Prophecy for then or Now?

PROPHECY

For Then or Now

Amos 8:1-12

The Bible is a living word that spans time and space. The prophet Amos spoke to Israel during the prosperous years of King Jeroboam, around 750 B.C, He starts with a sweeping indictment of the dangers of the hollow prosperity that leads people into trusting in themselves rather than in God. He warns them that the days are coming when God will destroy the house of Israel. Then there will be famine and He will melt the earth with his torch and summon the seas to pour over the surface of the earth. The eye of God is on this sinful kingdom, he says. But in the end He will bring about the restoration of Israel after he has sifted them.  We know that the people of Nineveh repented when Jonah warned them of impending punishment for sin. But the people of Israel did not heed Amos.

This sounds like an end times, apocalyptic prophecy and it did come to pass in those days, just as Amos warned. Now remember that with God all time is the present time. We have seen reflections of these words in our own times. We too live in hollow prosperity where possessions and glory are more important than people or family or even God. We rush to adore the latest rock star or sport star. We fight our way into stores on Black Friday to buy something we probably can live without. Our lives are all about money, fashion, cars and vacations.  Listen to the network news reports saying our cash will lose its value. You will need a chip to be able to buy and sell or to work or receive medical treatment. Free speech and the free expression of religious convictions are already being censored. Our churches are being attacked and desecrated as well.

When God sends severe punishments for grave, unrepented sin it doesn’t fall out of the sky it is usually something of man’s own making; like war, food shortage, disease. We have already lived the the “trial run” during Covid lock down, forced masking, forced quarantine, forced vaccination. No Masses, no sacraments, no freedom of assembly were normal for almost two years. Those who rejected the restrictions were ostracized even from family gatherings. They were vilified in the media and we stared like deer in headlights, saying nothing, doing nothing.

I am coming to believe that all that was a test run. There are believable rumors of a worse virus coming and if that is so, there surely will be harsher restrictions. Yes there will be famine or food  shortages but more concerning will be the famine from the Word of God and the Sacraments. If Christians and their churches are being attacked now it is likely to get worse. Persecution of Christians around the world has increased and sacred spaces are being desecrated. Those who uphold the word of God in their businesses are also persecuted. 

If they have ears to hear, eyes to see why do they not read the signs of the times! We are no wiser than those who lived in the days of Amos. We still do not prepare our souls and resources for the days of famine, for neglecting God’s commandments and the potential for martyrdom. 

It would be very profitable to study how people of all faiths faired under the leadership of Stalin and Mao Tse Tung. What is upon us is a new form of communism/socialism that intends to crush all that is of God. The goal of communism is to erase God.

Satan knows his time is short and so he hauls out every weapon in his arsenal to lure us into believing in the lies of the dark side, convincing us we are powerless. We are not powerless! Mary has promised that her Immaculate Heart will triumph. God told Satan in the garden of Eden that a woman would crush him. Mary has reportedly appeared on earth about twenty times in the twentieth century. Some of these are ongoing. She consistently tells us how to prevent the take over by Satan’s minions.

At Fatima she told us to pray the rosary and do penance or a greater war would follow.  We did not pray and WWII followed. Count the wars of the past century: WWI, WWII, Korean, Vietnam, Iran, Afghanistan, Rawanda, Croatia, Ukraine, Nigeria and I probably missed some. The solution is so simple, pray the rosary daily. When the Pope asked the world to pray the rosary to prevent the invasion of the Moors into LePanto,Italy people did and the invasion was prevented even though the Moors has and overwhelming force. That was on October 7,1571, The Feast of Holy Rosary. 

Do you recall the nuns kneeling in the street in Manilla, praying the rosary as Marcos’ tanks ground toward them? The Marines left their tanks and joined in prayer. Prayer works! The rosary is powerful! Mary’s rosary is a true powerhouse! So much evil could be deterred through praying the rosary. Look it up for yourself, there are more miracles of the rosary.  

God has promised and era of peace through Mary’s Immaculate Heart but it will not come without our cooperation. No prayer, no peace. No rosary, no reward.

Listen to the words of the prophets and today’s creditable visionaries who give us direction for our lives and for our salvation. Be not skeptical. You’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain.