CATHOLIC mystics often become more worthy of belief when their prophecies come true. Such is the case of Luz de Maria de Bonilla whom I frequently quote in this column.
Quoting the Blessed Mother in 2010, what she revealed remains on record: "Plague is approaching mankind. It is produced by human hands that wishing for a bit of economic power which they have lost in the last days, will cause illness upon My own."
Then in 2019, even before Covid-19 hit: Luz also quoted the Blessed Mother as saying: "Men of science will be confused upon feeling themselves incapacitated to find a cure" and that "the plague will become a pandemic and man will limit his actions in the world. Prepare yourselves."
Even much earlier in 1988, the Blessed Mother, during her apparitions in Medjugorje, had been issuing statements surely meant to teach us how to cope with illnesses. She said: "I am calling you to complete conversion, which is difficult for those who have not chosen God. God can give you everything that you seek from Him. But you seek God only when sicknesses, problems, and difficulties come to you and you think that God is far from you and is not listening and does not hear your prayers. No, dear children, that is not the truth."
Also in Medjugorje in 1992: "Therefore, dear children, pray and seek more time for Jesus and then you will be able to understand and accept everything, even the most difficult sicknesses and crosses."
But back to Luz de Maria. Way back in 2009, she also quoted Jesus Christ as having said something relevant to the world's facing a pandemic: "I invite you not to forget the use of sacramentals. In case of contagious diseases anoint the doors and windows with holy oil. If you find yourselves sick, sprinkle the food with Holy Water and keep in mind the use of the medicinal plants My mother has indicated you use for these unexpected circumstances." (I had shared in this column some information about such medicinal plants.)
No less can be said about mystic Pedro Regis, also a favorite in this column, when he quoted the Blessed Mother as telling him in 1989: "Sin has spread like the worst and most harmful of plagues, everywhere spreading sickness and death in many souls. Be careful. Hell exists. It is eternal. And today many run the risk of falling into hell because they have caught this deadly sickness."
Meanwhile, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, many, if not most people, find no interest in urgent messages being given from Heaven by mystics, credible Catholic ones, amid the meteoric popularity of such phone apps as Tik Tok and, in the Philippines at least, Kumu. These apps have become tools to promote aberrant sexuality and anything else detached from traditional Christianity.
So it is understandable that last January 19, the Blessed Mother, through mystic Gisella Cardia, issued a lament:
"Oh! My wandering children who do not find the light -- many of them still do not listen to my word, they do not appreciate my help, going as far as to mock these messages for the salvation of humanity. Children, you have had time for your choice, and if I look at the hearts of many of my children, I cry with pain and my Son's heart bleeds. Children, now you will see what I never wanted your eyes to see: very strong earthquakes and all sorts of calamities such as tempests, storms, tidal waves and wars, because you did not listen to my words! You are being reduced to slavery, you are persecuted for your faith, yet everything goes on as if it were normal."
And so the epoch of prophesied tribulations.
Only last February 3, CNN reported, "It's about to get so cold (in the US) that boiling water will flash freeze, frostbite could occur within 30 minutes and it will become a shock to the system for even those who are used to the toughest winters."
Last January 25, St. Michael the Archangel told Luz de Maria:
"Come, children of God, and convert before night falls on this perverse generation. Pray in season and out of season; prepare to face the tests to which you are subjected with Faith, firmness and determination. You must say no to what is not of God and look further than your eyes can see. Humanity is prey to its own ignorance, it is surrendering to enemy hands, and the world order will dominate and oppress it.
"Pray: the earth will shake forcefully, in some countries by natural origin and in others because of misused science and man's wicked mind.
"Pray: the peoples will rise up, human protest will be forbidden and man confined in order to dominate him.
"Pray especially for Mexico, the United States, Puerto Rico, Chile and Japan. Earthquakes will cause pain.
"As the Defender of God's People, I am continually fighting against the hordes of evil; together with My Angels we will guard you if the free will of each one of you allows it.
"It is urgent that you prepare as families where you will stay in the face of catastrophes and where to stay as communities, with the assurance that we will not abandon any creature of God. As captain of the heavenly host, with my sword raised and with the powers granted to me by the Most Holy Trinity, I share with you that I am a defender of sanctuaries: if homes are sanctuaries I will defend them. If you ask me fervently, I will help you to know yourselves internally and not to reject God's Will. I am a defender of families: I protect those who wish to maintain the right balance in their families. My love is compassionate. I am a defender of the faithful Church and I fight so that the Devil would flee from the Church of my Lord and my God."
(Again, an apology from an aging senior. My grammatical lapse in the last column was serious, putting a present perfect tense when only a simple past was needed. Mea culpa but I can't help getting older and older and with this, becoming more mentally incapacitated. Longer prayers to the Holy Spirit assured, though, in writing columns for this paper.)