One of the wonderful things about being Catholic is that you have a near limitless treasure chest of evidence for your beliefs. Most of the times, people talk about proofs from Sacred Scripture (the Bible). There is also Sacred Tradition, which following in the continuation of the Jewish Talmud includes both the written teachings (our Midrash) as well as the oral tradition began by Christ and passed to his disciples (our Mishnah).
But there is also another great open secret that the Church has, and these are the countless miracles. I am not just speaking of small miracles or things that are only witnessed by a few people, or “miracles” that are questionable, lacking evidence, or indecisive. I am talking about major miracles- things that are well-recorded, publicly documented, seen by people of all beliefs and after countless studies cannot be disproven and still baffle the greatest minds to this day.
There are a lot of sites dedicated to Catholic miracles, and even far more books (good starting websites are here, here, and here). For the moment, I would like to focus on one miracle- the liquidation of the blood of St. Januarius (Gennarus).
St. Januarius
St. Januarius was born to a wealthy family in what is today the region of Naples, Italy during the 3rd century. During the Diocletian persecutions, he hid many Christians but was eventually caught and sentenced to death by being eaten by bears in the coliseum. However, on the day of his execution the bears refused to eat him. Enraged, he was taken away and beheaded.
St. Januarius’ blood during its liquefication
After his death, a Christian woman named Eusebia was able to preserve some of St. Januarius’ blood, where as with many of the relics of the early Christian martyrs it was preserved. Being where he was from, St. Januarius became the patron saint of Naples. However, Christians began reporting that St. Januarius’ blood would miraculously turn back into liquid three times a year- September 19th (the Church Feast Day of St. Januarius), December 16th (the celebration of St. Januarius as patron for the diocese of Naples), and the first sunday in May (commemorating the reunion of St. Januarius’ blood with his body). In addition, there have been other times the blood has turned into liquid, always corresponding with a particular matter of significance in the Church.
Whether one believes in this or not, the fact is that since 1389, which is the earliest known, formal documentation of this miracle, thousands of Catholic pilgrims come from around the world to witness it the three times it takes place each year:
A documentary about St. Januarius. He holds a special place in the devotion of many Catholics.
Something else that is interesting about this miracle is that there are times the blood has NOT turned back into liquid, after which some great disaster usually happens. According to one source, this has happened over three dozen times in total each bringing disasters including floods, political upheavals, religious persecutions, disease outbreaks, and and even a Turkish invasion:
Source: The Vatican Prophecies: Investigating Supernatural Signs, Apparitions, and Miracles in the Modern Age. Jon Havis. Viking Books. 2015 Available here on Amazon.com
In March 2016, I wrote an article that I said was going to be the most important post I would write all year, and I stand by that statement (you can re-read the entire post here or at the end of this article). It is basically that 99 years ago, God asked for the Church to consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and while the world was consecrated and Russia was mentioned, neither was the nations specifically consecrated nor was it done in the particular way requested by Our Lady. Referring to the example of the consecration of France to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mary said that the Church would suffer like France did, which as I wrote:
Next year is the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions. This is particularly important because for many Catholics (myself included) who do NOT believe that Russia was consecrated per Our Lady’s instructions, there will be grave temporal and spiritual consequences. As Sr. Lucia said in a message she received from Our Lady in 1931:
“Make it known to My ministers that, given they follow the example of the King of France in delaying the execution of My command, they will follow him into misfortune. It will never be too late to have recourse to Jesus and Mary.”
As one Catholic blogger, writing nine years ago notes:
Like the Kings of France who disobeyed the heavenly King’s command by delaying the solemn consecration of France for 100 years, the ministers of the Lord who do the same in regard to the collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary “will follow the French king into misfortune.”
(NOTE: This is in reference to the revelations of the Sacred Heart: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque told the King of France in 1689 that France needed to be consecrated to the Sacred Heart, which it was not. Most prophetically, exactly 100 years to the day when the message came that the French King need to have France consecrated to the Sacred Heart came, June 17th, 1789 the French national assembly voted to strip the French King of his power, in the act which began the anti-Catholic, Freemason-organized, pagan French Revolution)
Like the countless numbers who also followed the King of France and his family “into misfortune” by their deaths at the guillotine, the Third Secret Vision of Fatima makes it clear that, “if my (Our Lady’s) requests are not heard,” a bishop in white (generally understood to be the pope, who is the Bishop of Rome and traditionally wears white for certain occasions) will die at the hands of soldiers who bear both guns and arrows; the Holy Father will be immediately followed by a long line of faithful Catholics from all states in life. The Third Secret Vision also reveals that the Angels will gather up the blood of those who die, traditional symbolism in regard to the deaths of martyrs.
