WHAT should convince us that we are facing divine chastisement ending a historic sinful era?
Some hints: St. Faustina Kowalska to whom Jesus said that from Poland would come the spark (St. Pope John Paul II) that would prepare the world for his coming; the Marian apparitions in Garabandal which Padre Pio had certified to be authentic and where the visionaries would, by Mary's mandate, live long enough to announce a few days in advance an unprecedented miracle intended to convert the world; the Church-approved Akita, Japan apparitions wherein Sr. Agnes Sasagawa warned that if today's mankind does not change, fire will fall from the sky and snuff out the lives of so many people.
And yes, so many prophecies from modern mystics whose names, unlike those above cited, are quite unfamiliar to most, including those whom I have copiously quoted in this column: Jennifer, Gisella, Fr. Rodrique, Edson, Marco, Pedro, etc.
The number of such mystics itself is a manifestation of the urgency of
our times. It's frantic Heaven telling each one all over the world to hurry, convert while there is time.
Yet they all have critics, even thrown at with accusations they are of the devil. Those who might be carried away by the criticisms should well be reminded that St. Padre Pio was so heavily by his critics attacked by his critics that Church authorities ordered him to isolate himself for 10 years.
Remember, too, that the works of St. Faustina Kowalska remained in the Church's Index of Forbidden Books for over 20 years.
This was the same fate the befell the writings of Maria Valtorta, whose works Padre Pio ordered a confessional penitent to read and of which the Blessed Mother said in Medjugorje in 1981: "If a person wants to know Jesus he should read Maria Valtorta. That book is the truth". Valtorta's volumes titled Poem of the Man-God was placed in the same Index for several years.
It is, however, true that there are supposed mystics whose experiences were officially declared by the Church as tending to be diabolical. Please take note, however, that the mystics I have chosen for this column, despite not having escaped the eye of critics, are surrounded by events that strongly indicate the supernatural.
Take, for example, the case of stigmatist Gisella Cardia whose skin every now and then is inexplicably marked with "hemographic" blood marks saying "Mary most holy." Experts on Marian apparitions would say this alone would strongly tell us the case of Gisella is not diabolic because the devil is known to be too afraid to even say the name of the Mother of God. This, on top of the dancing of the sun similar to that experienced in the 1917 Fatima apparitions, has also been a feature witnessed by many, including priests, in Gisella's case.
Still, the ultimate option, as always, is to await the final verdict of the Church on private revelations.
And so, only with obedience to the appeals from Heaven to spread the word, I quote Gisella more.
Here are excerpts from what God the Father told Gisella last January 1:
"I, your Father, am here with you to tell you some important things for this coming year. My children, follow my Jesus: only by trusting will you be able to reach the salvation of your souls. I have given you my Daughter, a Mother for you.
"Please, children, do not be afraid of me, I as a good Father want you to know me as I am; teach your children My name, and when you turn to me, call me Father, not only God, but Father. How could I, who am the Father of you all, ever not love my children?
"Occasionally my justice serves to correct you because you do not always listen. Look, look to the heavens and be subject to me as the God of peace: be humble. But do you think that I can enter your hearts if your hearts are closed to grace? That will never be possible - instead open your hearts and I will be there, giving you everything you ask for, and you will lack nothing. Pray with the simple prayers that you have been taught, nothing else - I do not want anything else....
"I know who you are and I created you in love, humility and charity, yet you have made a god of yourselves. Entrust everything to the only Father you have and to Mary, merciful and pious Mother, humble handmaid of God, who is leading you on the path of holiness. Pray her Rosary for your salvation; sometimes simple words are also needed, which I appreciate.
"My sweetest children, make an ark, just as I asked Noah to do, but I asked for it so that he could bring all his children to me, without losing even one. I am not asking you to construct an ark, my children, but to be a big family and to gather as many souls as possible. Soon you will need each other, and what would you do were Heaven not to give you these instructions?" (End of quote.)
On the same day, Gisella also received this warning from Our Blessed Mother: "Pray, pray much because the tornadoes and cyclones... will be severe."
Earlier on December 27 last year, Gisella also received the following message from the Blessed Mother:
"Dear children, I am the Immaculate Conception; I am coming to instruct you once again for the times to come. My beloved children, since you are still talking about the things of the world, planning your future and counting on earthly things, I advise you to think more about spiritual things.
"Do not be angry at what is happening around you: unfortunately man's worst enemy is his Ego, which this humanity does not have the strength to eliminate totally from its life. Be assured, children, that each of you will be held responsible for your actions before God and towards your neighbor; forgive, because what will come will be much worse than what you are experiencing.
"Diseases and viruses will be worse, but you have only one cure: prayer and constantly entrusting yourselves to God. My children, you are not alone, and do not be afraid: the only important thing is to choose which side to stand on, because this will be the final reckoning for eternal life. Now I leave you with my Maternal blessing together with that of my Father, who loves you without measure."