Faith is Something We Do

October 24, 2009 Faith is Something We Do by Rick Warren "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:15-16 NIV).

Faith is more than something you just feel. Many people confuse emotions and feelings with faith. They come to church and they're moved emotionally, they're inspired, and they're stimulated. But that doesn't mean they're walking in faith. The Bible says faith is something we do, not just what we feel: "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:15-16 NIV). In other words, faith is not mere sentimentality. Let's say I go out on the street and I see someone who is homeless and destitute. I see that person is hungry, cold, in need of clothing and shelter. Would I be showing great faith if I walked up and said, "Cheer up! Don't worry, be happy! Feel good! Put on a happy face?" It doesn't take much faith to do that. Faith carries compassion. Faith says, "I'll do anything I can to stop your hurt." Throughout the New Testament, the witnesses say Jesus was moved with compassion for people. Jesus showed us that faith is practical. When we see a need, we do something about it. We don't just toss out a quick --"Well, I'll pray for you." The Bible says, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food." If we see a Christian in need, we respond because that brother or sister is part of our family. When you become a believer, you became part of God's family. And as a result, you have some family responsibilities: You care when other Christians are hurt, or in pain, or in grief, or in sorrow, or in need. You show your faith by what you do. It's easy to think, 'But I can't meet everybody's needs!' That's right. None of us can. But we can meet some. What we can do may not make a difference to everybody, but it will make a difference to those we help. Think of it like this: When the tide went out, hundreds of starfish were stranded on the beach. A little boy began to pick them up and throw the starfish back into the ocean. A man came along and asked, "What are you doing?" The boy said, "I'm putting the starfish back in the ocean." The man said, "But there's too many! You can't make a difference for all of them!" The boy tossed another starfish into the water, and said, "I bet it makes a difference for that one." One-by-one. Great opportunities to serve God often come as small opportunities to serve those around us who are in need.

Today's Reading

REFLECTION:

Do we rely on the Lord’s help in everything we do or do we just rely on our own strength?

 

Lord, I can do nothing without You. But I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philipians 4:13).

1st READING in one year

 

Christianity is unique in its claims and as Christians we recognize that we have a particular responsibility as regards one aspect of this uniqueness, namely, that it is only through Jesus that there is salvation. This does not necessarily mean that only Christians will be saved, but that anyone who is saved has been saved through the grace of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and by no other means. This truth means that we have a compelling duty to share this message with others, particularly those who have never heard the Gospel. We must always respect an individual’s right to choose what religion/faith they will follow but this respect does not mean that we should be silent about our own beliefs.

 

Acts 4:1-12

1 After the crippled man had been cured, while Peter and John were still speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees confronted them, 2 disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening. 4 But many of those who heard the word came to believe and the number of men grew to about five thousand. 5 On the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes were assembled in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly class. 7 They brought them into their presence and questioned them, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them, “Leaders of the people and elders: 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, 10 then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. 11 He is ‘the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”

 

P S A L M

 

Psalms 118:1-2, 4, 22-24, 25-27

R: The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. 2 Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.”4 Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever.”(R) 22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. 24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it. (R) 25 O LORD, grant salvation! O LORD, grant prosperity! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD; we bless you from the house of the LORD. 27 The LORD is God, and he has given us light. (R)

Vatican declares this book a masterpiece!

Pope Pius XI told Catholics: "In ancient times in time of famine, it was said to the Egyptians: 'Go to Joseph, that you might receive from him a supply of wheat to nourish your bodies.' So, now, We say to all who seek the truth: 'Go to Thomas.' St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) "Go and ask St. Thomas for the food of sound doctrine, which nourishes souls for eternal life, and which he possesses in rich abundance." (From Pius XI's encyclical Studiorum Ducem)

What about you? Have you gone to Thomas? If you hesitate lest St. Thomas Aquinas be too hard for you, consider beginning with hisCatechism, which is as easy to read and understand as the Baltimore Catechism that taught generations of Catholics our Faith.

Rather than being complicated expositions of subtle points of our Faith, both works are intended as simple introductions: they're purposely little more than outlines, easy-to-understand, easy-to-remember — with one significant difference: the Aquinas Catechism was written by a saint. "Because St. Thomas's method is concise, clear and easily followed, even persons of little instruction are eager to possess his writings." Pope Pius XI Simple they are, but his teachings are also rich. Which is why artists from time immemorial have shown so many other great Catholic thinkers sitting at the feet of St. Thomas Aquinas: In Zubaran's Apotheosis of St. Thomas Aquinas (1631), the four Latin Doctors of the Church (Sts. Ambrose, Gregory, Jerome, and Augustine) listen while St. Thomas teaches. "The teachings of St. Thomas are so vast that they contain, like a sea, all the wisdom that flows from the ancients: all the truths that had been spoken, all that had been wisely sifted by the pagan philosophers, by the Fathers and the Doctors of the Church, by the eminent men who flourished before him. "His teachings have a singular force and virtue for curing the evils with which our age is afflicted." Pope Leo XIII

Other popes who urge you to turn to St. Thomas: Pope Nicholas V • Pope Pius IV • Pope St. Pius V • Pope Sixtus V • Pope Clement VIII • Pope Paul V • Pope Alexander VII • Pope Innocent XI• Pope Innocent XII • Pope Benedict XIII •Pope Clement XII • Pope Benedict XIV • Pope St. Pius X • Pope Benedict XV • Pope Pius XI •Pope Pius XII • Pope John XXIII • Pope Paul VI• Pope John Paul II • Pope Benedict XVI • and scores of others. "His teachings could have come only from a miraculous intervention by God." Pope John XXII Earlier, I quoted Pope Pius XI: "So, now, we say to all who seek the truth: Go to Thomas." What about you? Have you "gone to Thomas?" Isn't it time you found out why so many popes have urged you to do so? There's no easier — and no better — place to begin than right here, with the Aquinas Catechism.