In regard to the long-awaited collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart, is it not possible that Our Lord was also telling us that, “like the King of France,” He will again allow exactly 100 years for His ministers to completely obey Him? If so, the 100 years conclude in less than 10 years – on July 13, 2017.
Am I saying that the world is going to end on July 13th, 2017? No.
I am saying that Fatima is a BIG matter in the Church. It is as controversial as Donald Trump is for the Republican party- and that tells you something right there. And claims made about it need to be taken seriously.
Earlier this year, I reported that a major NATO commander said that War would begin in May 2017 as part of a conflict between Germany and Russia over control and influence in the Baltic States:
Via the UK Guardian and Russia Insider:
A startling claim that the west is on course for war with Russia has been delivered by the former deputy commander of Nato, the former British general Sir Alexander Richard Shirreff.
In a book published on Wednesday, 2017 War With Russia, Shirreff argues that the events in Crimea have destroyed the post-cold-war settlement and set the stage for conflict, beginning next year.
In a chilling scenario, he predicts that Russia, in order to escape what it believes to be encirclement by Nato, will seize territory in eastern Ukraine, open up a land corridor to Crimea and invade the Baltic states.
Shirreff, who was deputy supreme allied commander Europe from 2011 to 2014 and before that served in Northern Ireland, Iraq and the Balkans, is risking his reputation by making such a bold prediction. But he claims his narrative is closely modelled on his Nato experience of war-gaming future conflicts.
His scenario is specific, naming Latvia as the first of the Baltic countries to be invaded, in May next year. Such specifics open him to potential ridicule.
At the book launch at London’s Royal United Services Institute, he heavily caveated the scenario by saying it was still avoidable provided Nato took the necessary steps to pre-position forces in large enough numbers in the Baltic states. Nato is planning to make a start on just such a move at a Nato in Warsaw in July.
Sure enough, I also have thoroughly documented not only Germany’s attempts to expand into the Baltic coastline:
If this could not get worse, it just did. America, Canada, Germany, and the UK are now planning “military exercises” respectively in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia:
Nine hundred US troops are to be sent to eastern Europe next year as America’s troubled relationship with Russia enters new, uncertain territory.
A US-led battle group of NATO allied soldiers will be sent to Poland as part of the multi-nation operation.
British forces will lead one of the four battle groups in Estonia, Canada will spearhead the presence in Latvia and Germany will be present in Lithuania.
There will be 4,000 allied soldiers deployed to the region in total.
The US battalion will include troops from the UK and Romania and deploy to Orzysz, north east Poland, in April.
Soldiers from the 3rd Squadron of 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, whose troops fought in both Iraq and Afghanistan, will lead the effort. (source)
Add to that how I have documented that in response, Russia has placed nukes into that area, at which Germany still insists on conducting, with the help of the United States, military drills. This happened, keep in mind, at the same time that lightening struck the top of the Vatican:
Two major stories have recently come to the front of the news. First, is that Russia is moving nuclear ready weapons into the Russian controlled but historically German territory of Kaliningrad:
Russia has deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in its western-most region, Kaliningrad, which borders on Nato members Poland and Lithuania.
Poland said the development was of the “highest concern”, adding it was monitoring the situation.
Russia’s defence ministry said the new deployment was part of military exercises and had happened before.
The US and Nato have seen disagreements with Russia intensify in recent times, particularly over Syria and Ukraine.
Kaliningrad is a Russian enclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania. (source)…
However, what really got my attention was how at the nearly same time that Russia made this decision was when lightning struck the top of St. Peter’s Basilica on the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary:
Rome shook this morning as a massive lightning bolt hit the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. The strike came on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, a celebration with origins not only in a humble prayer, but also in an historic battle.
The bolt hit the dome of St. Peter’s at approximately 9:20 am, as a strong rainstorm passed through Rome. Vatican police confirmed the strike. No damage was reported.
Those close to the Vatican, from Swiss guards to local shop owners, felt the shock.
“I was in the shower and heard what sounded like a loud thunder clap which lasted a few seconds and seemed to shake everything. I knew it was storming but it sounded more like an earthquake than a thunderstorm,” a resident close to St. Peter’s told Aleteia.
A local Italian coffee-bar owner added: “Everything shook. I could feel it in my lungs. It was as though the air was suspended for a moment.” (source)
If that does not make things interesting enough, consider how we have been writing extensively about the growth of National Socialism in Germany and anti-Christian, pagan nationalism in her surrounding nations that are working with national socialists and are moving towards a Third World War. It is of importance to note that in the revelations of Fatima, it was said that the Second World War was caused by the failure of the Church to consecrate Russia per the instructions of Our Lady in a timely manner. Even Wikipedia notes this:
According to Lúcia, the second secret, was a recommending for devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as a way to save souls and bring peace to the world. It predicted an end to the First World War, but predicted a worse one if people did not cease offending God. This second war would be presaged by a night illuminated by an unknown light, as a “great sign” that the time of chastisement was near. To avert this, Mary would return to ask for the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart, and the establishment of the First Saturday Devotions. If her requests were heeded, Russia would be converted, and there would be peace; if not, Russia would spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. It ended with a promise that in the end, the Immaculate Heart would triumph. The Holy Father would consecrate Russia to Mary, and a period of peace would be granted to the world.”
