RESPECT LIFE MONTH

Is Saving Precious Lives, A Once A Year Event?

We sincerely commend every dear soul who has taken the time to hold a pro-life sign at a Life Chain or help organize a banquet in funding a local Pregnancy Care Center, Parish Respect Life Office or other events as part of Respect life Month. Know that God will use every effort for His greater good!

The sad reality is that abortion is not just a once a year event. The killing of innocent lives takes place everyday in this nation, even on Sundays! Getting involved during Respect Life month makes a big difference within churches and in some communities, the abortion machinery grinds on relentlessly the rest of the year! One has to seriously question the effectiveness and our commitment to ending abortion.

Though it is "better to light a candle than curse the darkness," getting involved once a year is tantamount to;

* Fueling your car once a year - wouldn't get you far!

* Brushing your teeth once a year - promotes tooth decay!

* Working one day a year - wouldn't get much done!

* Exercising once a year - promotes physical death!

* Praying only once a year - ensures spiritual death!

And so it is with our pro-life efforts. If all we do is once a year, how effective are we? How committed to ending abortion are we? Can we truly expect to reverse this dreadful evil by showing up once a year? Is it any wonder the media, politicians and activist judges don't take us seriously? For over 32 years, most have gotten involved just once a year, while babies continue to die at an alarming rate. Our absence beats our presence 11 to 1.

Prayer is the preface to the book of Christian living;

The test of the new life sermon;

The girding on of armor for battle;

The pilgrim's preparation for his journey,

It must be supplemented by action or it amounts to nothing.

[Arthur Stevens Phelps, 1863-1948]

"Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

[James 2:17]

It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important.

You have to do the right thing.

It may not be in your power, may not be in your time,

that there will be any fruit.

You may never know what results come from your action.

But if you do nothing, there will be no result. [Gandhi]

RESPECT LIFE MONTH MEDITATION

OK! We claim to be Pro-life. Does our actions prove our convictions? Obviously, we would never consider an abortion, or even be an accessory to another's abortion. But, do our family, friends, neighbors and co-workers understand why we are solidly pro-life? Do they even know that we are pro-life? Do we address the issue whenever God puts an opportunity in our lap?

How about putting our conviction into action. Have we ever considered taking the Holy Spirit to the gates of hell, reaching out to the women and teens that have been lied to, who are in danger of losing their soul, marching their son or daughter to a certain death? If not on a regular basis, how about once a month, or even just a couple times a year? You won't be alone, and even if you don't know what to say or do, just being there, at that place of killing, taking the Holy Spirit with you, will multiply and amplify the efforts of the sidewalk counselors. God who is faithful, will bless your obedience!!!

More specifically, if we are indeed pro-life, if we truly believe that abortion kills an innocent defenseless child, what are we doing to stop the killing? What have we done in the past 15 minutes, today, this week, last week, this month, or so far this year? In James 4:17, we're told that "Those who know the right thing to do and do not, sins." One day, we will give an account!

[Excerpted from "Christian Action News, October '05]

CHAPTER XL: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

Tell me--you as a layman--(not as a priest would explain it to me):--HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY EXPLAIN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT?--How can the Body and Blood of Christ be in so many places, all over the World? - - - All at one time--How is it possible? Is there any other comparison, analogy, in the workings of Almighty God that such a Mystery takes place?
Strange you should ask me--of all questions--this particular one! You see for the last two and a half years this very question--rather questions--have been my quiet meditations. - - -
It all started, when one day, I received Holy Communion and the thought struck me--it was a violent feeling: Our Lord is here in the Blessed Sacrament, multiplying into so many Hosts, in the next Church down the street, in the Old Country, Austria, where I come from, in so many churches all over the World--how can it be? Is there any comparison--analogy--in the workings of Almighty God--is there anything like it?
Please be patient, and try to follow what I am trying to convey: Of course, first of all, it is a deep MYSTERY--truly, only in eternity will we begin to understand it all. However, Almighty God has given us a brain to brain with--so let's use it--.
Let's look at some of the quotations of the Bible--the Scriptures--and see how it will all add up:

1. "Book of Exodus 1. Chapter, 26. Verse: "Let us make man in our image and likeness."
2. Psalm 81, Verse 6: "I said, you are gods: all of you sons of the Most High."
3. St. John, 10. Chapter, 34. Verse: Jesus is speaking: "Is it not written in your Law, 'I said you are gods.' If he called them gods to whom the word of God was addressed, and the Scripture cannot be broken, do you say of him whom the Father has made holy and sent into the world, 'Thou blasphemest,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God?' "
4. St. Matthew, 6. Chapter, 9. Verse: When Jesus told us HOW to pray, He did not say: "My Father" but "Our Father who art in heaven . . ." (Think about that!)
5. St. Paul's Epistle: "Do you not know, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, if anyone destroys that temple him God will destroy, for holy is the temple of God that temple you are!" I. Corinthians 6/19.
6. St. Paul Epistle, Chapter 11, 7. Verse: "Man is the image and glory of God."
7. St. Paul, Romans Chapter 8, Verse 16: "The Spirit himself gives testimony to our spirit that we are sons of God! But if we are sons, we are heirs also, heirs indeed of God and joint heirs with Christ."

Considering all these many quotations--what do you come up with? Yes--we are made "according to the image and likeness of God!" So then--at birth, or rather when we are conceived--at the time of conception, our soul is, as St. Paul puts it: "the image & glory of God."

Furthermore, considering these many words from the Bible--God is, in a way of speaking, multiplying Himself in the Blessed Sacrament! - - -

P.S. And--when we die--our souls finally return to God--who created us in the first place. The cycle is completed. Of course, unrepentent disobedience to God, can and will bring us up against the justice of God--into hell. Yes, Almighty God is all love and forgiveness, also there is the Justice of God--which we cannot overlook!

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CHAPTER XXXIX: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

"Father, what happens to the souls of babies who die before they are baptized?"
What a difficult question--since the Church has not declared herself on this vexing question--.
Let me share with you this true story--then you decide--:
It all started at Hotel Dieu Hospital in New Orleans. A very holy priest was dying of a terminal illness. A little lady, a daily communicant, Miss Noelie Cire, was also at the hospital visiting her mother who too was dying. Noelie visited Father, prayed with him consoling him, then one day she asked Father this very question stated above:
"What happens to the souls of babies who die before they are baptized?"
Surprisingly, Father simply said:
"If I die first I'll tell you--if you die first you tell me!"
Some answer!
Soon after, this holy priest did die--and--Noelie Cire had this most unusual dream:
Father gave answer to this very difficult question, he said:
"You see, my dear it's this way: when a man and woman stand at the Altar, taking their marriage-vows, they imply explicitly or implicitly if they have one child or ten children or more--all of them will be positively baptized--. This is then accepted by Almighty God as a DESIRE--for any future baptisms.
"As you know, there are three kinds of baptism:
"Baptism of Water. (The usual manner of baptizing.)
"Baptism of Blood. (Giving one's Blood in case of a martyr.)
"Baptism of Desire. (Desiring to be baptized but unable to do so.)
"In the case of a normal baptism by water, it is not the desire of the baby, but rather the desire of the parents to partake of this Sacrament. So the, the DESIRE of the parents really counts!
"In other words, then, if a baby dies before being baptized, the baptism of DESIRE of the parents is sufficient--God so accepts it as a full baptism!" - - -
Noelie answered, "But Father, if that's the case, how come we all don't know about this consoling situation? Why is it kept hidden?"
"You see, my dear," Father continued:
"If this was generally known--people would be very lax in having their children baptized Sacramentally, which is very important also."
Noelie Cire admitted after:
"I would never in a million years think of, or come up with this terrific answer."
Speaking about Baptism of DESIRE & BLOOD--strange but true--here are the exact words spoken by Our Lady in the Book:
"Marian Movement of Priests"--"Our Lady Speaks to her Beloved Priests." Under the heading: 'The Smallest of My Children' (page 398, Sept. 8, 1983, Feast of the Nativity of Mary) Our Blessed Mother said:
"To Me, little ones are all those infants who, already conceived, are to be put to death purposely while still in the wombs, of their mothers. The love and the anxiety of your heavenly Mother, and of the Church, for their salvation, with the innocent BLOOD being spilled by those who despise and disobey the Law of God, are a BAPTISM OF BLOOD AND DESIRE SAVING ALL OF THEM!!!"

