Outline of Talks on Our Lady of Fatima Church of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Lagrangeville, New York, September October 2017

Transcription

1 Outline of Talks on Our Lady of Fatima Church of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Lagrangeville, New York, September October 2017 Talk # 1: On the Discernment of Apparitions and Private Revelations Revelation and The Difference between Public and Private Revelations o Revelation God gradually making himself known to men, to the point of becoming man himself, in order to draw to himself the whole world and unite it with himself through his Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ. o Public Revelation: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) Commentary on the Third Secret of Fatima: Public Revelation is the revealing action of God directed to humanity as a whole and which finds its literary expression in the two parts of the Bible: the Old and New Testaments. The period of public revelation in history ended with the death of the last Apostle, Saint John the Evangelist. Vatican II Constitution of Divine Revelation - Dei Verbum, n. 8: public revelation includes everything that contributes toward the holiness of life and increase in faith of the people of God; and so the Church, in her teaching, life, and worship perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that she herself is, all that she believes. Both scripture and tradition, forming one sacred deposit of the word of God [later referred to as the depositum fidei] are like a mirror in which the pilgrim Church on earth looks at God, from whom she has received everything, until she is brought finally to see him as he is, face to face Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 66: The Christian dispensation, therefore, as the new and definitive covenant, will never pass away, and we now await no further new public revelation before the glorious manifestation of Our Lord Jesus Christ [cf. 1 Tim 6:14; Tit 2:13] (Dei Verbum n. 4) Yet even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries. o Private Revelation: Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 67: Throughout the ages, there have been so-called private revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church. Christian faith cannot accept revelations that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such revelations. Private revelation can be defined as a supernatural manifestation of a hidden truth by means of a vision, a word, or only a prophetic instinct.

2 This term refers to all the visions and revelations that have taken place since the completion of the NT/death of the last Apostle. The purpose of private revelation is to provide emphasis on a particular aspect of the gospel at a specific moment in time so as to lead the faithful to a deepening of faith, hope, and charity/love. The purpose of private revelations is not to reveal new doctrine but rather to help the Church and humanity to understand and incorporate more fully the saving truths of the Gospel already contained in public revelation. They are meant to assist us in the ongoing Christian challenge to incorporate more authentically and more generously the Gospel Call of Jesus Christ to Christian faith, hope, and love to guide us in the fullest implementation of what has already been revealed in Scripture and Tradition for the perfection of love in Christian Holiness. o They are example of God intervening in our current time in human history calling us to conversion and back to following the basics of the faith to abandon our sinful ways and allow Jesus and His Love and Mercy to purify and sanctify our hearts so that we may experience the grace of salvation. o Private revelations can assist in the development of doctrine within the life of the Church The Holy Spirit can inspire and individual to show what truths found in public revelation (scripture/tradition) should be emphasized during a particular period of Church history The Church is open toward private revelations because they are a part of her rich spiritual and mystical tradition. The Church is also cautious toward private revelations because she does not want to jeopardize the authority of public revelation by a hasty conclusion towards a particular instance of private revelation. Technically, an individual catholic need not accept a private revelation even if it is approved by the Church because it is not a part of the deposit of faith (Scripture and Tradition). However, one must accept some elements of private revelation because the Church has incorporated elements of private revelations into her faith and life (ex- adding the feasts of the apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Guadelupe, Our Lady of Fatima to the Liturgical Calendar of the Church). They can take the form of extraordinary religious phenomena such as: prophecies, visions, Divine Locutions -when God directly speaks through a person (ex. St. Joan of Arc) apparitions of Our Lord or Our Lady, which can involve an audio and visual component or just a visual component ie. The apparitions of Our Lady at Knock, Ireland or how St. Francisco Marto experienced the Fatima Apparitions vrs. how Sr. Lucia and St. Jacinta experienced the same apparitions. Private Revelations alluded to in Scripture and Tradition: o And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even upon the menservants and maidservants in those days, I will pour out my spirit. And I will give portents in

3 the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. And it shall come to pass that all who call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved. Joel 2:28-32; Saint Peter s Speech on Pentecost (Cf. Acts 2:17-21) o Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 174, a. 6: At all times, there has not been lacking a spirit of prophecy within the life of the Church in order to direct human acts. Dogmatic Constitution on the Church - Lumen Gentium n. 12: [The Holy Spirit] distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts He makes them fit and ready to undertake the various tasks and offices which contribute toward the renewal and building up of the Church, according to the words of the Apostle: "The manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit".(115) These charisms, whether they be the more outstanding or the more simple and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation for they are perfectly suited to and useful for the needs of the Church. Extraordinary gifts are not to be sought after, nor are the fruits of apostolic labor to be presumptuously expected from their use; but judgment as to their genuinity and proper use belongs to those who are appointed leaders in the Church, to whose special competence it belongs, not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to that which is good. o Cardinal Ratzinger Commentary on the Third Secret of Fatima: The authority of private revelations is different from that of public revelations in that the latter demands faith in God, whereas the former is rooted in a human faith, trust, or opinion rooted in an experience of a mystical phenomena; Private revelation is a help to faith and shows its credibility through leading one back to the definitive public revelation made by Jesus Christ and given by him to the Church. Thus private revelations seek rather an assent of human faith in keeping with the requirements of prudence which puts them before us as probable and credible to piety. Pope Benedict XVI On the Word of God in the Life of the Church Verbum Domini, n. 15: There is a clear connection between private revelations, the public piety/devotion of the faithful, and their prophetic character in helping the faithful to live out the gospel in a given age of history: the proper place of private revelations within the life of faith is a valuable aid that should not be treated lightly, thus providing a help to spurring on the life of faith, hope, and charity that is in itself given by God but whose use is not obligatory. What does a church look for in a judgment of a private revelation to be authentic? o The approval of an apparition always starts with the local diocesan bishop. It a bishop sees an apparition worthy of veneration, Rome then sends criteria to him for approval

4 o The character of the apparition/private revelation is then judged according to a certain set of positive or negative criteria. Other theologians, scientists, psychologists and other people may be used by a local diocesan bishop in his investigation of a private revelation. o These criteria can be found in the following document from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, Norma Sacrae Congregationis - Norms Regarding The Manner of Proceeding in the Discernment of Presumed Apparitions or Revelations. o Indicators of good fruits from a private revelation can be: (1) an increase in one s prayer life; (2) conversion; (3) increased docility to the laws and teachings of the church; (4) Increase in virtue.[2] o Indicators of bad fruits from a private revelation can be: (1) disobedience to the Church and her representatives; (2) Misrepresentation of the Church and her representatives; (3) an increase of pride within the visionaries and their devotees; (4) the faithful choosing alleged private revelations over and above the teaching authority of the Church.[3] o Specific indicators of false revelations that could be seen through the application of the negative criteria can be demonstrated in any of the following occurrences: 1) When the central focus of the reported message or concurring phenomena is primarily upon the reported seer, and not on God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Mother of Jesus, and angel or a saint, either in terms of the message contents or the overall thrust of the experience. 2) When the progression to God is not in the traditional Christian form of: to Jesus through Mary in the Holy Spirit to God the Father (ex. any New Age or occult progression that included another deity or spirit as the means to God, or any indication of latria [adoration] granted to Mary as the fourth person of the Trinity) 3) When the message focuses primarily on the temporal concerns of the world and only secondarily focus upon the spiritual life and eternal destiny of humanity. This would include any exaggerated and overly detailed discussion of immediate secular, political, and economic affairs as of prior importance to the fundamental spiritual calls of faith, prayer, conversion, charity, peace (albeit with a true concern for contemporary social and political situations), and the spiritual protection which comes from the Christian faith. Authorities who are Competent to Intervene in Discerning Private Revelation 1. Above all, the duty of vigilance and intervention falls to the Ordinary (local diocesan bishop) of the place where the apparition took place. 2. The regional or national Conference of Bishops can intervene:

