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Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Finding the Light of Christ Through the Immaculata

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Finding the Light of Christ Through the Immaculata

 In a 1957 interview with Fr. Agustin Fuentes, Sister Lucia described one of the reasons why she was convinced that we are living in the end times:

“She [the Blessed Virgin Mary] said to my cousins as well as to myself that God is giving two last remedies to the world. These are the Holy Rosary and Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. These are the last two remedies which signify there will be no others.”

Faithful Catholics generally heed this good counsel by saying the Rosary every day and practicing at least some special devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Even so, perhaps we undertake these devotions out of a sense of pious duty, without appreciating the practical significance of looking to Mary in these perilous times.

Through Fatima and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we can see: the grave consequences of following Francis’s new religion; our proper response to the related questions of whether Francis is pope and whether the Church has “defected”; and the best way to see the Light of Christ as our sinful world grows darker.

Although these devotions undoubtedly yield abundant graces regardless of whether we understand why God has chosen them as the final remedies, we can gain even more grace and guidance if we consider the ever more dire realities of the Church and world in light of the Fatima message. Through Fatima and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we can see: the grave consequences of following Francis’s new religion; our proper response to the related questions of whether Francis is pope and whether the Church has “defected”; and the best way to see the Light of Christ as our sinful world grows darker.

Grave Consequences of Following Francis’s New Religion. Traditional Catholics typically understand that most, if not all, of the post-Vatican II changes have been for the worse. And, Deo Gratias, a growing number of Catholics appear to appreciate that Vatican II itself deserves considerable blame for the great evils we see in the Church today. Nonetheless, we still see many Catholics lending varying degrees of support to the Spirit of Vatican II while sincerely attempting to practice the Catholic Faith.

Many of these same Catholics do not appreciate that the Spirit of Vatican II fundamentally opposes the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to which they profess real devotion. Almost certainly, the architects of the pseudo-Catholic religion advocated by Francis and his collaborators have deliberately lulled these sincere Catholics into a false sense of security through their seeming devotion to Mary. We have numerous examples of this with Francis’s Angelus addresses, in which he frequently begins with an anti-Catholic message and ends with an appeal to Mary.

The mixed blessing of Francis’s occupation of the papacy has been that it is far less likely for souls to have an excuse to follow the Spirit of Vatican II. Those who seriously pursue devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary can see this clearly.

Even though many sincere Catholics have been fiendishly deceived by their false shepherds, they could still see the truth if they were to simply reflect on the Immaculate Heart of Mary. How, for instance, can they honor Mary if they turn a blind eye to Rome’s continuous insults to Her Divine Son in the form of false ecumenism? How can they even think of Mary’s absolute purity without being horrified by the way in which Francis and so many within the hierarchy embrace LGBTQ ideals? How can they truly respect Our Lady of Fatima’s calls for prayer, penance, and returning to God if they will not make at least some effort to attend the Tridentine Mass rather than a Novus Ordo Mass, which focuses on man by removing anything that could be off-putting to Protestants?

Many sincere Catholics see these contradictions but console themselves with the thought that obedience to their shepherds will be their pass to Heaven. The reality is far different, as we can see from Sister Lucia’s sobering words in her interview with Fr. Fuentes:

“The devil does everything to overcome souls consecrated to God because in this way the devil will succeed in leaving the souls of the faithful abandoned by their leaders, thereby the more easily will he seize them. That which afflicts the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the fall of religious and priestly souls. The devil knows that religious and priests who fall away from their beautiful vocation drag numerous souls to Hell.”

These words do not mean that every soul who receives sacraments from a bad priest will be damned, but they surely caution us that obedience to false shepherds will not suffice for avoiding hell. The mixed blessing of Francis’s occupation of the papacy has been that it is far less likely for souls to have an excuse to follow the Spirit of Vatican II. Those who seriously pursue devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary can see this clearly.

They are evidently seeking to hide something, which is precisely what we would expect from those who were overseeing the great apostasy. Now, fifteen years later, we cannot possibly ignore Francis’s efforts to promote a “new world religion that leads entire nations into the great apostasy in the name of a false ecumenism.”