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You may obtain the above mentioned book by writing to: Rev. Albert G. Roux, National Headquarters, P.O. Box 8., St. Francis, Maine, 04774 or see www.mmp-usa.net (And give Father Roux my best regards!)

CHAPTER XXXVIII: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

It is self-evident from the quotations of the Bible, as stated in these previous chapters:
Almighty God encourages us to make statues. He does not forbid us to make statues and honor them. - - - To adore them is out of order! - - -
Why then would God tell us to make graven images of Angels and to honor them? And Almighty God tells us to make pictures! - - -
It was in 1531 Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego at GUADALUPE, what is today the outskirts of Mexico City (which is now the largest city in the World.)
To think that America was discovered in 1492--just 38 years later already Mary appears in the Americas!
Many books have been written on this subject, telling in detail the human-interest, heart-warming story of Our Blessed Mother's apparition there. However Our Lady left her picture on the mantle--tilma--of Juan Diego!
This miraculous image is located, beautifully enshrined over the main altar at the Guadalupe Basilica, Mexico City. The mantle, or tilma, as the local people call it, is actually of a cactus substance, which should decompose, according to scientists in 45 years. To this day, after 450 years, the mantle and picture is intact, miraculously preserved. Believe it or not. - - -
In fact, some years ago, four eye doctors, including my own doctor, Dr. Charles Wahlig who was a wonderful devotee of Guadalupe, examined the eyes of this picture, they found, to their amazement, when applying lights and their instruments--they were looking into the depth of a human eye!
They took photographs of the pupil of the eyes--there you see--again believe it or not--the picture of Juan Diego. He is up for canonization in Rome. [He is now Blessed Juan Diego.] Pope John Paul II also visited there--to see for himself!
This incredible apparition resulted in the biggest sudden conversion in the history of the Church: In 2 years, after the apparition, over 7,000,000 Indians were converted, and the custom of those days, of killing maidens and offering them up to their gods was immediately abolished!
This confirms, as stated before, the approval from the Scriptures to venerate--not adore--pictures!

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You can obtain books on GUADALUPE at www.tanbooks,com.

Mary Co-redemptrix: A Dogmatic Crowning for the Queen?
By Dr. Mark Miravalle

What do St. Padre Pio, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, St. Gemma Galgani, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Leopold Mandic, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, St. Jose Maria Escrivà, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Servant of God, John Paul II, and Sr. Lucia of Fatima all have in common (beyond their eminent sanctity as witnessed by the twentieth century)? They all repeatedly invoked Our Lady as the "Co-redemptrix" and taught the doctrine of Marian coredemption concerning Mary’s unparalleled role with and under Jesus Christ in the Redemption of the human family.
One of the greatest examples of Catholic development of doctrine is visible with the historical unfolding of Marian dogma. Like a small acorn which grows over years into a towering oak tree, the divinely planted seeds of Scripture regarding Mary have grown under the nurturing of the Holy Spirit into solemnly declared dogmas of faith, which constitute the highest form of recognized Catholic truth.
In 431, the Council of Ephesus solemnly declares Mary the Mother of God, or literally the "God-bearer" (Theotokos) in the midst of the Nestorian controversy over the nature and person of Christ.[1] Two centuries later (649), Pope Martin I declares the "Perpetual Virginity" of Our Lady, that she was virginal before, during, and after the birth of Jesus Christ.[2]
A span of over a thousand years passes before the next Marian dogma is proclaimed with the solemn papal definition of the Immaculate Conception (1854) by Bl. Pope Pius IX, whereby the Holy Father exercises the charism of papal infallibility to pronounce that from the moment of Mary’s conception, she is free from original sin and full of grace.[3] A century later, Venerable Pope Pius XII again exercises papal infallibility by solemnly defining the Assumption of Mary (1950), that at the end of earthly life, the Mother of Jesus was taken body and soul into heavenly glory.[4]
The present four Marian dogmas identify the principal prerogatives of the Blessed Virgin Mary during her earthly life and in relation to her Divine Son. But the sublime tasks assigned by the Holy Trinity to the Virgin Mother do not cease there. Mary received a fifth role with specific relation to the human race, which was declared first by her Crucified Son as his final gift to humanity before his redemptive death: "Woman, behold your Son!…Behold, your Mother!" (Jn. 19:25-27).
Not only is Mary Mother of God made man, the Perpetual Virgin of Virgins, the Immaculate Conception, and the Assumed One, she is also the Spiritual Mother of all peoples and all nations. As the Second Vatican Council teaches: "Taken up into heaven, she did not lay aside this saving office, but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation… Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix" (Lumen Gentium, 62).
As Spiritual Mother of all humanity, Our Lady exercises three maternal functions on behalf of her earthly children. She is a "Mother suffering" or "Co-redemptrix." The prefix "co" does not mean equal but "with," as exemplified in St. Paul’s call for all Christians to be "co-workers with God" (1 Cor. 3:9). Mary cooperated "with Jesus" in ways unlike any other human or angelic creature, by her shared suffering with Him in the work of redemption. Vatican II again reminds us that the Blessed Virgin "faithfully persevered in union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, associated herself with his sacrifice in her mother’s heart, and lovingly consented to the immolation of this victim which was born of her" (LG 58).
John Paul II of happy memory called Mary the "Co-redemptrix" on six occasions.[5]
Her second motherly function for humanity is as a "Mother nourishing" or "Mediatrix of all graces." As the fathers, doctors, saints, and popes teach us, every grace that we receive from the redemption of Jesus Christ comes to us through the intercession of Mary. Cana makes clear the Mother’s ability to release the graces and miracles of her Son for the needs of humanity (Jn. 2:1-10). The late great John Paul called Mary the "Mediatrix of all graces" on seven occasions.[6]
Her third maternal function is as a "Mother pleading" or "Advocate." There is no greater intercessor to the throne of her Kingly Son than that of the Queen Mother. As King Solomon could deny his mother the Queen nothing, (cf. 1 Kings 2:19) so too, Christ the King denies his Queen Mother nothing.
Since Our Lady’s Spiritual Motherhood under its three aspects of Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces, and Advocate is already part of the authoritative doctrinal teachings of the Papal Magisterium, why the need for a papal definition of these three titles? From where did the movement for a papal definition of Our Lady’s universal mediation derive?
Apart from certain misunderstandings that the movement for a fifth Marian dogma has its origins in private revelation, the actual historical beginnings of this international Church drive date back to the first two decades of the twentieth century with the efforts of the renowned Belgian cardinal, Cardinal Mercier and the enthusiastic support of St. Maximilian Kolbe.
By the end of 1915, Pope Benedict had received numerous petitions for the dogmatic definition of Our Lady’s universal mediation from Cardinal Mercier, fellow bishops, religious superiors, and clergy.[7] Cardinal Mercier issued a pastoral letter calling for the dogma of Our Lady’s mediation, which specifically included the concept of Coredemption as an integral part of her mediation, in 1918.[8] With the papal approval by Pope Benedict XV for the mass and office of "Mary, Mediatrix of all graces" at the request of Mercier and others in 1921, the worldwide movement for the solemn papal definition of Mary’s universal mediation of grace was launched in a letter from Cardinal Mercier to all the bishops of the world (April, 1921), wherein he expressed his deepest hope for this dogmatic crowning of Our Lady’s mediation.[9]
The illustrious Belgian cardinal continued his advocacy for the dogma with Pius XI on the very day of his papal election (Feb. 6, 1922).[10] The newly elected pontiff responded immediately to the petition for the dogma by ordering the establishment of three theological commissions to study the question in 1922. The Belgian and Spanish commissions concluded strongly in favor of the papal definition, while the conclusion of the Roman commission was never released.[11]
From that time to the present, great numbers of petitions have continued to flood the Holy See for the papal definition of Our Lady’s universal mediation. Petitions for a new Marian dogma from only the last ten years (approx. 1994-2004) number over six million from over 165 countries, and include over 550 bishops and 45 cardinals.[12] Although these numbers do not include the hundreds of bishop petitions, along with the multitudinous number of clergy and lay petitions submitted to the Holy See by Cardinals Mercier,[13] Gagnon, and others prelates from 1930 to 1994, the recent petition campaign of the last decade for this fifth Marian dogma represents the largest per annum petition drive in the history of the Church.
But the question of "why" must again be addressed. If the Magisterium already teaches the truth of Marian mediation in its three components of Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate, then where is the need for a solemn papal definition of the same truth in the form of a dogma?
Historic graces and world peace. With every new Marian dogma proclaimed by the successor of Peter, bearer of the keys of the kingdom, a new ocean of graces descends upon the Church and the world. For Our Lady to exercise fully the motherly roles granted her by God, humanity must exercise its free will in accepting her roles that they may be activated on our behalf. God never forces his sanctifying grace upon us, but awaits our free "yes" before bestowing them.
Humanity’s "yes" as spoken by the Holy Father in a papal proclamation of our full acceptance of Our Lady’s Spiritual Motherhood would release extraordinary graces of peace and redemption to a world where internal wars of abortion, child abuse, pornography, divorce, drugs, depression, loneliness, and external conflicts of terrorism, poverty, famine, pestilence and natural disasters are threatening most every family, country, and society throughout the world.
The proclamation of the dogma would allow the Mother to have her chance to intercede for a new peace and grace for our world. The Holy Father would be declaring our acknowledgement, on the highest level of Catholic truth, that She truly is our universal Spiritual Mother, our Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces and Advocate, and that we humbly and trustingly beseech our Heavenly Queen and Mother for the interior peace of Christ in the hearts of humanity that is necessary for any authentic and perduring global peace.
The succinct but profound words of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta most eloquently summarize the heart and the imperative of the contemporary call for the fifth Marian Dogma:
"Mary is our Coredemptrix with Jesus. She gave Jesus his body and suffered with him at the foot of the cross.
Mary is the Mediatrix of all grace. She gave Jesus to us, and as our Mother she obtains for us all his graces.
Mary is our Advocate who prays to Jesus for us. It is only through the Heart of Mary that we come to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
The papal definition of Mary as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate will bring great graces to the Church.
All for Jesus through Mary.
God bless you."
Mother Teresa, MC[14]

[Footnotes.]
[1] Council of Ephesus, 431 A.D., as cited from Henricus Denzinger, Enchiridion Symbolorum, Definitionum et Declarationum De Rebus Fidei et Morum, Barcelona, ed. Herder, 1946, n. 113.
[2] Martin I, Lateran Council, 649 A.D., Denzinger 256.
[3] Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 1854, Denzinger 1641.
[4] Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus, 1950.
[5] John Paul II, Greetings to the Sick Following General Audience (Sept. 8, 1982); Angelus Address (Nov.
4, 1984), L'Osservatore Romano, 860: 1; Palm Sunday Address at Alborada, Guayaquil, Ecuador (Jan.
31, 1985), L'Osservatore Romano, 876: 7; Palm Sunday and World Youth Day Address (March 31,
1985), L'Osservatore Romano, 880: 12; Address to Federated Alliance of Transportation of Sick to
Lourdes (March 24, 1990); Address Commemorating Sixth Centenary of Canonization of St. Bridget of
Sweden (Oct. 6, 1991), L'Osservatore Romano, 1211: 4.
[6] John Paul II, Address to the General Council, Provincial Superiors and Directors of the Italian Institutes of the Congregation of St. Joseph (Dec. 1, 1978), n. 3; Address to Young People at Our Lady's Shrine on Mount Roio (Aug. 30, 1980) n. 3; Angelus Address (Jan. 17, 1988) n. 2; Homily for Octave of Easter in the Roman Parish of Mary, Mother of the Redeemer (April 10, 1988) n. 7; Reflection Made at the Shrine of Our Lady of Graces in Benevento (July 2, 1990) n. 1; Angelus Address in Lecce (Sept. 18, 1994) nn. 1, 3; Address to the General Chapter of the Mercedarian Sisters of Charity (June 28, 1996) n. 4.
[7] Cf. Cardinal Mercier, Pastoral Letter (Sept. 8, 1918), as found in Manfred Hauke, Mary, Mediatress of Grace, Mary at the Foot of the Cross IV: Supplement, Academy of the Immaculate, 2004, p. 3; cf. Mercier, Oeuvres pastorales V, 160, as found in Hauke, Mary, Mediatress, p. 6; Mercier, in the Archdiocesan Archives, Carton XXV, Document 21, as found in Hauke, Mary, Mediatress, p. 95.
[8] Mercier, Pastoral Letter (Sept. 8, 1918), as found in Manfred Hauke, Mary, Mediatress, p. 3.
[9] Mercier, Letter (note 7), in Oeuvres pastorales VI, 471f, as found in Hauke, Mary, Mediatress, p. 3.
[10] Hauke, Mary, Mediatress, p. 96
[11] Ibid.
[12] Vox Populi Mariae Mediatrici Petition Center Archives, PO Box 220, Goleta, CA 93116.
[13] Cf. J. M. Hupperts, "Kardinaal Mercier, dienaar en apostel der allerheiligste Maagd" in De Standaard van Maria 6, 1926, p. 68, note 5, as found in Hauke Mary, Mediatress, p. 93.
[14] Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Letter of August 14, 1993.
[Dr. Miravalle's e-mail]

