always bandage the child's finger, whether it is really hurt or only seems so in his imagination. And if the child were to really hurt his arm, or his head, how tenderly and affectionately would he be cared for and bandaged by the mother! Well, I do this very same thing with regard to your soul when you fall, even though I may do so in silence. Do You understand Consolata? Therefore, never, never, never have even a shadow of doubt; a lack of confidence wounds My heart to the quick, and makes Me suffer." -Words of Jesus to the Servant of God, Sr. Consolata Betrone
---------------
Blessed Anna Maria Taigi: "...Among her many spiritual gifts the most remarkable was the sun-globe which appeared ever next to her at for a space of forty-seven years. She had only to focus her thoughts and attention to the matter that she wanted enlightenment on, then turning to look into the sun-globe she would see into the matter in its completeness and fulness in the true light of God. Thus she saw and foresaw events pertaining to specific persons, and worldwide events, both in the present and in the future. Her gaze travelled to the ends of the earth and discovered there people on whom she had never set eyes, reading them to the depth of their souls. One glance sufficed; upon whatever she focused her thoughts, it was revealed to her and her under­standing. She saw the whole world as we see the front of a building. It was the same with nations as with individuals; she saw the cause of their distresses and the remedies that would heal them. By means of this permanent and prodigious miracle, the poor wife of Domenico Taigi became a theologian, a teacher and a prophet. The miracle lasted forty-seven years. Until her death the humble woman was able to read this mysterious sun as an ever-open book and she looked into it solely for the glory of God; that is, when charity suggested or obedience demanded it. Should things for which she had not looked or which she did not understand appear, she re­frained from knowing more or asking explanations.” Click here for more about Blessed Anna Taigi
---------------
Sr. Maria Antonia (Cecy Cony): "Under Angel Wings" is the true story of a Brazilian girl named Cecy Cony (later Sr. Maria Antonia), who was born in 1900 and was led to high sanc­tity under the continual guidance, protection and inspiration of her Guardian Angel, whom she called her "New Friend." Thanks to her autobiography we can follow the extraordinary gift of the visible presence of her guardian Angel who guides her to an intimate relationship with God throughout her childhood and early adult life. Click here for the remarkable story of Sr. Maria Antonia and her guardian Angel
---------------
Marie Rose Ferron: Beginning at age 6, the American mystic and stigmatic Marie-Rose Ferron had already had a vision of Jesus. "I saw Him with a cross," she said, "and He was looking at me with sadness in His eyes." Thus began a most remarkable life filled with an extraordinary love of God--a love lived out in deep sacrifice and suffering in union with Jesus for the conversion of sinners. Rose once asked of her mother and a couple of visitors near the bed: "How is it that I lose so much blood, when I have so little?" Hardly had she uttered this question when she was drawn into ecstasy and began to speak: "Oh! It is Your Blood that gushes from me! As for me, I am nothing, nothing, my Jesus!"-Click here for more of the American mystic Marie Rose Ferron
---------------
Reverend (Pere) Lamy:“...Out in the orchard it was given to me to see Our Lord on the cross. I saw Him while some boys were stealing my pears. I was actually running after them with a rake, saying: ‘I will show you.' Then, suddenly, there He was." “It was in the month of September during the holidays, on a Sunday …I cannot remember the year. I was at the Guild. I had the key and went into the property. I was keeping a watch on the fruit because I used to give it to the children. There was quite a band of thieves there. I lay down in the grass to hide because the grass was very high. As they came near I got up, seized a rake, and ran after them as fast as I could, brandishing the rake and shouting: ' You rascals, you wait!' I raised the rake though I did not intend to injure them. When I reached the wall by the road, there was Our Lord on the cross-about where you are now. The boys were overcome with amazement and so was I. Our Lord did not want me to strike the boys, and so He appeared. I heard them saying: 'Jesus, Jesus is there with the Cure.' No doubt, some of them saw Him, but they kept running all the same. I had had wire-netting put up, and those boys got out above and below the wire-netting, scratching out the earth with their hands like dogs or rabbits." “Our Lord was almost torn asunder. The arms were straight out, at right angles to the body. He had on His Head what looked like a bush of thorns, like a basket upside down. It was a hood of thorns. What an outrage I He had one foot nailed upon the other, I think, but it was His Face I was looking it. To make the crown they must have put several branches together and twisted them, and then hammered them in with cudgel blows. It was a mass of sharp points. He wore grey linen round His loins, knotted at the back, not at the side." “I could almost have touched His Feet, by lifting my hand. It was an apparition willed by Our Lord and not the scene of Calvary. On Calvary the cross was very high, and it was set in the earth and choked with stones. But in the apparition no hole was marked in the ground. The cross appeared near the outer corner of the orchard, facing me, with its back to the street. The boys were running away from me very fast, but after the apparition they ran faster."-Click here for more mystical visions from Rev.(Pere) Lamy
---------------
Servant of God Anne Louise Lateau:"On Friday, April 24, 1868, the first trace of the Stigmata appeared. She noticed that some blood flowed, on that day, from her left side. With her usual reserve she made no mention of it to any one, not even to her mother or sisters. On the next Friday, blood came again, from the same spot, and also from the upper surface of both feet. She now confided the matter to her spiritual director, the “Cure” or Parish priest of Bois d'Haine. The priest, though greatly struck by so extraordinary a phenomenon, wisely and prudently downplayed the event. He tried to restore her peace and tranquility, and told her to say nothing about it. On the third Friday, May 8, blood flowed, during the night, from her left side, and her feet; and towards nine o'clock in the morning, it came also abundantly from the palms and backs of her hands. She passed for the first time, into an Ecstasy, on Friday July 17, in the same year: and two months later, on Friday, September 25, the coronet or crown of bleeding points appeared around her head. All these phenomena, from the time of their first appearance, were repeated on each successive Friday, with little or no interruption: the only exceptions being, that the bleeding coronet was occasionally absent during the first year, and that the other Stigmas failed to bleed on two occasions. From the time that blood began to issue from her hands, the extraordinary condition of Louise could no longer remain a secret. The news spread abroad. Crowds assembled weekly round her mother's house; and the excitement soon became so great that the ecclesiastical authorities felt it their duty to take some action in the matter. It was then that they asked Doctor Lefebvre to institute a thorough scrutiny of the whole case, from a medical point of view. His study commenced on August 13, 1868, and continued for one and a half years. With a view to investigate its character still more closely, Doctor Lefebvre, as he tells us, "installed a microscope" in the cottage of Louise, and examined the blood, at the moment of its escape from the body. In this examination he was assisted by two of his medical colleagues, who were both skilled in medical and microscopical researches, Dr Hairion, Professor of Hygiene, and Dr. Van Kempen, Professor of Anatomy." Click here for more info on Anne Louise Lateau
---------------
Blessed Alexandrina da Costa: "Alexandrina's life of suffering in expiation for sin was now to be challenged by the powers of darkness. From 1934 onwards, she began to be assailed by hideous visions and howling, blasphemous taunts that God had abandoned her, that suicide was the imperative alternative to a life of agonising futility. Whenever Fr Pinho was unable to visit her, he asked Alexandrina to inform him in writing of everything that happened to her. On Sept. 14, 1934 she wrote to him as follows: «Do you want to know what that "black face from Hell" recently beat into my head? Here it is: "Whatever I write to you will be the cause of my condemnation… and that if I do not obey him… the worst will happen." It makes me weep. » Seeing her so afflicted, Our Lord reportedly appeared to her a month later and said, "Whom do you wish to obey, Me and your director — or the devil ?" His words reassured Alexandrina, but the devil returned to the attack. He raved : 'Excommunication, a thousand excommunications if you continue to write to your spiritual director! Already you are burning in Hell. Be converted, unhappy one! Be converted, miserable wretch! It is the affection I have for you that makes me speak in this way. I come now from your Christ who told me to take you, because he can no longer save you. He was distressed by your writings.' The devil added that it was useless for her to pray, that there was no salvation for her, that nobody would be able to help her, that she would be condemned. Alexandrina recalled : 'One moonlit night after prayers I felt a need to sleep, when suddenly into my room came a great darkness... I perceived a black shadow and saw it jump towards me, and it said to me, "I come on behalf of your Christ to carry you to Hell, bed and all." I kissed the crucifix and the voice continued, "You kiss that wicked thing?" He then ordered me to do things that I cannot speak of... It was only when I took holy water that I was left in peace.' She continued: 'Every now and then I see a rapid light. Twice I have seen two very big eyes, wide open, staring at me, but they disappeared quickly. On Sunday, I heard a very sweet voice saying, "My daughter, I come to tell you not to write anything of what you see: your sight is deceiving you. Don't you feel how weak you are? You displease me with this; it is your Jesus who speaks to you, not Satan." I was suspicious and began to kiss the crucifix. The voice became enraged and thundered, "If you continue to write I will destroy your body. Do you think I could not do it?"' In a letter to Fr Pinho dated 14 February 1935, Alexandrina wrote, "The demon wanted me to remove the sacred objects which I wore and the crucifix which I held in my hand. He told me that he had secrets to confide to me, but first I must take off those objects which he hates." All this time her physical sufferings continued and her ecstasies grew more numerous and profound. Click here for more from Blessed Alexandrina da Costa
---------------
Sr. Josefa Menendez: "The world does not know the mercy of My Heart. I intend to enlighten them through you. I want you to be the apostle of My love and mercy." “I would like these [those living with sin] to understand that it is not the fact of being in sin that ought to keep them from Me. They must never think that there is no remedy for them, nor that they have forfeited for ever the love that once was theirs.... No, poor souls, the God who has shed all His Blood for you has no such feelings for you!” “Come all of you to Me and fear not, for I Love you all... I will wash you in My Blood and you shall be made whiter than snow. All of your offences will be submerged in the waters in which I myself shall wash you, nor shall anything whatsoever be able to tear from My Heart its Love for you." Click here for more of Jesus' message of mercy through Sr. Josefa Menendez
---------------
Marthe Robin ...The agony of Christ began for her on Thursday evenings. "He desires to relive in me His Passion up until his last breath and His descent into hell, and even his resurrection, although I remain on the cross so as to continue this life of crucifixion that is His will for me; that He wills for me for His glory and for the redemption of souls all over the world." Fr. Finet more than once told of his pathetic dialogue between them that preceded her entry into the agony of the Passion: "Father, do you know that today is Thursday'?" "Yes, my child." "You know, Father, that this evening ... " "Yes, my child." "Father, I worry I will not be able to bear it." "Yes, yes, my child!" And, little by little, during the course of the day on Thursday, Marthe increasingly felt the pangs of the Passion. She was in combat against the infernal regions unleashed, against the Devil, who beat her head against the furniture near her couch. And Marthe wept tears of blood. Like Christ at Gethsemane, she carried the sins of the world. She was overwhelmed and horrified; she became sin. Sometimes she would say to Fr. Finet, "Do not come near me! I will make you dirty!" She groaned, unable to say any more. For over 50 years (until her holy death in 1981) she offered he life and sufferings in union with Jesus for the conversion of sinners. Let us read these words of Marthe, which summarize well her life of love: “I am Thy prey, oh Jesus, in the Cross and in joy, in cruel trials and in sharpest pain; oh how sweet it is to suffer when it is a sacrifice to Thee! And when one has as one's sun the great fire of Thy heart. I know where love dwells, I have seen the shining of Its flame, And for Thy heaven, oh Jesus, I would gather flowers. Painful torments bloody my soul, but unceasingly I repeat, 'I thank Thee, my Savior." "Oh Virgin Mary, let me each day be more docile, more patient, more simple; unnoticed and forgotten. I do not ask that God bring about in me things that are visible, but only that I be a small, lowly child, sweet and humble of heart." "My Lord and my God, to You I abandon myself. You wish me here, and here I shall remain, with no thought of leaving; if you wish me elsewhere, that is what I too wish. I know, oh Jesus, that always and everywhere You are saving me for yourself. Oh my Jesus, how thy little victim suffers, but how she loves Thee, with as much love as she has received ... oh Jesus, keep me always. I belong to Thee; give me patience and peace in everything."Click here for more of the life of Marthe Robin
__________________________________________
An important consideration regarding mystics and visionaries that have been officially beatified or canonised by the Catholic church is that when the Church beatifies or canonizes a Saint, It is recognizing ONLY THE HEROIC VIRTUES OF THE PERSON. This understanding is absolutely key because the Church makes no pronouncements about the alleged mystical gifts that the person may have received, including spiritual gifts such as alleged heavenly messages, visions, stigmata, prophesies etc. The Church only concerns Herself with the heroic virtues of the person, and therefore leaves the faithful free to judge and discern the persons alleged mystical gifts and graces. With this in mind, when it comes to the extraordinary supernatural mystical gifts that have allegedly been given to many of the Saints and Blesseds on this website, the Church leaves us free to believe or disbelieve them, according to one's own opinion and discernment. This takes nothing away from the fact that the Saint or Blessed concerned had lived a extraordinarily holy life and practiced the divine virtues to a heroic degree, which is exactly what the Church has officially recognized in canonising them, and therefore they are presented to us as a holy example for us to imitate and emulate.

Date of the Jesus’ Birth from Scripture

The percentage of souls that are saved according to the Mystics and Saints
By: Glenn Dallaire

Are only a few saved? Does the greater proportion of humanity end up in hell? Some quotes attributed to the Mystics and Saints
For sure, many of the Mystics and Saints within the Church throughout the centuries have been quite stringent and rigorous in their interpretation of the Scriptures, especially in what pertains to the proportion of humanity that will be saved. In fact, some of their predictions have been quite disquieting:

“The common opinion is that the greater part of adults are lost.” -Saint Alphonsus Liguori, -Mystic and Doctor of the Church

"It is certain that few are saved."– Saint Augustine, Doctor of the Church

"Out of one hundred thousand sinners who continue in sin until death, scarcely one will be saved."
-Saint Jerome, Father and Doctor of the Church

"The number of the elect is so small — so small — that, were we to know how small it is, we would faint away with grief: one here and there, scattered up and down the world!” -Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

"So vast a number of miserable souls perish, and so comparatively few are saved!"–Saint Philip Neri, mystic

“The greater number of Christians today are damned. The destiny of those dying on one day is that very few – not as many as ten – went strait to Heaven; many remained in Purgatory; and those cast into Hell were as numerous as snowflakes in mid-winter.” -Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, mystic

“Among adults there are few saved because of sins of the flesh. […] With the exception of those who die in childhood, most men will be damned.” -Saint Regimius of Rheims

“The number of the damned is incalculable.” -Saint Veronica Giuliani, mystic“

"So many people are going to die, and almost all of them are going to Hell! So many people falling into hell!”  –Blessed Jacinta, visionary of Fatima

“Taking into account the behavior of mankind, only a small part of the human race will be saved.”
-Sister Lucia, visionary of Fatima

“I was watching souls going down into the abyss as thick and fast as snowflakes falling in the winter mist.” -Blessed Benedict Joseph Labre, mystic

“The number of the saved is as few as the number of grapes left after the vineyard-pickers have passed.”  -Saint John Mary Vianney, the Cure of Ars, mystic
__________________________________________________________

And so it is that we are presented with quite a disconcerting appraisal as foretold by some of the Saints and Mystics of the Church! Yet, it should be noted that other Saints and Mystics have been considerably more lenient in their assessment of the proportion of those saved.

For the "other side of the coin", lets take Sr. Josefa Menedez, for example. Jesus reportedly said to her:

"Oh, all you who are steeped in sin, and who for a time more or less long have lived as wanderers and fugitives because of your crimes ... if the offences of which you have been guilty have hardened and blinded your hearts . . . if to grant satisfaction to one or other of your passions you have sunk into evil ways ... Ah! when the motives or accomplices of your sin have forsaken you, and you realize the state of your soul, oh then, do not yield to despair! For as long as a breath of life remains a man may have recourse to mercy and ask for pardon.

"If you are still young, if already the scandals of your life have lowered you in the eyes of the world, do not be afraid. . . . Even if there is reason to treat you as a criminal, to insult and cast you off . . . your God has no wish to see you fall into the flames of hell. ... On the contrary He ardently desires you to come to Him so that He may forgive you. If you dare not speak to Him, at least look at Him and let the sighs of your heart reach Him, and at once you will find His kind and fatherly hand stretched out to lead you to the springs of pardon and life.

