It was Saint Dominic, to Brother Angelus, who prophesied that "..one day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, she [Our Lady] will save the world." Full prophecy here.
Many Catholics, some of them priests and religious, will no doubt scoff at this. But it was Father Vincent P. Miceli who said, "The history of salvation closes with Mary as Mother with Child even as it began with Mary as Mother with Child. The circle of salvation history will close with Christ and His Mother as it opened with the Mother of God and her Son. The Woman, the Mother of God, and Christ and His Church, which is the camp of the saints, have all been foreseen and rightly considered from the beginning of time, the great and fearsome adversaries of the Serpent-Dragon, his mini-antichrists and his supreme Antichrist...And so when many modernist priests and intellectual Catholics downgrade devotion to Christ through Mary, when they cut off the spiritual life line of zealous love for the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, it is small wonder they lose a sense of their own identity, of the meaning of being a Christian. It is small wonder that they become tepid, confused and fall victims to Satan's snares. For the devil and his Antichrist are conquered by men and women of God, men and women of Mary...Today Mary's war continues to be waged victoriously against the Antichrist and against all who imitate and follow him. But victory over these forces of evil depends on man's fidelity to the Holy Mother and her divine Child. Mary, who was never for an instant a slave of Satan, is doing and will continue to do her prayerfully omnipotent utmost to assure victory over the Serpent-Dragon and his Antichrist. But the peace and joy of that victory will be tasted eternally only by those who never cease to trust and follow her guidance." (The Antichrist, p. 270).
Over the last twenty years or so, I have only encountered two priests who took the time to promote the Rosary and Scapular at Holy Mass. One of these two priests is Father David Phillipson, who celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass at Immaculate Conception parish in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. This is a real tragedy. Our Lady has provided us with the tools for fighting and overcoming the devil, his Antichrist and all their followers. Why then the silence? Why aren't more priests promoting these spiritual weapons?
Priests and religious who oppose the Rosary and Scapular as being somehow "childish" or "medieval" are themselves immature in faith. Solid food is for adults as Saint Paul tells us in Sacred Scripture. And the Rosary and Scapular are "solid food." Would anyone [who is not insane] accuse Pope John Paul II of being "childish" or "medieval" in his outlook? As explained here, Pope John Paul II received his first Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel at age ten and continued to wear it into his papacy.
John Paul II, Supreme Pontiff, mystic, theologian, philosopher, poet, playwright and best-selling author. And he wore the Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel throughout his life and prayed the Rosary every day.
How about you?
8 comments:
Fron The Secret of the Rosary by Saint Louis de Montfort:
Ninth Rose
Enemies
It is very wicked indeed and unfair to other souls to hinder the progress of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary. Almighty God has severely punished many of those who have been so benighted as to scorn the Confraternity and who have sought to destroy it.
Even though God has set His seal of approval on the Holy Rosary by many miracles, and in spite of the Papal Bulls that have been written approving it, there are only too many people who are against the Holy Rosary today. These freethinkers and those who scorn religion either condemn the Rosary or try to turn others away from it.
It is easy to see that they have absorbed the poison of hell and that they are inspired by the devil - for nobody can condemn devotion to the Holy Rosary without condemning all that is most holy in the Catholic Faith, such as the Lord's Prayer, the Angelic Salutation and the mysteries of the life, death, and glory of Jesus Christ and of His Holy Mother.
These freethinkers who cannot bear others to say the Rosary often fall into a really heretical state of mind without even realizing it and some to hate the Rosary and its holy mysteries.
To have a loathing for confraternities is to fall away from God and true piety, for Our Lord Himself has told us that He is always in the midst of those who are gathered together in His name. No good Catholic should forget the many great indulgences which Holy Mother Church has granted to Confraternities. Finally, to dissuade others from joining the Rosary Confraternity is to be an enemy of souls because the Rosary is a sure means of curing oneself of sin and of embracing a Christian Life.
Saint Bonaventure said (in his Psalter) that whoever neglected Our Lady would perish in his sins and would be damned: "He who neglects her will die in his sins." If such is the penalty for neglecting her, what must be the punishment in store for those who actually turn others away from their devotions!
I understand that enrollement in the Brown Scapular was once done routinely at First Communion. This practice has been tossed aside by the time I rec'd First Holy Communion in the late 70's. It was when I was reading a bio of the Holy Father JPII during his lifetime and that he wore the brown scapular to this day - I almost immediately bought one and was enrolled by my parish priest. I thank God for JP's holy and virtuous example for how much good he did my poor soul. I hope one day to speak with him in heaven.
Wearing the Brown Scapular and praying the Rosary every day is a sign of predestination. What a shame that so many pastors neglect to preach this. I agree with Sanctus....thanks be to God for John Paul II and his example of Totus Tuus!
And we need saving. From LifesiteNews:
"Senate Approves Amendment Adding "Hate Crimes" to Defense Spending Bill
By Peter J. Smith
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 17, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The United States Senate approved an amendment yesterday adding "hate crimes" legislation to the annual Defense Authorization bill, which would add "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the list of federally-protected classes.
The Senate voted 63 - 28 to attach S.909, the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act (MSHCPA), to the $680 billion defense bill meant to support US troops fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada favored attaching the hotly-debated bill as an amendment, instead of putting it forward as a stand-alone bill, in hopes of easing its passage, but his tactic drew outcry from Senate Republicans.