CHAPTER XXXVII: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

It was May 13, 1955--many years ago--when Austria suddenly unexpectedly received its full independence from the Russian yoke. To this day, historians, newspaper reporters cannot understand just what happened and why it happened. - - -
East Germany, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, including Austria, were all under the dominion and occupation of Communistic Russia.
How come this one country only--Austria--received its full Independence?
The President of Austria made a statement on this matter at the 25th Anniversary of Austria's Independence from Russia, in 1980. Also Therese Neumann, the stigmatist and mystic, who is up for canonization in Rome, made this statement when she was asked:
"How can you explain this unbelievable happening?"
She said: "Certainly, certainly, it was the prayer of the people in Austria--the daily Rosaries which the people prayed, that God gave the Gift of Freedom to them."
Yes the President of Austria made a similar statement, crediting the daily Rosary and Almighty God's intervention!
The Independence of Austria was God given--not Russian given!
Why should Russia give up the Jewel-Box of Central Europe, the central listening-post of all of Europe. It doesn't make sense that the World-conquerors for atheism would give up such a treasure so easily. There must be a real explanation for this "miracle."
Pater Petrus was the Rosary-Priest who signed up the people to pray the daily Rosary. He told us, that in 1955 he had some 700,000 signatures, people who promised to pray the Rosary.
Now, Austria's population is only 7,000,000. So 700,000 is just 10% of the people who evidently fulfilled heaven's request to pray the Rosary daily, as Our Lady requested it at Fatima!
As you can see, God accepted the efforts of 1 out of 10!
Strange--the few can do the impossible! Remember, if the Prophet in the Old Testament could find 10 good people--Sodom and Gomorrha would have been saved.
So--there is hope in the World. It is the opinion of many Priests and holy people--that even now, the minority, the good people of God are holding back the wrath of God, considering all the evil that's going on in the World. - - -

Books on "Therese Neumann the Stigmatist" may be obtained from www.tanbooks.com.

CHAPTER XXXVI: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

At this point, it is only right and just, I must give special CREDIT to Mrs. Noelie C. Williams, my wife who died in 1973, we were married exactly 30 years. We had two children after the Doctor told Noelie, if you have any children you will die.
"We'll find out about that," was her answer.
Marie was borne (caesarian section) in perfect health on the Feast-day of the Little Flower.
Roseline (also caesarian section) in perfect health was borne on the Fatima Anniversary date:--May 13th!
Noelie was like a walking Encyclopedia of the Catholic Faith. She worked for years in the Catholic library in New Orleans. It was she who read books after books on Fatima--only to find out that each blessed book leaves out some very important requests of Our Lady of Fatima's Message.
SHE was then the researcher--the worker behind the scenes--. I got all the glory and the credit. - - -
We compiled then many points of the DO YOU KNOW Fatima leaflet. By the way, it was Noelie who insisted that I visit Therese Neumann in Germany (it seemed an impossible situation to make the trip, but she insisted) I obtained then that wonderful Message and consoling words from Therese Neumann. I saw her June 18, 1962. She died exactly 3 months later.

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Today's Feast of Our Lady of Ransom, September 24

From THE LITURGICAL YEAR,

by Dom Gueranger

THE Office of the time gives us, at the close of September, the Books of Judith and Esther. These heroic women were figures of Mary, whose birthday is the honor of this month, and who comes at once to bring assistance to the world. 'Adonai, Lord God, great and admirable, Who hast wrought salvation by the hand of a woman:' the Church thus introduces the history of the heroine, who delivered Bethulia by the sword, whereas Mardochai's niece rescued her people from death by her winsomeness and her intercession.

The Queen of Heaven, in her peerless perfection, outshines them both, in gentleness, in valor, and in beauty. Today's feast is a memorial of the strength she puts forth for the deliverance of her people. Finding their power crushed in Spain, and in the east checked by the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, the Saracens, in the twelfth century, became wholesale pirates, and scoured the seas to obtain slaves for the African markets. We shudder to think of the numberless victims, of every age, sex, and condition, suddenly carried off from the coasts of Christian lands, or captured on the high seas, and condemned to the disgrace of the harem or the miseries of the bagnio. Here, nevertheless, in many an obscure prison, were enacted scenes of heroism worthy to compare with those witnessed in the early persecutions; here was a new field for Christian charity; new horizons opened out for heroic self-devotion. Is not the spiritual good thence arising a sufficient reason for the permission of temporal ills? Without this permission, Heaven would have for ever lacked a portion of its beauty. When, in 1696, Innocent XII extended this feast to the whole Church, he afforded the world an opportunity of expressing its gratitude by a testimony as universal as the benefit received. Differing from the Order of holy Trinity, which had been already twenty years in existence, the Order of Mercy was founded as in were in the very face of the Moors; and hence it originally numbered more knights than clerics among its members. It was called the royal, military, and religious Order of our Lady of Mercy for the ransom of captives. The clerics were charged with the celebration of the Divine Office in the commandaries; the knights guarded the coasts, and undertook the perilous enterprise of ransoming Christian captives.

St. Peter Nolasco was the first Commander or Grand Master of the Order; when his relics were discovered, he was found armed with sword and cuirass. . . .At the time when the Saracen yoke oppressed the larger and more fertile part of Spain, and great numbers of the faithful were detained in cruel servitude, at the great risk of denying the Christian faith and losing their eternal salvation, the most blessed Queen of Heaven graciously came to remedy all these great evils, and showed her exceeding charity in redeeming her children. She appeared with beaming countenance to Peter Nolasco, a man conspicuous for wealth and piety, who in his holy meditations was ever striving to devise some means of helping the innumerable Christians living in misery as captives of the Moors. She told him it would be very pleasing to her and her only-begotten Son, if a religious Order were instituted in her honor, whose members should devote themselves to delivering captives from Turkish tyranny. Animated by this heavenly vision, the man of God was inflamed with burning love, having but one desire at heart, viz.: that both he and the Order he was to found, might be devoted to the exercise of that highest charity, the laying down of life for one's friends and neighbors.

That same night, the most holy Virgin appeared also to blessed Raymund of Penafort, and to James, king of Aragon, telling them of her wish to have the Order instituted, and exhorting them to lend their aid to so great an undertaking. Meanwhile Peter hastened to relate the whole matter to Raymund, who was his confessor; and finding it had been already revealed to him from Heaven, submitted humbly to his direction.

