The Chastisement

[7] For the earth that drinketh in the rain which cometh often upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is tilled, receiveth blessing from God. [8] But that which bringeth forth thorns and briers, is reprobate, and very near unto a curse, whose end is to be burnt. [9] But, my dearly beloved, we trust better things of you, and nearer to salvation; though we speak thus. [10] For God is not unjust, that he should forget your work, and the love which you have shewn in his name, you who have ministered, and do minister to the saints.
 -- Epistle Of Saint Paul To The Hebrews 6:7-10

Allow me, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, to share with you a private revelation -- a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Let me reveal to you what the Holy Spirit has revealed to me regarding this passage from the Epistle Of Saint Paul To The Hebrews 6:13-20.

[13] For God making promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom he might swear, swore by himself, [14] Saying: Unless blessing I shall bless thee, and multiplying I shall multiply thee. [15] And so patiently enduring he obtained the promise.

[16] For men swear by one greater than themselves: and an oath for confirmation is the end of all their controversy. [17] Wherein God, meaning more abundantly to shew to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed an oath: [18] That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have the strongest comfort, who have fled for refuge to hold fast the hope set before us. [19] Which we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, and which entereth in even within the veil; [20] Where the forerunner Jesus is entered for us, made a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.

The key words which the Holy Spirit highlighted for me were "immutability" and "immutable". Unchanging and unchangeable -- eternal.

The passage speaks of eternal truths. But which truths? Were these truths that only applied to the people of the Old Covenant?

God made a covenant with Abraham -- a promise. God swore an oath on himself because there is nothing higher upon which He can swear.

What the Holy Spirit revealed to me is that a similar oath applies to the people of the New Covenant -- we who are Christians; we who are Catholics.

The triune God swore, "Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam et portae inferi non praevalebunt adversus eam. [Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Mt 16:18]."

And as the Apostle tells us "it is impossible for God to lie". Therefore, "we may have the strongest comfort".

"We have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm" Our Lord Jesus Christ. He will never abandon us. He is the "high priest" who "entereth in even within the veil" -- the holy of holies of the temple.

"For God making promise" to Peter to "multiply thee". And we have  seen how the Church grew against all odds through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peter "patiently enduring obtained the promise". Peter was willing to sacrifice his life, just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.

Now we must "patiently endure" this Chastisement of the Church -- this sacrifice of the Bride of Christ -- in order to "obtain the promise".

One day I pray that you  and I also will "entereth in even within the veil" and behold the face of God and be warmed by his brilliant radiance, in the company of the angels and the saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Paul is the least appreciated of the mystics of the Church.

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The Chastisement I was referring to is the one revealed by Our Lady to Sister Lucia of Fatima. And also the children of Garabandal... [I also seem to remember a Chastisement at LaSalette and other apparitions of Our Lady.]

“Father, the Most Holy Virgin is very sad because no one has paid any attention to Her Message, neither the good nor the bad. The good continue on their way, but without giving any importance to Her Message. The bad, not seeing the punishment of God actually falling on them, continue their life of sin without even caring about the Message.  But believe me Father, God will chastise the world, and this will be in a terrible manner. The punishment from Heaven is imminent.”

This was in 1957.

In 2007 -- 50 years later -- John Vennari wrote in reference to this Chastisement warned of by the Blessed Virgin to Sister Lucia:

*****

I want to tell you what I believe is the real nature of the chastisement we are now under, and it is something that will lead to all of the other material chastisements that Our Lady warned about at Fatima.

What we have lost, and what a staggering number of Catholic churchmen have lost, is the recognition of the immutability of objective truth.

It is immutability truth — that is — unchangeable Catholic faith that informs our intellect that gives us the ability to appreciate the value of the Holy Icons of Our Lady; that gives us the ability to reverence the altars.

And I truly believe that this loss of the recognition of the immutability of objective truth is the deceiving influence of our time, and that this deceiving influence is a punishment from God.

What does Scripture warn regarding the coming of anti-Christ — and by extension, the coming of the spirit of anti-Christ as it appears in any age?

“For they have not received the love of the truth that they might be saved. Therefore God sends them a deceiving influence [the Douay-Rheims calls it ‘an operation of error’] that they may believe a falsehood.” (2 Thess. 2:10)
Thus I believe the deceiving influence of our time, the operation of error of our time, is the loss of the recognition of the immutability of objective truth.

[...]

This failure to recognize the immutability of objective truth manifests itself in the heresy of Modernism; the belief that there is some portion of Catholic dogma that changes over time; the belief that religion must change with the times; the belief that what the Church taught 100 years ago has to be retooled, or repackaged, or updated into new “Catholic” teachings of today.

It is the buzzword of Vatican II: Aggiornamento! Update!

*****

Notice the keyword: IMMUTABLITY!

Now I invite you to read the rest of John Vennari's article (actually it is a transcript of a speech) here:

Fatima and the Great Chastisement

You may also be interested in watching this video of John Vennari in response to Pope Francis' interview with the atheist editor of La Republicca:

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And then there is Louie Verrecchio at "Harvesting the Fruit of Vatican II" who asks "Is Pope Francis a modernist?"

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The answer, according not to me, but to Pope St. Pius X, is yes.

[...]

The smallest number of those among us, however, will look without fear at the bitter reality that papa is drunk on modernism, and his reckless behavior is so dangerous that it threatens not only those who dwell within the Household of God, but even those who wander in darkness beyond its walls.

Among them, a relative few intrepid souls will do everything in their power to warn the others, both within and without, taking bullets and arrows and all manner of artillery simply for daring to proclaim the immutable truths of the Faith that alone can assure our salvation.

*******

There is that word again: IMMUTABLE!

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Conchita of Garabandal

The Virgin said: “Because it was not fulfilled and my message from October 18th, 1961 has not been made known to the world, I tell you this is the last one. Before the cup was being filled, but now it is overflowing. Many priests are walking through the path of perdition and taking with them many souls. Less and less importance is given to the Eucharist. You should prevent God’s anger upon you with your efforts. If you ask forgiveness with sincerity, He will forgive you. I, your Mother, through the intercession of the Archangel Michael, want to tell you to amend your lives. You are in the last warning. I love you very much and don’t want your condemnation; ask and you will receive. You should do more sacrifice; think more in the passion of Jesus.”