Marie-Julie Jahenny

As my dear readers know, I am a mega-skeptic regarding visionaries and caution all to only follow approved apparitions, such as Our Lady of Akita and Our Lady of Kibeho.

Two other modern ones not approved, but in the process of being examined do intrigue me. The first, Marthe Robin, seems genuine, and the other, Marie Julie Jahenny, seems very mysterious.

Father Dan likes Marie Julie Jahenny because she spoke of the coming persecution. However, as one who waits for Rome, I caution others and do not recommend, only point out this fact that she exists and one can read about her here.

My instincts are much more comfortable with Marthe Robin, who one can read about there.

If anyone is interested, there are the links, but I shall wait for Rome.

Also, on some of the websites, other non-approved or even condemned apparitions are found side-by-side with these two above.

If the local bishop approves, it is approved. If the local bishop condemns or states such a thing is not of supernatural origin, it is not true.

This is the way our Church works. And, of course, we do not have to believe in any apparitional words or specific prophecies.

I have not enough time to read the Doctors of the Church, the Early Church Fathers, the encyclicals and the details of approved apparitions.

Sigh....

On The Three Days of Darkness

One of the interesting things Father Dan said yesterday was a comment he made on the three days of darkness. He said that he thought it could mean not a physical darkness (this is not a teaching of the Church, but some saints have prophesied such), but a tearing back of the veil between hell and earth, so that we all can see the spiritual warfare, and, hopefully, repent. The days of darkness would be a vision of the reality of demonic influences on the earth.

But, more importantly than this statement was Father's comment that those who dwell on the negative, on evil, and do not prepare themselves spiritually, these people will fall into either despair or presumption.

Two good points.

Talk Notes from Father Dan

Because I am on the run today and had to leave the retreat early, I shall only share a few key points from one talk now, and from three later when I get the information from those from another person.

Father Dan stressed that in the coming times of tribulation and stress, only those who have a strong core of a Catholic lifestyle will be able to withstand the worst persecution the Church has ever seen.

Here are the BASICS Father listed for a Catholic to maintain a life of grace and focus.

I shall put these in a numbered list, as he did.

1. Frequent Confession--the priest called this the sacrament of humility. He noted that frequent confession breaks sin and gives grace to deal with habitual sins.every sin violates the law of justice. God's glory is robbed when we sin and we owe Him justice. Demons know this and are legalistic. they know this and that we cannot pay God back what is due to Him. But, in confession, the legal aspect of sin is broken. And, once you go to confession, no longer does that sin have any legal force in God's justice. Pope Leo X said  that every time you confess a sin from your past, you make reparation for that sin.Reparation makes up part of the grace of confession. We need to make reparation and confessing our sins allows us to start that process. (But we need to think of other means to make reparation for our sins.)
2. Daily meditation for at least 15 minutes must be incorporated in the Catholic lifestyle. This meditation starts with a Scripture passage from the life of Christ or the passages on Mary. Meditation must be centered on Christ and not the self or nothing. Many posts on the blog teach one how to meditate in a Catholic manner. The rosary would provide 15 minutes of meditation.
3. Frequent reception of the Eucharist is a must. The demons hate the Eucharist. Communion fortifies us and gives us tremendous graces.
4. Living a life of the Catholic sacraments, being confirmed, choosing a Catholic partner for marriage. (And raising children as Catholics would be necessary for salvation and personal holiness can grow out of, of course, a good marriage.)
5. A consistent prayer life is absolutely necessary. Father Dan quoted St. Teresa of Avila, paraphrasing her and saying, "He who does not pray will not be saved." He referred to the nine levels of prayer, to which I referred on this blog in the past.
6. So the point is that only those with solid prayer lives will make it through the trials.

to be continued....

Retreat Talk continued

Father Dan referred to something in his talk which was taught to me when I was in community in the 1970s.

Dissociation. Psychological disassociation is the state of a person being detached from reality. Father Dan used an example, almost the same type used by my spiritual mentors forty years ago.

A friend of mine in 2008 and I experienced this type of caused by demons.

But, this state is exhibited either because a person is detached from reality by serious sin and demonic influence interiorly, or by exterior demonic influences.

Two examples--the external influence first. A person in a room says something important to another person and that person hears something completely differently--the demons of the air have taken the words and either twisted these, or interfered with the hearing of these words.

One can correct this oppression by repeating the sentence or words clearly and by unmasking the demon of the air -- which is what I was taught years ago to do.

In the second example, this dissociation is caused by interior chaos, sin, trauma, shock, and the person separates from reality either as a coping mechanism, or as a complete retreat from reality.

Christian families can be infected with this demonic influence. Many people who have been abused experience dissociation.

Father Dan noted that porn causes dissociation. I would go farther and state that obsession with computer games.

I extrapolate.

Dissociation stops spiritual reality from sinking in.

I have met people who have fallen into dissociation. The result is a tragic loss of humanity and identity.

Fantasy and living lives which seem holy but are really facades as one is living beyond the grace of God, pretending, may also be symptoms of dissociation.

Prayer must be intense and real. Conversion and complete abandonment to Divine Providence.

All those dissociated people in power will try to make our lives miserable.

to be continued....

First Talk of The Retreat

The first talk on this retreat by Father Dan may be summarized in three words. Most, if not all, of what we are experiencing in the sudden decay of America is demonic. The second word would be that what we are experiencing will get much worse. The third point is that we must learn how not to fall under this influence.

Worse demonic influence.

Worse --- life will get worse in all ways.

Demons --- these will be more and more active.

Influence --- we need to prepare ourselves so that we shall not be influenced by either chaos or loss, the worst which can happen, or demons. More later.