Divine Mercy Daily, Day 284: The Powers of Darkness Flee

When I entered the chapel for a moment, the Lord said to me, My daughter, help Me to save a certain dying sinner. Say the chaplet that I have taught you for him. When I began to say the chaplet, I saw the man dying in the midst of terrible torment and struggle. His Guardian Angel was defending him, but he was, as it were, powerless against the enormity of the soul's misery. A multitude of devils was waiting for the soul. But while I was saying the chaplet, I saw Jesus just as He is depicted in the image. The rays which issued from Jesus' Heart enveloped the sick man, and the powers of darkness fled in panic. The sick man peacefully breathed his last. When I came to myself, I understood how very important the chaplet was for the dying. It appeases the anger of God (Diary, 1565).

Sedevacantists really know how to push my buttons...

People who claim the Pope is not the Pope based on how they feel, or the writings of some people who have some sort of secret knowledge, really know how to set me off. To me, this whole thing stinks of Gnosticism, which states either that you can't know or that there is secret knowledge, and it is only through the secret knowledge that the truth can be found. This is not how God works. He sent His Only Son to reveal the truth, not to set up some sort of cult where you only get in by secret handshake.

What I'd like to know is, who is the true Pope if Pope Francis is not he? Pope Francis and his predecessors were all the elected in the right way, and you can trace his primacy all the way back to St. Peter. You can find this information pretty much anywhere; there is no hiding of it, there's no secrecy, there's no hidden agenda. The current antipopes have no lineage, have no authority, and therefore should not be followed.

The only thing I'm speaking of here is the legitimacy of Pope Francis. If you don't like him, that's fine. He is still the Pope, and as such, we need to love him. We need to obey him in all things that are not sin. Just because you don't like what he says or you don't like him as a person doesn't make him a heretic, or a fake Pope, or for that matter not the Pope. If you denounce the Vicar of Christ, doesn't that mean you denounce Christ? If you say the Pope Francis is not your Pope, doesn't that put you outside of the Church, the one true Church established by Christ, outside of which there can be no salvation?

If you don't like what Pope Francis says, then you should discuss it, question it, investigate it, find out what he means. You shouldn't simply denounce him. Pray for him that he be preserved from error, and make sure that you don't speak ill of him or the authority in the Church in such a way as to cause scandal. God has given us the Authority in the Church in the same way that He has given us parents. If your parents are not good parents, they are still your parents, and they are to be respected and obeyed as such, in all things that are not sinful.

Think about it.

Inspiring Quote for March 6th, 2015: Learning...

“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”


― Will Rogers 

Divine Mercy Daily, Day 223: Only With Your Help

Today, I heard these words: You see how weak you are, so when shall I be able to count on you? (Diary, 722).

Without special help from Me, you are not even capable of accepting My graces. You know who you are (Diary, 738).

My daughter, you have not offered Me that which is really yours. ... Daughter, give Me your misery, because it is your exclusive property (Diary, 1318).

*Diary passages with bolded words are Jesus speaking

Divine Mercy Daily, Day 185: Be Not Afraid

Today, I have heard these words: My daughter, delight of My Heart, it is with pleasure that I look into your soul. I bestow many graces only because of you. I also withhold My punishments only because of you. You restrain Me, and I cannot vindicate the claims of My justice. You bind My hands with your love (Diary, 1193).

Today I heard a voice in my soul: Oh, if sinners knew My mercy, they would not perish in such great numbers. Tell sinful souls not to be afraid to approach Me; speak to them of My great mercy (Diary, 1396).

*Diary passages with bolded words are Jesus speaking

Divine Mercy Daily, Day 184: Our Duty

December 16, [ 1936]. I have offered this day for Russia. ... After Holy Communion, Jesus said to me, I cannot suffer that country any longer. Do not tie my hands, My daughter. I understood that if it had not been for the prayers of souls that are pleasing to God, that whole nation would have already been reduced to nothingness (Diary, 818).