5 a) If the Ordinary of the place, having done his part, turns to it to judge the matter with greater certainty; b) If the matter pertains to the national or regional level; always, however, with the prior consent of the Ordinary of the place. 3. The Apostolic See can intervene if asked either by the Ordinary himself, by a qualified group of the faithful, or even directly by reason of the universal jurisdiction of the Supreme Pontiff a) The intervention of the Sacred Congregation can be requested either by the Ordinary, after he has done his part, or by a qualified group of the faithful. In this second case, care must be taken that recourse to the Sacred Congregation not be motivated by suspect reasons (for example, in order to compel the Ordinary to modify his own legitimate decisions, to support some sectarian group, etc.). b) It is up to the Sacred Congregation to intervene on their own initiative (motu proprio) in graver cases, especially if the matter affects the larger part of the Church, always after having consulted the Ordinary and even, if the situation requires, the Conference of Bishops. In the case of a commission instituted by a local bishop, they can come up with three conclusions regarding an apparition: Constat de supernaturalite the conclusion that an apparition is indeed of supernatural origin Non constat de supernaturalite a category where a bishop neither approves nor condemns but is a wait and see category for further investigation Constat de non supernaturalite category of prohibition where a bishop states that these apparitions are not of supernatural origin and he closes off the further investigation of evidence. There have been cases of apparitions which have been given a negative judgment being reinvestigated and receiving a positive judgment (Divine Mercy Apparitions) There has not been a case of an apparition once receiving a positive judgment later receiving a negative judgment. The following principles are a summation of points from certain commentators of John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila that should be kept in mind when dealing with subjects under their care that are experiencing private revelations: [1] 1) Any revelation contrary to faith and morals must be rejected as false. 2) Any revelation contrary to the common teaching of theologians or purporting to settle an argument among the schools of theology should be held as gravely suspect. 3) Just because one aspect of the revelation is found to be false does not serve as grounds to reject the entire revelation; the remainder of what is revealed can possibly be authentic. 4) The fact that a given prophecy is fulfilled is not a conclusive argument for the divine origin of a revelation. This could have been brought about by a natural cause or as the result of a superior natural knowledge given to the seer. 5) Revelations concerning curious or useless matters or are overly detailed, lengthy, and filled with a plethora of proofs and reasons should be rejected as not of God. Divine Revelations are usually clear, brief, and precise. 6) Every person who receives a revelation should be examined carefully especially within the realms of these personal characteristics and traits:

6 a. Personal characteristics of the visionary that are positive and should prompt further investigation into the revelation are: 1) humility; 2) docility of spirit to one s spiritual director and church authorities; 3) well balanced; 4) discreet; 5) advanced in virtue; 6) good psychological and physical health. b. Personal characteristics of the visionary that should be a cause of concern: 1) exhaustion from excessive mortifications; 2) suffers from a nervous affliction; 3) the person is subject to great exhaustion or great depression; 4) imprudence or vainglory seen especially through an eagerness to disclose the revelation they have received. 7) Wait to see the fruits and effects that a revelation produces in the soul of an individual with the understanding that the revelation is a charism, and because of this it is always possible for an individual to use the gifts of God for their own spiritual detriment. Rules laid out to Discern Private Revelations: Taken from A Still Small Voice by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR: Rule 1. Keep all claims of revelations in perspective. Private revelations are not the most important things in the world. The consistent and authentic pursuit of a holy life leading to a loving union with God is the essential element of true religion. Many great saints reported no unusual experiences at all. Among eminent non visionaries in our own century are Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and Saint Maximilian Kolbe. It is important to keep clearly in mind that private revelations have no significance apart from the public revelation of Sacred Scripture, interpreted by the traditional teaching of the Church. Pope St. John Paul II: The Church has always taught and continues to proclaim that God s revelation was brought to completion in Jesus Christ, who is the fullness of that revelation, and that no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord (Dei Verbum 4). The Church evaluates and judges private revelations by the criterion of conformity with that single Revelation. If the Church has accepted the message of Fatima, it is above all because the message contains a truth and a call whose basic content is the truth and the call of the Gospel itself. Rule 2. No private revelation comes directly from God and therefore none can be assumed to be inerrantly true. Groeschel: For centuries it has been a clear papal teaching that even a canonized saint who has reported a private revelation which has been approved by the Church for acceptance by the faithful may have introduced some personal element that is subject to error or distortion. This fact is not sufficiently well known. Rule 3. A private revelation by definition is personal and therefore must be carefully applied by those for whom it was meant and only within the limits of ordinary human prudence and never in an unreasonable way or against the teaching of the Church. It must never be considered an infallible guide in any situation. Rule 4. A person who is the recipient of an authentic revelation, even a canonized saint, may indeed make errors in understanding that revelation or in reporting experiences which are not authentic revelations.

