Living in the End Times ~ Part 7

Living in the End Times

Last week, we reflected upon the first of the apocalyptic world-wide events which have been prophesied over the centuries. We spoke about the Warning, which will result after an intense build-up of cataclysmic events that will first affect the whole world! The Warning is truly an act of God’s Divine Mercy to strengthen the faith of believers during a time in which our faith will be sorely tested.

It is a Heavenly event designed to guide non-believers to conversion who would have no chance of redemption without this great act of Mercy, thereby saving many before the terrible Day of Justice by giving us a chance to ask for forgiveness for the sins we have committed.

It was also revealed that the Warning is to be a minor purification to prepare us to see the next miraculous event which God has planned for our salvation. Today, we shall discuss the second and third Heavenly events – the Miracle and the Chastisement:

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The Miracle (the Visible Sign)

To better understand what God has planned for His children, I would like to refer to the different statements given to us in the past from mystics within the Church:

Saint Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), appointed by Jesus, Himself, to be His Secretary of Divine Mercy, wrote in her Diary in 1934 the words of our Savior, Jesus Christ:

“Write this: before I come as the Just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy. Before the day of justice arrives, there will be given to people a sign in the heavens of this sort: All light in the heavens will be extinguished, and there will be great darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the openings where the hands and the feet of the Savior were nailed will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of time. This will take place shortly before the last day” (Diary, § 83).

From 1961 to 1962, Our Blessed Mother appeared to four girls, ages 11 and 12 years old, several times each week in the village of San Sebastian de Garabandal, Spain. Conchita Gonzalez, one of the young visionaries, spoke about the Miracle in an account she had written about the apparitions:

In 1973, Conchita was responding to questions in an interview, “I will tell you all that I can just as the Virgin told it to me. She told me that God was going to perform a great Miracle and that there would be no doubt about the fact that it was a miracle. It will come directly from God with no human intervention…you would be able to take pictures and televise it…And this sign will remain until the end of time.”

Another of the Garabandal visionaries, Maria Dolores (Mari-loli) Mazon, responding to an interviewer’s question on July 27, 1975, stated that the Miracle will occur within one year after the Warning.

From 1981 up to the present time, Our Blessed Mother began appearing to 5 young teenagers in the village of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, all who are currently adults:

On September 4, 1981, while Ivan Dragicevic, one of the Medjugorje visionaries, was in the seminary, Our Blessed Mother stated, “The sign will be given at the end of the apparitions.”

Two days later, Ivan wrote in his diary, “I was praying in the chapel. Suddenly there was a great light. [And I heard] ‘Pray especially on Sunday, so that the great sign, the gift of God may come. Pray with fervor and a constancy so that God may have mercy on His great children.’”

Please note that, as of the current time, neither the apparitions in Garabandal nor Medjugorje have been given formal Church approval, nor have they received a formal condemnation from the Church. Although by latest reports from Rome, it appears that Medjugorje is close to Ecclesial recognition.

Apparently, back in March 1962, Padre Pio wrote a personal letter to the four visionaries of Garabandal. For those who are interested in the letter’s content, and the reaction from the children, please click on the following link: http://www.garabandal2017.com/padre-pio-and-garabandal

However, in such instances where formal Church approval has not yet been given, may I repeat what I posted last week in Part 6, in that I would prefer to recognize and embrace the words of our late Holy Father, Pope Urban VIII:

“In cases like this [apparitions], it is better to believe than not to believe, for, if you believe, and it is proven true, you will be happy that you have believed, because Our Holy Mother asked it. If you believe, and it should be proven false, you will receive all the blessings as if it had been true, because you believed it to be true” (Pope Urban VIII, 1568-1644; reigned 1623-1644).

As stated last week, the Miracle, together with the Warning, will be the last public manifestations or outward signs that God will give us before the Divine Chastisement, for the period of Divine Mercy will soon be ending.

Our Blessed Mother has stated in several instances that once the Visible Sign is manifested, the time for conversion is very short. And remember our Lord’s words to Saint Faustina, “This will take place shortly before the last day” (Diary, § 83).

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The Chastisement (the Three Days of Darkness)

A holy mystic, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (1769–1837), who was chosen by Jesus to “…convert sinners, to console people of all sorts and conditions – priests, prelates, My very Vicar himself”, once stated, “A great purification will come upon the world preceded by an Illumination of Conscience in which everyone will see themselves as God sees them.”

This purification to which Blessed Taigi was referring, or what other visionaries have referred to as the Chastisement, is what is referred to as the “Three Days of Darkness”.

The Three Days of Darkness is not an unprecedented event, for it had occurred in Egypt as the ninth plague which God would visit upon the Egyptian people:

“Then the LORD said to Moses: Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that over the land of Egypt there may be such darkness that one can feel it. So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was dense darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days. People could not see one another, nor could they get up from where they were, for three days” (Exodus 10:21-23a).

However, this particular Three Days of Darkness for us will be completely different and has been prophesied by not only Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, but also by Saint Hildegard, Saint Columba, Venerable Mary of Agreda, Venerable Elizabeth Canori-Mora, as well as others. It was even reported that Saint Padre Pio wrote a letter regarding this chastisement, but the letter has not been verified.

Below, I have listed a few of the prophetical statements regarding this ultimate Chastisement:

Blessed Taigi was quoted as saying, “God will send two punishments: one will be in the form of wars, revolutions and other evils; it shall originate on Earth. The other will be sent from Heaven. There shall come over the whole Earth an intense darkness lasting three days and three nights.

“Nothing can be seen, and the air will be laden with pestilence which will claim mainly, but not only, the enemies of religion. It will be impossible to use any man-made lighting during this darkness, except blessed wax candles. He, who out of curiosity, opens his window to look out, or leaves his home, will fall dead on the spot.

“During these three days, people should remain in their homes, pray the Rosary and beg God for mercy. All the enemies of the Church, whether known or unknown, will perish over the whole Earth during that universal darkness, with the exception of a few whom God will soon convert. The air shall be infected by demons who will appear under all sorts of hideous forms.”

Venerable Elizabeth Canori-Mora (1774-1825) was also quoted as saying, “… the sky was covered with clouds so dense and dismal that it was impossible to look at them without dismay… the avenging arm of God will strike the wicked, and in His mighty power He will punish their pride and presumption. God will employ the powers of Hell for the extermination of these impious and heretical persons who desire to overthrow the Church and destroy its foundation.

“…Innumerable legions of demons shall overrun the Earth and shall execute the orders of Divine Justice…Nothing on the Earth shall be spared. After this frightful punishment, I saw the heavens opening…”

Only a few Catholics know about Our Lady of Akita and her appearing to Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa in Akita, Japan, from 1973 to 1981, but the message, like that of Fatima, is a specific warning of worldwide chastisement. The Chastisement threatened is truly terrible – far worse than the possibility of annihilation of several nations prophesied at Fatima! And the messages from our Lady of Akita are absolutely consistent with prophecies of Sacred Scripture.

This particular series of apparitions and messages, however, have received formal Church approval, first through Bishop John Ito on April 22, 1984; and then through Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in June 1988, before he became Pope Benedict XVI, by stating that the Akita events were “…reliable and worthy of belief.”

In fact, Howard Dee, the Philippine ambassador to the Vatican in 1998 spoke to Cardinal Ratzinger about Akita and stated that the Cardinal “…personally confirmed to me that these two messages of Fatima and Akita are essentially the same.” Hence, in Akita we are dealing with a Church approved intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with no less importance as at Lourdes, La Salette, or Fatima.

In the third message which Our Blessed Mother gave to Sister Agnes on October 13, 1973 (the 56th anniversary of the miracle of the sun in Fatima), Our Lady said:

“As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have been seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms [weapons] which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the (Visible) Sign left by my Son. Each day, recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and the priests.

“The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, and bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confrères [other priests]. The Church and altars will be vandalized. The Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord. [Note, is this not what we have been discussing in Parts 1-5 of this series?]

“The demon will rage especially against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will no longer be pardon for them.” [In other words, the time of Mercy will have come to an end.]

Conchita Gonzalez, one of the young visionaries of Garabandal, said, “All Catholics should go to confession before the punishment and the others should repent of their sins. When I saw it (the punishment), I felt a great fear even though at the same time I was seeing Our Blessed Mother. The punishment, if it comes, will come after the Miracle.”

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Summary

As a result of the above prophecies, and others which I have not included due to a limitation of space, I would like to summarize many of the points which the different Church mystics have made over the centuries about this Chastisement, the Three Days of Darkness:

Keep your windows well covered and do not look out at what is happening, for God does not want you to look upon the holiness of His Divine Justice.
Place holy water, blessed candles, matches, rosary and spiritual reading books in a place you can find even in the pitch darkness. It is wise to have a crucifix and other images of Jesus, Mary and the Saints throughout the home. Place a scapular or crucifix in a prominent place on the wall or above the door in the room in which you will be staying. Also, place a blessed crucifix above all the exterior doors of the home.
Light one or more blessed candles (preferably 100% pure beeswax candles which have been blessed), for there will be no other light source.
We must be in a state of sanctifying grace in order to be able to light the blessed candle. Therefore, we should always be prepared spiritually.
Store up water and food to last for the duration of the three days and nights for everyone in the home, and also for a period of time after the Chastisement.
Jesus has said, “This catastrophe shall come upon the Earth like a flash of lightning at which moment the light of the morning sun shall be replaced by black darkness! No one shall leave the house or look out of a window from that moment on.”
“I Myself shall come amidst thunder and lightning. The wicked shall behold My Divine Heart. There shall be great confusion because of this utter darkness in which the entire Earth shall be enveloped, and many, many shall die from fear and despair.”
“Those who shall fight for My cause shall receive grace from My Divine Heart; and the cry: ‘WHO IS LIKE UNTO GOD!’ shall serve as a means of protection to many. However, many shall burn in the open fields like withered grass! The godless shall be annihilated, so that afterwards the just shall be able to stand afresh.”
“Take care of the animals during these days. I am the Creator and Preserver of all animals as well as man. I shall give you a few signs beforehand, at which time you should place more food before them. I will preserve the property of the elect, including the animals, for they shall be in need of sustenance afterwards as well.”
“On the day, as soon as complete darkness has set in, no one shall leave the house or look from out of the window. The darkness shall last a day and a night, followed by another day and a night, and another day – but on the night following, the stars will shine again, and on the next morning the sun shall rise again, and it will be SPRINGTIME!!”
“Let no one go across the yard, even to feed the animals – he who steps outside will perish! Cover your windows carefully. My elect shall not see My wrath. Have confidence in Me, and I will be your protection. Your confidence obliges Me to come to your aid.”