"Should it happen that you have spent the greater part of your life in impiety and indifference, and that the sudden approach of the hour of death fills you with blinding despair . . . Oh! do not let yourself be deceived, for there is still time for pardon. If only one second of life remains to you, in that one second you can buy back eternal life!"  (Words of Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez)

St Therese of Lisieux and the 'Virgin of the Smile'

The 'Virgin of the Smile'--The story of how St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus was miraculously cured on Pentecost Sunday (May 13) through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Depicted on another page on this website is the story of the miraculous intercession of St Therese of Lisieux in the lives of 6 different Mystics, but what many people are unaware of is the story of how St. Therese herself had her own extraordinary mystical experience, and was miraculously cured of a very grave illness when she was just 10 years old, through the remarkable intercession of the Virgin Mary.

Therese's mysterious illness began at age nine in late 1882 when she started having what she described as a "constant headache". On April 7, 1883 during Easter season, she was suddenly overtaken with what she described as a "strange trembling" throughout her entire body. In addition to this, she suffered weakness and soon began to have frequent hallucinations, and thus she became completely bedridden.

Her physician, Dr Notta, was very thorough in his examinations, but he was unable to determine the cause of her mysterious illness. Because of her uncontrollable trembling, weakness and hallucinations she could not be left alone, so her sisters and other family members took turns taking vigil at her bedside, praying for a cure.

 In fact, many family, friends and neighbors were praying for little Therese. As Therese herself later recounts, her father gave her sister Marie some gold pieces and asked her to write to the shrine of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in Paris, to ask for a novena of Masses to be offered for Therese's cure. And it was during this Novena to "Our Lady of Victories" that she was cured.

Saint Therese of the Child Jesus

The Virgin of the Smile- Therese's healing on Pentecost Sunday, May 13, 1883

On Pentecost Sunday, May 13, 1883, while her sister Marie had gone out to the garden, leaving Therese with Leonie who was reading near the window, Therese began to call for "Maman" which was her nickname for her sister Marie.  But when Marie came back into the room, Therese did not recognize her, for she was in the midst of the worst attack of her whole illness.  Marie later testified how she wanted to give Therese something to drink, but Therese screamed in terror: 'They want to poison me."

Everyone was quite distraught at this sudden downturn. After some futile attempts to show Therese that she was by her side, Marie knelt by the bed with her sisters Celine and Leonie, and began praying fervently before the statue they later called the "Virgin of the Smile."

Therese also turned towards the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Suddenly Marie saw Therese's face grow calm and her eyes clear. They all realized that something extraordinary was happening.  We shall let Therese herself describe what happened next:

"All of a sudden the Blessed Virgin appeared beautiful to me, so beautiful that never had I seen anything so attractive; her face was suffused with an ineffable benevolence and tenderness, but what penetrated to the very depths of my soul was the ravishing smile of the Blessed Virgin."

"At that instant, all my pain disappeared, and two large tears glistened on my eyelashes, and flowed down my cheeks silently, but they were tears of complete joy. Oh! I thought, the Blessed Virgin smiled at me, how happy I am, but I will never tell anyone, for my happiness would then disappear. 

"Without any effort I lowered my eyes, and I saw Marie who was looking at me lovingly; she seemed moved and appeared to know the favor the Blessed Virgin had given me. Oh! it was really to her--to her touching prayers that I owed the grace of the Queen of heaven’s smile. Seeing my gaze once again fixed on the Blessed Virgin, she cried out:“Thérèse is cured!”

Therese was in fact completely restored; the "Little Flower" was in bloom once again! For the mysterious illness was entirely gone, never to return for the rest of her life.

Was her mysterious illness caused by the Devil?
For her part, Therese definitely attributed her mysterious illness to the Devil, writing:
"I can’t describe this strange sickness, but I’m now convinced it was the work of the devil." and elsewhere she wrote:
 "The sickness which overtook me certainly came from the demon; infuriated by your [her sister Pauline] entrance into Carmel, he wanted to take revenge on me for the wrong our family was to do him in the future. But he did not know that the sweet Queen of heaven was watching over her fragile little flower, that she was smiling on her from her throne in heaven and was preparing to stop the storm the moment her flower was to break without any hope of recovery."

"She is more Mother than Queen" -St Therese

Her older sister Marie also thought likewise. In her written testimony for the process of Therese's Beatification, Marie writes:
"Around the age of ten, the Servant of God was stricken by strange illness that certainly came from the devil, as she said herself in her manuscript, who had gained an exterior influence over her. She said during this illness, that she never lost use of her reason for even an instant. Indeed, I never heard her say a word that didn’t make sense and she never had an instant of delirium. But she had terrifying visions that chilled those who heard her screams of distress. Certain nails attached to the bedroom walls suddenly took on the form of big charred fingers and she cried out, “I’m afraid, I’m afraid.” Her eyes, so calm and so sweet, had an expression of dread that was impossible to describe. 

"Another time, my father came to sit next to her bed; he was holding his hat in hand. Thérèse looked at it without saying a single word as she spoke very little during this illness. Then, as usual, in the blink of an eye, her expression changed. Her eyes stared at the hat and she let out a mournful cry: “Oh! The big black beast!” Her cries had something supernatural about them. One had to have heard them to have an idea. 

"One day the doctor was present during one of these attacks. He said to my father: “Science is helpless when faced with these phenomenons; there is nothing to do about them.” I can say that the devil even tried to kill our little sister. Her bed was placed in a big alcove and at the head and the foot there was empty space she tried to throw herself into. This happened to her several times and I wondered how she didn’t crack her head on the stone tile but she didn’t even have a scratch."

"...Several times a week she had attacks of such extraordinary terror that a learned doctor, Monsieur Notta, now deceased, said he had never seen such a case. I heard him admit to my father his helplessness. He even said these words: “Let them call this what they will, but for me it’s not hysteria.” 

Our Lady of the Smile statue in Therese's bedroom at Les Buissonnets

For this writer, having studied the lives of many Saints and mystics of the Church, I personally would not be in the least bit surprised if the origin of Therese's mysterious illness was in fact demonic, for we often see in the lives of the Saints how the devil, seeing their heroic virtues and foreseeing the future examples of holiness that they will likely give to others, tries in a variety of ways to thwart the plans of heaven for such individuals.

For example we have the devil trying to burn St John Vianney's bed while he was lying in it, or physically beating St Padre Pio while he was praying in his cell, or incessantly tormenting Job in a variety of ways, as we read in the old Testament. Whatever the cause of Therese's illness, one thing was for sure: Her cure through the "Virgin of the Smile" was sudden, inexplicable and permanent.

-“Love can supply for length of years. Jesus, because He is Eternal, regards not the time but only the love.” 
-"I will spend my heaven doing good upon the earth. I will let fall a shower of roses" -Sayings of St Therese of Lisieux
________________________________________________________________________________

St Therese of the Child Jesus "Little Flower" relic locket

-Support this website! Check out the relic lockets, rosaries and booklets in the Mystics of the Church Gift Store.

Explanation of how the Saint Therese "Little Flower" relic lockets (shown above) are made

Example of relic pouches used to make the relic lockets

The fragment of cloth relic inside the Saint Therese of the Child Jesus "Little Flower" relic lockets come from original authentic relic pouches and relic holy cards issued by the Carmelites in Lisieux, France, with the Carmelite seal stamped on each relic pouch/holy card.  I have obtained these oftentimes vintage relics over the years from various sources, and these are the cloth relics that are placed inside the lockets. 

These relics are usually labelled "Étoffe ayant touché a Sainte Thérèse de l'Enfant Jésus" which translated means "Cloth touched to Saint Therese of the Child Jesus", so these would be considered 3rd class relics.

Click here to return to the Mystics of the Church Gift Store

Antonietta De Vitis (1936-2004)

Antonietta De Vitis (1936-2004) -A modern Mystic and Stigmatic who reportedly lived without food and water for 53 years

Storm clouds develop over protestors

The prophetic pulse--Is a period of global Purification/Warning beginning this Fall?

“When you see clouds building in the west, you say at once, ‘A storm shower is coming’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘It's going to be hot’ and so it is. So why is it then that you cannot read the signs of the times?" Luke 12:54-56

by: Glenn Dallaire

The "Signs of the Times"
The prophetic world seems on fire lately. Prophets and prophecies abound in Catholic circles, and in the greater christian community as a whole. In the spiritual realm, due to a malevolent virus we have all experienced closed Churches, with the inability for most of the Catholics in the world to be able to receive Jesus in Holy Communion, and even the ability to have one's sins forgiven in Confession has also been prevented in many areas throughout the world up to this point. Thankfully, summer in the Northern Hemisphere seems to be bringing with it a bit of a reprieve from this malevolent virus. And make no mistake--this virus is malevolent and evil at its source. But this is a subject for another time.

Out on the streets of America and in many other countries we have had fervent protests with quite a bit of lawlessness in many areas. Many business and even some Churches have been vandalized, looted or set aflame, not to mention the toppling of numerous statues and monuments dedicated to various persons once admired and respected.

Many persons have commented lately that the world really seems to have gone mad. There is seemingly so much division and divisiveness, and we all know who the author and formentor of division is. To this writer it all calls to mind the Scripture quote at the top of this article concerning reading the signs of the times: "When you see clouds building in the west you say at once, ‘A storm shower is coming’; and so it happens." 

Do not the storm clouds really seem to be building upon humanity in these times? What, if anything can we gather from the current signs of the times?

 “For the Lord GOD does nothing without first revealing his secret to his servants, the prophets" -Amos 3:7
As we can see, Scripture states that nothing significant happens to humanity without God first announcing it first through the prophets. So what are the purported prophets of our time saying? Could we be on the precipice of something significant happening in the world?

Thankfully in this vein we have a wonderful collaboration of four persons who have recently put together a noteworthy website entitled "Count Down To The Kingdom" (www.countdowntothekingdom.com) wherein some messages from purported visionaries and prophets of our time have been highlighted.

Father Michel Rodrigue (Queen of Peace Media, YouTube)

One of the more notable persons who has been making some significant waves recently in the mystical and prophetic world is a Catholic priest from Quebec named Father Michel Rodrigue, who is the founder and superior of a new religious Community entitled "Fraternité Apostolique Saint Benoît-Joseph Labre" (The Apostolic Fraternity of St. Benedict Joseph Labre).

Along with being a founder of a religious Community Fr. Michel Rodrigue claims to receive heavenly visions and messages, and in addition he has also been appointed as an exorcist, and his experiences in this area has given him some very interesting perspectives on the spiritual battles that we all endure.

The Blessed Virgin Mary Herself has reportedly named Fr. Michel “Apostle of the End Times.” A good deal of information concerning him can be read on the aforementioned website, along with a number of video retreats that he has made which are published here on Youtube

We report, you discern
As stated here, Fr. Michel's bishop, Rev. Gilles Lemay, does not support Fr. Michel's private revelations; he stated to Fr. Michel, in writing, that he does not support the idea of "...the Warning, the chastisements, the third World War, the Era of Peace, any construction of refuges, et cetera."

At the same time it is important to also point out that Fr Michel is reportedly in good standing with his bishop, and his private revelations have not been formally condemned. For his part, Fr. Michel has reportedly always sought to be obedient to his bishop and his directives.

With that said, for the purposes of this article let us now highlight some of Fr. Michel Rodrigue's purported prophecies concerning the Purification/Warning and what he foresees will soon be occurring for humanity.

In a letter to his supporters dated March 26, 2020 Fr. Michel writes the following:
"My dear people of God, we are now passing a test. The great events of purification will begin this fall. Be ready with the Rosary to disarm Satan and to protect our people. Make sure that you are in the state of grace by having made your general confession to a Catholic priest. The spiritual battle will begin.

Remember these words: THE MONTH OF THE ROSARY WILL SEE GREAT THINGS!"
-Dom Michel Rodrigue, fabl
---------------------------------------

We of course know that the'month of the Rosary' is October, and he adds that '..great events of purification will begin this fall'. 

In what would seem to be a preparation for what Fr. Michel warns of to occur this fall, in another letter to his supporters dated March 24, 2020 he writes the following:
"....After this period of compulsory confinement [due to coronavirus -editor], life will resume its course. The summer period will open a window of time where we will be able to prepare well for the coming test … that of being with Jesus on the Cross. We cannot see the Glorious Cross without encountering the cross with Jesus.

"You must now consecrate your house or apartment to the Eternal Father through the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary if you have not done so. We must regularly bless our places, our homes, with exorcised holy water. During this summer, you need to prepare a food supply for a period of three months, with drinking water, too. You will need to have made your general confession before fall. The prayer of the Holy Rosary, of Saint Michael the Archangel, and that of your guardian angels will be your comfort, your strength, your protection."

Economic collapse, Revolution, Martial law and World War III?
Along with a global 'Purification' that Fr. Rodrigue says will begin this Fall 2020, he also foresees the following:
"...There will be famine. Jesus presented this to me just recently. I was in my room, and when I sat down, preparing to go to bed, I saw a black cavalier coming. This means famine. I heard, “They will have money, but they will have no bread,” which means that you can have money to buy it, but you will find nothing.

"Then all money will crash, so it is good to give your money away now, as it will disappear. There will be a great uprising. You will see revolution in your streets. People will fight each other openly. The government will have no other choice than to institute martial law. At the same time that martial law begins, so will the war. 

And here is more on the "war" that Fr. Michel was purportedly shown:
"He [the devil -editor] will start a nuclear war that will be global—the third world war—his war against all of humanity. The devil will kill one third of humanity in this war, and through plagues and abortion, just as one third of the angels were cast out of heaven into hell. Seven nuclear missiles will be permitted to strike the United States as a result of its abominations. Many nuclear missiles will be deflected by the Hand of God because America prays the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I was told this by the Eternal Father.

"...And I know that the war will come from two countries: One is Korea and the other is Iran. They will come together to face the United States of America."

Father Michel Rodrigue, 2020  (YouTube, Queen of Peace Media)

"Fighting against each other for Political reasons"
And elsewhere he states:
"The times are urgent. The Tribulation will come, and it will be soon. We are in a time of emergency. When the Father gave me the fraternity, He asked me to build it quickly because it will be a refuge for many priests who will come there. Much of what you will witness will be orchestrated by the devil. You will see people fighting against each other for a political reasons. The persecution of Christians, which has already begun, person to person through ridicule and accusation, will come from laws that are lawlessness. You will not be able to follow these laws in good conscience, so persecution will then fall under civil authority."

The world wide Warning/Illumination of conscience
The following is some of Fr. Michel Rodrigue's explanations concerning the Warning:
".....Then the Warning will come. I saw this. The stars, the sun, and the moon will not shine. All will be black. Suddenly in the heavens, a sign of Jesus will appear and light up the sky and the world. He will be on the Cross, not in His suffering, but in His glory. Behind Him in a pale light, we will appear the face of the Father, the True God. It will be something, I assure you.

From the wounds in Jesus’ hands, feet, and side, bright rays of love and mercy will fall onto the entire Earth, and everything will stop. If you are in an airplane, it will stop. If you are riding in a car, don’t worry—the car will stop. If you ask me, “How can that be?” I will say, “God is God. He is the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and Earth. If He put Fr. Michel out in there the universe, like a piece of dust, do you think He cannot stop matter? Do you believe that your small airplane will bother Him? No. This is what God told me; but He has also told such things to others, like at Garabandal, which St. Padre Pio believed in.

Everything will be fixed in time, and the flame of the Holy Spirit will enlighten every conscience on Earth. The shining rays from Jesus’ wounds will pierce every heart, like tongues of fire, and we will see ourselves as if in a mirror in front of us. We will see our souls, how precious they are to the Father, and the evil within each person will be revealed to us. It will be one of the greatest signs given to the world since the Resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Elsewhere Fr. Michel has stated:
"After the Warning, no one left on Earth will be able to say that God does not exist. When the Warning comes, everyone will recognize Christ, and they will also recognize His Body, and the body of Christ is the Catholic Church.

"...After the illumination of conscience, humanity will be granted an unparalleled gift: a period of repentance lasting about six and a half weeks when the devil will not have the power to act. This means all human beings will have their complete free will to make a decision for or against the Lord.

"...When the devil returns after six and a half weeks, he will disseminate a message to the world through the media, cell phones, TV’s, et cetera. The message is this: A collective illusion happened on this date. Our scientists have analyzed this and found it occurred at the same time that a solar flare from the sun was released into the universe. It was so powerful that it affected the minds of the people on Earth, giving everyone a collective illusion.

"The devil fools us even now through the new priests of the world: television journalists who want you to think what they think, so they present only the news that is their opinion. They twist the truth and you are hypnotized, manipulated into believing them."

Fr. Michel also speaks of "Refuges" along with other matters, which space does not permit here. Those interested can read more at the 'Virtual retreat' here and/or watch his retreats on YouTube. 

Conchita Gonzalez of Garabandal in 2019

Garabandal and the visionary Conchita
Once again I would like to reiterate that this article is published under the category of "We report, you discern". This writer makes no claims for or against Fr. Michel Rodrigue's private revelations. It can be noted in the quote above the Fr. Michel mentions Garabandal and that much of what he has stated concerning the predicted world wide Warning closely corresponds to what was purportedly revealed by the Blessed Virgin Mary to the visionary Conchita Gonzalez in Garabandal in the early 1960's (one of the 4 visionaries at Garabandal).

And speaking of which, Conchita was reportedly given the date of the "Miracle" which she was told by the Blessed Virgin Mary would occur right after the Warning. Conchita was not only told the exact date of the great Miracle, she was told that she would be instructed by heaven to announce the Miracle to the world publicly 8 days before it occurs.

Now, one of the obvious requirements here is that Conchita must be alive to announce it to the world. Since she was born on February 7, 1949, she is therefore currently 71 years old. With this in mind one could conclude that the time for the Warning and Miracle is likely coming soon.

As for Fr. Michel Rodrigue, a prophet is judged by his prophecies. Time will tell whether they are authentic, or not.

Jesus, the Savior of the World

The Warning, the Miracle, the AntiChrist and the coming of the Kingdom

(The following is a guest article written by a Catholic friend named Brian who is a watchman of the Lord, a 'Voice crying out in the wilderness.' 
-May God reward him for his efforts in preparing God's people for Thy Kingdom Come!)

Jesus' Hour of Mercy versus Satan's Hour of Darkness

An interesting discussion has just recently been sparked in the comment section of one of the articles here on this website concerning the significance of what is often referred to as the 3:00 a.m "Witching Hour" or "Devils Hour."

Since Jesus died at 3pm, the Church celebrates 3pm as the Hour of Mercy, where for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, we call upon God during this specific Hour to have mercy upon us and upon the whole world.

On the opposing side, for his part the devil therefore seeks to  mock and "one-up" Jesus and His Hour of Mercy by doing the exact opposite "hour of evil" at 3am, which is even more suitable for the demonic in that the time beginning around 3 a.m.is the darkest part of the night, since the moon is setting or has already set at that time, and its usually darkest right up until dawn. Due to his excessive pride and avarice, Lucifer often seeks to ape and mock God, and this "Hour of darkness" opposite the Hour of Mercy maliciously suits him and his minions very well unfortunately.

For its part, Wikipedia makes the following observations concerning the"Witching Hour":
"In folklore, the witching hour or devil's hour is a time of night associated with supernatural events. Witches, demons and ghosts are thought to appear and to be at their most powerful. Black magic is thought to be most effective at this time. In the Western Christian tradition, the hour between 3 and 4 a.m. was considered a period of peak supernatural activity, due to the absence of prayers in the canonical hours during this period."

For we see how Light and darkness is often used in the Scriptures to symbolize Good vs Evil. God Himself is often symbolized by Light, whereas the devil and his demons are symbolized by Darkness. Paradoxically, Lucifer himself while in heaven was given the title "Light Bearer"--a title which he of course completely lost when he uttered his blasphemous "Non serviam" against God (I will not serve).

We often see in the lives of many Mystics like St Padre Pio, St John Vianney, St Gemma, and Sr. Josefa Menedez for example how the malignant spirits sought to harangue and terrorize these holy souls, most particularly in the depths of the night when everyone else was sleeping. One can surmise in all this that its likely the demonic gains an increased level of power or boldness during the increasing darkness of the night, however they never have the power to overcome souls by their own doings--they only have the power to tempt or harass.

Servant of God, Teresa Helena Higginson (1844-1905)

-The schoolteacher mystic who received many supernatural gifts including Ecstasies with visions of Jesus Passion, along with the Crown of Thorns and the Stigmata, and who was called to promote the practice of devotion to the Sacred Head of Jesus.

Born while on a pilgrimage at St. Winifred's Well, Holywell
Teresa Higginson was born on May 27th, 1844 in the shrine town of Holywell, England. She was the third child of Robert Francis Higginson and Mary Bowness. Right before Teresa's birth, her mother was in a very poor state of health, so she went on a pilgrimage to Holywell hoping to obtain a cure at St. Winifred's Well, where the healing waters known as the "Lourdes of England" are said to cause miraculous cures, and so it came to be that this child of special destiny was born at the ancient and famous shrine-- the oldest continually visited pilgrimage site in Great Britain.

She grew up in Gainsborough and Neston, and as an adult she lived in Bootle and Clitheroe, England, and spent 12 years in Edinburgh, Scotland and lastly in Chudleigh, England where she died.

"Will become either a great saint, or a great sinner"
From early childhood Teresa had a very strong nature and will, almost obstinate one would say, which of course caused her parents much difficulty and concern, so much so that one day they spoke to a local priest about her, and this struck her deeply and became one of her earliest recollections---

Her parents, speaking of the troubles they were having concerning her strong will, she overheard the priest say "This child will be either a great saint or a great sinner, and will lead many souls to God, or away from Him."

 Concerning this she later wrote:
"This I think had a great impression on me though he (the priest) did not think I heard it, yet it sank deep down in my soul, for that night when we received our parents' blessing, when Papa put his hand on my head, he sighed and it went through me. Then that same night when Mama came to check on us, she knelt down by my crib and cried, and when she kissed me the warm tears fell upon my face, and I was too much ashamed to open my eyes and felt unworthy of so good a mother. I mention this fact for it has never been forgotten, and I think our dear Lord had a great deal to do with it, though I did not then fully understand the meaning of it all, but I did beg of the dear little infant Jesus to help me to be more like Him and never to let me do anything that would make my dear parents cry, for I loved them so tenderly. I don't know how old I was then, but I must have been very young."

On March 3, 1854 Teresa and her two older sisters went to live at the convent-school at Nottingham that was run by the Sisters of Mercy. She was ten years old when she arrived with her two elder sisters. There was a beautiful chapel where Teresa spent many hours before the Blessed Sacrament, and where too she made her first confession and communion and was confirmed.

With her tender heart, little Teresa felt keenly this first parting from her mother and, try as she would, she could not help being terribly homesick;
"Though I tried to bind myself very closely to Him and tried to love and serve Him better, yet at this time I seemed to forget everything and fret very much to go home again. Then the beautiful month of May came which was kept with very great devotion and then I began to settle and really love the convent, for I remember one of the dear nuns telling me that when our Blessed Lady was taken to the Temple at three years old, she never cried for Saints Anne or Joachim nor wished to go home again, and then I began to feel how ungrateful I was and self seeking and made acts of contrition and told our dear Lord since He had loved and thought so much for me, I could never love or think of anything out of Him and begged of Him to give me some little suffering as proof of His love."

She remained at the convent-school for 11 years. During this time she injured herself in two separate falls--one into a pit, and another not long afterwards when:
"On the feast of Corpus Christi all the cloisters and every place through which the Blessed Sacrament was carried was beautifully decorated, and archways were left till morning when fresh lilac, laburnum etc. were gathered, and I climbed up the tree to bend the branches for Sister to break off small branches, and when doing so I fell out of the tree and hurt myself."

It took her about a year to recover from this second very painful fall.

Dryness in prayer, her spirit of mortification and voluntary sacrifices out of love for God
Teresa writes:
"I think it was at or about this time, that I made the resolution of rising in the night for the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary and half an hour's meditation and then go back to bed. This was very hard for me, and I was often tempted to give it up, especially when our dear Lord tried me with dryness which He frequently did and sometimes for months, but when I felt this very much I would prolong instead of shortening the time and looked carefully after opportunities of denying and mortifying myself, for I wanted to try and prepare well for my first Holy Communion.

"On one occasion we had Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and I went with the others to make a visit, and I had been very full of desolation and could not form a single prayer, which was a great trial to me; but I tried to adore and love Him and kept my eyes upon Him in the sacred Host, but I had no satisfaction in my prayer. And after we went out of chapel dear Rev. Mother asked me what I saw and if our dear Lord had told me anything, so then I told her how I had not been able to say my prayers etc. for a long time; that I had not seen anything, not even the angels which I frequently did, but that I had promised our dear Blessed Lord that I would not move or take my eye off Him. I was only therefore keeping my promise for so well I remember how I felt — that I could not make one act of love nor feel sorry about it. I was so indifferent that of course I took it as a sign that He had left me on account of my wickedness and sin, and as I could not adore Him in reality, I would at least do so as far as outward acts went."

"I did not undertake any regular corporal punishment until I was preparing for my first Holy Communion. Then I began to rise and lay on the floor under the bed (after Sister had put out the gas light and gone to bed) until the bell rang at five in the morning for the nuns to rise — then I used to get back into bed.

"During this time period I managed to get a piece of sacking and I pushed in bits of old knitting needles, little tacks, etc. I used to put it under me on the floor, but I did not do this long for fear of being found out. I was so often sick and the nuns took such great care of me that they seemed to notice every little scratch or mark, but I had an opportunity one day of getting some red hot cinders from the fire and I only just had time to pick them from the grate when Sister entered. I put them down my breast and they set my things on fire, but when I made the holy sign of the cross on the flames they went quite out, but Sister scolded me very much and told me never to do such a thing again. I begged her not to say anything so as she gave me her word I feel sure she never did."

"Later in the year of my first Holy Communion, towards the close, a great feeling of indifferentism came upon me and lasted for many months and what I went through then, our dear Lord only knows. I felt as if I had no power to do anything for God, that I really did not love Him, and I seemed to care very little about whether I did love Him or not, I used to think, 'Oh if I could only be sorry for not loving Him that would be a consolation m itself, but I was too cold and callous to really think of anything good, my prayer was hard to make and dry, and so far as I could see without fruit. I was sick too in myself, and I felt very weary and worn, tired of everything and seemed to have no power to exert my will to act or heart to love."

A remarkable recovery
"In 1860, when I was taken very ill and given up by the doctors. I was in bed, I think, for nearly nine months, I was anointed and received all the rites of our Holy Church, and the nuns were waiting for me to die. I was consecrated a child of Mary and then became unconscious and remained so for some days. On the 13th of December the Bishop and Rev. Edward Smith who was in Rome with Father Powell both said a votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin for me. They all thought I must die and told me their little secrets that they wished me to ask our dear Lady to grant them when I died, but on the octave of the Immaculate Conception I came to myself again and began to get better. I consecrated myself again most solemnly to our dear Lord and His blessed Mother, promising to live and die for them, and begging them to let me work and suffer for the salvation of souls."

Her call to become a school teacher
In the year 1871, a terrible epidemic of smallpox and cholera broke out in Liverpool and the neighboring towns. One of the most severely affected was Bootle, where the schools had to be closed for a lack of teachers. The rector of St. Alexander's church at Bootle, the Rev. Edward Powell asked the training college at Mount Pleasant if they had any available teachers--due to the smallpox they had none, however Sister Mary Philip who was in charge there at that time recommended Teresa, for one of Teresa's sisters was a student there at that time.

 Teresa, far from being scared by the fear of infection, was delighted at this opportunity of sacrificing her life in the cause of charity and eagerly offered her services. Father Powell gratefully accepted the offer, and two souls destined to play a great part in each other's lives, were thus brought together. The appointment proved a great success. Teresa quickly won her way with the children and remained at Bootle for about a year.

Father Powell became more and more impressed with her as he recognized the great heights of virtue to which she had already attained, and the special graces with which Almighty God had endowed her. He allowed her to communicate daily, a thing most unusual in those days and one for which she was ever grateful to him. He soon discovered her wonderful gift for teaching. When she was giving her catechism classes on a Sunday he used to watch the benches fill with grown-up people as well as children, all listening to her with rapt attention. After a time he told her he thought Almighty God was calling her to serve Him as a certified teacher, and sent her to consult the Sisters of Notre Dame.

Sister M. Philip told her that she would require a year's study before going in for the necessary teachers examination, but Father Powell, finding that one was to be held in the following week, told her to try and take the examination. She obeyed and successfully passed the exam. As we shall see, she became a school teacher and remained a teacher for her entire life, right up to her holy death in 1905.

Fasting and ecstasies
Thus she began teaching at the St Mary's Catholic school in Wigan. The little staff of St. Mary's school were on very happy, intimate terms. One of the things which attracted their attention with regard to Teresa was the strange attacks of weakness to which she was subject early in the morning, prior to receiving Holy Communion. She went to daily Mass but was often so weak that she had almost to be carried to the altar rails; then, after receiving holy Communion, her strength returned and she would walk back unaided to her place and be able to carry out her duties for the rest of the day as though in normal health. They noticed too, how rigorously she fasted. There were times when she seemed literally to live on the Blessed Sacrament alone, for three days at a time taking no other food.

Towards the end of 1873, a new teacher was appointed to the staff, Miss Susan Ryland. She spent a day at Wigan to visit the school, and Teresa told her later how, before her arrival, the Devil had tormented her, saying that she would no longer be able to keep her secrets as the new teacher would soon find them out. Miss Ryland took up her duties on January 5th, and Teresa soon recognized in her the friend Father Spencer had promised her our Lord would send her in her need. For the next eighteen months they were seldom parted, and during the holidays Miss Ryland accompanied Teresa to her home. Mrs. Higginson met her with open arms, saying: "I have longed to meet you. You are the only friend Teresa has ever had."

Miss Ryland and Teresa attached to St. Mary's school, where they occupied the same room and even slept in the same bed. Poorly lodged and poorly paid, there was a good deal of sacrifice in the life of the Catholic teacher of those days. The year 1874 was to be one of the most eventful in Teresa's life, and our Lord had provided her with a friend after her own heart, loyal, silent, and above all not inquisitive. Living in such close intimacy it would have been impossible to hide all traces of the mysterious events of those months, and though she almost never spoke of her inner life, Miss Ryland was the silent witness of many marvels concerning which she drew her own conclusions.

"I became acquainted with Teresa", Miss Ryland writes, "at the end of December, 1873. It was on January 5th, 1874 that 1 began my life with her. I remained with her at Wigan until July 1875. During that time she received to my knowledge many favours from God; visitations from the evil One in person, also from our Lord, our Lady and the saints. In Lent, 1874, she was granted the following of our Lord in the details of His sacred Passion, the Crown of Thorns, like St. Rose of Lima, the sacred Stigmata and many other favours."

Miss Ryland soon began to suspect that there was something very remarkable about her. Her first experience of anything out of the common was after she had been at Wigan a fortnight. It was about 10:30 and they were going to bed, when she looked round and found Teresa lying on the floor, unconscious. Being unable to move her she called for help and lifted her on to the bed. She saw that this was no ordinary illness, and when, by 1pm the following day there was no change, she went for Father Wells. He came at once though she was surprised to see the calm way in which he took the matter. Teresa was still unconscious, but when he gave her some Lourdes water she immediately came to herself. He then sent Miss Ryland for the doctor, who expressed astonishment at Teresa's excessive weakness and could make nothing of the case. Miss Ryland herself soon realised that these strange illnesses were supernatural — Teresa was in fact in ecstasy, a condition which became very constant at this time. Her friend has described her outward appearance on these occasions:

"There were two ways in which Teresa was taken. In one the body was supple and she showed either excessive grief or excessive joy. In the other the body was quite rigid and it was almost impossible to move her. That state did not last long. Twice she was like that in the street. Fortunately it was in a lonely part or it might have proved awkward. I could do nothing but stand at her side till she became conscious.

Louise Lateaux, another contemporary mystic, appears to her
Her roommate and fellow schoolteacher, Miss Ryland continues:
"During the early part of 1874, there was something in the paper about Louise Lateaux in France being in ecstasy every Friday and we passed the remark (I mean Miss Woodward and I), 'That is nothing to this house. It is a daily occurrence here', which it really was at that time.

"Teresa must have had some kind of communication with her, for she said one day after coming to herself: 'Louise Lateaux told me to read something in the life of St. Teresa.'

So I brought the book to her but I don't know exactly what she was told to read in it.

Being friends to a saint is not always easy
"When we said the rosary together she would suddenly stop and I had to wait a long time for her, so I made up my mind not to wait but to continue taking both sides. That night in the middle of the first mystery, she stopped and began again when I was finishing the fourth. She touched me gently when I began the fifth and said: 'It is only the second.' I replied: 'It is the second for you, but for me it is the fifth, and I don't want to be here all night.' That sounds irreverent, but I was dealing with her then not as a saint but as a familiar friend.

Appearances of the Virgin Mary
Miss Ryland continues:
"On four occasions, to my knowledge, our Lady appeared to her. I give an account of two. I saw she was talking to someone. Of course, at these times she was unconscious of anything else. When our Lady went away she said to me: 'Isn't she beautiful?' I asked: 'Who?''Our blessed Lady. Didn't you see her, dear?' When I said no, she was very quiet and only said: 'She has told me I love Him more than I can tell.'