7 How to deal sensibly with a case of private revelation: 1. Remain Calm and Discerning 2. Learn As Much As You Can before Making Any Judgment 3. DO NOT MAKE HASTY JUDGMENTS ABOUT ULTIMATE AUTHENTICITY 4. WHILE COLLECTING INFORMATION SUGGESTED ABOVE, RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO CONSIDER ANY PIECE OF EVIDENCE AS ULTIMATELY CONCLUSIVE 5. DO NOT AVOID THE CONSIDERATION OF AN HONEST CRITICAL EVALUATION SO LONG AS IT IS NOT MOTIVATED BY PREJUDICE Talk # 2: On the Historical Events Surrounding the Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima and the Apparitions of the Angel of Peace at Fatima Historical Events Surrounding the Fatima Apparitions: World War I o Trench Warfare/Chemical Warfare/Use of Tanks & Airplanes o Role of Pope Benedict XV and his place as a mediator between the two sides o Begins a Novena to Our Lady, Queen of Peace in May, On the Eighth Day of the Novena the Apparitions of Our Lady Start Rise of Communism o Vladimir Lenin & the Bolshevik Revolution October 1917 o Karl Marx o Joseph Stalin o The Cold War and the Rise of Communism o Cultural Marxism Attack on Human Dignity Attack on Marriage and the Family Persecution of the Catholic Church Portugal and its Catholic Identity o 1139 Its beginning as a nation and dedication to the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady o The Islamic and Christian Origins of the City of Fatima, Portugal o The rise of Freemasonry, its Anti-Catholic, Atheistic Roots o Suppression of the Monarchy and establishment of an Anti-Catholic, Freemasonic, Socialist Government The Apparitions of the Angel of Portugal to the Three Shepherd Children at Fatima Portugal (1916) First Apparition (Spring, 1916) o Angel teaches the children the Pardon Prayer - My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love you. I beg pardon of you for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love you. Second Apparition (Summer, 1916) o Message of the Angel: Pray! Pray very much! The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices constantly to the Most High.

8 Make of everything you can a sacrifice, and offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners. You will thus draw down peace upon your country. I am its Angel Guardian, the Angel of Portugal. Above all, accept and bear with submission, the suffering which the Lord will send you. Third Apparition (Late September/Early October 1916) o Angel gives the children Holy Communion o Teaches them the following prayer: Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference with which He Himself is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners. Talk # 3: The Messages of Our Lady to the Three Shepherd Children at Fatima, Portugal (May - October, 1917) All the apparitions of Our Lady occur at the Cova da Ira with the exception of the August 19, 1917 apparitions that occurred at a hillside near Valinhos. Apparitions of May 13, 1917: o Eighth Day of Pope Benedict XV s Novena to Our Lady, Queen of Peace o Our Lady sensed the initial fear of the visionaries so she said "Do not be afraid, I will not harm you. I come from heaven. Lucia then asked if the three of them would go to heaven, she said they would but that Francisco would have to pray many Rosaries. "I have come to ask you to come here for six months on the 13th day of the month, at this same hour. Later I shall say who I am and what I desire. And I shall return here yet a seventh time." o Are you willing to offer yourselves to God and bear all the sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the conversion of sinners? The children consented to God s plan in their own lives by saying, Yes we are willing. Our Lady responded, "Then you are going to have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort. o Sr. Lucia described what happened toward the end of this apparition: "Our Lady opened her hands for the first time, communicating to us a light so intense that, as it streamed from her hands, its rays penetrated our hearts and the innermost depths of our souls, making us see ourselves in God, who was that light, more clearly than we see ourselves in the best of mirrors. Then, moved by an interior impulse that was also communicated to us, we fell on our knees, repeating in our hearts: O most Holy Trinity, I adore you! My God, my God, I love You in the most Blessed Sacrament! Apparitions of June 13, 1917: o Say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and the end of the war. (This request is repeated in all six apparitions to the visionaries) o Lucia asked Our Lady what do you want from me Our Lady answered, "I want you to come on the 13th of next month, [July] to pray the Rosary every day, and