King James next arrived, fully resolved to carry out the instructions he also had received from the blessed Virgin. Having therefore taken counsel together and being all of one mind, they set about instituting an Order in honor of the Virgin Mother, under the invocation of our Lady of Mercy for the ransom of captives. On the tenth of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand two hundred and eighteen, King James put into execution what the two holy men had planned. The members of the Order bound themselves by a fourth vow to remain, when necessary, as securities in the power of the pagans, in order to deliver Christians. The king granted them license to bear his royal arms upon their breast, and obtained from Gregory IX the confirmation of this religious institute distinguished by such eminent brotherly charity. God Himself gave increase to the work, through the Virgin Mother; so that the Order spread rapidly and prosperously over the whole world. It soon reckoned many holy men remarkable for their charity and piety who collected alms from Christ's faithful, to be spent in redeeming their brethren; and sometimes gave themselves up all ransom for many others. In order that due thanks might be rendered to God and His Virgin Mother for the benefit of such an institution, the Apostolic See allowed this special feast and Office to be celebrated and also granted innumerable other privileges to the Order.

Blessed be thou, O Mary, the honor and the joy of thy people! On the day of thy glorious Assumption, thou didst take possession of thy queenly dignity for our sake; and the annals of the human race are a record of thy merciful interventions. The captives whose chains thou hast broken, and whom thou hast set free from the degrading yoke of the Saracens, may be reckoned by millions. We are still rejoicing in the recollection of thy dear birthday; and thy smile is sufficient to dry our tears and chase away the clouds of grief. And yet, what sorrows there are still upon the earth, where thou thyself didst drink such long draughts from the cup of suffering! Sorrows are sanctifying and beneficial to some but there are other and unprofitable grief, springing from social injustice: the drudgery of the factory, or the tyranny of the strong over the weak, may be worse than slavery in Algiers or Tunis. Thou alone, O Mary, canst break the inextricable chains, in which the cunning prince of darkness entangles the dupes he has deceived by the high- sounding names of equality and liberty. Show thyself a Queen, by coming to the rescue. The whole earth, the entire human race, cries out to thee, in the words of Mordechai: 'Speak to the King for us, and deliver us from death!' Amen.

DO YOU KNOW?

The requests of Our Lady of Fatima to bring peace to the world?
Do you know that when a sufficient number of people fulfill Our Lady's requests, "Russia will be converted and a period of peace will be granted to the world"?
Are you doing what Our Lady of Fatima asked you to do while there is still time?

• Are you offering up your daily tasks as a sacrifice in reparation?
• Are you praying the Rosary every day?
• Are you wearing the Brown Scapular as a sign of personal consecration and making acts of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary?
• Are you making further reparation: First Saturday requests and visits to the Blessed Sacrament?

MORNING OFFERING

O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary (here kiss your Brown Scapular as a sign of your consecration, with partial indulgence also), I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with It the offering of my every thought, word and action of this day.

O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can and I offer them, together with myself, to Mary Immaculate, that she may best apply them to the interests of Thy most Sacred Heart. Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

REMEMBER

Our Lady of Fatima said:

These quotations are in the exact order in which Our Lady of Fatima spoke them

beginning with the first apparition on May 13, 1917:

1. OFFERING: "Will you offer yourselves to God, and bear with submission all the sufferings He sends you, in reparation for the sins that offend Him, and for the conversion of sinners?"
2. BLESSED SACRAMENT: Our Lady opened Her hands and flooded the children with light. They fell to their knees, repeating: "Oh Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee! My God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament!"
3. HEAVEN: "I come down from Heaven." Our Lady promised that the children to whom She appeared will go to Heaven, but one of them would have to pray many Rosaries "first."
4. PURGATORY: "She is in purgatory . . ." (In reference to a friend who had recently died -- Amelia.)
5. ROSARY: "Pray the Rosary every day, to obtain peace for the world. (In July:) Add after each decade the following prayer: 'O my Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy."
6. IMMACULATE HEART: "My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God."
7. SACRIFICES: "Make sacrifices for sinners, and say often, especially while making a sacrifice: 'Oh Jesus, this is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for offences committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.' "
8. HELL: "You have seen hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. It is to save them that God wants to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If you do what I tell you, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace." Before Our Lady spoke these words, She opened Her hands, as Lucia says in her memoirs, and "we saw a sea of fire. Plunged in this flame were devils and souls that looked like transparent embers; others were black or bronze, and in human form; these were suspended in flames . . ."
9. FIVE WARNINGS: "If my requests are not heard, Russia will spread her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various entire nations will be annihilated."
10. PEACE: "If my requests are fulfilled, Russia will be converted and there will be peace; . . . In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph . . . an era of peace will be granted to mankind."
11. PRAYER: "Pray, pray a great deal, and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because they have no one to pray and make sacrifices for them."
12. AMENDMENT OF LIFE: "I have come to ask the faithful to amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must cease offending God, Who is already too much offended!"
13. ST. JOSEPH: The only saint who appears at Fatima besides Our Lady. St. Joseph held the Child Jesus in his arms and blessed the 70,000 people three times.
14. SCAPULAR: In the final vision, on October 13, 1917, Our Lady silently held out the Scapular. Lucia has said the Blessed Mother wants everyone to wear it: "The Scapular and the Rosary are inseparable."
15. FIRST SATURDAY DEVOTION: "I promise to assist at the hour of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, whoever, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, confess, receive Holy Communion, recite 5 decades of the Rosary and keep me company for 15 minutes while meditating on the Mysteries, with the intention of making reparation to my Immaculate Heart."
16. WAR: "War is a punishment for sin."
17. FASHIONS: "Certain fashions will be introduced that will offend Our Lord very much."
18. MARRIAGES: "Many marriages are not good, they do not please Our Lord and are not of God."
19. PRIESTS: "Priests must be pure, very pure. They should not busy themselves with anything except what concerns the Church and souls. The disobedience of priests to their superiors and to the Holy Father is very displeasing to Our Lord."
20. SIXTH COMMANDMENT: "More souls go to hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason."

(From "Two Hearts of Wit & Wisdom.")