The most extraordinary (and little known) book ever written about our Faith . . . was not written for philosophers or for theologians — even though its author was the incomparable St. Thomas Aquinas, the man lauded by more than 25 popes as the Church's preeminent theologian. Its pages contain the Lenten sermons St. Thomas preached to the townspeople of Naples in 1273, soon before his death. Citing almost 1,000 quotations from the Bible, St. Thomas preached eloquently on: The Our Father The Hail Mary The Sacraments The Commandments and The Apostles' Creed * Gathered together now in one book, these sermons constitute a complete catechism on the teachings and practices of our Faith, and reveal the profound links that bind Holy Scripture to each of them. In one volume, The Aquinas Catechism gives you: An introductionto the Catholic faith A refresher catechism by the Church's greatest mind A mini-course in Scripture by an unexcelled master of the Bible, with almost a thousand Scriptural quotations A brief course in theology "taught" by the Church's greatest theologian; and A defense of the faith against its critics Best of all, because St. Thomas was not writing for scholars but preaching to laymen, anyone can profit from the saintly wisdom found here. To ensure that happens, we have (as the Vatican joyfully notes below) designed our edition of these sermons for ease of use: boldfaced subheadings on every page make them easy to read and our handy 22 page appendix outlines the entire book for you. "A Masterpiece!" Vatican newspaper "To give highlights of this masterpiece is difficult because so much is distilled. The benefits of prayer are presented so attractively that one wishes one could pray for hours on end. A very clever editor put in helpful headings and subheadings to bring out more clearly the meaning of the text. Now beginners and advanced scholars alike can understand the faith more aptly through these brilliant sermons of the Angelic Doctor." L'Osservatore Romano 7/15/91 Don't pass up this opportunity to learn from St. Thomas Aquinas himself! Among the things St. Thomas will teach you: Why we ask the Lord not to lead us into temptation The five conditions necessary to prayer, and its three principal benefits Three ways in which Mary is full of grace, and why they're important What we must learn from Jesus' descent into Hell Where astrology is forbidden in the Apostles' Creed How we are to respond to God's Word Defenses against heresies that are still held Why Christ's judgment is to be feared (and four ways to prepare for it) The marks of the Catholic Church The qualities of the bodies of the blessed and of the damned The nature of eternal life and of eternal death Four things we should desire and pray for The effect of each Sacrament The necessarycomponents of a good confession The three things we must do on the Sabbath (and the three we must avoid) Misconceptions and errors concerning the Sacraments Why faith is reasonable, not blind (as many say) The sin that's most dangerous to the sinner himself "Thy kingdom come": what we're really asking for when we pray this How "Thou shalt not kill" applies to the death penalty and the killing of animals How we sometimes impede the grace of a Sacrament Who really administers the sacrament of Matrimony How Holy Orders changes the recipient The crucial differences between divine and human law God's rewards for honoring our parents (and His punishments for failure to do so) Others we must honor besides our parents How we may blaspheme without even knowing it How we can bear false witness unknowingly Four ways we can overcome sinful desires What it means to take God's name "in vain" The one kind of anger that is always sinful (and the two that are not) Common ways we "bear false witness" unwittingly, even in casual conversation "Concupiscence" defined. Four ways to overcome it And much more to help us all grow in wisdom and holiness! "These sermons bear the mark of the Holy Spirit. They are filled with clarity and life." The Word Among Us "Flawless spiritual direction from the Church's premier theologian." Midwest Book Review The Aquinas CatechismA Simple Explanation of the Catholic Faith by the Church's Greatest Theologian by St. Thomas Aquinas Foreword by Ralph McInerny $19.95  336 pgs ppbk Sophia Institute Press1-800-888-9344 Box 5284, Manchester NH 03108 Other books by or about St. Thomas: For Young People: A Fascinating Biography For Serious Students of Aquinas:   Saint Thomas Aquinas$12.95  128 pgs ppbk   Aquinas's Shorter Summa $24.95  432 pgs ppbk Consider, as well: The Remarkable Book that Teaches You the Methods of the Great Catholic Medieval Memory Masters: "They laughed when I said I could name all 27 books of the New Testament . . . but after I named them all in order, plus the 46 books of the Old Testament, they begged me to show them how I did it." Then, a 5-year-old used the same system to learn her numbers, letters, shapes, and colors: the system St. Thomas created to help him remember the teachings of our Faith. You and your children can use the same system to remember virtually anything:names, dates, phone numbers, passwords, the first 12 digits of pi (3.141592653589, if you really want to know!), and even whether, on the way home, you're supposed to buy ice cream and toffee (or was it truffles and coffee?) Memorize the Faith!  $19.95  272 pgs ppbk Saint Thomas Aquinas  (1225-1274) was both a scholar and a saint. Educated in Naples, he entered the Dominican Order in 1244 and devoted the rest of his life to comprehending God's Revelation — through reason, contemplation, and prayer — and to living in conformity with that Revelation. In the course of a brilliant career, he preached widely throughout Europe and wrote over 100 volumes. St. Thomas died in 1274, was canonized in 1323, and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Universal Church in 1567. Order all four books: The Aquinas Catechism 336 pgs ppbk$19.95   Saint Thomas Aquinas  128 pgs ppbk $12.95  Memorize the Faith!  272 pgs ppbk $19.95  Aquinas's Shorter Summa432 pgs ppbk $24.95 1-800-888-9344www.SophiaInstitute.com Sophia Institute Press Box 5284, Manchester, NH 03108 USA

In Honor of Blessed John Paul the Great

April 28, 2011

Dear Friend,

I write this as I am preparing to fly to Rome to participate in the Beatification of Blessed John Paul the Great. It is a remarkable blessing that I am able to go and witness such an event for such a monumental man of Faith. 

I think back to the founding of C-FAM and the creation of the Friday Fax. We are a creature of John Paul the Great. 

Way back in 1994 he made a call for people of faith to go to Cairo, Egypt and help the Vatican defend unborn babies he knew would be coming under attack from pro-abortion radicals at the UN Conference on Population and Development. The founding members of C-FAM answered that call and went to Cairo and helped the Holy Father stop an international right to abortion!

Not long after, the Vatican asked for a full-time office of Catholic laymen to open at the UN so that they could help the Vatican at the UN each and every day.

We answered that call. We have been defending unborn babies at UN headquarters and defending His Holy Church each and every day for going on 14 years! In season and out of season, through the most terrible persecution, C-FAM has been there!