9 to learn to read. Later, I will tell you what I want." o Lucia asks Our Lady on behalf of her and her cousins if she can take the three of them to heaven. Our Lady responded by saying, "I will take Jacinta and Francisco shortly; but you will stay here for some time to come. Jesus wants to use you to make Me known and loved. He wishes to establish the devotion to My Immaculate Heart throughout the world. I promise salvation to whoever embraces it; these souls will be dear to God, like flowers put by Me to adorn his throne." o Lucia then asked if she would be alone after her cousins died. Our Lady replied, "No, my daughter. Are you suffering a great deal? Don't lose heart. I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God. o At the end of the June 13 apparition, the children had seen the Immaculate Heart of Mary surrounded by a crown of thorns. They understood that these thorns represented the outrageous sins of those who offend our Lady The prayer our Lady taught them asks for reparation for these blasphemies. Apparitions of July 13, 1917: o Our Lady tells the children, "I want you to come here on the 13th of next month, [August] to continue to pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war, because only she can help you." o "Continue to come here every month. In October, I will tell you who I am and what I want, and I will perform a miracle for all to see and believe." o "Sacrifice yourselves for sinners, and say many times, especially when you make some sacrifice: O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. o The Secret of Fatima (Three Parts) First Part: Vision of Hell Second Part: The Coming of World War II during the Pontificate of Pius XI, the spread of the Errors of Russia & Persecution of the Church and the Holy Father, and the Request for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by the Pope & Bishops, the Daily Praying of the Rosary for Peace, and to do the First Five Saturdays Devotion to Her Immaculate Heart Third Part: Bishop Dressed in White The Persecution and Martyrdom of the Faithful in the Church (finally revealed by Pope St. John Paul II in May, 2000) Apparitions of August 19, 1917: o Children are arrested by Portuguese Government Authorities, questioned by them and finally let go after Aug 13th. o Our Lady tells them Go again to the Cova da Iria on the 13th and continue to say the Rosary every day. Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them." Apparitions of September 13, 1917: o "Continue to pray the Rosary in order to obtain the end of the war. In October Our Lord will come, as well as Our Lady of Dolours and Our Lady of Carmel. Saint

10 Joseph will appear with the Child Jesus to bless the world. God is pleased with your sacrifices. Apparitions of October 13, 1917: o Our Lady said: I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes." Do not offend the Lord our God anymore, because He is already so much offended." o Our Lady appears as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Joseph and the Infant Jesus also appear. o Miracle of the Sun occurs before 70,000 People Field left miraculously dry Healings occur Outline Talk #4: The Messages of Our Lady to Sr. Lucia After Fatima and the Unfolding of the Fatima Message up until the Present Day The Death of Sts. Francisco & Jacinta Lucia enters the Convent The Apparitions Sr. Lucia received after Fatima: o Apparitions dealing with the First Five Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart December 10, 1925 First Apparition at the Dorothean Convent of Pontevedra, Spain: February 15, Second Apparition at Pontevedra, Spain: December 17,1927 Third Apparition at Pontevedra, Spain: How to do the First Five Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary: Go to Confession within 7 days before or after the First Saturday. Receive holy communion at mass on the First Saturday with the explicit intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the sins committed against her Pray five decades of the Rosary. Keep Our Lady Company while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary o Prayer of the Mind: meditating on the various episodes of the lives of Jesus and Mary. By doing this we try to understand them more deeply and apply the virtues they signify in their own lives. o Prayer of the heart a conversation like prayer that comes spontaneously from the heart in one s own words. Praying the Rosary naturally stirs up affections in our hearts that we want to express to God and Our Lady like love, faith, trust, contrition, praise, and thanksgiving and petition. The prayer of the heart is more personal we are speaking to God like we are a friend. o Our Lady wants us to begin by meditating (reflecting) on the various mysteries of the Rosary and then end in a kind of heart to heart talk with her about what we reflect n in

11 order to make reparation to her for the blasphemy and indifference she suffers. As we reflect on these sacred mysteries the Holy Spirit will enlighten us to offer our thoughts and prayers to Our Lady in the spirit of reparation for the sins by which she, and ultimately Jesus, are offended. Apparitions dealing with the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary o June 13, 1929: First Apparition in Tuy Spain: Vision of the Holy Trinity and Our Lady at Mass o May 29-30, 1930: Second Apparition of Tuy Spain: Explanation of the Blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary Blasphemies against Our Lady s Immaculate Conception Blasphemies against Our Lady s Perpetual Virginity Blasphemies against Our Lady s Motherhood Reparation for those who keep children from Mary Blasphemies by those who insult Our Lady in her sacred images. Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart: Attempts by Pope Pius XII Attempts and Consecration by Pope St. John Paul II End of Sr. Lucia s Life