I have spoken before about a dream I've had when I was 6, but I never shared the one I had when I was 17. I was staying in California when I had this dream. In my dream I saw a battlefield. This battlefield wasn't like an ordinary battlefield on land. Though the entire dream was in sepia coloring, I still saw shadows, smoke, fire, and light. There were two different sides. Heaven's army had some followers, but not as much. It was small. The front line was Christ, the angels, Saints, and a man wearing a papal hat. Satan's army was much larger, with "important" leaders. Christ and Satan were both starting to look to the side lines for followers. Numerous people started walking to join the army of Satan. Angels and demons began fighting to death. Then it flashed to a scene where one angel stabbed the head demon...then there was a flash of white and I woke up.
I have said it before but that's the purpose of this banner. I want to make people think: "Which army are you a part of?" Because now more than ever, I truly believe there's a battle going on, and it's only going to get worse. We are living in the times of Fatima, and we need to be on guard, and ready. There is a battle within the Church, within the media, and within the entire world. We are called to grow closer to Christ and to prepare ourselves for the difficult times to come. I recall a Saint that said something along the lines of "think of Heaven daily". We should think of Heaven daily. Hourly, even. We can't lose sight of Heaven. Christ calls us in many ways, and that might just be through suffering. When things get hard, we shouldn't despair, but rejoice and be glad. It is through despair, that we invite the works of Satan. I can't stress doing penance enough. Even the message of Fatima stresses doing penance.
"In the Gospels the word penance means a conversion of one's life, a turning away from sin, and a turning back to God. As Our Lady insisted at Fatima: "Men must amend their lives, and ask pardon for their sins. . . . They must no longer offend Our Lord, Who is already so much offended." The Fatima message is a call for men to give up sinful practices which grieve God and draw down His chastisements on the world, and to make reparation for them. Commenting on Our Lady's request for penance, Sr. Lucia wrote: "The part of the last apparition which has remained most deeply imprinted on my heart is the prayer of our heavenly Mother begging us not to offend any more Almighty God, Who is already so much offended."Jacinta, too, shortly before her death remarked: "If men only knew what eternity is, how they would make all possible efforts to amend their lives . . . mortification and sacrifice give great pleasure to Our Divine Lord."In August of 1917 Our Lady told the children, "pray much and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one to make sacrifices for them."
We must do penance. For our own sins, for the souls in purgatory, and for sinners everywhere. We have the choice to do penance here on earth, with the time we have, or to do it in purgatory. We have to learn how to value our time. So often we waste it. I am guilty of this. It's hard. Instead of watching your favorite television show, why not "fast" from it that day and do some spiritual reading? This is just one example. I have encountered others. While I was on a 5 day silent retreat, one of the priests never ate dinner the entire time. He often paced around with a rosary in his hand, while silently reading the Liturgy of the Hours. I found this inspirational. If you choose to do penance you will see a great difference in yourself, and perhaps others might begin to see it in you. Some ways we can do penance is by offering up:
*An illness
*Any ache or pain
*Facing that slow driver on the road that loves to test your patience.
*Abstaining from food (like meat).
*Extra prayer
*Acts of charity
*Denying yourself comfort (like staying in bed for those extra 10 minutes)
So often we sin, and brush it off like it's nothing. Maybe we'll go to confession, but how serious are we about our sins? It should pain us. We should weep, because are the ones that did this to Jesus.
What are we going to do about it? When are we going to learn? When are we going to follow Him?
Are we going to wait until it's too late or are we going to join the battle and fight with Him?
“This Beloved of ours is merciful and good. Besides, he so deeply longs for our love that he keeps calling us to come closer. This voice of his is so sweet that the poor soul falls apart in the face of her own inability to instantly do whatever he asks of her. And so you can see, hearing him hurts much more than not being able to hear him… For now, his voice reaches us through words spoken by good people, through listening to spiritual talks, and reading sacred literature. God calls to us in countless little ways all the time. Through illnesses and suffering and through sorrow he calls to us. Through a truth glimpsed fleetingly in a state of prayer he calls to us. No matter how halfhearted such insights may be, God rejoices whenever we learn what he is trying to teach us.”
― St Teresa of Avila
I don't write this to discourage you, but to make you aware. One should make a healthy practice of doing an examination of conscience daily. This will help us learn from our habits. Stay close to Christ. I'm also doing this because I'm angry. I'm tired of seeing the world slap God in the face through abortion, through homosexuality, through pornography. Etc. Why yes, I can understand how "fun" pornography must feel in the moment. Good things are not always GOD things. God only wants what's best for us, but we don't listen. How can we listen when we're too caught up in latest news, the latest car coming out, the latest fashion trend, the latest iPhone, sports, etc. It makes me sick, really. Open your eyes, and listen. God is calling you. Follow Him!
“Let nothing disturb you,Let nothing frighten you,All things are passing away:God never changes.Patience obtains all things.Whoever has God lacks nothing;God alone suffices.” ― St Theresa of Avila
~Pax Christi,
Layna
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