Our Blessed Mother’s Urgent Call

Archdiocese of Washington ^ | 05-09-17 | Msgr. Charles Pope

[Salvation]

Our Blessed Mother’s Urgent Call

Msgr. Charles Pope • May 9, 2017 •

Continuing with the theme of urgency from yesterday’s post, we do well to consider Mary’s fervent requests at Fatima for prayer, conversion, and consecration. This Saturday will mark the 100^th anniversary of Mary’s first appearance at Fatima.

It was a critical time in human history. The First World War had claimed more than 17 million lives. Mary urged prayer to end this catastrophe:

• Say the Rosary every day to bring peace to the world and an end of the war (June 13, 1917).
• Continue to pray the Rosary every day in honor of our Lady of the Rosary, in order to obtain peace for the world and an end to the war (July 13, 1917).

Thanks be to God, through the children’s prayers and surely those of others, the war did soon end. In October, Our Lady said,

• Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The War is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return home (October 13, 1917).

War is a terrible result of human sinfulness as well as a punishment for it. Sin is its own punishment; when we sow the wind, we reap the whirlwind. Part of the horror of the First World War was the use of chemical weapons. So appalling was the suffering and so great was the loss of life that in 1925 most nations willingly signed the Geneva Protocol, which prohibited their use in international armed conflicts.

But Mother Mary urgently warned that if the people of this world did not repent, pray, and cease offending God, a war far worse would come:

• If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse war will break out during the reign of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father (July 17, 1917).

Sadly, as we know, the Second World War formally ensued in 1939. Months earlier, in 1938, a remarkable display of the Aurora Borealis further south than ever observed made international headlines. It was a final warning. More than 60 million people died in World War II. Atrocities were multiplied, and the most fearsome weapon ever contrived—the atom bomb—would haunt the world long after the war. Russia, too, spread Marxist and atheist errors.

See what happens when we do heed the urgent request to pray? Wars can be ended, souls can be saved, and peace can be brought.

But also note the terrible consequences of failing to pray and be converted! Jesus once said to paralyzed man he had healed, See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you (John 5:14). So, too, for the people of that time who, though having received God’s mercies in the end of World War I, fell back into sin. The decadence, financial excess, and foolishness of the “roaring” 1920s, both in Europe and America, brought a harvest of corruption, both morally and politically. It ushered in both the Great Depression and then a war far worse than ever imagined.

Yes, prayer and conversion are both urgent and essential. This is true not only in terms of this world, but also of the world to come. This world’s travails are indeed awful, but they are temporary. Mother Mary sets far greater stakes before us: Heaven or Hell.

Where will you spend eternity? What about your children, siblings, and friends? Have you thought about this at all? Do you understand the urgency? Consider well some of what our Lady of Fatima said by way of an eternal warning:

• Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them (August, 1917).
• You have seen hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save sinners, God wishes to establish in all the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace … When you pray the Rosary say after each mystery, O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven especially those who are in most need (July 13, 1917).
• People must amend their lives and ask forgiveness of their sins if they want healings … Do not offend the Lord our God anymore, because He is already so much offended (October 13, 1917).

Here is a mother urgently warning her children of the fires of hell, of the consequences of sin and the final refusal to repent. Here is a mother urgently calling for prayer, reparation, sacrifices, and conversion.

She is urgent; are we? To be urgent does not mean to be in a panic; it means to be sober and alert, to be persistent and consistent in attending to our final end and to that of others to the degree that we are able.

Caritas Christi urget nos: The Love of Christ urges us on! …. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Cor 5:14, 20).

[Luircin]

You’re welcome.

Now back to trying to deal with the people who just called us devil-worshippers on this thread...

[af_vet_1981]

I have no idea what that has to do with what I posted.

That makes the point. You asked two questions and addressed them to "all." Perhaps if you say the scripture orally and hear it audibly you might discern what was apparently missed by reading it.

[metmom]

Wasn’t someone recently just claiming that Catholics never engage in *anti-Protestant bigotry*?

[BipolarBob]

That makes the point.

Not to me it didn't and since I'm the intended recipient I'm thinking it should have been a little clearer. I did focus on "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard" as the probable message you were trying to convey. But the timeline suggests there were probable eyewitnesses still alive at the time of this message. That would command more gravitas than some tradition that has centuries to be molded and massaged to someones liking.

[Luircin]

Yeah, how about that?

Go figure!

[af_vet_1981]

You asked two questions.
1. Will I be doomed to Hell for trusting Gods Word too much?
2. Will Jesus judge me harshly by rebuking me with “You should have thrown a little tradition in there, sorry”.

1. The LORD Jesus Christ spoke the criteria by which He "will not blot out his name out of the book of life" for a member of one of His churches. It applies to any who have "ears to hear" and all who read it are blessed.
2. The second question essentially asked whether apostolic tradition should be heeded and whether one would be rebuked and judged if it was ignored. You correctly identified that the transmission of the truth was at least in part oral. "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent." This matters because there is a wide disparity of interpretation in doctrine when modern individuals decide for themselves what something means and what they should believe.

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation, Catholic chapter three, Protestant verses fourteen to twenty two,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[BipolarBob]

This matters because there is a wide disparity of interpretation in doctrine when modern individuals decide for themselves what something means and what they should believe.

Well God left us a Book to read and a mind to think. I think I should take responsibility for my eternal soul and future and NOT trust it to any denomination or religion in conflict with Gods Word. IF I have faith that Jesus died for my sins and prove that faith by my works then all will be well. I may stumble and falter at times but pick myself up and get back on the right road. All praise goes to God and Him alone for what He has promised and provided. Praise be to God in the highest.

[Arthur McGowan]

You seem to think that denying sola scriptura entails disparaging Scripture.

Scripture is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. Are you ignorant of the fact that this is the teaching of the Catholic Church? Apparently.

It’s amazing how virulent, obsessive anti-Catholics like you routinely expose themselves as abjectly ignorant of the most central Catholic teachings.

[af_vet_1981]

Well God left us a Book to read and a mind to think.

When was the Book compiled ?

Who did He entrust the Book to ?

[metmom]

When was the Book compiled ?

Doesn't matter.

Who did He entrust the Book to ?

Jews.

[metmom]

You seem to think that denying sola scriptura entails disparaging Scripture.

Well, yeah, cause it is.

If Scripture is not good enough for the Catholic church that it feels the need to add to tradition, why should I trust their tradition?

If they didn't get it right the first time around, why should anyone expect them to get it right the second time around.

BTW, what's missing from Scripture that we need to know for salvation that the Catholic church feels that it needed to add later on?

[PraiseTheLord]

I know the answer !

HE didn’t leave *a book* ! Some compiled it LATER !

WHEN: A few years into the Catholic Church !

[ Am I ever glad I’m a Catholic -— where everything makes sense ! ]

Just PRAISE THE LORD !

[metmom]

He left Scripture, which later got compiled.

Compiling it is no big deal.

ANYONE could have done it.

[PraiseTheLord]

ANYONE could have done it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Except that not *just anyone* could have done it CORRECTLY !

[BipolarBob]

Just PRAISE THE LORD !

Sounds like your praising the Catholic Church instead to me. I guess the Inquisition made sense and Elsies naughty Pope list and selling indulgences made sense. This Fatimas call to repeat the Rosary ad nauseum makes sense although Matthew 6:7 says not to do that.

[PraiseTheLord]

So sad, someone has brainwashed you with bad and wrong anti-Catholic nonsense. But what else is new.

As for me and my house ! I know The Lord and I know the Truth !

Praise The Lord !

[Luircin]

Which part is nonsense?

[Sontagged]

I knew a TV actress once, who was high on cocaine one night and had a visitation of Mary.

Or what she thought was “Mary”.

Turns out many people on her show were actual Satanists and this was some of the spiritual baggage: demonic visitations.

Spooky stuff: the Devil is wily

[BipolarBob]

Well, I admire your enthusiasm and hope you keep it. Remember it is God that saves and not the denomination.
Peace be unto you

[metmom]

2 Corinthians 11:14-15 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.