"The second apparition was at a time when she was very ill and not able to help herself. I was kneeling by her side when she sat up and said: 'Our Lady says I am cured, and I shall go to holy Communion on Thursday morning.'  That was Tuesday night, and I wondered why not the next morning since she was better, but in the morning I found she was weak as ever. I got her up before dinner and brought her downstairs. After dinner she became unconscious again. I had to leave her and go to school. Miss Woodward remained with her. A little before four o'clock, she (Teresa) came up to the school to me although she had to mount a flight of stone steps. I said:  'You have no right to come up here when you have been so ill.'  She said: 'What God does He does well. I am all right', or words to that effect. She had also been to church, and to see Father Wells. Miss Woodward told me that at three o'clock she came to herself and said: 'Didn't our Lady say three o'clock?'  She then put on her hat and came out, going first to church.

"St. Joseph was with her once and St. Peter once. There were other visions which she only told me of, but I mention only those which I was present for."

Little miracles
Miss Ryland continues with some wonderful short stories about Teresa:

"At the request of Father Wells she cured a child of some chest disease. She used common lard (as an excuse I suppose). The child's mother asked her afterwards for some of the ointment. Teresa said to me: 'What shall I do? It is only common lard.'

"Another time I had forgotten, or did not notice, that there was no wood in the house. In the morning I wanted to light the fire. Teresa was in bed. I went in to her and said: 'We have no wood and I want to light the fire.' She said: 'There is plenty in the sacristy.' But I said: 'The church is not open yet.''Very well', she said, 'ask St. Joseph for some.' I said: 'You ask him, he won't do it for me.' Then she said: 'Have you been to such a cupboard?' I said: 'Yes, and there is none there.''Well, go and look again.' I went and found a quantity of nice pieces not like the wood we bought.

"One day the key of our school was lost. We kept it in the house, and it was not to be found. I searched the house for it, so did she. She then went up to the parlour and I knelt by the table. Afterwards she came out with the key in her hand and looking very pale. I said to her: 'What on earth is the matter with you? You look frightened to death.' (It was unusual to see her like that.) 'Yes', she said, 'I was frightened because I saw nothing, but a white hand put the key down.'

"Another day after coming from Holy Communion she lighted the fire on the spur of the moment by making the sign of the cross over cold cinders. She said: 'This would warm the children's cans.' Then made the sign of the cross and I saw the flames come into the cold cinders. She did the same thing at home. Her sister Fanny said to me in Teresa's presence (they, like myself, used to tease her sometimes): 'Our Tess is very clever, she can light a fire without coal or wood.'
I asked Teresa what she meant and she told me her Mama was ill that morning and Fanny wanted the fire quickly. Hence the result.

Her brother said to me one day: 'Tess can do wonderful things. She can send up a tray before her.' He was teasing her. I asked her what he meant. She told me she was going to bring up the tray but it was too heavy for her, so her guardian angel took it from her and put it into her brother's hands at the top of the stairs, while he saw her at the bottom of the stairs.

Attacks from the devil
"Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in high places", says St. Paul, and often the greater the saint, the harsher will be the conflict.

Rev Alfred Snow who eventually became her spiritual director, ordered Teresa to write about certain topics to describe her experiences, so he would better be able to spiritually guide her. Concerning the  attacks from the malevolent spirits she thus wrote:
The following letter describes some of her experiences in this respect.

"A M D G et in hon B V M et Bt. J.                           
"Bootle, June 20, 1880

"Dear Rev. Father,

"In honor of the Seat of divine Wisdom and in the holy name of Jesus and Mary I will relate the principal temptations at Wigan by which the Devil by the permission of God assailed me.

"I think the first visible temptation which I had at Wigan was as soon as I went. I think you know that without any permission I used to rise as soon after midnight as I conveniently could (I had not a bed to myself) to make my meditation etc. and each time I commenced the Devil used to beat and attack me, and spit horrible filth upon me in the face and eyes, in fact, completely cover me which made me very sick, and the stench was almost poisoning. And this I told to Rev. T. Wells who told me he thought I had a very fertile imagination, and as far as I can judge he did not believe me, but he told me to tell him each time I fancied it, and when he saw that it still continued he asked me could he write to some priest of great experience about it. But in the meantime, he said, you must not rise to make your meditation. Night is the time to sleep and rest so that you may be able to do your work as duty requires.

"And so I did not rise intentionally, but several times I found myself rising, and when I at once returned the devils would shriek and yell and laugh in a most dreadful manner and mock me and say: 'Most obedient maid how firm are your words of promise to the King of heaven!' But I did not notice him. Of course each time I found myself getting out of bed I told my confessor as soon as I could see him and he said if the will was really desirous of being entirely obedient he did not see how I could be so continually rising; but I begged and prayed our Lord and His blessed Mother to help me to accomplish perfectly and promptly whatever my director would wish, cost it me what it would.

"And so by degrees I did not rise, but I seldom slept, I could not help myself making my meditation though I think I strove hard to resist, and so I told Father Wells. Then he said I must sleep a certain time, I forget now but I think he said four hours, and under obedience I did so, and when I slept the Devil would rouse me. Sometimes he cried as though some poor child were out upon the doorstep; sometimes he used to throw me completely out of bed, throw things at me that were in the room, and make awful noises, and I used to be afraid at first that Miss Gallagher or the people of the house would hear. And several times when I awoke I perceived a smell of something burning, and the house being filled with smoke and brimstone, I thought surely the house was on fire.

"Other times I saw the whole bed and room full of flames and heard the crackling and I am afraid in this case I proved a coward, for I was frightened more than I can tell at first for there was no holy water: the Devil threw something against the bottle and broke it. But Mary and St. Michael were ever near and when I called upon her I knew he had no power to hurt. But I thought the house might really be burnt and I think it was the Devil so I told Fr. Wells that I felt afraid and he said I must tell the Devil he must not do it again. And any temptation I always noticed stopped at the command of my director. Fr. Wells told me to ask our b. Lord to change the temptation.

"When Fr. Wells told me not to make my meditation I thought that was just what the Devil wanted, but I did not say so for I knew that obedience and giving up my own will was more pleasing to our b. Lord and more to my own good than anything else.

"Our Lord kept these temptations secret till we went to the school-house and then they were soon known. The Devil knew I did not like anyone to know these things and so he often told me he would let the other mistresses see and know all; but I knew he had no power of himself so I never heeded him, and I used to say to our dear b. Lord when he said these things to me: 'Thou know best oh Lord what is good for me. I am Thine do with me what Thou please."

"At length Miss Ryland (who is now a nun) and Miss Woodward (at Burscough Hall) soon saw and heard everything almost; at least I don't know what they knew, but as they were frightened Fr. Wells told them the Devil could not hurt them etc. I think I had temptations against every virtue while there and I seemed entirely abandoned by God and His holy Mother, and at these times Fr. Wells on more than one occasion would not hear what I had to say. He used to tell me to go to holy Communion as usual which was then only four times per week.

"I think the reason why the Devil used to spit and throw that abominable filth of such awful stench at me was because at that time I resolved to mortify the senses more rigorously and never to gratify them in the least, or rather to do all that I could that was disagreeable and hurtful to them. Certainly at times I was almost suffocated but the holy and strong God never forsook me and Mary was ever a tower of strength against all the wiles of the wicked one. And when ever our dear good God accepted my poor prayers and little nothings in behalf of poor sinners he, the Devil, used to be infuriated, and beat, drag and almost choke me. He used to tell me it was no use me trying to save souls when my own was lost, that God had already given him power over me, that it was far better for me to live a very ordinary life, that such things that I took upon myself were more than the greatest saints attempted, that it was mad presumption on my part to expect that God would work continual miracles in my behalf...

"When our dear Lord tried me with great desolation, he appeared with numberless demons and tempted me as I think they would tempt the poor souls whose guilt I took upon myself, with, I think, every description of sin — against charity, with envy — hatred I may say, and against holy Purity, against Faith and to a dreadful despair. For when I was really worn out with continual struggling and I knew not whether I had sinned or no and I cried out to God for pity and pardon, and to Mary, Joseph, and St. Michael for protecting help, the fiends laughed and cried as with one voice: 'Where is now Thy God who has hitherto helped you? In what a true friend you confide, see now what effect your prayers have. Most compassionate friend, generous and charitable soul, perhaps now you will learn that charity begins at home. Learn wisdom if it is not too late; see what a reception you will have, angelical Teresa, humble and beloved Spouse of the Almighty One. Who will now help you? Where are the souls you have saved? Where is your loving Mother now? Where the God you thought to serve? Where is your God?'

Teresa Helena Higginson in 1904

"And bowing to the august and thrice blessed Trinity I answered the wicked One by saying: 'Ah my Jesus, my God, my only Hope! Surely Thou art here in Thy Justice. Spare me not oh Lord, but save them whom You desire I should help. Remember Thy most Precious Blood is the price of each soul! Look on Thy gaping Wounds! See Thy Mother's heart is breaking. Look on the work of Thy Hands, and when Thou look have mercy and spare!'

Miss Ryland, her roommate and school teacher friend (and whom afterwards became a nun) was of course frightened at times with some of the noises and other goings on by the demons directed against Teresa, but Teresa would say that it was best to not be afraid and to pay as little attention as possible to the devil when he tried to torment her — he just wanted to be a distraction and to be noticed!

Her ecstasies and participation in the Passion of Jesus
A well-known feature in the lives of mystics/victim souls is how in mystical visions they accompany and participate with our Lord Jesus in His Passion. In the case of Teresa, Miss Ryland gives a very detailed description of what took place in Holy Week of 1874, though she says the same happened on other occasions also. Teresa was quite unconscious, but was evidently following our Lord step by step in all His sufferings, as was clear to those who watched from her actions and expressions, and from the exclamations which fell from her lips. The following are some extracts from these notes:

"Holy Thursday. April 2, 1874

"Commenced at half-past four by asking our Lord to come to her. 'When wilt Thou come oh Lord? I am a sinful creature. Wash me in Thy Precious Blood oh Jesus. Ah Lord never permit me to betray Thee. I will never leave Thee.' Leans her head as St. John. 'Here let me rest oh Lord.' Raises her head a little. 'Ah Lord never permit me to betray Thee. Let me go with Thee. Oh my Jesus I will not leave Thee, oh let me. Oh Lord I cannot stay, let me go.' Head drops forward, slightly convulsed, shuts her eyes very closely as if to shut out some sight. 'Oh Eternal Father, if it be possible let this bitter chalice — Oh my God, my God, desert Him not. Ah pity Him. Thy Will be done oh Eternal Father, oh Angels come and help Him. Oh that I could help Him.' Groans for a few minutes. Head falls to right. 'Let me watch with Thee oh my Jesus.' Head falls on breast. Convulsions, head falls to right. 'Stay oh my Jesus.' Offers to hold Him. 'Hide. Hide, let me go.' Groans and works dreadfully, stretches out her hands. 'Oh Jesus stay. Stay for Mary's sake.' A look of great disappointment and groans. 'Do not permit them to rise again.' Turns her head from side to side with looks of horror. 'Ah my Jesus canst Thou bear this ingratitude?'

"Sees Him bound in the garden, stretches out her hands and begs to be bound instead. Blow on right cheek by the mouth. Blow on left eye. Heavy groans. A blow on mouth. Pulling of beard. Holds her chin. Low cries of pain. Sickness. A blow on left side of head. Beard is pulled. Appears to hear blasphemy, puts hands to ears to shut it out. Rests with head to right, hands to ears again. A blow on the right eye. Sickness, rests, head being inclined to right. Fingers to ears. 'Oh wicked Herod. Oh God of Wisdom. Clothed with scorn. Oh my Jesus.' Sickness, rests two seconds. 'Rest oh my Lord. Oh God Thou sees and knows all things.' A blow on the right cheek. Rests, closes her ears, turns head away as if to shut out some sight. 'God of infinite Mercy show that there is no cause in Thee.' Turns head away. Rests for about three minutes. Turns aside in horror, gasps. Buffeted about the head. 'Canst thou stand with Him. Oh let me go with Thee, Lord Thou art too weak.' Turns in horror. 'Strip my heart of every affection. Oh let me, Lord Thou canst not bear it.' A tear drops from left eye. A blow on the face. Stretches out her hands in agony and begs for pity for Him. Writhes in fearful agony, apparently being scourged. Rests. A cry of pain, writhing again, rests, fearful writhing, rests.

'Oh see how torn He is, Ah find me something soft for mercy's sake.' Dreadful agony. 'Oh King of Heaven and earth, oh let me hold it for Thee. Ah King, God of Heaven and earth.' Puts hand to head with a look of great pain. 'Oh put it on me, You have done enough.' Crowning with thorns. Groans and writhes and clenches her hands. Raises her hand to her head and then to left cheek in great pain. 'Oh angels of Heaven adore Him.' Calls out: 'Show them all Thy wounds oh Lord and soften their hearts, oh lift Thine eyes blind with Thy Precious Blood, oh deafening yells.' Tries to shut them out. 'Oh Lord they know not what they do.' Is quite still for three minutes. Sees the drink offered. 'Oh take it Lord.' Calls out in agony. 'Oh help him Lord.'

"Stretches out her hand for the Cross. 'Oh Lord let me bear it a little while. Thou art too weak. Oh lean on me. Thou art too weak oh Jesus lean.' First fall to the right. 'Oh Jesus let me raise Thee.' A blow on left cheek. 'Stand back.' A blow on right cheek. 'Oh Mary. Oh Jesus! Support her. Oh Jesus oh Mary?' Stretches her hands in agony. 'Oh Lord let me bear it, I can.' Lifts her right hand. 'Let me wipe it.' Sinks back. 'Lord I was not worthy.' Second fall. Five fearful blows about head and face, one on the mouth. 'Oh stand back! Oh trampled under. Oh my heart will break. Oh Eternal Father raise Thy Son.' A blow on the mouth. 'Oh how canst Thou forget. Oh compassionate heart, oh well may they weep. Oh lean. My Jesus lean. Let me guide Thy tottering steps, do not break the heart of Thy blessed Mother.' Fearful fall. Calls out in pain. Seven blows about head and face. One on the stomach. 'Stand back! Remember He is thy God.' Two blows. 'Raise Him gently.' Stoops to the ground.

'Oh Jesus, lean on me Lord.' A blow on the right cheek. 'Oh lean on me Lord. Take it off.' Head falls to right. Rests about four minutes. Seems to see drink offered. 'Take it Lord. Oh Mary bid Him take it.' Stripping off garments. Begs to be allowed to take them off. 'Oh take them gently. Oh pure God.' Appears to feel garments torn. Holds them at the waist. 'Oh holy and pure God. Most keenly felt by Thee oh my Jesus.' Turns her head aside in anguish. Moans. 'I will not let Thee go.' Cries of agony. 'Oh Jesus say not Thou must go. I cannot leave Thee Lord. Oh Mary bid Him stay. He never disobeyed thee. Oh Jesus for Thy Mother's sake.' Goes prostrate and is still as death."

Teresa receives the Stigmata
It was in this same year 1874, during Holy week that our Lord Jesus conferred upon His chosen servant the special marks of His Sacred Wounds. In a letter written some years later in obedience to Father Powell, she thus simply tells him of the fact:

"And when I was at Wigan in 1874, on the Friday morning in Passion Week, my Lord and my God gave me the marks of His five Sacred Wounds which I earnestly begged of Him to remove, but to give me an increase if possible of the pain. During all the following week they bled, and Fr. Wells saw one of them on the Good Friday, after which that disappeared, the others having done so earlier in the morning, and on several occasions they have reopened. This I think I have mentioned to you before but as I am not quite certain about it I thought it better to do so here."

Again in another letter she says:

"I have suffered much in the head, chest and side since 1860 but the pains have been much greater since 1874 when our dear B. Lord conferred the great favor I told you of and in the centre of the hands, feet, head and heart they are at times very excessive, but I am relieved always when they bleed which does not happen very very often. I also have a severe pain in the shoulders. I feel ashamed of calling them pains for I know they are excessive favors which I could never merit or have anything to do with. They are all Thine oh my God as are all the favors Thou hast bestowed on me. I did not at first think what was the cause of these favors but some ten or twelve years back I noticed they were always worse on Fridays, feasts of our Lord and during Lent. I have always reaped great spiritual strength and benefit from them and often when I felt I could not overcome poor human nature in some way I have pressed these parts which were as fountains of life to me and I was always able to overcome. I mean my Lord gave me great help when I did so. But during this eclipse which last took place in the soul, our dear B. Lord has not pleased to give this help, they have appeared to me, vile coward, as mines of untold and almost unbearable suffering and torture. Yet oh Lord I know they are the pledge of Thy love to me, and I value them perhaps more than any other gift Thou hast bestowed. May Thy Holy Name be forever blessed."