Within days of opening our doors in the summer of 1997, we started the Friday Fax. At first, I literally would stand at the fax machine each and every Friday morning, and feed the Friday Fax to our 125 subscribers.

A lot has changed in these 14 years. The Friday Fax has grown to 330,000 subscribers. We now have 90,000 Spanish subscribers all over Latin America and Spain. We now have 30,000 French subscribers.

And the Friday Fax has literally changed the international pro-life movement. Simply, by shining a bright light on what really goes on at UN conferences and also what goes on there each day. The enemies of unborn babies do not take vacations and they do not seem to sleep either. 

I think of all this as I prepare to honor the man who inspired this apostolate and so many others. And I ask his intercession so that we can keep the Friday Fax going for another 14 years.

One thing that has not changed is that the Friday Fax is not free. It may be free to you and to our other 330,000 subscribers but it is not free to produce.

I ask you right now, in honor of Blessed John Paul the Great to go HERE and support the Friday Fax financially.

I know there is someone reading this right now who can write a check for $10,000. Will you do that right now?

Most folks, including me, could never afford such a gift. But, can you afford $500? How about $100? Or $50?

I pledge to you that I will never give up this fight. I will never stop the Friday Fax. I intend never to retire. I will do this until my dying day. 

But, I cannot do this without first, your prayers! Our battle is not simply one of money or personnel. It is literally about thrones and dominations. It is about the devil. So, prayers first, last and always.

But, we do need money to pay our writers, for office space, for printing and mailing and emailing. It costs us upwards of $180,000 every year to produce 104 Friday Fax reports every year, information you will not find anywhere else. 

Please go right HERE and give as much as you can. Make a sacrificial gift in the name of Blessed John Paul the Great!

Finally, you should know that I know immediately whenever a donation is made online. I get an immediate email confirmation. Make a donation between now and Sunday morning, and I will pray for you specifically at the Beatification ceremony in St. Peter's Square in Rome!

We really do need your help. 

Many thanks for whatever you can do.

Yours sincerely,

Austin Ruse
Editor/Friday Fax
President/C-FAM

Why do we shout????

A saint asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?'  Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.'  'But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?' Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint.    Finally he explained, 'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot.  To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.' Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small...' The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'  MORAL:When we argue do not let our hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, else there will come a day when the distance is so great that we will not find the path to return.

HAVE YOU SEEN JESUS ?

She turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realize that it was Jesus. – John 20:14

 

A week ago, a chat message popped up on my computer that read, “Have you ever seen Jesus?” It was from a friend who said he met people who claimed to have heard and seen Jesus.

I have never seen His physical being or heard His actual voice, but I dare to say that I have met Him.

He comes to me in the form of friends and family, sharing happiness and joy.  He shows me His visage in the beauty of nature, even in the violence of the storms. He expresses his vulnerability through the needy, evoking my compassion and demanding my charity. He embraces me when I’m distressed, by flooding my soul with lasting peace that calms and heals my hurts.

God is always calling us to Himself, if we only know how to listen. He reveals His face every day, and is only waiting for us to turn to Him when He calls our name. May we be sensitive to His voice and respond gladly when He calls. Cecil Lim (cez_lim@yahoo.com)

 

REFLECTION:

“When you come to know the Father, not a thing will be the same. You will know the peace of Jesus, when you hear Him call your name.” (Marilyn Ferguson)

 

Lord, help me recognize Your face and hear Your voice.

HE IS RISEN

The Gospel account can make us realize the evil intent of the chief priests. We already know that they had a very strong influence on the people to have Jesus crucified. Repeatedly, throughout Jesus’ life, they were always harassing Him and seeking to do away with this “upstart” from Galilee. Now even the guards cannot convince the chief priests that Jesus has truly risen. Nothing was going to convince them; they had already closed their minds to the truth.

Can you imagine the guards stuttering their message to the chief priests? Earthquake. Angel. Lightning. No body. They were like dead men as they saw the angel move the stone from the tomb. They saw and they heard everything. Dumbfounded and utterly amazed, they were the first to evangelize the authorities. The chief priests, in their ignorance, bribe them with the use of money to cover up this so-called nonsense of a dead man risen. The bribe was taken and they, too, joined the chief priests in their wickedness. Matthew adds his comment to the reader that the story of the stolen body is circulated among the Jews to this day.