CHAPTER XXXV: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

The "DO YOU KNOW":
Once upon a time--way back in 1952 I was on a week-end retreat at Manrisa House, a Jesuit retreat home near New Orleans, LA. During the silent meditation time, one afternoon--I was thinking about a composition I had to write for the Catholic Evidence Guild speaking platform program. The subject: "The Message of Our Lady of Fatima."
Rather than write a running composition I simply decided to enumerate one by one the many words spoken by Our Lady, and summarizing her main requests. I called it simply: "Zero 1960."
The first words were: "DO YOU KNOW the requests of Our Lady of Fatima?"
In 1955, three years later, I attended a solemn Novena to Our Lady of Fatima at the Immaculate Conception Shrine (crypt in those days) in Washington, D.C., near the Catholic University. One of their Professors gave the homily. It was very beautiful on Mary--but not on the Fatima Message!
That did it! Right then and there, I decided to put into action my "Zero 1960" into a leaflet form for distribution on a large scale.
Then later--Marie Voelker, known as "the Maid of Orleans," a very devout apostle of Our Lady and Jesus, presented my leaflet to Archbishop Joseph Rummel of New Orleans, to obtain the imprimatur.
His Excellency was very pleased with it, but he threw out the title "Zero 1960" and simply named it the first words of the leaflet: "Do You Know."
Later on Bishop Burke of Buffalo, NY also a wonderful Marian Bishop, gave the imprimatur in 6 languages: French, Italian, German, Polish, Hungarian, and Spanish.
And--56 Bishops in the U.S.A. and 12 Bishops in Canada gave specific authorization to distribute the "Do You Know" in their respective dioceses, encouraging parishioners. In fact Archbishop Rummel of New Orleans sent me a personal letter, enclosing a $385.--check, made out to the Franciscan Fathers, Kenosha, WI, requesting 200,000 "Do You Know" Leaflets for his diocese!
The Fatima Shrine, Youngstown, NY was in those days the champion in its distribution, with Father Charles Barlasina, a tireless priest of the Barnabites; Father died practically a martyr--he was killed by a thief . . .
At that time--1960--11,000,000 leaflets were distributed. The price was "FREE--or 3 for 1 cent." One Sister in Texas wrote in her letter, "please send me 10,000, the free kind." Yes, the order was filled.
The Sunday Visitor, The Register, Immaculate, Marian Helper's Bulletin, Fatima Findings, Soul Magazine, and many more published the "DO YOU KNOW" verbatim, again encouraging the readers to avail themselves of the leaflets for mass-distribution. It ended up also in foreign countries, that finally 35,000,000 were distributed.
The Franciscan Fathers & Brothers, Kenosha, WI (now in Libertyville, IL) printed over 25,000,000 of them. The Blue Army, Washington, NJ printed the rest.
Mr. John Haffert, founder and lay-leader of THE BLUE ARMY encouraged to renumerate the sequence of the leaflet in the exact order of the apparitions as they happened--as Our Lady of Fatima spoke to the children.
Here is the leaflet [next posting]--also--after Therese Neumann (as you read in Chapter XXI)--insisted to add to the DO YOU KNOW the sign-up pledge.

--DO YOU KNOW--

* * *

TEARS OF OUR LADY OF AKITA

SUMMARY OF THE AKITA EVENTS

THE TEARS & MESSAGE

Bishop Ito's

Approval of Akita

In his pastoral letter approving the events of Akita as supernatural, the Bishop John Shojiro Ito of Niigata said: "After the inquires conducted up to the present day, one cannot deny the supernatural character of a series of unexplainable events relative to the statue of the Virgin honored at Akita (Diocese of Niigata). Consequently, I authorize that all of the diocese entrusted to me venerate the Holy Mother of Akita."

Concerning the messages, His Excellency said, "As for the content of the messages received, it is in no way contrary to Catholic doctrine or to good morals. When one thinks of the actual state of the world, the warning seems to correspond to it in many points."

His Excellency explained that he had taken eight years to give this judgment because of the importance and the responsibility in question.

The Bishop said, "that only the bishop of the diocese in question has the power to recognize an event of this kind."

In June of 1988, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) approved the Akita events as 'Reliable and Worthy of Belief'.

This was the first approval of a Marian apparition in over 50 years!

There were five wonders at Akita:

• Tears flowed from the statue of Our Lady 101 times, from January 4, 1975 to September 15, 1981 (Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows). [On September 28, 1981, Sister Agnes suddenly felt the presence of the Angel at her side during the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. She did not see the Angel in person, but a Bible appeared open before her eyes and she was invited to read a passage (Genesis 3:15) . . . the voice of the Angel was heard explaining in sort of a preamble that the passage had relationship with the tears of Mary, then continued: "There is a meaning to the figure one hundred and one. This signifies that sin came into the world by a woman and it is also by a woman that salvation came to the world. The zero between the two signifies the Eternal God Who is from all eternity to eternity. The first one represents Eve, the last the Virgin Mary."
• A cross-shaped wound on the left hand of Sister Agnes (main seer) bled profusely, causing great pain.
• An identical wound appeared on the right hand of Our Lady's statue, from which blood flowed three times.
• Sister Agnes, who had been declared to be incurably deaf, was completely cured at a time predicted by Our Lady.
• In the midst of these wonders, the angel and Our Lady appeared and spoke . . . giving messages of world-shaking importance.

Our Lady has already told us at Fatima and Garabandal what we must do. we can believe that when a sufficient number are responding, there will be miracles of Grace in the world turning back the tide of evil and issuing in the "era of peace for mankind" promised by Our Lady.

Bishop Ito of Niigata, Japan, said that Akita is an update of Fatima . . . and its promise.

Eucharistic Prayer of Akita

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, TRULY present in the Holy Eucharist, I consecrate my body and soul to be entirely one with Your Heart, being sacrificed at every instant on all the altars of the world and giving praise to the Father, pleading for the coming of His Kingdom.

Please receive this humble offering of myself. Use me as You will for the glory of the Father and the salvation of souls.

Most Holy Mother of God, never let me be separated from Your Divine Son. Please defend and protect me as Your special child. Amen.

Response to the Message of Akita

1. Insert the Fatima Prayer after each decade of the Rosary. (O my Jesus . . .)
2. Say the Eucharistic Prayer (above).
3. "Pray with fervor, not only because of your own sins, but in reparation for the sins of all men."
4. "Pray very much for the Pope, priests and Bishops."
5. "With devotion to the Sacred Heart, apply yourself to devotion to the Most Precious Blood."
6. The Heavenly Father is preparing to inflict a great chastisement on all mankind.
7. "Prayer, penance, and courageous sacrifice can soften the Father's anger."
8. "Without attaching too much importance to form, be faithful and fervent in prayer."
9. For Religious: The importance of the three vows, especially obedience.
10. A chastisement, worse than the deluge, is at hand.
11. "Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary."
12. "With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and the priests."
13. Problems within the Church: the demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God.
14. "Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I am still able to save you from the calamities which approach."
15. Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is not taken seriously. "Speak to the greatest number in order to console the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Spread this devotion with courage for Their greater glory."
16. "Those who place their confidence in me will be saved."
17. "Believe, trust, pray!"
18. Devotion to St. Joseph is very pleasing to Jesus and Mary. He should be publicly honored.
19. Attach great importance to the First Saturdays. There will be sufferings and obstacles. Do not fear. In bearing them and offering them you will be protected.

In addition to the above is the graphic message of tears and blood and of Our Lady's use of a secular institute . . . a group of catechists . . . involved through the blood and tears as a community, a prayer group.

At Fatima Our Lady used a group of three. They prayed together, they sustained each other in trial (even that of dry martyrdom), and they helped each other to persevere.

At Akita Our Lady again emphasizes the value of prayer groups, of community. She even says that She Herself is gathering such groups now to prevent the chastisement . . . to soften the wrath of God. If the chastisement is averted, we shall have the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart and an "era of peace."

* * *

CHAPTER XXXIV: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel of New Orleans, LA, of happy memory, told this unusual story--on himself--to a large priestly audience. He was the object of this humorous incident.
Those who knew his Excellency will remember he was always very formal and perfection personified, everything had to be according to protocol.
This unusual tale just about brought the house down:
His Excellency told his distinct audience--he was on his usual yearly Visitation to this particular Convent. The Extern Sister showed him around the cloistered Convent, as is the custom.
The little Sister, very humbly and very efficiently said:
"Your Excellency, each room is dedicated to the Blessed Mother in her various titles. Now this first room honors Our Lady of Guadalupe. You notice the lovely picture of the Virgin of Guadalupe on the wall.
The second room is dedicated to the Virgin of Fatima, you will notice the beautiful picture of Our Lady of Fatima." Finally, she came to the last room.
The Archbishop squinted, with his poor eye-sight at the picture on the wall--in fact he had two operations on his eyes not long ago--saying:
"Dear Sister, what Virgin is this?"
"Oh, your Excellency, that's no Virgin--that's Reverend Mother Superior."
Yes indeed, it brought the house down. - - -

* * *

P.S. Of all the many, many Bishops I worked with in my apostolate, all over the country--Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel was my favorite!

* * *

(The Nativity)

CHAPTER XXXIII: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

Every once in a while one hears this erroneous statement: "Mary is not mentioned very much in the Bible."

I just cringe inside, I am ready to explode, when I hear this falsehood.

One Monsignor countered with: "The truth of the matter is, Our Blessed Mother is mentioned more often in the Bible than even the Blessed Sacrament! Now this is not taking away from the Blessed Sacrament. But facts are facts."

Let's prove this point. May I share this incident with you:

One day this negative statement about Mother Mary was made in a sermon in church. Yours truly's time came to speak after the services, I was to speak about Mary--Our Lady of Fatima--etc. as the U.S. Pilgrim Virgin Statue was beautifully enshrined on the side of the main altar.

In prudence how could I counter this false statement without offending. What am I going to say? Blessed Mother help me! Holy Spirit inspire me! "Veni Sancte Spiritus."

This is finally what I came up with:

"What have we here?--I notice your beautiful stained glass windows, with such expressive faces, just fantastic. I also noticed from the plaque of one of the windows, they all come from Innsbruck, Austria--mein Mutterland, my land of birth--. In fact many of the admirable windows throughout America come from Innsbruck, Austria!

1. The first very beautiful window is the Visitation. Our Lady is speaking to Elizabeth. Mary is saying among many things: All generations will call me blessed!" (Good thinking.) And then Mary comes up with this inspiring lengthy 'Magnificat.' And you know what? It's all straight from the Bible. St. Luke 1/38. - - -
2. The next beautiful window is the Annunciation. The Angel announcing to Mary that she is to be the Mother of Jesus--the Mother of God--. Again it's right from the Bible: St. Matthew 1:18, and from St. Luke 1:26.
3. The third window is all about Jesus' birth. You notice Mother Mary is right in the middle of it all. (Good thinking). After all, where would a birth be without a Mother? However Our Lady isn't saying a word. She is just taking it all in. And again it's straight from the Good Book--the Bible, the Gospels--: St. Matthew 1:18-25, and from St. Luke 2:1-7. The visit of the Magi . . .
4. The fourth window, you notice The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. And of course Our Blessed Mother is there again, with Simeon saying: "And your own (Mary's) soul a sword shall pierce." Yes, again, from the Scriptures: St. Luke 2:22-38.
5. The next window--the Flight into Egypt--. You see Mother Mary is riding a donkey, no less. They had no limousine in those days. Heading for Egypt. St. Matthew 2:13-15.
6. Look at this window with the remarkable expressive faces--the Finding of Jesus in the Temple--His Mother is saying: "Son, why have you done so to us?" . . .St. Luke 2:41-52. He was subject to them--(for 30 years)!
7. What a beautiful window of the Wedding Feast at Cana. In fact this "little" incident in the Life of Jesus summarizes this delicate matter of Mary's Intercession! Our Lady asks and Jesus does it, even though He said: "My hour has not yet come." Nevertheless Jesus changes water into wine! . . .St. John 2:1-11.
8. Have you looked closely at this huge rose-window in back of the church? The Crucifixion--Mother Mary at the foot of the Cross, and Jesus is saying to John (no! it's St. John. Leaving out the honored title of SAINT just about tears me up!): Jesus said "Behold Thy Mother." And to His Mother: "Behold Thy Son." St. John 19:26.
9. Please take note, also during Jesus' 3-year Ministries, Our Blessed Mother is mentioned in the Gospels, for instance: In St. Mark 3:32: "Behold Your Mother and bretheren are outside seeking thee." And Jesus takes this opportunity to remind us of the importance of "accepting the Will of God"--to have Faith and to Believe in the Son of Man--the Son of God--(the Son of Mary)--.
10. On the other side of the church you see the magnificent stained glass window of the Decent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Mary, who is specifically mentioned as being with the Apostles who awaited the Holy Spirit. - - -
11. Next you notice the glorious picture of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. In the very first book of the Bible, in Genesis 3:15, the Second Eve--Mary-- was promised to us from the beginning: God is speaking: "I will put enmities between you and the woman, and your seed and her seed; She shall crush your head, and you shall lie in wait for her heel." Had any kind of corruption either of body or soul ever been achieved in Mary, this triumph would not have been complete.
12. The last window--Mary's Coronation as Queen of Heaven--. Have we forgotten the words in the Apocalypse of St. John, Chapter 12, Verse 1.: "And a great sign appeared in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars."
13. And don't forget the unforgettable words in the Old Testament. Isaias is speaking the Word of God in 7:14: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold a VIRGIN (MARY) shall conceive, and bear a Son, and His name shall be called Emmanuel. (God with us.)" - - -

Indeed this is just an outline--there is more, much more to it, than summarized here--just read the Bible slowly carefully, it will speak for itself, in this matter of Our Blessed Mother's position in the plan of God.

* * *

CHAPTER XXXII: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

MARY'S MIRACLE:
This book was not intended to be an autobiography, however happenings have come about in my life that brings up "Gems" of facts, which are indeed worth re-telling:
I was just four years old, I stayed in the country on a farm, near Vienna, Austria, with my Grandmother and Aunt. Dad was in the service on the Russian front in the first World War, Mother in Vienna, employed with Dr. Fischer and Dr. Neumann, dentists. Food was scarce, because of the war shortages, so I stayed in the country on a farm--good thinking--.
We kids were playing one day with little pebbles of lye, which the farmers use for mixing purposes. We were throwing these pebbles into the air, just to see who could throw them highest, and lo and behold a handful of this lye rock substance fell into my eyes.
Someone ran for water to wash out the eyes, the lye started to bubble and burn more than ever. Result--I couldn't see. - - - I was blind. Of course, in those days in the war-years, there were no quick ambulances--as you have them in this country. Cilli Tante, my aunt took me in a little wagon to the hospital two towns away.
The Doctors declared, sorry the boy can't see--you should not allow children to play with rocks of lye! - - -
You can imagine the mental agonies of my aunt and grandmother, with a blind boy on their hands--they had not as yet informed my Mother in Vienna. (Communications in those days were not as they are today.)
After a time in the hospital, Cilli Tante came again with her little wagon to take me home. On the way, my aunt stopped at a way-side shrine "Denkmal" as they are called in Austria, praying to Our Blessed Mother for a cure. It all seemed so hopeless. - - -
I remember this happening too well. I was waiting patiently in that little wagon, on the other side of the country road. All at once I cried out:
"Cilli Tante, Cilli Tante--ich kann wieder sehn!"
"Cilli Tante, Cilli Tante--I can see again!"
Just imagine the joy of one and all!
After I came to America 10 years later, at the Stamford High School, in Connecticut, at an eye examination I was prescribed glasses--a slight correction of vision.
Many many years later, Dr. Wahlig of Queens, N.Y. after examining my eyes said:
"How old are you now? 60, you say - - -. You have the eyes of a 19-year old!"
Isn't true that every reader of these pages, who prayed to Our Lady could tell a heart-warming story of receiving direct and immediate help from Our Blessed Mother at some time of their lives.

* * *

CHAPTER XXXI: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

As you go through life you meet some wonderful people of God. One of them is my very aunt, Cilli Tante, from Gallbgunn, near Vienna, Austria--my home-town--.
One day, walking with her cane she fell going to church. A helpful farmer, after getting her on her feet again said:
"Cilli Tante, you should stay home and not go to church every day, at your age of 87--you can hardly see!"
She answered with much indignation:
"I go to church every day, for those who don't go to church on Sundays--like you!" - - -
For over 40 years Cilli Tante would sit in the last pew in her church and would lead the Rosary before Mass--every day--.
She gave her life to God, helping everyone who would ask, she was the "Cilli Tante" to one and all, even helping in the hard farm-arbeit, taking care of her mother, till she died. In all the years I knew her she never complained--always cheerful--. She never married, though she had many proposals from wealthy suitors, farmers.
Cilli Tante died at 89 years of age--and very strange:
At the funeral I picked up a red rose from her casket before it was lowered into the grave, and took the rose with me to America, kept it under two pieces of cellophane. You may not believe this--but it's true: After about 6 months, as I examined the rose I found drops of blood all around the rose-pedals. Just what that means--I know not!
May God rest her soul--she has earned her reward in Heaven. - - -

* * *

CHAPTER XXIX: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

"God loves a cheerful giver--happy people He loves especially," said Father in his Sunday morning sermon . . .
The bottom line is: Do not complain! - - - This may be easier said than done. - - -
God was very displeased with the Israelites after their successful flight from their bondage of the Egyptians. Yahweh, as the Hebrews called Almighty God, allowed them to wander through the desert--in a circle--for 40 years, because of their continuous complaining.
God even sent serpents to chastise them--in fact none of the people who escaped Egypt were privileged to enter into the Promised Land--only their offspring were finally permitted to enter their promised goal.
The troublesome hindrance of their parents was the grumbling, and complaining, and disobedience. - - -
It seems certain people never complain--others always complain, - - - Complaining is their way of life. Unwittingly they get into the habit of lamenting - grumbling - whining - murmuring - complaining - continuously. At the end of the day they may end up with some 75 complaints of various kinds (if ever they keep track of it). Amazing! "Can't I talk?" they say.
Now, Jesus also complained--remember the Gospel story--Jesus in the Temple complained and got angry, made a whip, driving out the ones who desecrated the Temple!
Yes, there is such a thing as 'just anger' and complaining is in order. Yahweh also complained as we read in the Scriptures, many times when the Israelites misbehaved, disobeyed.
The opposite of complaining: being obliging - agreeable - gracious - courteous - yielding - accommodating - LOVING--!
As Jesus put it so beautifully:
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself!"
Of course, observing this Commandment--then one will not complain. - - -

* * *

OUR BLESSED LADY'S MESSAGE TODAY: REPENTANCE IN PREPARATION FOR AN ERA OF PEACE
(FINAL INSTALLMENT of the adaption of Br. George Roth's article)

AKITA, JAPAN 1973-1984

The same message of a chastisement was repeated in Akita, Japan in the next decade to Sister Agnes Sasagawa who was cured of her deafness in the early part of the apparitions. An important part of the apparitions is a statue fashioned after Our Lady of All Nations Amsterdam) that has cried 101 times. The Blessed Mother gave Sr. Agnes the following message on August 3, 1973:

My daughter, my novice, do you love the Lord? If you love the Lord, listen to what I have to say to you. It is very important. You will convey it to your superior. Many men in this world afflict the Lord. I desire souls to console Him, to soften the anger of the Heavenly Father. I wish, with my Son, for souls who will repair by their sufferings and their poverty for sinners and ingrates."
In order that the world may know His anger, the Heavenly Father is preparing to inflict a great chastisement on all mankind. With my Son I have intervened so many times to appease the wrath of the Father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering Him the suffering of the Son on the Cross, His Precious Blood, and beloved souls who console Him forming a legion of victim souls. Prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices can soften the Father's anger. I desire this also from your community. That it love poverty, that it sanctify itself and pay in reparation for the ingratitude and outrages of so many men . . ."
The final message is very serious:
"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 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 that will remain for you will be the Rosary and Sign left by my Son. With the Rosary, pray for the pope, the bishops, and the priests."
"The work of the devil will infiltrate even the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate Me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres . . . churches and altars sacked, 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. The demon will be especially implacable 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 be no longer pardon for them."
"With courage, speak to your superior. He will know how to encourage each one of you to pray and accomplish works of reparation."

So important were these messages that Bishop Ito, Sr. Agnes' superior, was brought in the apparitions from the first days. After eleven years of investigation, it was he who declared them to be of supernatural origin on April 22, 1984.
(Next will be a Summary of the Akita Message)

CHAPTER XXVIII: TWO HEARTS OF WIT & WISDOM

Again and again, one of the difficult questions are asked about PREDESTINATION: "GOD KNOWS WHETHER I GO TO HEAVEN OR HELL, SO WHAT'S THE USE?"
While I was with the Catholic Evidence Guild in New Orleans, LA, we studied this subject at length--in fact for 6 months--learning about the Thomistic theory, the Jesuit theory, quotations from the Scriptures . . . At the end of it all, I was more confused than ever.
One day this very question was asked on the Catholic Question Box Radio Program, with Msgr. Herman Lohmann the answer-Priest. This was Msgr.'s explanation:
"Here we are on the 22nd floor of the Old Jung Hotel, looking down on Canal St. There I see one of my boys, my parishioner, crossing the street, reading a newspaper walking against the red light. I had told him"
"Do not walk against the red light crossing a street."
He disobeyed.
A car was coming down Canal St, at a fair speed, traveling towards the green light. The way my boy is walking against the light, he will be hit and get killed. Sure enough that's what happened.
Now, I knew ahead of time this was going to happen. Actually, it's neither here nor there that I knew before time of this outcome.
Again, that Almighty God knows all things and knows the past, present and future and knows all things ahead of time--it is His Prerogative!
Let's consider:

1. God gives us FREE WILL and He will not take that away from us. Nor will He stop our actions, choosing between good or evil.
2. Almighty God WILLS all men to be saved! We know this to be true from the Old Testament, the Scriptures.
3. God gives us all SUFFICIENT GRACES to be saved, we know this from St. Paul's epistles.

The word PREDESTINE, APPEARS IN THE SCRIPTURES AS FOLLOWS: (Romans, 8. Chapter, 30. Verse.)

• "Those He foreknew He PREDESTINED
• Those He predestined He justified
• Those He justified He called
• Those He called He glorified."

The bottom line is--those He foreknew--so it's up to us! Don't let's 'goof-up'! We make the choice between Heaven or Hell.

Thank you, Msgr. Herman Lohmann, of happy Memory!

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