For her part, Miss Ryland gives a most interesting account of what she herself witnessed at this time:

"To begin with the receiving of the Crown of thorns. It took place on Passion Sunday, 1874. I was the only person present. She asked me to come upstairs in the afternoon. She was apparently suffering and she went to lie down. She asked me to pray that she might be able to go to Sunday school and at night she would bear all our Lord wished. She added: 'He gave me this pain Himself.' She was able to get up, and went to Sunday school and also to Benediction. Towards night she got very weak and after we were in bed became very ill. I wanted to go for Miss Woodward who slept in the next room, but she would not let me so I returned to bed. All at once she sprang up and I am sure she left the bed, for I sprang up too to pull her down. For a while she spoke to her heavenly visitor. Then she put out her right hand towards our Lord (for it was He) and said aloud: 'No, not that, the thorny crown, give me the thorny crown.' Then in a few moments she fell back just as she had got up. I said to her: 'Teresa are you going to die? If you are I must go for Father Wells.' She did not seem to wish to get him up so I left it alone. Then she said to me: 'Our Lord has given me His Crown of Thorns, and also the Wound in the shoulder.' I saw no signs of it next day, except I thought there were pimples on the forehead, but I could not say whether they had anything to do with it or not.

"On the eve of Palm Sunday after going to bed (I think I had to take her as I often did on account of her weakness), I was kneeling by her side and she was unconscious (at least so far as I was concerned). She was speaking (to herself) to someone present. She raised her right hand and held it up quite firmly for a minute or two. Then she let it drop. I did not examine it. I was strangely wanting (as I think now) in curiosity about these things, but the next morning she kept it closed, placing her thumb in the middle. I think she washed herself that morning with the left hand but I forget. However, when she handed me back the towel it was stained with blood. The morning after both hands were closed. I washed her and she said to me: 'I can wash my own hands, dear.' So I gave her the same towel and she returned it to me again spotted with blood. This happened every day...

"On Good Friday we went to the morning service leaving Miss Higginson in bed and the house door locked. When we returned we both ran up to her at once and found her stretched on the bed, her arms extended in the form of a cross, and wounds in her hands. As usual I did not go very near. I saw Miss Woodward lift up the clothes at the foot of the bed to see if the feet were the same, and I ran off to bring Father Wells. He came. She was still the same, and he said to me: 'Run for the doctor.' I went and when I got back accompanied by Dr. Hart she was natural again and talking to Father Wells. Dr. Hart found her extremely weak, but, as Father Wells said, he did not at all know what was the matter with her."

Her mission to spread devotion to the Sacred Head of Jesus, Seat of Divine Wisdom
Space does not permit here to go into details concerning the revelations from heaven in what would become her calling to spread devotion to the Sacred Head of Jesus, Seat of Divine Wisdom. The SacredHead.org website goes into wonderful details explaining this devotion and Teresa's own story and the special revelations that she was given concerning it, and the Promises for those who honor the Sacred Head of Jesus.

Her holy death
Teresa remained a school teacher throughout her entire life. In 1904 while preparing to return home for the Christmas holidays she suffered a stroke. The chaplain found a Catholic nurse, Miss Casey, to attend her during her last illness. This nurse wrote about her experience caring for Teresa in detail and  she was very deeply inspired and edified by Teresa's demeanor in her last days. On February 9th Teresa said goodnight to Miss Casey, thanking her, and added:

"Do not fear, dear child, but put your hand with loving confidence into your Father’s hand and He will guide you through every path. And where the road is rough and stony, He will carry you in His arms."

Shortly after this she fell into a coma. She passed from this life six days later on February 15, 1905, after several hours of apparent suffering. She was buried at St Winifrede’s Church, near her family home in Neston.

Her cause for Beatification/Canonization
Teresa’s Cause for canonization was accepted by the Church in 1937. Thus she is officially recognized as a "Servant of God". On February 21, 1938 Monsignor O’Brien--the vice-postulator of her cause--was sent a letter from the Secretary of the Congregation informing that the Holy Office had pronounced the 'Non Expedire' on the introduction of her Cause, meaning it was put on hold until further notice. However, a letter from the Vatican in February 1949 confirmed that there was no insurmountable obstacle to the Cause progressing. A Professor named Paul Haffner recently visited the offices of the Congregation of the Causes of Saints in Rome, and was told that her Cause is still 'on the books' - awaiting its time. A miracle attributed to her intercession could very well jump start the cause once more.

One of Teresa's favorite sayings was: "Its the small branches that show which way the wind blows", meaning that it is the little things that we do which prove our attitude towards God.

Much of the information for this article was taken from the book "TERESA HELENA HIGGINSON--SERVANT OF GOD, "THE SPOUSE OF THE CRUCIFIED" by Cecil Kerr, which can be read in its entirety for free here.

"Oh Wisdom of the sacred Head of Jesus, guide us in all our ways, Oh Love of the sacred Heart, consume us with Thy fire!-Teresa Higginson

LIVE on ZOOM:

40-Day Spiritual Warfare Rosary for Our Nation and Its Leaders with Prayer, Fasting, and Reparation

September 24 – November 2, 2020

7:00-7:30 pm Central Time (8:00-8:30pm Eastern, 6:00-6:30pm Mountain, 5:00-5:30pm Pacific)

We all have such love in our hearts for our country. It was founded on Godly principles (“One Nation under God”) and since then most of its people have sought to live in accordance with biblical values. Sadly, many in America today are drifting away from those values and principles, seeking instead to solve their problems and chase their dreams all on their own. If our nation is to ever return to its biblical values, we need more people and churches to pray and fast on its behalf.  We’re fighting a spiritual war with an enemy whose primary tactic is deception. This enemy can be defeated through the power of praying the rosary, the spiritual weapon that heaven has provided us.

In times of crises, God desires that His people examine themselves and then make reparation for everything displeasing to Him. We must make reparation on behalf of ourselves and American Christianity which has, in many ways, become largely self-indulgent and thus does not seek the Lord in holiness or wholehearted devotion. First-century Christians prayed and read the Scriptures every morning and evening and fasted twice a week. Meanwhile, American Christians spend little energy seeking God making the church community seemingly powerless.

To continue our efforts to offer Reparation to our Lord on behalf of our Nation in this time of division in the country, we are asking for willing participants who will seek God through praying the rosary and fasting. Fasting strengthens prayer and prayer strengthens our fasting efforts. Both are weak without the other. Together they are powerful weapons of protection against demons.

To aid in our efforts, the Sacred Heart Ministry will be leading a 40-day Spiritual Warfare Rosary starting Thursday, September 24 and continuing through Monday, November 2, 2020. It will be from 7:00-7:30 pm Central Time each day using Zoom as the platform. We invite everyone reading this to commit to being a part of this effort to make God more prevalent in our lives and to return Him to His rightful place in our country.

Fasting usually involves setting aside food, although we can fast from any physical appetite, be it food or abstaining from watching television or surfing the Internet. The idea is to devote the time we would ordinarily spend on these activities to prayer before the Lord. At Medjugorje Mary said, "I would like the people to pray along with me these days. And to pray as much as possible! And to fast strictly on Wednesday’s and Friday’s.” (August 14, 1984). The important thing is that you select something that is meaningful in your life and relationship with God and stick to it.

There are two reasons we need to pray and fast for our nation. First, Satan seeks our destruction. Second, we need protection from people who are being used by Satan to carry out his agenda. Therefore, when we engage the church in prayer and fasting together, we will begin the process of becoming equipped to fortify and strengthen our great land and its people against our spiritual enemy. Through a collective time of prayer and fasting, we are appealing to God who has the ability to rearrange circumstances.

In whatever way God leads you, we invite you to be a part of this effort. It is recognized that your schedule may not allow you to be available for every evening. When you can’t make it, choose a time during the day that allows you to say the Rosary and be with God and support our community in its effort to reestablish God as our nation’s Leader once again.

May God draw near and bring healing, comfort, and protection to our nation as we seek Him through prayer, fasting, and reparation.

God Bless,

The Sacred Heart Ministry

St. Gabriel Catholic Church

McKinney, TX

___________________________________________________________________________

Below is the info to connect to Zoom and attached is the 40-Day calendar and Litany & background detail on the need for prayer.  Each evening we will be led in the Rosary with the Mysteries for that day and then follow with the “Litany of the Most Precious Blood.”

 

 

Time: Sep 24, 2020 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) & every day, until Nov 2, 2020, 40 occurrence(s)

        Starting Thursday, Sep 24, 2020 07:00 PM

        Ending Monday, Nov 2, 2020 07:00 PM

 

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Daily: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZwoceCgqzorGtFTBZ7mekymp_fJyoBpIiFO/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGgqz0jEtGUsRmCRpw-GY_oXfzwmH5cjbd7qD3fVC1WaRr7Jt1EGKtwMsj5

 

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88569851105?pwd=M0FmTXU1VERTLzhNU3BzcDd2ZG9uZz09

 

Meeting ID: 885 6985 1105

Passcode: 203749

One tap mobile

+13462487799,,88569851105#,,,,,,0#,,203749# US (Houston)

+16699009128,,88569851105#,,,,,,0#,,203749# US (San Jose)

 

Dial by your location

        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

        +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

        +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)

Meeting ID: 885 6985 1105

Passcode: 203749

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kAnYdKZMB

40-Day Rosary Calendar

 

 

 

 

Little Rose, American Stigmatist booklet

Thanks to EBAY I was able to obtain a copy of this very rare booklet entitled "LITTLE ROSE AMERICAN STIGMATIST" by Father John J. Thilges, S.V.D., published back in 1959 in only one edition of 15,000 copies.

Its a short and interesting biography on the holy life of the Rhode Island mystic and stigmatic, Marie Rose Ferron (1902-1936). Since this little booklet is so rare and long since out of print, I thought it would be a wonderful idea to post it here for the sake of posterity, that it may not be lost to the ages. 

_____________________________________

LITTLE ROSE American Stigmatist 

By: JOHN J. THILGES, S.V.D.  Divine Word Missionary 

In obedience to the decree of Pope Urban V III and other sovereign Pontiffs, the writer declares that the graces and other super natural facts related in this volume as witnessing to the sanctity of Servants of God other than those canonized or beatified by the Church, rest on human authority alone; and in regard thereto, as in all things else, the writer submits himself without reserve to the infallible judgment of the Apostolic See, which alone has power and authority to pronounce as to whom rightly belong the character and title of Saint or Blessed. 

1st Edition - 15,000 

1959, DIVINE WORD PUBLICATIONS, Techny, Illinois

Other Heavenly Signs?

In addition, June 24, 2022 marked exactly 40 FULL years of the Virgin Mary reportedly first coming to Medjugorje on June 24, 1981--40 complete years, which is of course a very symbolic time period in the Bible, generally signifying completion (ex- the 40 years the Israelites spent in the desert, etc)--  

Thus, in addition to this most noteworthy event of the end of Roe vs Wade occurring on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, many Medjugorje believers may see today's Supreme Court decision as a sign from Heaven that Our Lady of Medjugorje has completed Her initial work, and a great victory for Jesus and our Blessed Mother after exactly 40 full years of Her ongoing call at Medjugorje for humanity to return to God. 

40 Years of Medjugorje completed--What next? The time of  the Secrets to be fulfilled?

One is left wondering--will now begin the time of the "Secrets" or "Promises" of Medjugorje, which if authentic will certainly significantly shake humanity if brought to realization, revealing a greater effort by heaven to wake people up and call them to return to God, and morality? Time will tell. Meantime we thank the Sacred Heart of Jesus for this wonderful and significant event that has occurred today.

-Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy upon us!Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Screenshot of PrivateRevelation.org website

Since March 25th, 2022 a friend of mine name Bruce has been working on a new website entitled PrivateRevelation.org which is devoted to spreading the messages of purported contemporary visionaries and mystics. I thought I would share this information as I suspect that visitors to this website would also appreciate Bruce's site. 

The Three Kings with the Virgin Mary and St Joseph

(The webmaster would like to thank Scott from FL. for putting together this article on the Three Kings and the Star of Bethlehem, taken from the visions of the 20th century German Mystic, Therese Neumann, 1898-1962)

The Mystical Illumination upon the Three Kings & the Star of Bethlehem 

    In addition to bearing the stigmata of Jesus’ wounds and repeatedly suffering his crucifixion sufferings, the mystic Therese Neumann had also witnessed many supernatural visions of the sacred events in the life of Jesus and the apostles, prior to passing away in 1962.  During her young adulthood, the blessed German mystic (whose Cause for beatification was submitted to the Vatican in 2005), had been cured of two ailments—paralysis and blindness—by St. Therese of Lisieux prior to the full flourishing of her mission, accompanied with an abundance of awe-inspiring manifestations of God.  Paramount among them was the divine allowance for Neumann to solely live upon the Eucharist, without consuming food or water for over 35 years.  Witnessed under strict medical observance of weeks, Jesus said this miracle for modern society was accomplished in Neuman as testimony to his authentic Presence and the spiritual sustenance He provides through the Eucharist, as true spiritual food for souls of people upon Earth. 

    Long after the two cures of paralysis and blindness with St. Therese’s intercession, the Virgin Mary eventually appeared on the feast of her Assumption into Heaven and cured Neumann of her stroke-induced paralysis, endured later in life.  Many awesome marvels were wrought for the glory of God.  Yet, they all were bestowed to spotlight the truth of the holy sacraments as channels of divine graces, through Our Lord’s only true, apostolic, Catholic (universal) Church established upon Earth. As those displayed during the life of Jesus, the wonders and spectacles of grace for wavering Church leaders and unbelievers to have FAITH were as abundant as the magnanimous graces of God.

    Every year around Christmas time, there always arises increased wonderment and scholarly debates about the Three Kings and Star of Bethlehem (especially about how it could “stand over” to denote the spot – Mt. 2:9), due to the less than detailed accounts by St. Matthew and Luke (who did not personally witness the events), deficient by modern standards demanding intricate details, timelines, and descriptions from reporting journalists.  

    Across her many decades of visions, Neumann was blessed to repeatedly see a multitude of sacred events which her spiritual director (Father Naber) and others documented with a multitude of details and previously unknown insights.  Renowned linguistic experts were also fascinated by what they even learned about words and usage of languages, while listening to Neumann speak ancient Greek and Aramaic (spoken by Jesus).  Unlike the mystical effusions of former eras, Neumann’s outpourings of foreign languages and accompanying ecstatic state during the visions had also been recorded with motion picture film and audio equipment for repeated analysis. 

    During the middle of the twentieth century, a businessman by the name of Johannes Steiner often traveled through Europe. Along with the thousands of other visitors—including military soldiers—who traveled to Konnersreuth with great excitement to see the marvels themselves, Steiner had also embarked as a pilgrim to witness Neumann’s stigmata and passion sufferings. Eventually Steiner became a very close friend of Therese, whom he referred to Resl, as did other friends and family. The Society of St. Paul helped publish his book called The Visions of Therese Neumann in 1976.  

    The following passages are excerpts from Steiner’s book, wherein he had provided excerpts of what he personally witnessed and also Fr. Naber’s records of Neumann’s supernatural visions across the decades.  They contained what many eyes had wished to see and better comprehend regarding the Three Kings and the guiding “star” of the sky:  that which had beckoned to three Gentile leaders of other nations, in contrast to the angels who had directly appeared to the shepherds the night of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. 

    Incidentally, the shepherds—in the company of two dogs, who also accompanied them to the stable of Jesus—had been watching the flocks for the owner of the empty (no other animals than the Holy Family’s donkey) stable of Jesus’ birth, were only about a half hour walk from their shepherding watch-post to the Holy Family’s shelter.  Neumann aptly described how the stable was backed against a cave wall.  It also had a slopping roof, a window with wooden lattice covering it, and a sliding door. In the 11 o’clock hour during the night the Light of the World (Emmanuel / “God with us”) was miraculously born of Mary in an ecstatic state of consciousness, a blindingly strong light had first drawn the curious shepherds out of their open shelter to see one archangel—who first heralded the good news—before being joined by hundreds of other angels singing.

    Although Neumann also provides great details regarding the events upon the night of Jesus’ birth, the following passages from her mystical visions have illuminated the mysterious and often debated questions about the identities of the Three Kings, the guiding “star” of their journey, and the time period of their visit to Jesus, long after his birth.  

    As the reader will discern while reading Fr. Naber’s documentation of Neumann’s visions, the truth of the Three Kings and supernaturally disclosed timeline fits with the scriptural recording of Herod’s order for children two years and younger to be slain.  Consequently, Neumann had related how some families even lost two children, due to Herod’s broad order for the slaying of the Holy Innocents. This savage event transpired after the Three Kings had heeded the divine warning in a dream, according to God’s plan for them to leave the country through a different route, in avoidance of Herod and delivering his requested report on their findings. 