It is a terrible thing to close one’s mind to the truth. Nothing will convince one who has already made friends with ignorance. However, the fact is that Jesus has risen and, in this Easter Octave, we, too, have an opportunity to meet the risen Lord. He had not been stolen. He is truly risen! I am sure that as the women blurted out the story of the resurrection, there may have been closed minds. Women were a minority group in the Jewish society. They were often unnoticed and poorly attended. It is no wonder that Jesus’ kindness and openness caused many women to become His disciples. As the women came back that day to report all that had happened, I am sure their testimony fell on deaf ears. How can a dead man rise again? How can an angel roll away the large stone from a tomb? Had they, too, been bewitched? Had they been hallucinating? Was it only a figment of their imagination? Fr. Brian Steele, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

Do you feel like the women or the guards in today’s Gospel?

 

I rejoice in the wonder of Your resurrection. Help me, Lord, to live with this truth in my life. Amen.

 

St. Mella, pray for us.

He is Risen!

 Christ has risen. He has truly risen!

RISEN FROM THE DEAD

Can this be the same Jesus who, only a few days ago, was seen crucified and dead upon the cross? After seeing Jesus, Matthew tells us the women went away quickly, fearful yet overjoyed. They could not believe their eyes for what they saw, and their ears for what they heard. It was a remarkable sight. A dead man rose again! Matthew gives us a dramatic account of the resurrection. There is earthquake and lightning. A huge stone is rolled away from the tomb by an angel. The guards shake with fright.

This is the night of nights where, at the Easter vigil, we celebrate life and light. The Exsultet makes a wonderful reflection as the Church sings with joy the mighty work of God in raising Jesus from the dead. This night is holy and full ofsymbolism in its liturgy. Notice it was at dawn when the women went to the tomb. They wanted to be the first at the tomb to wash and anoint the body, knowing that they were running out of time before Sabbath came. When they reached the tomb, there was no body to anoint. An angel appeared in their midst and told them that the crucified Lord had risen. As they saw for themselves the empty tomb and the risen Christ, their lives were never the same.

Do not be afraid! This is the call of the angel and then of Jesus Himself. There is no need to fear. All fears have been dispelled through Christ’s rising from the tomb.

Why approach the tomb? The angel tells us He is not there. Some of us live as though He is still there, dead and buried. It is true, our sin is dead and buried, thanks be to God, but a new life awaits us. “Go and tell the brothers,” exclaims Jesus, as they did Him homage.

The chains of death have been broken. The triumphant resurrection of Christ has destroyed sin. It is time for us to wake up from sleep for a new day is at hand. Let us walk in the light of this night. Let our faces not be ashamed for He has risen as He has said and He is going before us. Let us run to Him and worship and adore the Risen Christ. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

Have you risen with Christ or are you still in the tomb?

 

Lord, I believe that You are raised from the dead. Thank You for the new life You gave me through Your saving death and resurrection. Amen.

 

St. Felix, Fortunatus & Achilleus, pray for us.

APPROACH IN CONFIDENCE

The author of Hebrews proclaims to us on this Good Friday that we are to approach the throne of grace with confidence. Today is Good Friday — good because Jesus has done something good for us. He has died for our sins and now we  have access to the throne of grace — the cross. What seems a tragic and ignominious event is, in fact, life giving and beautiful. The author tells us that Christ offered prayers in tears and loud cries. As we reflect on the Gospel of the Passion today, we see this displayed ultimately on the cross as Jesus cried out to God. His heart was broken out of love – because no one would accept His offering of the love of God. He was the Son of God and  learned His obedience to the Father through suffering. This obedience is rewarded by God who never abandons His people, even though it seems like this at times. “God has said the final word,” says St. John of the Cross, “He has nothing else to say.” Jesus, the Word made Flesh, has done all He could. Now it is up to us to accept and approach the throne to receive mercy and help.