"Those of us who oppose this legislation - and it is important legislation - will be faced with a dilemma of choosing between a bill which can harm, in my view, the United States of America and its judicial system and a bill defending the nation," protested Sen. John McCain, who denounced Reid's tactic as an "abuse of power."
Critics have warned that the bill has a chilling effect on religious free speech against homosexuality, pointing out that similar laws in other nations have facilitated the prosecution of Christians who speak against homosexuality, particularly in Canada and the United Kingdom. More importantly, they charge, "hate crimes" laws violate the guarantees of equal protection under the law by creating preferential classes for justice.
"'Hate crimes' laws contradict the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and create unequal justice by elevating some groups of victims at the expense of others," said Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America. Wright pointed out that under the proposed law, "Victims who engage in homosexual, transgender, or other sexual behavior get special treatment over victims who are military officers, police officers or veterans," such as the military recruiter who was slain in June by a Muslim convert at a shopping mall in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), however, submitted an amendment to the "hate crimes" measure in an effort to temper any effect the bill may have on free speech and the exercise of religion. Brownback's Senate colleagues adopted the measure by a vote of 78-13, which states that the "hate crimes" law will not be applied in a way that infringes upon freedom of speech or that "substantially burdens any exercise of religion speech, expression, [or] association, if such exercise of religion, speech, expression, or association was not intended to plan or prepare for an act of physical violence; or incite an imminent act of physical violence against another."
However the Senate version of the "hate crimes" bill does not yet reconcile with the House version, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Act, which alarmed conservative lawmakers as the bill fails to define or restrict the term "sexual orientation." One Democratic representative heaped praises on the bill for granting heightened federal protection for all 547 "paraphilias" or sexual aberrations documented by the American Psychological Association..."
From the Traditional Values Coalition:
The main purpose of this legislation is to elevate homosexuality, bisexuality, and gender identity to race. H.R. 1913 will add the categories of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” “either actual or perceived,” as new classes of individuals receiving special protection by federal law. Sexual orientation includes heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality. Gender identity includes such gender confused behaviors as cross-dressing, transvestism and such conditions as transsexualism.
The so-called hate crimes bill will be used to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners, Bible teachers, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, Christian counselors, religious broadcasters and anyone else whose actions are based upon and reflect the truths found in the Bible.
H.R. 1913 broadly defines “intimidation. A pastor’s sermon could be considered “hate speech” under this legislation if heard by an individual who then acts aggressively against persons based on any “sexual orientation.” The pastor could be prosecuted for “conspiracy to commit a hate crime.”
Supporters of H.R. 1913 claim the legislation only covers bodily injury. In actuality, it opens the door to the possibility that religious leaders or members of religious groups could be prosecuted criminally, based on their speech or protected activities under conspiracy law or the criminal code-- and could include conduct or speech that aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces, procures or causes the act to be done by another. Ultimately, a pastor’s sermon concerning religious beliefs and teachings on homosexuality and gender confused behaviors could be considered to cause violence and will be punished or at least investigated.
Also, by requiring criminal investigations to focus on a suspect’s thoughts and specific intent, federal law enforcement agencies will now be able to focus on a suspect’s religious beliefs, membership in religious organizations, speech and activities conducted by a church, and any past statements made to, or by, a suspect, all in the name of determining whether a suspect acted with a prohibited “bias.”
Ultimately, a pastor’s sermon concerning religious beliefs and teachings on homosexuality and gender confused behaviors could be considered to cause violence and will be punished or at least investigated. Once the legal framework is in place, political pressure will be placed on prosecutors to investigate pastors or other religious leaders who quote the Bible or express their long-held beliefs on the morality and appropriateness of homosexuality and other sexual behaviors. Religious teachings and common beliefs will fall under government scrutiny, chilling every American’s right to worship in the manner they choose and to express their religious beliefs.
Great essay, and all comments well worth reading.
HOWEVER: why do you have a picture of Our Lady of Mercy / Ransom (wearing white tunic, white cloak, and white scapular) illustrating an article on Our Lady of Mt Carmel (brown tunic, white cloak, and brown scapular)? At least photoshop the white scapular to brown. . .
Trivia: Sept 24 used to be feast of Our Lady of Ransom in the UK (patroness of the re-conversion of England). In AD 2000, this feast was superceded when Pope moved the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham from 25 March to 24 September so that she could be more fittingly honored as the Patroness of England; than she was when the observance was the same day as the Feast of the Annunciation.
It is frequently forgotten that in the 13th century the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt Carmel was given to the Universal Church in Aylesford, Kent, through Englishman St Simon Stock, the first Prior General of the Carmelite Order. This is the only sacramental to originate in England, which before the Reformation was known as "Mary's Dowry". The phrase "Merry England" is a corruption of "Mary's England."
--RW, Cheshire, UK
RW, visit this link:
http://carmelnet.org/scapular/scapular.htm
There a Carmelite Order explains the importance of the Brown scapular. Please note how Our Lady is depicted in white and not a brown tunic.
Rather than engaging in pettiness, why not offer something constructive?
I shall simply keep silent better
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