JOHANNES STEINER:

    Drawing on my own records of the vision for January 6th of this year my visit to Konnersreuth, I shall give a brief account of the impressions received during the evening vision. It began at 5:40. That year, 1952, the morning vision had occurred while Teresa was all alone. She gave the following brief description of it in that evening in her state of prepossession:

“The three of them with their men and their animals are making their way through the water (crossing the Jordan River); then they came to the big town of that dishonorable man, Herod.  He is the man who had them come out with the scrolls (the scribes who informed King Herod that Bethlehem will be the birthplace of the king of the Jews).”

    The impression of the evening vision was as follows (on the basis of my shorthand notes taken on that occasion; the explanations included in parentheses are from Father Naber, based on his previous experiences and his interrogation of those present): 

Therese Neumann (Note the stigmata which can be seen on her hand)

    Resl’s face shows great fright (because the star comes rushing straight down, with brilliant light, glowing hot, frightening everyone, and disturbing the horses, camels, and elephants, all of whom make their own appropriate cries of alarm).  Then radiant joy (the Magi have reached her goal).  Once or twice she reaches out her hand (she wants to take the child into her arms, as the three wise men are doing). She sniffed with her nose (the incense and sweet smelling ointments). A perfectly astonished expression (the child Jesus, who can now walk, comes out and gives his hand to the retinue).

…Father Naber wrote the following precise record of the first appearance of this vision on January 6, 1927: 

…The names Kaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar for the three Wise Men are approximately correct. They were actually ruling princes—very, very rich, not jealous of their ruling power, but on very good terms with their people. Balthasar came from Nubia, a land rich in gold. He was in his early forties and was traveling with about seventy servants, twenty soldiers, eight scholars, each of which had two servants—Balthasar had about twenty such scholars—and a wife. 

Melchior came from Arabia, a land rich in grain and spices. He was in his middle fifties and had with him about forty servants, fifty soldiers, five scholars, with two servants each, and two wives.

Kaspar came from Media, a land rich in resin and incense and fruit. He was in his mid-forties, and accompanied by about twenty servants, forty soldiers, and four scholars with two servants each.

Ø Editorial note:  Nubia was in Africa’s current Sudan area and Media – from which all Three Kings ultimately depart toward Jerusalem—occupied an area spanning present day north-western Iran and south-eastern Turkey.  Consequently, the Three Kings had embarked upon a journey of near 1000 miles or more to Jerusalem. 

    In all three of these countries study the stars was particularly cultivated, especially in Media. They used to build tall, solitary wooden towers to observe the stars. The princes each had his own astrologers, called magi. Jews who lived in the dispersion there, many of whom—and this was a special privilege they seemed to enjoy—grew to extreme old age, some as much as 200 years, had brought with them the knowledge of the one true God and the promised Redeemer, particularly the prophecy of Balaam: “A star will rise up from Jacob” (Nb 24:17).

    In Nubia the star had already been seen by two of the magi already, three weeks before the birth of the Savior. They came to the king and told him that they had seen a remarkable star in the sky; it was of extraordinary size and particularly powerful light and had a very peculiar tail, which was long and curved at the end. The king now assembled all his scholars. They could not however give him satisfactory answer, whereupon he sent ambassadors to his friend King Melchior in Arabia, in hope of gaining some further knowledge.

    In Arabia and Media, just as in Nubia, the star had been in their towers. Only Arabia had there been a scholar engaged in observation; he had seen this peculiar star and advised that it be further examined into. But the Magi were not all together, and so the suggestion was never followed up on. The king himself did not bother about it anymore.  But now the king himself visited the tower and then sent ambassadors to Media, to inquire if they too had seen such an extraordinary star. 

    In Media the king himself had visited the tower in the days of the Savior's birth and had discovered the star.  He assembled scholars for council, but they were unable to find a satisfactory explanation. But when the ambassadors came from Arabia with their message, he suddenly saw the light and ordered his servants to make ready for a journey to Arabia for a consultation. While the Arabian ambassadors were enroute to Media, the king of Nubia journeyed to Arabia, and then both kings went to Media, where they encountered the king of that country, just as he was preparing for a journey to Arabia.

    From Media all three went together, following their star, which often could not be seen for days and months at a time, so that they were hesitant about continuing their journey. (Further Detail from the tapes: when the sky was overcast, and they could not see the other stars, then, naturally, they could not see the star either.)  The men were monotheists, were familiar with the prophecies of Balaam, and believe that it was this star that they saw before them now. 

Therese Neumann picking flowers for the Church altar

What follows is from Father Naber’s record based on information given by Therese a year later…

On January 6, 1928 at about 6:00 in the morning, Therese saw spacious but low building, with many gold decorated columns, just as the sun was rising. She saw a man with a large retinue (King Balthasar of Africa) make his way down a long, broad staircase. The building was surrounded by widely scattered round and square huts, which appeared to be sheathed in bark and roofed with reeds, in either a lean-to or pointed form.

The House of the man (the king) was made of dark gray stone, with columns of somewhat lighter stone, and adorned with gold from top to bottom. The stairway was dark like the walls.

The man (King Balthasar) was quite large and strong, his skin was dark brown, he had curly black hair of medium length and full black beard. What struck Therese particularly were his red lips, his white teeth, and the white of his eyes.  His head covering consisted of a brilliant white ring surrounded by a hanging gold band; on the top of this crown were little gold rods with little gold globes, each of which was decorated with precious stones. Inside the circle of rods and globes—and rising somewhat above them—there was a sphere-shaped white cap, sewn with gold.

He also wore a striped, brightly colored tunic, gathered at the waist with a colored sash. The tunic reached his knees and had a broad gold hem, and somewhat narrower borders on the long, full sleeves and around the neck. He wore a sort of slipper, with golden bands wrapped crosswise around his feet and lower legs. His tunic was virtually adorned with gold embroidery over the breast.

Around his neck he wore about five golden chains of various forms, each adorned with pearls and fastened to the tunic. Hanging from these chains were various kinds of gold coins, with various ornamentation stamped on them.

His cloak which covered only in his shoulders was clasped in front with silver bands and buckles. The interior of the cloak was white, with flowers of various colors worked into the background and the gold border. It had a train of many folds which is carried by two servants….

Ø  Editorial note:  Father Naber continued with a very lengthy description of what Neumann had viewed of the attire worn by the king’s wife and servants.

 

    This is the end of Father Naber’s account for 1928. He continues it on January 6, 1929, and on October 10, 1949, he dictated two additional notes which enlarge upon the account of January 6, 1929, and are included below.  He writes (N1,53): 

January 6, 1929: About noon Teresa sees the three wise men together with the princes, with the retinue of about 300 persons (scholars, servants, soldiers, and wives on their way to Jerusalem. There's a black man from Nubia, a brown man from Arabia, yellow man from Media, all led on by a comet.) Upon their first questioning of King Herod as to where the newly born king might be, they head towards a Bethlehem far in the north.

Ø  Editorial note:  Bethlehem of Galilee, located in northern Israel, is about 6 miles from Nazareth and over 90 miles from the Bethlehem of Jesus’ birth—situated about 5 miles south of Jerusalem.

    Only after a second inquiry do they set upon the road for the correct Bethlehem. But the star leads them far beyond Bethlehem into a stable, in which the Holy Family—who are already on their flight to Egypt—have already been staying for a long time. 

Ø  Editorial note, per other visions of Therese Neumann:  After staying around a year in the Bethlehem of Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth and prepared for their flight to Egypt, as well as saying goodbye to family, including St. Ann. The poor weather / rainy period of the year had led to Holy Family staying in another stable in unspecified territory, while enroute to Egypt.  Neumann described seeing Herod’s paranoid order to kill all two-year-old and younger babies, which was congruent with his deranged slayings of a wife and three of his sons—due to fear of them plotting against his power. Neumann also witnessed how the brutal soldiers used swords to kill Bethlehem’s children and those of the surrounding countryside, resulting in the total of seventy-six children dying. 

    At first they are disillusioned at seeing the simplicity and poverty which greets them, and they feel they must have made a mistake. Nonetheless, St. Joseph cautiously comes outside. Only the brown man [of Nubia] could speak a language that St. Joseph understands. He brings them inside, where they bow to the mother and speak with her. Then the child Jesus, who is already almost two years old, looks them in the eye with a “divine look.”

Ø  Editorial note: In the Church approved (2016) messages in San Nicholas, Argentina, which had begun in the 1980s, the Blessed Mother also disclosed how Jesus was already in his second year when the Three Kings visited. 

Immediately they recognized that this child is the goal of their journey, and they throw themselves to the floor. Touching the ground three times with their foreheads, at long intervals, they adore the child.  “Therese hears the chains around the neck striking the floor with a clanking noise.”

Then they offered their presents. The mother honors their request by putting the child into their arms. Finally she takes the child—who could already walk—outside, in front of the stable, to meet the retinue of the Magi, who give a friendly greeting and many presents….    

Excerpts from Therese’s words spoken to me after the vision of 1952:  

"They made their way traveling by night, and by day they rested, because during the day they could not see the star, and then at night they would set out on their journey again. All of a sudden “it became very gray (twilight), and then the star swooped powerfully down; you couldn’t see anything but fire.* There animals cried and bellowed. There was no longer any doubt that they were at their destination, and they didn't need to ask any more. The black man was the richest, and he had the biggest animals, with huge blankets on their backs, and then cushions and more blankets on top of them, and a good many people sitting on top of the elephants; and the others were all humpy, with round humps on their backs (camels), and beautiful horses.”

Ø  Editorial conclusion:  Only God possesses all understanding of the divinely guided, meteor-like piercing of the atmosphere, which had culminated with the fiery spectacle; one that had astonished both the animals and Three Kings.  However, one can easily compare the resulting shock and awe to that evoked and captured in the videos of the astounding meteor blast in Russia during 2013. But whatever the precise circumstances of the guiding star—only fully comprehended in Heaven with regard to how scientific principles and the supernatural intertwined for the entire trajectory of guidance, similar to the mystical pillar that guided the Israelites out of Egypt with Moses—the prevailing message remains clearly defined:  THREE KINGS visited the King of kings, and Lord of Lords  (1 Tim. 6:15; Apoc. 17:14) amidst his humble beginning upon Earth and flight from Herod’s wrath.

 

As the prophesied Sun of Justice, Jesus had finally dawned upon humanity with perpetual power and spectacles (The works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me. – John 5:36).  Beyond Neumann’s divine protection from the Nazis and miracle of Eucharistic sustenance for over thirty-five years without food or water, Jesus continues to manifest in millions of souls as the eternal source of spiritual fortification in the Eucharist, while humanity makes its exodus from sin and partakes of the Lamb of God in the Blessed Sacrament.  Emmanuel, God with Us, is thereby embodied for every generation. As the foretold Son for growth over all humanity, Jesus still remains the illuminating light against the darkness and corrosion of sin, and as the Way to the Father of both Heaven and Earth.

 

 

  “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”     ( Jn. 14:21)

                                   ~ ~ ~

 And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear.  And the angel said to them:

Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people.

For, this day, is born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.

And this shall be a sign unto you:  you shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.  

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying:  

Glory to God in the highest; and on Earth peace to men of good will.    (Lk. 2:9-14)

 

Ø To read more about Therese Neumann and view photos, please visit the following URL at Mysticsofthechurch.com:

https://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2009/12/therese-neumann-mystic-victim-soul.html

 

Ø Wikipedia entry about the alternate “Bethelehem of Galilee” first sought by the Three Kings, and originally known as Bethlehem of Zebulun.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethlehem_of_Galilee

A currently unknown devotee of St Gemma Galgani

 This black and white photograph is currently being offered on EBAY. Unfortunately there are no details provided in the description--probably because the seller does not know the details, I would presume. Given the large portrait of Saint Gemma at the woman's bedside, this person was obviously someone who is very devoted to Saint Gemma. In addition, she is holding a reliquary or perhaps a small monstrance--its hard to tell in the photo. I suspect this person could have been a visionary/mystic in her own right. My guess is that the photo appears to be from around the 1930's-1970's. 

 

A friend of this website named Tom kindly shared with me an old original manuscript which was found while emptying the former house of an AAF veteran who lived in New Brunswick, NJ. and I am publishing this manuscript in PDF form here. It was written by a Franciscan priest named Father Guy Moews, O.F.M. (+1904-1971, ordained June 11, 1931)

I also found that much of this manuscript was published in 1946 under the title "Soldiers Saw Resl, Story of Theres Neumann", by Guy Moews, O.F.M; St. Francis Book Shop; 1946; 71 pages, Illustrated.

It appears that the book does not exactly march the manuscript, which is normal in the book publishing editing process.

I found this description of the book on online:

1947 "Soldiers Saw Resl" Story of Theres Neumann ~ Written By Guy Moews, O.F.M.

A.J. Eggers Co., Cincinnati 

Published by St. Francis Book Shop Cincinnati, Ohio

Copyright 1947 By the Franciscan Fathers of the Province of St. John the Baptist, Cincinnati, Ohio

The author,  Guy Moews, was a Chaplain with the Air Corps stationed in Germany during WWII.

He would write down "notes" of interesting events that he would share with friends.

He learned that the most popular of his stories were those where he had visited Theresa Neumann of  Konnersreuth.

This book is his "notes" from his trips to Konnersreuth in the Fall of 1945 and the Spring of 1946, written from two airfields in Germany--Gablingen near Augsburg and Schweinfurt.

He says these "notes" were written because friends requested it and, his superiors demanded it.

I have posted the manuscript in pdf form in it's entirety here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T3BN7Yqm9MQiKyvcAsO1MxLGMAkbXkNo/view?usp=sharing

A Priest preaches to an almost empty Church

Are we living in the Great Apostasy?

This article is designed to explore the possibility that we are living in the time of the Great Apostasy. As unbelievable as that may seem, there is a good deal of evidence that we are in apocalyptic times. It is generally accepted theology that there will be an Antichrist that will cause the faithful to abandon or compromise their faith. This abandonment is called the “Great Apostasy” and is detailed in the 2nd Chapter of 2nd Thessalonians in the New Testament. Information on the Antichrist is also contained in that Epistle written by St. Paul. The Antichrist makes his appearance on earth only during the Great Apostasy.

Over the last 50 years, the Catholic Church has experienced widespread dissension and apathy over its teachings regarding abortion, contraception, cohabitation, and traditional marriage. Less than 40% of Catholics attend weekly mass and less than 10% go to confession yearly. A majority of Catholics favor birth control and a sizable minority favor abortion. For many Catholics the fear of offending God and the possibility off going to Hell is no longer a concern. There has been a major falling away from the faith or “apostasy” that is widespread across the world. The Catholic Church has never undergone this level abandonment of the faith in its 2,000 year history. In recent years, many priests and nuns no longer teach or believe traditional church teaching on social issues. The Church has experienced scandals over the last 50 years that would be unthinkable in any other period of its history.

The Catholic Church has approved apparitions and visions relating to this troubling time. They are ; Our Lady of Good Success in 1634, Our Lady of La Salette in 1846, St. John Bosco in 1862, Our Lady of Knock in 1879, and Our Lady of Fatima in 1917. The Knock & Fatima apparitions will be explained in detail.

The Knock apparition in Ireland was a silent apparition but contained apocalyptic overtones. St. John the Evangelist who wrote the Book of Revelation was one of the principal figures in the apparition. He was seen holding open the Book of Revelation indicating the world was soon approaching turbulent times. The Book of Revelation Chapter 13 gives us the best detailed description of who the Antichrist will be. According to Chapter 13, the Antichrist will be a popular male world leader who fully recovers from a terrible wound. The numbers 666 will form a type of identification of him.

The Fatima apparition in 1917 in Portugal is most famous apparition in the church’s history. It correctly predicted the end of World War 1 in 1918 and the rise of another more destructive war, World War 2. The rise of Russia as a world menace was also predicted. 1917 was also the year Communism took control of Russia and quickly converted one of the most Christian countries to the most atheist. The urgent prayer that the Virgin Mary gave to the three children at Fatima to be said after each decade of the rosary, “Oh my Jesus, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy” indicates the evil that would prevail during the 20th Century. The Virgin Mary predicted a great victory would occur as her final message at Fatima, “The Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”. Could this be the defeat of the Antichrist’s influence in the world?

The Virgin Mary stated in her Fatima apparitions that more souls go to Hell for sins of the flesh than for any other sin. It seems that Hollywood, more than another other entity has been the most effective in promoting immorality and licentiousness. Southern California has also been the breeding ground for the tidal wave of pornography that has swept our nation. Also, remember the sexual revolution got its start in California in the mid 1960’s. It does seem plausible that the Antichrist would have an affiliation with this section of the country.