We are to be confident. St. John, the evangelist, proclaims this great gift of confidence in his letters. We are children of God, thanks to Jesus who has paved the way for us. I am reminded of the Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux, who had an incredible confidence in the Father. She would not think twice in running to the Father whenever she had committed even a mortal sin. Of course, this confidence was always with her as a small child and never left her.

Let us be bold in approaching the Father. He has shown us great love and this is the love we celebrate this Friday. God is good. Today is Good Friday. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

Am I confident in the Lord’s mercy and love?

 

Lord, I believe that You have died on the cross for me. Give me the confidence I need to approach Your throne of grace and accept what You have done for me. Amen.

 

St. Mareas, pray for us.

The 3rd secret of Fatima: But is there a 4th?

SHOOTING STRAIGHT 

By Bobit S. Avila 
The Philippine Star

Tomorrow is Holy Thursday and since The Philippine STAR won’t be out on Friday and Saturday, this will be my only column for the week. In deference to Holy Week, let me continue with what we wrote about the Secret of Fatima, which I know a lot of our readers want to know about.

Exactly a week ago, we already featured the first two Secrets of Fatima. So now here’s the third secret and the most enigmatic secret of Fatima, which was contained in a sealed envelop by Sister Lucia and revealed only by the Vatican on June 26, 2000. This is the exact words of Sister Lucia.

“After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendor that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand; pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice, ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’.

And we saw in an immense light that is God: ‘something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it’ a Bishop dressed in White ‘we had the impression that it was the Holy Father’. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark: before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting steps, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way.

Having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with its sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God.” The big question here is whether the man in white is the Pope? Specifically, whether it was the late Pope John Paul II or another Pope?

Writer Antonio Socci who wrote the book that we are quoting says that if it was Pope John Paul II, then the prophesies of Fatima have already been fulfilled. But many analysts insist that in the 3rd Secret, the Pope was actually killed, while we know that Pope John Paul II survived his assassination, insisting that it was the Blessed Virgin Mary herself who “deflected” the bullet fired by Ali Agca in St. Peter’s Square. So if the Pope in the 3rd Secret wasn’t Pope John Paul II, then writer Socci asks, “Who then was the Blessed Virgin Mary referring to… the present or a future Pope?”

After all the analysis, writer Socci insists that the 3rd Secret contains two texts, and since the first text that we have reprinted here is already out… he thinks that part of the 3rd Secret that is still unrevealed has yet to be made public. This is why he calls it the 4th Secret of Fatima. He concludes that the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II was not contained in the 3rd Secret of Fatima but nonetheless that attempt on his life was already prophesied by the Madonna on earlier apparitions of Mama Mary in Rue du Bac in 1830 and La Salette in Sept. 1846. Now does this 4th Secret contain the natural disaster the world is currently suffering? I hope not.

One thing is very clear; our Blessed Mother prophesied the start of World War II and the end of Communism. What she prophesied really came true! When Pope John XXIII read the 3rd secret, he decided to send the sealed envelope back to the Holy Office and had it “Quarantined” so it won’t be revealed to the public, so it won’t cause panic among the people. Pope Paul VI also read the sealed envelope, but decided that it contained nothing that wasn’t already written in the Bible, specifically in Revelations.

Hence these Popes never obeyed Mama Mary’s message to the children when she said, “If Russia is not consecrated to my Immaculate Heart, she will spread her errors.” Since these Popes never consecrated Russia, Communism spread at the end of World War II and ignited the Korean War, the Vietnam wars and all the other wars that the USSR engaged in, which entered into a “Cold War” with the United States of America and its NATO allies vs the Warsaw Pact countries.

Finally it was only Pope John Paul II who read the 3rd Secret of Fatima on July 18, 1981 after his assassination attempt in St. Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981. His first thoughts were to immediately do the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. So what’s hanging now is whether the 4th Secret revealed in Fatima was about the natural disasters happening around the world at this time. For this Holy Week, let’s listen to the words of the angel, “Penance, Penance, Penance…” and never stop praying the Rosary as it is the most effective tool against evil.

* * *

For email responses to this article, write to vsbobita@mozcom.com or vsbobita@gmail.com. His columns can be accessed through http://www.philstar.com.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=64&articleId=678269