Whether the Church Has Defected or the Seat is Vacant. Thoughtful Catholics can generally sympathize with two conflicting instincts that arise from the great crisis in the Church, even if they strongly favor one over the other: on the one hand, that Francis cannot possibly be pope; and, on the other hand, that the sedevacantist position — especially coupled with the fact that almost all of the remaining Cardinals are infected with the Spirit of Vatican II — would call into question the Church’s indefectibility. We may believe that “the other side” is completely mistaken, but we probably have not adequately reflected on the matter if we simply dismiss the issue as altogether unworthy of serious consideration.

Although it does not appear that Our Lady has definitively settled the matter through apparitions, we can still gain some insights from what little we know about the third secret of Fatima. In his 2006 Who Are You O Immaculata?, Fr. Karl Stehlin described the essential content of the third secret of Fatima:

“Whatever one may think about the publication of the third secret of Fatima, there is no longer any doubt as to its essential contents: the almost total destruction of the Church and a heretofore unprecedented number of apostate souls. This is the work of the second beast, which is incarnate, so to speak, in a new world religion that leads entire nations into the great apostasy in the name of a false ecumenism.”

If anything, this interpretation is bolstered by the puzzling failures of the popes to fully disclose the third secret: they are evidently seeking to hide something, which is precisely what we would expect from those who were overseeing the great apostasy. Now, fifteen years later, we cannot possibly ignore Francis’s efforts to promote a “new world religion that leads entire nations into the great apostasy in the name of a false ecumenism.” Thus, Fr. Stehlin’s credible interpretation of the prophecy has today become undeniable reality.

We know that “in the end” the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph.

Now that reality matches the dire prophecies, we naturally wonder what Our Lady told us we must do in such a situation. As discussed above, we obviously must remain faithful to what the Church has always taught and practiced, which requires us to be so-called “traditional Catholics” and avoid following the false shepherds who distort the Faith. We must also say the Rosary and develop true devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And we must make great efforts to pray, perform penance, and avoid offending God.

But, unless we are missing crucial content from the third secret (or any other Marian apparition), there is no hint that the remnant of faithful Catholics must declare that the Chair of Peter is vacant — or take subsequent actions to fill it — even if it were to appear that Satan controlled it in some way. Similarly, we do not find any suggestion that the great apostasy will mean that Our Lord’s promise about the Church’s indefectibility has been broken. Just as Jesus knew that the tempest was threatening His disciples in the boat (Matthew 8:24), He knows that the Barque of Salvation is seemingly overwhelmed with anti-Catholic waves today; and we know that only He can tame them.

Moreover, we know that “in the end” the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph. Many of us rightfully pray for a good pope who will end this great crisis in the Church, but do we really think that will happen without God’s miraculous intervention? Whereas a good pope would surely punish and excommunicate many false shepherds, it seems that we have reached a point in salvation history in which God will intervene directly to resolve the crisis with His vengeance. We can likely expedite that intervention through our prayer, penance, defense of the true Faith, and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, but otherwise we must trust that God will resolve this unfathomable crisis within the Church.

The world grows darker as we await the Consecration of Russia, but the supernatural light of Our Lady beneath the Cross grows brighter, calling us to take our place beside Her.

The Surest Way to See the Light of Christ. Beyond showing us the fallacies of Francis’s new religion and the pitfalls of searching for human solutions to the current crisis, the Immaculate Heart of Mary shows us the surest way to God. In Sister Lucia’s June 13, 1929 vision in Tuy, Spain, in which Our Lady asked for the consecration of Russia, she was shown the Holy Trinity:

“Suddenly a supernatural light illumined the whole chapel and a luminous cross appeared over the altar that reached up to the ceiling. In a brighter part, could be seen, on the upper part of the Cross, the face of a Man and His Body to the waist (God the Father); On His breast was an equally luminous dove (the Holy Ghost), and nailed to the Cross, the Body of another Man (Our Lord Jesus Christ).  A little above the waist, suspended in mid-air, was to be seen a Chalice and a large Host onto which fell some drops of Blood from the Face of Jesus crucified and from a wound in His breast. These drops ran down over the Host and fell into the Chalice. Under the right arm of the Cross was Our Lady with Her Immaculate Heart in Her hand. It was Our Lady of Fatima with Her Immaculate Heart in Her left hand without a sword or roses, but with a crown of thorns and flames. Under the left arm (of the Cross), some large letters, as it were of crystal clear water running down over the altar, formed these words: Grace and Mercy. I understood that it was the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity that was shown to me, and I received lights about this mystery which I am not permitted to reveal. Then Our Lady said to me: ‘The moment has come when God asks the Holy Father to make, in union with all the bishops of the world, the Consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means.’”

This vision juxtaposes a finite request that must be fulfilled by the pope with a vision of the timeless reality of the Most Holy Trinity and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which should occupy the thoughts of all Christians. We are of course vitally interested in the Consecration of Russia, for it promises to end this worsening crisis in the Church and world. And yet we know that the first part of the vision offers infinitely more fruit for our spiritual lives.

God wishes to reveal Mary, His masterpiece, and make her more known in these latter times.

Commenting on Sister Lucia’s vision, Fr. Stehlin wrote these words of great consolation:

“At Fatima, the will of God was made visible to the whole world, so that now, in the end times, Mary might be made known to the world as the Mediatrix of All Graces, as the beginning of creation’s return home to God. Mary’s heart gathers the children of God and preserves them in the light of grace in the midst of a dark world. In her heart we can endure to the end beneath the cross of Christ. And thus proceeds the return through Mary to Christ in the Holy Ghost to the Father.”

The world grows darker as we await the Consecration of Russia, but the supernatural light of Our Lady beneath the Cross grows brighter, calling us to take our place beside Her. When we look to the Blessed Virgin Mary beneath the Cross, we see the most important reality not only for Her and Her Son, but for all of us, at every moment between now and our personal judgment. We have so much uncertainty now, but “in Her heart we can endure to the end beneath the Cross of Christ.” Our Lord knew every single detail of human history as He shed His Precious Blood for our salvation and He wanted nothing more than for us to accept the graces He was obtaining for us.

If we say yes to that “Grace and Mercy” in Sister Lucy’s vision — as it is offered to each of us at every moment — we will be doing all that we can for ourselves and the Church. If we say no, then we will be aiding those who seek to destroy all that is of value in this life. In a real sense, this entire situation in the Church and world is for the benefit of those who will say yes — God is allowing us to see so clearly that this is the only thing that matters. If we keep our eyes fixed on the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we will not lose sight of this reality.

Let us therefore look to Our Lady as the perfect guide for those who wish to fight valiantly for Jesus Christ, Her Son, and see the triumph of Her Immaculate Heart.

In his True Devotion to Mary, St. Louis de Montfort listed several reasons why “God wishes to reveal Mary, His masterpiece, and make her more known in these latter times,” including these two: 

“Since she is the sure means, the direct and immaculate way to Jesus and the perfect guide to Him, it is through her that souls who are to shine forth in sanctity must find Him. He who finds Mary finds life, that is, Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life. But no one can find Mary who does not look for her. No one can look for her who does not know her, for no one seeks or desires something unknown. Mary then must be better known than ever for the deeper understanding and the greater glory of the Blessed Trinity.”

“In these latter times Mary must shine forth more than ever in mercy, power and grace; in mercy, to bring back and welcome lovingly the poor sinners and wanderers who are to be converted and return to the Catholic Church; in power, to combat the enemies of God who will rise up menacingly to seduce and crush by promises and threats all those who oppose them; finally, she must shine forth in grace to inspire and support the valiant soldiers and loyal servants of Jesus Christ who are fighting for His cause.”

St. Louis de Montfort wrote his classic in 1712, knowing that we would be the ones who would best appreciate these words. Let us therefore look to Our Lady as the perfect guide for those who wish to fight valiantly for Jesus Christ, Her Son, and see the triumph of Her Immaculate Heart. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

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Last modified on Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Robert Morrison | Remnant Columnist

Robert Morrison is a Catholic, husband and father. He is the author of A Tale Told Softly: Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale and Hidden Catholic England. 

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