The influence of evil in the world grew exponentially in the second half of the 20th century. Each decade increased in immorality and apathy to traditional religious beliefs. The one figure who stands out as a possible Antichrist is Ronald Reagan. He is without a doubt one of the most popular Presidents in the modern era. It seems ludicrous to even hint that he could be the Antichrist. In the following part of this article I will list some interesting information about his life and his decisions as Governor & President that taken as a whole, place him as a possible Antichrist. I totally agree that someone can twist details to make a theory plausible. However, I think there is more here than a bunch of partisan facts. We are in extremely evil times and the progress Satan has made influencing the world & the Catholic Church has been incredibly stealthy. Satan did not put the Catholic Church in such a precarious position without his human and infernal followers directing his will in secret.

Ronald Reagan was born in 1911 and died at the age of 93 in 2004. His life covers most of the 20th Century and matches perfectly Pope Leo XIII’s revelation from Our Lord in 1884 that Satan would be given between 75 and 100 years in the 20th Century to try to destroy the Catholic Church and
seduce souls. Pope Leo XIII would compose the famous St. Michael the Archangel Exorcism prayer following this Church approved revelation. This prayer was recited after every Sunday Mass in the Catholic Church around the world until the mid 1960’s when Vatican II effectively eliminated it. St. Michael is Satan’s arch enemy and the protector of the church.

Mr. Reagan’s full name is Ronald Wilson Reagan each name containing 6 letters. This 666 identification and the fact he fully recovered from a serious wound in a 1981 assassination attempt at the age of 70 conforms to the Chapter 13 Revelation description of the Antichrist. Mr. Reagan never went to church as President claiming his presence would put people in danger. He did not feel the same way apparently when he attended professional sporting events throughout his presidency.

Mr. Reagan came to Southern California in 1937 as a 26 year old actor. He lived there the rest of his life. When he was Governor of California in 1967 he signed the nation’s most liberal abortion law. At that time, only a few states had legalized abortion. This law influenced many other states since California is the trend setter for the nation. Within 6 years, abortion was legalized throughout the nation by the U.S. Supreme Court. As President, 2 out of his 3 choices for the Supreme Court were pro-abortion. Legalized abortion has killed more than 60 million children in the United States since 1973. The worldwide total is in the hundreds of millions. The destruction of babies in the womb of their mother is one the worst sins ever committed by mankind.

The sexual revolution exploded onto the national scene during Mr. Reagan’s first term as Governor. The 1980’s, his Presidential years, were known as the decade of greed and immorality. The woman of the 80’s was Madonna. She went out of her way to mock the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 1969, he signed into law the nation’s first no fault divorce law. This law completely transformed divorce from a rarity into commonplace. This law was quickly copied by other states and by the 1980’s, the divorce rate was at 50%. This high divorce rate has devastated millions of families over the course of the last 50 years.

Ronald Reagan, throughout his life occasionally consulted astrologists in making decisions. In one example, at his astrologist’s request, he delayed his being sworn in as Governor of California until midnight of January 3, 1967. He signed in a sweeping bill legalizing astrology in California on August 30, 1974. This law helped legitimize astrology nationally. Catholic teaching strictly forbids the practice of astrology.

An Empty Church

In 1978, as a popular former Governor, he lobbied for pro homosexual forces in California to defeat the Briggs proposition. This proposition wanted to bar homosexuals from teaching in the classrooms. Reagan’s strong opposition to this bill was an important factor in its defeat.

Ronald Reagan was the “40” President of the United States. The number 40 is the most commonly used number in the bible. There was approximately 40 days between when Reagan was shot on March 30, 1981 and when Pope John II was shot on May 13, 1981. There was also approximately 40 days between when the Pope was shot from when the Medjugorje apparitions started on June 24, 1981.

The Medjugorje apparitions as noted above began in Reagan’s first year in office and have continued until the present. This apparition site of the Virgin Mary has attracted millions yearly with focus on prayer and penance. This apparition is among the longest running in Church history and it has produced thousands of conversions. The apparition has had a positive effect on the church faithful throughout the world. Although, not church approved yet, why would God give us this strong presence of his mother, the Mother of the Church, unless the world was in serious jeopardy? The timing of this apparition and its continued length seems to be more than a coincidence. The Medjugorje messages and visionaries have always been faithful to church teaching.

In 1981 the Eternal Word Television Network {EWTN} was created. This television Catholic network has been vital to the Roman Catholic Church faithful in teaching traditional Christian values in an increasing antiChristian world. Its founding by Mother Angelica is nothing short of miraculous. It continues to this day on private donations and has become the leading Catholic television network in the world. The year 1981 stands out as a momentous year. In 1981, Reagan came onto the world scene and became the most powerful individual in the world. The EWTN network and the start of the Medjugorje appartions also commenced in 1981. They have been a strong bulwark against the Satan’s influence of the Catholic Church and the world. It appears the battle lines were drawn in 1981.

Pope John Paul II is arguably one of the greatest Popes in modern times. He was canonized a Saint in 2014 just 9 years after his death. His time as the Pope paralleled Reagan’s 8 years as President. Did Jesus Christ put one of his greatest Popes in power at the same time as the Church’s greatest enemy was on the world stage? In 1982, Reagan fell asleep in a meeting with Pope John Paul II. The only world leader he did this to. Was it jet lag as explained, or was it a sign of disrespect for the Vicar of Christ? Both men share an interesting fact concerning their deaths. They both died on the first Saturday of the month which is a very special day dedicated to the Virgin Mary. First Saturday devotion to the Virgin Mary is key part of the Fatima message.

The United States reestablished formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican in 1984 during Reagan’s first term as President. However, it was the Congress led by Protestant Senator Richard Lugar that authorized the funding. The funding was cut off in 1867 from the fallout of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Since there were Catholics involved in the assassination, anti-Catholic sentiment rose up in the country and funding for diplomatic relations with the Vatican was withheld until 1984. The great admiration many Congressman had for Pope John Paul II made the difference in getting the funding approved.

Pope John Paul II through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary deserves the credit for ending the Cold War. The strong moral leadership he gave to the people of Poland commencing in 1979 to peacefully confront the evils of communism would inspire other Soviet Bloc countries that freedom and democracy were possible in their lifetimes. He was such a threat to communism that the KGB tried to kill him on May 13, 1981. The millions of rosaries said over 40 years to the Blessed Virgin Mary for the liberation of Eastern Europe was the decisive blow to free those countries from atheistic rule. On December 25, 1991, Christmas Day, the Soviet hammer and sickle flag was taken down from the Kremlin for the last time.

Pope John Paul II traveled the world continuously for over 20 years. He visited more countries than all of his predecessors combined. This fulfilled Jesus Christ’s statement in the gospels that the word of God be preached throughout the world before the end times would begin.

From 1960 to 1990 the most popular boy name in America was Michael. The name Michael had never cracked the top 25 before the 1950’s. Was it that our Heavenly Father wanted a stronger presence of St. Michael the Archangel in the country dominated by the Antichrist? The dramatic increase of boys being named Michael greatly increased devotion to this warrior angel as their patron saint at the time the church stopped praying the St. Michael prayer after mass in the mid 1960’s.

Mr. Reagan was generally viewed as a fiscal conservative. It is ironic that during his 8 years in office as President he more than doubled the national debt. The economy grew during his term in office but it was fueled by deficit spending that other generations would have to pay for. This deficit spending would convince future administrations that it was okay to defer expenses to future generations. The national debt, from George Washington to Jimmy Carter stood at 1 trillion dollars. The deficit under Reagan went from 1 trillion to almost 3 trillion by the time he left office. It now stands at 32 trillion dollars. The United States of America is now averaging annual deficits that are over 1 trillion dollars per year. It all started in the 1980’s.

In 1999, Pope John Paul II named St. Bridget of Sweden a patron saint of the continent of Europe. Considering most of the Catholic saints have come from Europe, this was quite an honor. She lived from 1303 to 1373. In one of her prophecies she predicted the Antichrist would have significant influence over the world in the year 1980. Also, Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen declared in 1950 “the two great forces of the Mystical Body of Christ and the Mystical Body of the Antichrist are beginning to draw up battle lines for the catastrophic contest “

If the Antichrist was truly on the earth over the past century then the Catholic Church would be one of his main targets to destroy. Let’s take a look at the present day Catholic Church. It had its most horrific scandal in its long history, the sexual abuse scandal. Priests abusing adolescents is repulsive and evil. To make things worse, at times these abuses were covered up and denied by Church officials.

The shortage of priests and nuns in today’s Catholic Church is one of its most severe problems. Many churches have been closed and masses eliminated. Vocations have tried up in this materialistic and permissive culture. The size of Catholic families and the horrible abuse scandal has also led to fewer vocations.

Many Catholics do not follow church teaching and are not raising their children in the Catholic faith. Missing mass or not going to confession is commonplace. The term, “mortal sin” is never even mentioned much anymore. Many of the Catholic Colleges and Universities no longer adhere to the Catholic teaching regarding social issues. Catholic politicians vote against church teaching routinely throughout the country. Most of today’s Cardinals and Bishops feel it is appropriate for a Catholic politician to receive Holy Communion if they vote for and support abortion rights.

The catechism of the Catholic Church written by Pope John Paul II is not viewed as mandatory by many Catholics. There certainly is an “apostasy” or falling away from the faith happening in the church today. The Church has never found itself in this position that many of its members are questioning traditional church teaching. On this present course the Catholic Church is hurdling into a schism, or a splinter of its faithful along liberal and conservative factions.

There has always been conflict or dissension in the Catholic Church. However, it has never been to this world level. The leader of the Catholic Church has always been publicly faithful to church teaching over the last 2,000 years. This seems to be changing with the current Pope.

Pope Francis is one of the most popular Popes in the modern era. His views on Communion for Non-Catholics, Communion for those remarried couples that haven’t had their first marriage annulled, and those couples that are cohabiting have been in opposition to Catholic Church teaching. His view of Communion for those Catholics that have not had their first marriage annulled contradicts the teaching of the Pope he made a saint, Pope John Paul II.

Pope Francis has allowed non-Catholics to receive Holy Communion in Germany. He has reversed Catholic teaching on the death penalty. He now says it is immoral, breaking with the official Catholic Catechism approved under Pope John Paul II. Pope Francis feels life without parole sentences are also immoral and nobody should be in jail for life. In 2015, he issued a papal encyclical on climate change. Combating global warming has had a big role in his pontificate. The Vicar of Christ’s priority is the shepherd of souls. There are others that can look after the environment. The Pope has been very reluctant in intervening on schismatic conferences like the German Catholic Bishops Conference that is proposing changing church teaching. They have been meeting for years proposing these changes and only recently has the Pope made any direct appeal for them to reverse course. The Vatican had no problem canceling the United States Bishops vote on an abuse reform measure on November 12, 2018. The Pope did not like the measure and the call was made to stop the vote on it until a later date. Obviously the Bishops and Cardinals obeyed the Pope which the German Bishops and Cardinals should be expected to if asked. The momemtum this German Bishop’s conference has gathered proposing changing church moral teaching will be hard to stop. The Pope should have squashed this type of apostasy in the beginning of the process not at the very end.

Unfortunately, Pope Francis has had a poor record dealing with the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal. He allowed Cardinal McCarrick to represent him around the world until he was forced to remove him from the priesthood due to his sexual abuse of minors and seminarians becoming public. McCarrick’s abuses were well known in Vatican circles before he acted as an Ambassador for Pope Francis and he became the first Cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church to be removed from the ministry.

In a terrible deal for China’s very small Catholic population, Pope Francis has ceded control over the appointment of Catholic Bishops to the Chinese Communist party. He has kept this China deal very secret. On June 16, 2016, in reference to couples living together who are not married or cohabitating, he feels they can be considered real marriages under the eye of God if they show fidelity to each other.

In 2017, Pope Francis brought in a statue to the Vatican of Martin Luther in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Revolution. This revolution split the Catholic Church, and up to today’s crisis, was the most harmful period in the church’s history. Pope Francis has praised Martin Luther as a great reformer. Reformers are loyal to church teaching and do not contradict 1,000 years of Catholic doctrine. A Pope praising Martin Luther is more evidence of Satan’s strong influence inside the church. In a stunning reversal on Catholic Church teaching on the sanctimony of marriage, Pope Francis stated recently stated same sex civil unions should be legalized. St. John Paul strongly condemned this policy in his 2003 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith document. This is another example of Pope Francis’s changing of traditional Catholic Church moral teaching.

On October 4, 2019, Pope Francis unexplainably hosted a pagan ceremony with Pachamama statues in the Vatican Gardens. He even blessed one these statues and brought it in to St. Peter’s Cathedral. Pachamama is considered a goddess representing mother earth and fertility of the land. Obviously for the Vicar of Christ or any Roman Catholic to participate in any form of worship of idols is extremely blasphemous.

The apostasy has reached the Vicar of Christ. Prayers are needed for the current Pontiff of the Catholic Church. He needs the faithful’s prayers to help him do God’s will and follow Church teaching. We need to pray for the Pope that he understands being “rigid” is not a sin if a soul is striving to follow church teaching. Jesus Christ commands us to strive to “be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” Matthew 5:48. Following church teaching is never mutually exclusive but benefits all souls. Pope Francis recently has severely restricted the use of the Latin Mass rite for the faithful. This a complete reversal of Pope Benedict’s 2007 apostolic letter. He stated he felt that those participating in the Latin Mass were not being faithful to Vatican II. However, when more then 100 German Catholic parishes blessed same sex couples he said nothing. The Catholic Catechism strongly rejects this type of blessing.

Satan is a cunning enemy of God’s children. His main tactic is to tempt us into sin and eventually ruin our souls due to the effects of sin. Jesus will always forgive the repentant sinner but the truly evil aspect of today’s world is that many souls do not feel the need to repent. What were mortal sins in the past 2,000 years of church teaching are no longer considered sins. Many young people do not know what a grave sin is so they are unlikely to feel they have done anything wrong are want to confess it. Some Catholic Church leaders are partly to blame for this misinformation because they have ignored their important role in teaching what a sin is. Many of the Catholic Bishops have emphasized social justice teaching and have neglected moral teaching. The result has been the shepherds of souls have allowed the wolf (Satan) freedom to attack and ruin souls. These Bishops have been shepherding their own public relations rather than the flock God assigned to them.

We know from Matthew 4: 5-7, that Satan was bold enough to quote scripture to Jesus Christ in his tempting of the Son of God in the desert. In Mark 8: 31-33, it illustrates how Satan uses St. Peter to tempt Jesus to not die for our sins. It is well know that Satan induced Judas, one of Jesus’s original 12 Disciples, to betray the Son of God. From St. Paul in 2nd Corinthians 11:14, we learn that Satan can disguise himself into an “angel of light”. If Satan can quote scripture to God and penetrate Jesus’s inner circle, then he can easily fool us into thinking there is nothing wrong with the direction of the world or of the Catholic Church.

Jesus Christ was completely innocent but was put to death by religious leaders in the name of God. He did his preaching and works in the open for all to see but was still condemned. The faithful of Jesus’s time were aware that a Messiah was prophesied to appear in Israel. In today’s world, very few people know anything about prophecies concerning the Antichrist or his predicted appearance on the world stage. Major biblical figures such as Jesus Christ the Son of God, or the Antichrist, a man directed by Satan are very hard for people to believe. Remember, even John the Baptist in Matthew 11: 3-5 had to be reassured by Jesus Christ that Jesus truly was the Messiah.

The purpose of the Antichrist is destroy the Catholic Church and ruin as many souls as possible. As stated before the Catholic Church is in the midst of its worst chaos of its 2,000 years. If a pope is truly contradicting church teaching then the apostasy has reached the pinnacle of its destructiveness.

Adam and Eve committed the first or original sin over a forbidden fruit. That sin completely changed world history. Obedience is very important to God especially among church leaders. Changing, modifying, or ignoring Church teaching is a serious sin. Jesus Christ stated in Matthew 5:19 “That is why whoever breaks the least significant of these commands and teaches others to do so shall be called least in the kingdom of God. Whoever fulfills and teaches these commands shall be great in the kingdom of God”.

Mary's mantle protects all who take refuge in her love.

Source By Fischer.H - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46105885

 

The Immaculate Heart of Mary as the New Ark of Noah

By: A Carmelite Brother, June 2023

Case Study: The Jesuit Presbytery of Hiroshima, 1945

 

AtFátima,theVirginMarysaid,MyImmaculateHeartwillbeyourrefugeandthewaythatwillleadyoutoGod.(June

13,1917)Asthoughtoprovideaproofofthispromise,sheshelteredeightpriestsfromcertaindeath—priestswho werefaithfultothecounselsshegaveatFátima.

 

ThesepriestslivedinHiroshima,Japan,asmissionaries,onlyeightblocks(onekilometer)fromthehypocenterofthe atomicbombthatfellonAugust6,1945.Miraculously,thepresbyteryremainedstandingamidflattenedbuildings.The priestsescapedwithonlyminorinjuriesandhadnolastingeffectsfromtheradiation.Theylivedoutafullnumberof years.

 

Thesuperiorofthecommunity,Fr.HubertSchiffer,wasreportedlyexaminedover200timesbyscientistsanddoctors

—hehadzeroradiationin hisbody.Whatwasthesecretof theirsurvival?Fr.Schifferexplains,Wewereunderthe specialprotectionofGod.WesurvivedbecausewewerelivingthemessageofFátima.Welivedandprayed theRosarydailyinthathome.

 

The'messageofFátima'referstotheapparitionsoftheVirginMaryatFátima,Portugalin1917.Sherequestedacts ofpenanceandprayer,particularlytheRosary,asameanstosoftenDivineJustice.Thesepriestsbelievedthattheir survivalwasduetotheirdevotiontoOurLady.HerHeartwastheirarkofrefugeamidthedevastation.

The Jesuit presbytery (in red) remained intact during the atomic bomb explosion at Hiroshima      Source: Public domain

 

 The Genesis Flood as a Lesson for Our Times

 

According to the Genesis account, God sent the Flood because corruption enveloped the earth. While the Flood was a response of his infinite justice, the Ark was a result of his mercy. Afterward, He promised never again to destroy mankind with water. (Gen. 9:15) But, will He again purify it by some other means?

 

AccordingtoScripture(2Peter3:7,10),andseveralmodernmystics,Godwilloncemorepurifytheearth,notwith waterbutwithfire.Whoa!Fire?Why?BecausecorruptiononceagainenvelopstheEarth.AstheBlessedVirginsaid toBlessedElenaAiello,"ThewholeworldisinturmoilbecauseithasbecomeworsethanatthetimeoftheDeluge."(Dec8,1956)

 

Butwait—willGodalsoprovideanarktosurvivethisfuturedelugeasHedidforNoah'sfamily?Yes,Hemercifully providestheImmaculateHeartofMaryasthesaferefugetosailthroughthecomingconflagration.Howcanthisbe? WiththehelpofScripture,privaterevelations,andlifeexamples,letuslearnmore.Aboveall,letussecureourticket andclimbaboardGod'snewArk—theHeartofMary.

 

Symbolic Comparisons of the Virgin Mary with Noah'sArk 

 

NoahtheRighteous—Noah(hisnamemeans'rest,'or'comfort'),isaChrist-likefigure.Hewasfound"blamelessin hisgeneration,"and"walkedwithGod."(Gen.6:9)Soalso,NoahmodeledChristasthesaviorofhisfamilyandasa preserveroflife.AstheArkenclosedNoah,soMaryprotectedJesustheSaviorofhumanityinherwomb.The Chaldeanliturgyputsitthisway,"MaryisthearkoffleshwhichshelteredthetrueNoah,whowastofreeournature fromslaverytoSatan."

 

PerfectionofDimensions—GodinstructedNoahtobuildthearkaccordingtocertaindimensions:300cubitslong,

50cubitswide,and30cubitshigh.Acubitisabout20"inlength.Thewidth-to-heightratiooftheArkwas5to3,or

1.666,whichisasclosetothegoldenratio(1.618)ascanbeachievedwithsimplenumbers.Inlikemanner,God fashionedMarytobetheperfectdwellingplaceforhisSon.

 

DaubedwithPitch—AccordingtoGod'sinstruction,NoahsaturatedthewoodoftheArkonbothsideswithpitch. Thiswasnotbitumenpitch(tar),whichisthoughttobeaby-productoftheFlooditself,butaresinousliquid,suchas sapfromacypresstree.Oncethesappolymerized,thewoodwaspreservedfromthedamagingeffectsofwater.In likemanner,Maryis"fullofgrace,"symbolizedbytreesap,whichpreservedherfromthedeadlywatersofsinand death.

By Lucie - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107448027

 

  

Self-abandontoGod'swill—theArkhadnorudderandwasdirectedsimplybythewillofGod.Marysaid,"Iamthe handmaidoftheLord,beitdonetomeaccordingtothyword."SheallowedherlifetobesteeredbyGod'sSpirit.

 

ThreeLevels—TheArkhadthreedecksorlevels.ThiscorrespondstoMary'suniquerelationshipwitheachmember oftheHolyTrinity.SheisthebeloveddaughteroftheEternalFather;sheistheMotherofJesus,theIncarnateLogos, andsheisthespouseoftheHolySpirit.

 

RefugeforAnimals—TheArkenclosednotonlyrighteousNoahandhisfamilybutlowlyanimalsaswell.Similarly, MarynotonlyhousedJesus,theSunofRighteousness,butsheisashelteringmotherforrepentantsinners.Aswill beexplainedfurtheron,Maryisthe"RefugeofSinners."

 

By the Spirit's Urge 

 

CriticsofaGlobalFloodandNoah'sArk,inparticular,citetheimpossibilityofNoahgatheringtheanimalsoftheEarth. Tohuntandtrapsomanycreaturesbogglesthemind.However,twomattersmadethetaskverysimpleforNoah.

 

Inthefirstcase,theanimalsandbirdscametotheArkoftheirownvolition.(Gen.6:20)Thisisunderstandable,as eveninourday,onehearsofanimalssensingdangerandseekingasaferlocation.Forexample,wholegroupsof animals,suchaselephantsandflamingossoughtsafetybeforethedeadlytsunamiof2004.Their"sixthsense"detecteddangerandurgedthemtoescape.

 

Secondly,evensecularscientistsacknowledgethattheEarthwasformerlyonemassivesupercontinent,knownas Pangea.Hence,thepre-FloodgeographyenabledanimalsfromlongdistancestocometotheArk.Therewasno needforthemarsupialsofAustralia,forexample,tomiraculouslytraversetheocean.Thelandwasone.

 

AsthewildcreaturesacceptedtheurgingsofGod'sSpiritandcameoftheirownaccord,sothesameSpiriturges soulstotakerefugeinMary'sHeartbeforethestormbreaks.Soulsgotohervolitionally,drawnbyloveandtrust. WhiletheimpendingdelugewillbeanexerciseofGod'sjustice,Hemercifullyprovidesasaferefugeaheadoftime.

 

Yet,thetimeofmercyislimited—onceNoahenteredtheArkunderGod'scommand,"theLordshuthimin."(Gen.7:16).Therainsbegansevendayslater.Inlikemanner,thewindowofopportunitytoenterMary'sHeartis limited;it'sbesttofindaspotbeforethestormbegins.

 

ADeluge of Fire?

 

Theforecastappearsominousindeed.Ifitweresomeisolatedprophecy,whoshouldbealarmed?Asitis,manyand diversemysticssaythesamething:GodintendstopurgetheEarthwithfireunlessitrepents.Thisfireisnotman- made,suchasfromanuclearholocaust,butsentdirectlyfromheaven.MysticsrefertoitastheChastisement.

 

Hereareonlyafewprophecies(fromamongmany)thatforetellthisevent.ThefollowingmessageisfromtheBlessed

VirgintotheItalianstigmatistandmystic,BlessedElenaAiello(1895-1961)

 

Atempestoffireshallfallupontheworld.Thisterriblescourge,neverbeforeseeninthehistoryof humanity,willlastseventyhours.Godlesspersonswillbecrushedandwipedout.(April16,1954)

 

 

FromtheapprovedapparitionsatAkita,Japan,comesthismessageoftheVirgintoSisterAgnesSasagawa:

 

Ifmandoesnotrepent,theHeavenlyFatherwillinflictapunishmentworsethantheDeluge,suchasone willneverhaveseenbefore.Firewillfallfromthesky,wipingoutagreatpartofhumanity,thegoodaswell asthebad,sparingneitherpriestnorfaithful(October13,1973).

 

 

"Agreatpartofhumanity?"BeforeonelosesconfidenceinGod,itiswelltorememberthatGod'sinfinitejusticeis temperedbymercy.AsinthedaysofNoah,Henowprovidesameansofescapebeforetroublecomes.Therefuge HehaspreparedisnothingotherthanthearkofMary'sHeart.But,howexactlydoesthishappen?Canshesaveus fromtheflames?Ifso,howcanoneenterintotheArkofherHeartandbesafe? 

 

"A tempest of fire shall fall upon the world."     | Source: Pixabay

           

Refuge of Sinners 

 

"HowcansomeoneasbrutishasIdwellinMary'sHeart?"Ifonefeelsunworthytodwellinsuchaholysanctuary,itis necessarytorecallthatMaryhasbeenveneratedthroughtheagesasthe"RefugeofSinners."JustasNoah'sArk shelteredanimals,soMaryprotectslowlysinners.

 

SaintGertrudeoncehadavisionofMarywithhermantlespreadopen.Wildbeasts,suchasleopards,lions,and bearswerehidingunderhermantle.GertrudesawthatnotonlydidtheBlessedMothernotdrivethemaway,butthat shereceivedthemcharitablyandcaressedthemwithherbenignhand.TheSaintunderstoodthatthesewildbeasts weremiserablesinners,whoarewelcomedbyMarywithsweetnessandlovethemomenttheyhaverecoursetoher.

 

HerHeartisopentoallandrefusesnone,assheexplainedtoSt.BridgetofSweden:

 

Howevermuchamanmayhavesinned,ifhereturnstomewithagenuineintentionofrepentance,I’m readyatoncetoreceivehim.Idon’tpayattentiontothesinswithwhichhe’sburdened,butonlytothegood dispositioninwhichhecomes.AndthenIdon’trefusetoanointandhealhiswounds,forIamcalled,and trulyam,theMotherofMercy.

 

 

Inthefollowingvideo,Fr.IgnatiusManfredonia,F.F.I.,explainsmoreofhowMaryistheMotherofMercy.

 

 

How Do We Enter TheArk of Mary's Heart?

 

Noah'sArkhadonedooronly.Thesafetyofthevesselwouldhavebeencompromisedotherwise.Inlikemanner,the singleentrywaytoMary'sHeartistheactofconsecrationtoher.Bythisactofentrustmentandthroughlivingit faithfully,apersonbecomesMary'sspecialproperty,hercargo,asitwere.However,astheanimalsascendedaramp beforeenteringtheark,soonemustpreparebeforeenteringthedoor.

 

TherampthatleadstoMary'sHeartismeditationandprayer.Simplybytakingthefirststep,oneprovesthe willingnesstoriseabovetheearth.Then,throughreadingandprayer,oneeasilyascendshigherandentersthedoor.

 

Bylivingtheconsecrationwithdevotion,oneadvancesandeventuallydwellsasinthewombofaship.Pleasenote: consecrationtoMaryalwaysendsinGod.ThisiswhytheGreekChurchcallsher,"Hodegitria,"or"shewhoknows theway."SheleadsthewaytoGod.

 

Nonetheless,toremaininMary'sHeartgoesbeyondrecitingaformula.Itinvolvesatransformationofone'svalues andwillingnesstoheedheradvice,asatFátima.Inpracticalterms,thismeansacquiringpurityofheartanddevotion, whichistheresultofpenanceandprayer.ThesedispositionsenableapersontoenterintotherecessesofherHeart andbesafe.

 

RemaininginMary'sHeartalsoimpliestheavoidanceofworldlinessanddissipation.AsJesushimselfindicates,the personsofNoah'sdaywerefocusedonworldlyconcerns:"InthedaysofNoah...Theyate,theydrank,theymarried, theyweregiveninmarriage,untilthedaywhenNoahenteredtheark,andthefloodcameanddestroyedthemall."(Luke17:27)

 

Is There Enough Room in Mary's Heart? 

 

WhileNoah'sArkwasvastenoughtoholdthetypesofanimalsweseetoday,spacewasstillacommodity.Notso

withMary—herHeartislargeenoughtogatherasmanysoulswhocometoher. AsPopeBenedictsays,"Mary,totally unitedtoGod,hasaheartsobigthatallcreationcanenterthisheart,andex-votosineverypartoftheworldshowit. Maryisclose,shecanhearus,shecanhelpus,sheisclosetoeveryoneofus."

 

InabeautifulvisionofBlessedElenaAiello,MaryrevealsthespaciousnessofherHeart.Shesays,

 

"MyHeartissobigforpoorsinnersandImakeuseofeverypossiblemeansthattheymaybesaved.Look atthismantle,howbigitis.IfIwerenotbentovertheearthtocoverallwithmymaternallove,thetempest offirewouldhavealreadybrokenuponthenationsoftheworld!"

 

BlessedElenaexclaimed,"MylovelyMother,neverbeforehaveIseentheewithsuchalargemantle."The BlessedVirgin,holdingherarmswide,answered:"Thisisthemantleofmercyforallthosewho,having repented,comebacktoMyImmaculateHeart.See?Therighthandholdsthemantletocoverandtosave poorsinners,whilewiththelefthand,IholdbacktheDivineJustice,sothatthetimeofMercymaystillbe prolonged."

 

 

Finally,St.AlphonsusLiguorinotes,"MaryhasbeencalledanarkmorespaciousthanthatofNoah.Foronlytwo animalsofeverykindwerebroughtintothearkofNoah.ButunderthemantleofMary,therighteousandsinnersall findtheirplace.

 

 

By AndyScott - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75718217

  

TheArk of Mary's Heart in the Messages to Fr. Stefano Gobbi

 

DonStefanoGobbi(1930-2011)wasanItalianpriestandfounderoftheinternationalMarianMovementofPriests.On apilgrimagetoFátimain1972,heunexpectedlystartedreceivinginterior"locutions,"orspokenmessages,fromthe VirginMary.Inconsultationwithhisspiritualdirector,hebeganwritingthesemessagesdownwhichoftenamplifyon themesfirstmentionedatFátima.Inseveralmessages,MaryurgesalltoseekrefugeinherHeart:

 

YoumustnowallenterrightawayintothesaferefugeofmyImmaculateHeart.JustasNoah,inthename oftheLord,calledintotheArkthosewhoweretobesavedfromtheFlood,sonowmustyou,mylittlestchild,inthenameofyourheavenlyMother,callintotherefugeofmyImmaculateHeartthosewhomustbe protected,defendedandsavedfromthegreattrialwhichhasnowcomefortheChurchandforallhumanity. (message489)

 

EnterintotheRefugewhichyourHeavenlyMotherhaspreparedforyou,foryoursalvationandthatyou maybeabletopassinsafety,inmyImmaculateHeart,theterribledaysofthegreattempestwhichis alreadyathand.

 

AtthetimeofNoah,immediatelybeforetheflood,thosewhomtheLordhaddestinedtosurvivehisterrible chastisemententeredintotheArk.Intheseyourtimes,Iaminvitingallmybelovedchildrentoenterintothe ArkoftheNewCovenantwhichIhavebuiltinmyImmaculateHeartforyou.(message328)

 

AStockpile of Trust 

 

Theprospectofaglobalconflagrationischillingindeed.Greattrustisnecessaryeventocopewiththethought.Just assomepeoplestockpileprovisionsduringuncertaintimes,itisofgreateradvantagetogatheralargereserveof trust.

 

Trustfulabandonkeepsonesafefromsinkingintodespair.TotrustthatMaryistheMotherofMercyandRefugeof SinnersisthetickettoclimbaboardGod'snewark.TheServantofGod,Fr.BartoloméXiberta,O.Carm.,putsitthis way,"TheimportantthingistoremainalwaysinaspiritoftrustfulreposeinthehandsoftheLordandofourBlessed Mothersothatsentimentsofanguishdonotdominateoursouls."

 

AfterNoah'sArkrestedonthemountainsofArarat,Godblessedthenewtimeswithpeace,symbolizedbythe rainbow.So,also,thefuturebeyondthecomingstormlooksbright.TheVirginsaidatFátima,Intheend,my ImmaculateHeartwilltriumph...andaperiodofpeacewillbegrantedtotheworld.

_______________________________

A Simple Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary: 

https://pearlbede.wordpress.com/2023/05/03/a-simple-act-of-consecration-to-the-immaculate-heart-of-mary/

 

References

 

ToThePriests,OurLady'sBelovedSons,17thEdition,publishedbyTheMarianMovementofPriests,1996

 

Anarticleonanimal's"sixthsense"

 

ThepropheciesofBlessedElenaAiello

 

ThepropheciesofOurLadyatAkita,Japan

 

TheGloriesofMarybySt.AlphonsusdeLiguori,publishedbyHeliconPress,Inc.,1963