“I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.”
(Gen. 3, 15)
Millenia have passed since God cursed the serpent, the Ancient Enemy, but God’s word is immutable and at last, we approach the calamitous climax of these ages of ages….
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night before He died for our sins, promised us, “I will not leave you orphans.” Thus, He spoke to Sister Lucia in 1943 in order to offer us in this sad Passion of His Church, the Immaculate Heart of His Mother as the inexhaustible spring of living water of His Mercy. Those who remain obstinately indifferent to this do so to their own eternal destruction.
His words to Sister Lucia at that time clearly showed His mercy for us:
“With great longing I desire the spread of devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for this heart is the magnet that draws hearts to Me, the heart that radiates to the world the streams of my light and my love. It is finally, the inexhaustible spring from which flows into the world the living water of my mercy.” (Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Lucia, 1943, quoted in Sister Lucia’s letter to Bishop Gurza, May 27, 1943)
It can be difficult to discern the true path amidst this diabolical smoke and carnage of the great spiritual combat. But Our Lord, always solicitous for our salvation offers us the remedy: the Heart of Mary, that radiates His light and love to strengthen and guide us safely through our perilous return to Him.
In the Message of Fatima, we are given a key to comprehend the mysterious passage in Chapter 12, Apocalypse:
“And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars …And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold a great red dragon, …And the dragon was angry against the woman: and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
THE WARNING, THE PLAN, THE CONSEQUENCE
The three parts of the Fatima message can be applied fruitfully here. Briefly, the three parts may be described as:
- The warning about the horror of Hell.
- Heaven’s plan to avoid this terrible fate and promise for those who obey God’s will.
- While the third part is not fully revealed, it concerns the frightful consequences for disobeying, that is, the Chastisement and holds out the promise of victory through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Today, we see clearly the results of this. The reality of Hell is denied, and Judas, the son of perdition is exonerated by the putative Vicar of Christ, and thus, the apostasy at the top of the institutional Church, misleading many poor sinners. The almost total indifference of the clergy, hierarchy and even the leaders of tradition to the true message of Fatima. And so, the Chastisement continues apace, with no mitigation possible at this late point. All this is overwhelming, but there is also much reason for hope, for those who heed Our Lady of Fatima and hold firm to the Faith. For, as Our Lady of the Rosary has promised,
“In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, and she will be converted,
and a period of peace will be granted to the world.”
Due to the disobedience of the popes, to this day the third part of the Message, the Third Secret remains clouded in mystery; however, by all reliable accounts it includes the prophecy that if her commands were not obeyed, the Church would be afflicted with severe chastisements, including an apostasy that would begin at the top, that is, with the pontiff himself. This is what we are experiencing in our day and has also been foretold in many other church-approved revelations, many of which we have already discussed in earlier posts. All together, the Message of Fatima applies to the great battle between the Woman clothed with the Sun and the loathsome red dragon, satan.
THE APOCALYPSE
At this point, the dragon fights the Woman through the two beasts, who receive their power through him and serve him totally. Let’s review the relevant passage:
“And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy. And the beast, which I saw, was like to a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his own strength, and great power. And I saw one of his heads as it were slain to death: and his death’ s wound was healed. And all the earth was in admiration after the beast. And they adored the dragon, which gave power to the beast: and they adored the beast, saying: Who is like to the beast? and who shall be able to fight with him? And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies: and power was given to him to do two and forty months.
“And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns, like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. And he executed all the power of the former beast in his sight; and he caused the earth, and them that dwell therein, to adore the first beast, whose wound to death was healed. And he did great signs, so that he made also fire to come down from heaven unto the earth in the sight of men. And he seduced them that dwell on the earth, for the signs, which were given him to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make the image of the beast, which had the wound by the sword, and lived. And it was given him to give life to the image of the beast, and that the image of the beast should speak; and should cause, that whosoever will not adore the image of the beast, should be slain.” (Apoc. 13)
A note to all who would understand the mysterious visions of the Apocalypse:
“The several visions are considered not to be successive, but contemporaneous, with occasional recapitulations, and to represent the condition of the Church in all ages, under different aspects.” (The Explanation of the Apocalypse by Venerable Bede, preface).
And so, we believe that we may learn from the passage of the Two Beasts something profitable for us in these times, notwithstanding its relevance for other times, both before and possibly after our own time.
In her book, “Beyond Politics”, Solange Hertz affirms that the Dragon and the Two Beasts comprise a diabolical trinity as Satan ever only apes the God he has spurned. Of himself, he can do nothing else than make his hatred evident in this blasphemous parody of the Holy Trinity. In this diabolic mockery, satan, the Dragon represents God the Father, while the first Beast, the Godless State, parodies the Son, while the second Beast, the Godless church, parodies the Holy Ghost. Both beasts, it must be noted are actual people, not simply symbols of movements.
FALSE PROPHET
Now, the Son redeemed man and founded His Holy Church, while the first Beast, the Lord of the World, receives all his power from Satan in order to war unceasingly against the Church of Christ. The second Beast wars directly against the Holy Ghost and His Immaculate Spouse, who nourish the Church. He is the False Prophet and it is fitting that he thus constantly represents himself as humble, holy and in all things, “moved by the Holy Spirit”. Thus he personifies the sin against the Holy Spirit, that is the sin unto death. As the true leaders of the Church are marked by speaking the truth clearly and simply, this beast speaks in confusing ambiguity and contradictions. His actions are blasphemies against all three Persons of the Holy Trinity and also, especially against the Immaculate One who will crush his head.
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Remember – Our Lady needs us to obey: First Saturdays of Reparation, daily rosary, at least 5 mysteries, wear her brown scapular and live your Total Consecration to her Immaculate Heart, offering daily duties in reparation and for the conversion of poor sinners.
Open your hearts to the Lord and serve Him only: and He will free you from the hands of your enemies. With all your heart return to Him, and take away from your midst any strange gods” (I Kings 7:3)
† Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.
† Immaculate Mary, Mother of our Savior and Spouse of the Holy Ghost, pray for us, pray for the Church!
† Most Precious Blood of Jesus, save us, save our priests!
† Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done!
† St. Joseph, protector of the Holy Family, protect our families, protect our priests!
† St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!
~ by evensong, for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin, give me strength against thine enemies.