“Hurricanes of fire will pour forth from the clouds and spread over the entire Earth! Storms, bad weather, thunderbolts and earthquakes will cover the Earth for three days. An uninterrupted rain of fire will take place! It will begin during a very cold night. All this is to prove that God is the Master of Creation.”
“Those who hope in Me and believe in my words have nothing to fear because I will not forsake them, nor those who spread My message. No harm will come to those who are in the state of grace and who seek My mother’s protection.”
“In the days of darkness, My elect shall not sleep, as did the disciples in the Garden of Olives. They shall pray incessantly, and they shall not be disappointed in Me. I shall gather My elect. Hell will believe itself to be in possession of the entire Earth, but I shall reclaim it!”
“That you may be prepared for these visitations, I will give you the following signs and instructions: The night will be very cold. The wind will roar. After a time, thunderbolts will be heard. Lock all the doors and windows. Talk to no one outside the house! Kneel down before a crucifix, be sorry for your sins, and beg My Mother’s protection. Do not look [outside] during the earthquake, because the anger of God is holy!”
During this Chastisement, pray continuously – pray to Our Blessed Mother and to Saint Joseph, pray the Rosary, pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, pray to all the holy angels, especially your Guardian Angel and St. Michael the Archangel for his protection. Implore the aid of all the holy saints and angelic hosts in Heaven.
But after three days and two nights, the earthquakes and fire will cease. On the fourth day the sun will shine again. Angels will descend from Heaven and will spread the spirit of peace over the whole world. A feeling of immeasurable gratitude will take possession of those who survive this terrible ordeal with which God has visited upon the Earth since its creation.
A new era of peace, love and faith will dawn upon the world! This will be the age of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
“At the return of light, let everyone give thanks to the Holy Trinity for Their protection! The devastation shall be very great! But I, Your God, will have purified the Earth. I am with you. Have confidence!”
For those of you who are reading all about this for the first time, may I make reference to what Sacred Scripture teaches us about the final days:
Jesus Himself did warn us to observe signs in nature before His Second Coming saying, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25-26).
“…there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be. And if those days had not been shortened, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect they will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).
“Sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withhold their brightness” (Joel 4:15).
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be found out” (2 Peter 3:10).
“But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace” (2 Peter 3:13-14).
“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says…” (Revelation 2:29).

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Our Blessed Mother stated a few years ago in Medjugorje that the intensity of the purification can be lessened through prayer and fasting. However, because of the closed-heartedness of so many of God’s children and the frequent and willful commission of grave sin against His Love, the Chastisement cannot be completely removed.

As a result, our Lord is asking that we not be anxious about what is to come, since this purification is a part of God’s ultimate plan for cleansing the Earth of all evil, for we see within our world today evil, hatred and godlessness unparalleled with any other time or era in human history. Accordingly, the will of God will only bring the ultimate good for His faithful children who completely trust in His providential Love.

Whenever and whatever may actually occur during this frightening event, we must realize that we must first go through the cleansing of our own crucifixion before we can rise to a new life in the resurrection, always trusting in God’s providential Love for us.

May we take to heart the parable our Lord taught us about the five foolish virgins, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked.

“Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:1-13).

I pray that our Most Merciful Father will bless us with the grace to always remain alert and to keep our lamps trimmed and filled with oil. And may all that will eventually take place change the face of the Earth for His greater honor and glory and our personal sanctification!

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Next Friday in the continuing series of “Living in the End Times”, I will discuss what Sacred Scripture and the saints tell us about the prophesied False Prophet and the Antichrist.

Again, I ask that you please pray that I may be able to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in all that He wishes for you to learn, in all that He wishes for you to know as we enter and live in these final days of the “End Times”.

And take to heart always the words which our Lord spoke, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b).

May God bless you, God love you, and may God always keep you. †

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