On 25 January 1938 (during solar cycle 17), bright lights, an aurora borealis appeared over the northern hemisphere, including in places as far south as North Africa, Bermuda and California. It was the widest occurrence of the aurora since 1709 and people in Paris and elsewhere believed a great fire was burning and fire departments were called. Sister Lúcia indicated that it was the sign foretold and so apprised her superior and the bishop in letters the following day. Just over a month later, Hitler seized Austria and eight months later invaded Czechoslovakia.
This does not even touch so many more things which we have been discussing, such as rise of Turkey and Erdogan’s evil declarations, the many signs involving division in the Vatican, and the powder keg that is the world political situation today that when ignited will reshape life for all of us as we know it.
Now we come to the miracle of St. Januarius’. A public, well-documented miracle that millions of people for centuries and which happens regularly, and when it does not happen there follows after something terrible. Not only does the blood not liquefy, but it comes after a year of warning and documenting about how there is this major prophecy from the Catholic Church (Fatima) that either has all of these eerily tied events which somehow end up connecting to things foretold in it or is happening at the same time.
Conincidence? You be the judge. Personally, if anything about the history and miracles of St. Januarius are true, and given the horrible spiritual and political situation that is unfolding around us, this is an omen for events to come in the next year- 2017.
Remember, as I stated earlier this year, that mercy always comes before justice. If 2016 was -unprecedented- the year of divine mercy, then divine justice will follow.
If you haven’t got an extra lamp and a few extra flasks of oil, you might want to get them ready. Likewise, a few “Five Hour Energy” drinks might be helpful as well. Go to Church, say your prayers, make regular confession, and start cleaning yourself up, because it is looking like 2017 may be a very interesting year.
The ten virgins. Be wise. Don’t be a fool.
**********March 24th, 2016 Repost: Divine Mercy Begins This Friday And This Is For The Year Of Mercy (This May Be The Most Important Post I Make All Year)**********
This is going to be (possibly) the most important post for this year.
God is love (1 John 4:8), and in God there is no darkness or imperfection. He is perfect truth and as such He demands perfect obedience- even so much as one sin can be enough to condemn a man to eternal perdition because He is perfectly just and must by his very nature give what is justly due to others.
At the same time, God is also VERY understanding of our sinful, human condition. He does not desire the death of the sinner, but his repentance and conversion. The Father sent His Son, Jesus, to dwell and die among men, to descend into time so that we might be taken up into His eternity and be made like Him. As a man walks upright with a sky to face the Heavens and God, we are made to worship and love Him. This is the fulfillment and meaning of our existence.
These two great attributes of God- mercy and justice- are absolute and final. There is nothing outside of them because they are the natural products of God’s very nature since God is love itself. To reject God’s love is to reject God, as He is love, and to merit justice. To embrace God in our sinful state is to seek and implore His mercy, for while He extends it to us freely, He does NOT have to on account of His perfect justice, and would be perfectly right in condemning us for our sins.
This is the great judgment, the second of the “Four last things” that all men will face- the death of the body, the judgment of the soul, and either its condemnation to hellfire or entrance into Heaven.
If Heaven is gained, all is won. If Heaven is lost all is lost.
From Hans Memling’s The Last Judgment, 1647-1671. It hangs in the Polish National Museum, Gdansk, Poland.
From what I have learned and understood in the many years I have been Catholic, is that the only sin which God will not forgive is the sin which you do not want Him to forgive. You may still be a sinner, but so long as you are working towards Christian perfection and not giving up, simply resigning yourself to sin and then remaining obstinate in sin, then God does not give up on you. And even if you did give up on God…so long as you live, you can still come back to Him. This especially true on Easter, when God gave up His only Son so that through His death we might pass into eternal life.
Yet remember- God’s mercy is not an entitlement. It is a gift. He does NOT have to give it to us. So what does a person who, say, has lead a very sinful life various reasons, start back on the path to righteousness?
Enter divine mercy.
Divine mercy is devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and specifically, the mercy that came into the world through it. A variant of this devotion is found in the Orthodox Church in what is called the hesychast prayer, which is repeated by monks unceasingly, especially by certain Greek and Russian monks-
Господи, Иисус Христос, единый сын живущего Бога, помилуй меня, грешник.
