Today’s post is a follow-up to the original essay, “The Eucharist and the Apocalypse”, posted earlier.
In the silent tableau of Knock, on August 21, 1879, Our Blessed Mother presented to us a most important message for our times. The vision alludes to Apocalypse 5, especially verse 5. Today we seek to look more closely.
From The Apocalypse of St. John
[1] And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne, a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals. [2] And I saw a strong angel, proclaiming with a loud voice: Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? [3] And no man was able, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, to open the book, nor to look on it. [4] And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open the book, nor to see it. [5] And one of the ancients said to me: Weep not; behold the lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
[6] And I saw: and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the ancients, a Lamb standing as it were slain, having seven horns and seven eyes: which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. [7] And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat on the throne. [8] And when He had opened the book, the four living creatures, and the four and twenty ancients fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints: [9] And they sung a new canticle, saying: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; because Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, in Thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation. [10] And hast made us to our God a kingdom and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.
[11] And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living creatures, and the ancients; and the number of them was thousands of thousands, [12] Saying with a loud voice: The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and benediction.”
Commentary:
We here rely on The Book of Destiny. Fr. Kramer points out that St. John uses a different word for Lamb in the Apocalypse than the word Lamb used in the Old Testament and in the Gospels. I cannot reproduce the Greek word here, but Father shows that it indicates “Little Lamb” rather than “Lamb”, and he interprets that as meaning that it refers to Jesus in the Sacred Host, the Eucharistic Presence sanctifying Catholic tabernacles throughout the world. What Blessed Jacinta and Francisco referred to as, “the Hidden Jesus”.
“The word translated is “the Little Lamb” and is used 29 times in 12 chapters. This is very significant. It appears to be intentionally used to attach a totally different meaning to the title “lamb” in the Apocalypse than in the Old Testament or elsewhere in the New.”
Father Kramer then shows that verse 5 by referring to the “root of David” is pointing to Isaias 11, which foreshadows the Eucharist by which Christ reigns in every Catholic tabernacle in the world.
[1] And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root. [2] And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness. [3] And He shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge according to the sight of the eyes, nor reprove according to the hearing of the ears. [4] But He shall judge the poor with justice, and shall reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: land He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. [5] And justice shall be the girdle of His loins: and faith the girdle of His reins. (Isaias 11, 1-5)
You may recognise verses 1 and 2; they are used by the Church at Christmastide and are especially familiar to those who recite Our Lady’s Little Office.
The Holy Eucharist makes every church a temple and every tabernacle a throne of God. Thus, the vision of Knock points us to Apocalypse, Chapter 5, v. 5, which in turn points us to Isaias 11, 1-5, all of which emphasize the importance of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Eucharistic Reign of Jesus, symbolized for us by devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Prisoner of Love in the Eucharist.
From Father Kramer:
“The temple of Christ is every Catholic Church, where He dwells in the Eucharistic Mystery. The Sacrifice of the Mass is the sacred mystery, in which Christ is “as if sacrificed”, is truly and mystically slain or immolated. The sacrifice is inseparably united with the bloody sacrifice of the Cross, because it represents and renews it. Through the Sacrifice of the Mass, Christ becomes present, establishes His throne in the Church and extends the effects of His death on the Cross and carries the purposes of God to completion. To outward appearance He is dead in the Eucharist, so there He rests “as if immolated”. But the Holy Eucharist is the throne of God through the inseparable union of Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit. …
“The Real Presence of Christ has been … the standard for the armies of Christ. His soldiers, the martyrs, confessors and virgins have ever fought and bled for the altar and the cross. The prediction of Isaias is fulfilled in Christ’s place of rest, His Eucharistic Presence. The reason then why St. John chose the word, “Little Lamb”, for the sacrificial Lamb of the Apocalypse appears evident, to distinguish this mystery from the mystery of the Incarnation.” (Kramer, Fr. Herman B., The Book Of Destiny, TAN Books. Kindle Edition)
The silent tableau of Knock took place in inclement weather just outside the Church, thus pointing to the institutional Church forcing the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass outside. The apparition of Knock displayed on a desolate night thus foretold a period in which the post-conciliar Church would attempt to stifle the true Sacrifice of the Mass and replace it with a protestantised fellowship service, to serve a false ecumenism and the prince of this world.
At Knock, the Little Lamb on the altar stood with two powerful representatives of the priesthood, St. Joseph, chaste guardian of the Holy Family and Patron of the Church, and St. John the Beloved, to whom Christ entrusted His Mother and to whom the Holy Spirit revealed the mysteries of the Apocalypse. St. John pointed to the Scriptures, begging the question, “To which scriptures?” The vision itself answers: The Lamb on the altar indicates Apocalypse 5. The two patrons of the priesthood, St. Joseph and St. John, indicate the importance of priests in these times. Our Lady of Knock, in this vision, never took her eyes from heaven, never wavered in her intercession for the Church.
Considered in the context of the other Marian apparitions, Knock is a warning against the silencing of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the sacrilege of the Holy Eucharist, the corruption of the faith. In other words, it is a warning about what is happening right now!
Our Lady’s appearances at La Salette and Knock were followed by the revelation of Fatima. The Angel of Fatima, Michael, the great Archangel warrior who battles Satan gave us a warning about the abuses of the sacrifice of the Mass and desecration of the Eucharist. And now, 100 years later*, the onslaught of outrages, sacrileges and indifferences continues.
It is urgent that Catholics understand that Satan is at war with the Little Lamb, our Eucharistic Lord. Unfortunately, most Catholics are indifferent to this battle. But it is real. Satan knows that the Eucharist is Emmanuel, God with us. Although so many Catholics have forgotten this truth, or are indifferent, the devil knows that Christ the King reigns through the Eucharist.
And that is why he is striving with all his immense power to extirpate the true Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to eliminate the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ on our altars. By their perversion of mercy, in giving the the Body of Christ to unrepentant sinners, modernists debase Our Lord’s sacrament of love and attempt to drive Jesus from His Church.
La Salette, Knock, Fatima, and Akita, all warn us of this time. This is a spiritual battle of never before seen proportions. Although we know Who will win it, we cannot afford to lose any time, for with knowledge comes responsibility. We must live our Consecrations, moment by tedious moment. Just because our lives are ordinary does not mean that they are not very, very precious to Jesus.
From Our Lord’s words to Sister Josefa Menendez:
“I so much want souls to understand this! It is not the action itself which is of value; it is the intention with which it is done. … I have many hidden souls who in their humble labors are very useful workers in My vineyard, … My love goes so far that My souls can draw great treasure out of mere nothing. When as soon as they wake they unite themselves to Me and offer their whole day with a burning desire that My Heart may use it for the profit of souls … when with love they perform their duties, hour by hour and moment by moment … how great is the treasure they amass in one day!
“I will reveal My love to them more and more … it is inexhaustible, and how easy it is for a loving soul to let itself be guided by love.” (Sister Josefa Menendez and the Way of Divine Love.)
NOTE for 2023: The above quotation is often overlooked, much to our detriment, but bears further emphasis :
We must understand this commandment of love! For we are created in love and redeemed in love and sustained in love – it is all about love! And Our Lady of the Rosary teaches us this urgently necessary love with her Rosary. That is why Our Lord told Sister Lucia that He wants her Immaculate Heart honored alongside His Sacred Heart.
In this age of bitter dissension, anger and hatred – all of which are signs of Satan’s work, the answer is not to counter it with yet more anger and hatred, for that is to add fuel to the fire. With the prayers of the Rosary, we learn to love as Mary loves, completely open our hearts to God’s will in obedience and humility and thus we ourselves become invincible to the attacks of satan, strong warriors for our Savior Jesus Christ, Who always conquers with love, for He alone is love.
In these times, Our Lady has given us, through God’s immense, unfathomable mercy for us, a profusion of graces through her holy Rosary. Please pray your Rosary with confidence in our Mother’s providence for us. Our Lady of Fatima will not fail. In the end, her Immaculate Heart will triumph!
*originally written in 2016.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection in every tabernacle of the world, at every moment, even unto the end of time. Blessed be God forever.
previously posted January 6, 2016
Our Lady of La Salette, pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Our Lady of Knock, pray for us.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
St. Joseph, protect us, protect our priests.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
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 our 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)
Pray the Rosary for a Pope and Bishops who will obediently consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
~ by evensong for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King. Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin! Give me strength against thine enemies!