When once I asked the Lord Jesus how He could tolerate so many sins and crimes and not punish them, the Lord answered me, I have eternity for punishing [these], and so I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of [sinners]. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation. My daughter, secretary of My mercy, your duty is not only to write about and proclaim My mercy, but also to beg for this grace for them, so that they too may glorify My mercy (Diary, 1160).

*Diary passages with bolded words are Jesus speaking

Inspiring Quote for January 19th, 2015: Complacency

  “The tragedy of life is often not in our failure, but rather in our complacency; not in our doing too much, but rather in our doing too little; not in our living above our ability, but rather in our living below our capacities.”

― Benjamin E. Mays

Divine Mercy Daily, Day 183: The Fruit of Begging

On the First Friday of the month, before Communion, I saw a large ciborium filled with sacred hosts. A hand placed the ciborium in front of me, and I took it in my hands. There were a thousand living hosts inside. Then I heard a voice, These are hosts which have been received by the souls for whom you have obtained the grace of true conversion during this Lent. That was a week before Good Friday (Diary , 640).

Then suddenly I saw the Lord, who clasped me to His Heart and said to me, My daughter, do not weep, for I cannot bear your tears. I will grant you everything you ask for, but stop crying. And I was filled with great joy, and my spirit, as usual, was drowned in Him as in its only treasure (Diary , 928).

*Diary passages with bolded words are Jesus speaking

Inspiring Quote for November 9th, 2014: Faith

   “Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence.”

― Pope John Paul II 

Inspiring Quote for September 29th, 2014: Love

   “It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.”

― Mother Teresa

Inspiring Quote for September 25th, 2014: Persistence

   “Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.”

― Charles F. Kettering 

SYMBOLON: THE CATHOLIC FAITH EXPLAINED

Inspiring Quote for September 23rd, 2014: Aging

   “It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”

― Gabriel Garcia Marquez 

Inspiring Quote for September 22nd, 2014: Lessons

   “Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage with you?”

― Walt Whitman

Dear coffee...

My dearest Java,

How do I love thee?  Thou art black and beautiful, so I love thee with Biblical words.  Thou are good with half-and-half, cream, milk, sugar, honey, maple syrup, maple sugar, agave nectar, or coconut cream, so thou art good mixed.  More than all of these, I love thee straight, as long as the barista is good, the roaster is good, and the beans are good.  If not, thou needest a little decking out with the aforementioned accessories.

However, my dearest one, here is where I must introduce a strain into our relationship.  This past week, as we gained more and more exclusivity, I realized that I need to introduce a third person into our relationship.  Now, I love monogamy; I think you know this.  But, in the interest of not crashing or dying, I think our relationship has to be polygamous.  I need to spend more time with my old flame.  She's also dark and luxurious; her name is Sleep.  When I fold into her arms, nothing else matters.  She's fantastic in her time, as you are fantastic in yours.

I have found that on occasion I can substitute you for her.  This often comes at a price that I am willing to pay.  However, it is not often the case that I can substitute her for you.  This means that I do value you as an individual, and that I am not giving you up.  Your soda cousins aren't quite as effective as you are, so you will always be my first love.  Your energy-drink cousins are just crazy; I prefer to spend my time with you rather than them; there's no telling what they will ask me to do.  I will also admit to spending time with your far-distant cousins which promise zen and harmony, but they did nothing for me.  I also love your sister, tea, but she requires a much more tender preparation, so we don't hang out much.

Anyway, I just thought that I needed to define how we stand after this past week of frequent use.

Love always,
Anthony

Inspiring Quote for August 30th, 2014: Tact

   “Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.”

― Winston Churchill

Inspiring Quote for July 22nd, 2014

   “Blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and useless as when he is well and can be of service to him. And blessed is he who loves his brother as well when he is afar off as when he is by his side, and who would say nothing behind his back he might not, in love, say before his face.”

― St. Francis of Assisi 

Inspiring Quote for July 20th, 2014: Future

   “Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you.”

― Jim Rohn 

Inspiring Quote for July 19th, 2014: Happiness

   “Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But what you're doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.”

― Joel Osteen 

Inspiring Quote for July 12th, 2014: Tears

   “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.”

― Washington Irving