Lord Jesus Christ, only son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner
Devotion to the Divine Mercy was popularized by St. Faustina Kowalska of Poland. She was a nun who lived in the early 20th century and had visions of Jesus. He spoke with her, and she both wrote down his words as well as painted the vision of Him that she saw:
Pope John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina on April 30th, 2000. He called her “the apostle of divine mercy” because, as she wrote in her diary (various passages quoted, all taken from her diary and compiled on EWTN’s Divine Mercy website):
You have to speak to the world about His great mercy and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Him who will come, not as a merciful Savior, but as a just Judge. Oh how terrible is that day! Determined is the day of justice, the day of divine wrath. The angels tremble before it. Speak to souls about this great mercy while it is still the time for granting mercy. (Diary 635).
Speak to the world about My mercy … It is a sign for the end times. After it will come the Day of Justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fountain of My mercy. (Diary 848)
Tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near. (Diary 965).
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. (Diary 1160)
Before the Day of Justice, I am sending the Day of Mercy. (Diary 1588)
He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice. (Diary 1146).
Divine Mercy is, per the Catholic Church, a precursor to the Dies Irae– the day of wrath, or judgment.
For the Catholic Church to make a statement like this is huge.
This year’s Divine Mercy I believe is particularly important for two reasons:
1) Next year is the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions. This is particularly important because for many Catholics (myself included) who do NOT believe that Russia was consecrated per Our Lady’s instructions, there will be grave temporal and spiritual consequences. As Sr. Lucia said in a message she received from Our Lady in 1931:
“Make it known to My ministers that, given they follow the example of the King of France in delaying the execution of My command, they will follow him into misfortune. It will never be too late to have recourse to Jesus and Mary.”
As one Catholic blogger, writing nine years ago notes:
Like the Kings of France who disobeyed the heavenly King’s command by delaying the solemn consecration of France for 100 years, the ministers of the Lord who do the same in regard to the collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary “will follow the French king into misfortune.”
(NOTE: This is in reference to the revelations of the Sacred Heart: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque told the King of France in 1687 that France needed to be consecrated to the Sacred Heart, which it was not. Most prophetically, exactly 100 years to the day when the message came that the French King need to have France consecrated to the Sacred Heart came, June 17th, 1789 the French national assembly voted to strip the French King of his power, in the act which began the anti-Catholic, Freemason-organized, pagan French Revolution)
Like the countless numbers who also followed the King of France and his family “into misfortune” by their deaths at the guillotine, the Third Secret Vision of Fatima makes it clear that, “if my (Our Lady’s) requests are not heard,” a bishop in white (generally understood to be the pope, who is the Bishop of Rome and traditionally wears white for certain occasions) will die at the hands of soldiers who bear both guns and arrows; the Holy Father will be immediately followed by a long line of faithful Catholics from all states in life. The Third Secret Vision also reveals that the Angels will gather up the blood of those who die, traditional symbolism in regard to the deaths of martyrs.
In regard to the long-awaited collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart, is it not possible that Our Lord was also telling us that, “like the King of France,” He will again allow exactly 100 years for His ministers to completely obey Him? If so, the 100 years conclude in less than 10 years – on July 13, 2017.
Am I saying that the world is going to end on July 13th, 2017? No.
I am saying that Fatima is a BIG matter in the Church. It is as controversial as Donald Trump is for the Republican party- and that tells you something right there. And claims made about it need to be taken seriously.
2) The other reason is, and as I wrote earlier this year, Pope Francis has declared 2016 the “year of mercy.” Not only that, but the Pope has extended special privelages to priests for this year to forgive sins that would traditionally be reserved only to the bishop or pope himself. There has never been a year dedicated solely to mercy in the Church before. At least, I have not been able to find it.
This Friday, March 22nd, 2016, is the beginning of the Divine Mercy Novena.
A novena is an ancient form of devotion in the Catholic Church. It involves specific prayers, fasting, and penance over the course of nine days for a specific request. Novenas can be said at any time of the year, but some novena also have special days of celebration they correspond to. The Church encourages Catholics to start the Divine Mercy Novena on Good Friday in order that it finshes on the Sunday after Easter, which is Divine Mercy Sunday.
If you want to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for the Novena, please visit EWTN’s website on Divine Mercy here for instructions. In addition the Pray Divine Mercy Website also has a good visual for how to pray the Chaplet, especially for beginners. The Intentions for the Divine Mercy Novena are right here courtesy of EWTN.
Beginning Good Friday, I will be posting instructions for each day’s prayers (you can read them on the website as well) and how to pray it.
Pray hard and well, for yourself, us here at Shoebat.com, and for everyone, especially those who are most in need of Jesus’ mercy. Now is the time to take all the mercy we can get, for once the time of mercy is no more, then will come the time of justice.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet recited at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA.