The Kingdom of God is at Hand

Posted on May 7, 2019 by veilofveronica

Fr Terry saying Mass

 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. Mark 1:15

I had a question asked of me in the comments of my last post.  The essence of the question was about the confusion swirling all around us.  The question was about what we should do.  I want to take a minute here to reflect on a Gospel passage.

Then he made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray. When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea.  He meant to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”  He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were [completely] astounded.  They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:45-52

This is the version in Mark’s Gospel of Jesus walking on water.  There’s an odd line in it.  He meant to pass by them.  The passage concludes with Jesus telling them “it is I” and then it explains they had not understood the incident of the loaves and their hearts were hardened.

These men had God in their midst.  Jesus, the healer, the miracle worker, the storm calmer.  But they did not fully recognize him.  They continually looked for worldly solutions for everything they came across.  In the prior passage we see the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.  In the passage the disciples want to send the people away to eat, but Jesus tells them to feed the people themselves, and then they start talking about wages.  They still don’t know who he is.  And so HE MEANT TO PASS BY THEM.  Love was standing right in front of them, but fear and distraction took their eyes off of Him.  He exclaims, “it is I,” as if to say, I AM love and I AM right here.  Don’t you know I will provide?

Jesus is telling us don’t be distracted or fearful because of worldly things.  This is where we must surrender and trust so that Love does not pass us by.  I am going to tell a story now that may seem off track, but I promise I will bring it back around.

I want to open up a bit, more so than I probably have before about a personal struggle I went through.  Though I have told it before, I am going to add details that I didn’t before.  I am telling this story because I actually believe it wholeheartedly pertains to what is happening to us as a society, and what will happen in the future to each of us with even greater intensity.

In 2002 I had a baby.  A beautiful baby boy.  It should have been the most joyous occasion of my life, but it wasn’t.  Not through any fault of his, so if he ever reads this I do not want him to ever feel he did anything wrong.  He is a gift from God.  But I had severe post -partum depression and anxiety.  Back then I thought it was purely a physical response to a drop in estrogen.  Today I recognize it as a spiritual attack.  An attack on the very essence of my motherhood.

I don’t think I can fully describe the types of thoughts that were flung at me during that time period, except to say they were awful, and demonic.  I was afraid I would go crazy and harm my child.  I couldn’t be in high places with the baby or anywhere near knives.  If I were near these things the thoughts assaulted my mind and I couldn’t stop them.  I couldn’t control them.  They were constant.  I knew they were wrong, and disordered, and scary.  I reached out to my family and my doctor for help and all of them helped me, but the thoughts were constant.  I didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.  I decided that the world would be better off without me.

I was sitting in the bath tub and I was being barraged with the awful thoughts and I honestly knew the thoughts weren’t mine because they were so vile, but I didn’t realize where they were coming from and I couldn’t stop them, so I thought, I will just put my head under this water and never come up, and that will stop the thoughts.  In that moment I got a very clear picture of my sister’s face.  And I had the thought that she would be sad.  So I paused.  I looked to my left and a Rosary was sitting on the bath tub ledge.  I hadn’t prayed the Rosary in a long time and I am not even really sure how it got there.  But God had left me a weapon.  A weapon to fight the demonic attack.  And he had showed me a face, a holy face that reflected His love, my sisters face.  Where one voice assaulted my mind and convinced me to despair, another breathed life and love into me, and so began my long spiritual journey…

It was from that point on I began to climb out of the pit.  Within a year I was back to functioning.  My faith life was a roller coaster, and it would be another 7 years before the murder of Veronica that really changed how I interacted with God and how to recognize what was happening spiritually.

In looking back, I can say that was the starting point of my path to a spiritual world view.   And it was along this path that I discovered mercy and forgiveness can halt the assault on our minds.   Confession is healing.  Forgiving others is totally freeing.  The Eucharist is God in us.  We are called to love.  And love cannot be separated from truth.  I hadn’t believed that I was the loved child of a King.  But Jesus showed me I was.  And so is each one of you.

So in these times now when I feel confused or filled with rage, I know the thoughts are  caused by our enemy. I always start with the premise, when I am confused, angry, rage filled, etc, of– what exactly am I called to do? I start here because this is a way to drown out the noise and confusion.  So, I look at what is in my circle of authority, what I am called to do, what I can control.  I am called to love and pray for people. So my own interior intention for  myself and for anyone else is that they flourish and are blessed, the way that God blesses me. I do not know the intention in other people’s hearts.  And I should not assume I do know. I should never will the demise of anyone else like we see happening so much, especially in politics.   I don’t get to judge the interior heart of another person. Christ does. You see, at the end of the day when all of this turmoil is swirling around us, and confusion is bred everywhere, I actually close my eyes, I sometimes put ear plugs in too, I drown out the world purposefully, to hear the still small voice. This is the voice that calls me to love. It is the voice that says, even in the blindness, I will be the light that guides. I must love the person right in front of me. When I see poison arrows from all sides, I want no part of it. I am not talking about discussing facts and truth, I am talking about ad hominem attacks and wishing willful destruction on someone else. God tells me He has a larger plan, and he often says, “look up” to me when I seem to be looking down. By that I mean God wants me to see the goodness in people and in his creation. He wants me to see how the devil has trained people to think and to put my hatred there on the devil and not on the people. He also points out evil to me and tells me when to stand in front of it. But I am careful to listen and ask Him first because if you fight that which is outside your circle of authority, you will find yourself beaten down. I think when this storm is over, we will all have had the ground come out from under us. We will realize how we all had a false perception of at least some things, and God will reveal the truth. I think about how we are standing on SAND. Think about it, the virtual worlds we have created and that are driving our economic systems and commerce, are fake. Real relationship is missing. My prayer is that all of us turn towards God when he allows the SAND to get blown away, and we aren’t so invested in our own in our perception that we walk away from God like Judas did.

The assault that is happening to us is an all out assault of the demonic on our minds.  Satan is using our need for worldly security and our emotions in a way that has led us into this time where good is called evil and evil is called good.  This is actually the storm we are in.  While it is a global storm for sure, it is also an interior storm of thoughts and ideologies that are flung at our minds.  And we are sitting in a boat in this storm, and the Kingdom of God is at hand teaching us how to love, but He just may pass us by if we don’t recognize Him.  The Kingdom of God is a call to love.  TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT. Be merciful because mercy is a conduit to love.  This is Christ in us.  The indwelling of the Holy Spirit extending love and mercy to our fellow man.  It is an interior battle.  Put on the Armor of God and be battle ready.  Because love is the only way to navigate this storm and Jesus and his Mother show us how to stop the storm and crush the serpent.

….I want you to be wise as to what is good, and simple as to what is evil; then the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:19-20

 

 

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A Great Time to be Alive

Posted on May 1, 2019 by veilofveronica

Fr D with Mary

 

So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.  They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.  Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. John 20:3-8

After my morning prayers this morning, I was browsing the news and I came across this article.

I have to say, I found myself extremely distressed.  I felt like I was staring down hurricane force winds, with no relief in sight.  Feeling overwhelmed, I actually decided to crawl back in bed, as I have the day off today.  I said, “Lord Jesus, give me rest.”  But sleep was not to be, as he began pouring over me, though in it, He did give me rest.  As you all know I record what pops in my head as a from God.  If the church came out today and said all I have written is wrong, the church is correct and I am wrong.  I always want to be clear about that so you can discern what I write.  Here is what I felt the Lord say to me today;

Beloved Lily of the Father,

That they may be one as you and I are one. 

I have revealed to you that this storm is over sexual morality and authority.  The devil is devouring.

Obedience is tantamount.  Obedience to my law and obedience to the authority of the church, BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME.

You ask me, what do you do when the authority appears disobedient to my law?

Remember MY PASSION. 

Things are not always what they seem.

The beloved REST IN MY WILL.

John did not run away from the garden out of fear, I revealed this to your friend.  He ran and got My Mother, the one through whom MY GRACE FLOWS.  She is Mediatrix of All Graces.

He brought her to MY PASSION and walked the SORROWS WITH HER.

ALL WHO ARE CONSECRATED TO HER IMMACULATE HEART WILL BE PROTECTED FROM DECEPTION. 

In the garden, Peter still thought like the world did.  He had not recognized MY WAY, TRUTH and LIFE.    I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.  He still thought like the world did, cutting off the ear of the soldier, and then in fear, denying me.

But Peter repented before my death.

He wept bitterly.

So too will the Church.

Notice that on the day of Resurrection Mary Magdalene goes to tell Peter of the empty tomb.

John and Peter come running.  John stops outside the tomb when he sees my linens and he bends down.  He waits for Peter.

Peter enters the empty tomb first.  This is because John recognizes Peter’s authority and that Peter is who I chose to lead my church after my Resurrection. 

I AM the one who gives all Authority.

I AM teaching you to see through the eyes of God.

I HAVE CALLED YOU BY NAME.

DO NOT BE AFRAID.

THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL.

It is a great time to be alive and see the magnanimity of WHO I AM.

You will be blind.  BUT TRUST because I AM teaching you to see differently.

I AM raising great SAINTS. 

Behold, My will shall be one with yours, you shall walk in Mercy.

Pray for the Pope.

Pray for the Bishops.

Pray for the Priests and Deacons.

Pray for the Church.

Testify to what I have told you.

 

  • Your Divine Spouse

 

An update, an excellent article by Jimmy Akin addresses the open letter.  You can read it here.

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When Mary Visits

Posted on April 30, 2019 by veilofveronica

I want to repost this today as a reminder, Consecrate yourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is imperative in these days to do so, for it is under her mantle we find Protection. The 33 days to morning glory by Father Michael Gaitley, or the 33 Days by Saint Louis de Monfort are the ones I recommend.

veilofveronica's avatarVeil of Veronica

visitation15

Feast of the Visitation

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever. 

Luke 1:46-55

I was at Mass today on the Feast of…

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Susan Skinner’s talk on Divine Mercy

Posted on April 26, 2019 by veilofveronica

 

divine-mercy-st-faustina

“Pay attention to what the Priest does.  When he processes into the church, Christ is going to pray in the Garden of Olives, and He is sweating bloody sweat.  When the Priest opens the celebration of the Holy Mass, the Lord Jesus is praying. Now the Priest kisses the altar: that’s when Judas kisses the Lord and delivers Him into the hands of the Jews.  The Priest approaches the side of the altar – they are leading Christ to Annas. When he intones the Kyrie eleison – they are slapping His Him and spitting in His face; they lead Him to Caiaphas, and next to Pontius Pilate.  When the Priest washes his hands, Pilate is washing his hands. When the Priest uncovers the chalice on the altar, Pilate is having Jesus disrobed; when the Priest stands still, they are flogging Him. The Priest covers the chalice, and they are placing the crown of thorns on His head.  When he raises the Host – Christ is being raised on the cross. When the Priest breaks the Host and drops it in the chalice – Jesus dies.” a young Faustina to her little sister Natalia (from the book: Faustina, the Mystic and her message by Ewa K. Czaczkowska)

Today at my parish thanks to the Nashville Padre Pio Prayer Group, we had a display of first class relics.  We had Saint Faustina, Saint Padre Pio, Saint Anthony, Saint Michael (rocks from Cave of Saint Michael), and Blessed Seelos.  It was a beautiful day of prayer.  I gave a talk on Divine Mercy.

You can listen to my talk here.

Here are pictures of the day;

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France and the Womb of Mercy

Posted on April 17, 2019 by veilofveronica

Notre Dame Fire

But if ever you and your descendants turn from following me, fail to keep my commandments and statutes which I set before you, and proceed to serve other gods and bow down to them, will cut off Israel from the land I gave them and repudiate the house I have consecrated for my name. Israel shall become a proverb and a byword among all nations, and this house shall become a heap of ruins. Every passerby shall gasp in horror and ask, “Why has the LORD done such things to this land and to this house?”And the answer will come:“Because they abandoned the LORD, their God, who brought their ancestors out of the land of Egypt, and they embraced other gods, bowing down to them and serving them. That is why the LORD has brought upon them all this evil.”1 Kings 9:6-9

Like many of you out there I was horrified in watching the fire at Notre Dame in Paris yesterday.  The seat of European Catholicism in flames.  And I know the literal fires of earth always translate spiritually as well, so I took it to prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  As you already know, I write what pops in my head as letters from God or the Blessed Mother.  I offer all obedience to Holy Mother Church in all my writings so know that as you discern what I have written.

Beloved Child,
In these times of tribulation, cling to My Son.  The roof and spire of Notre Dame has collapsed as I have removed my mantle of Protection from my beloved daughter France who has become lost because of the corporate sin of the nation.  They have forgotten from whom all authority comes.  But the sanctuary remains, like a womb of mercy for those individual souls who will become living sanctuaries like the soul and body of my daughter Bernadette who listened in obedience despite persecution.  The blood of the martyrs will cry out to cleanse the nation.  Penance and Reparation are the path now for the remnant to cooperate with My Son in healing the Mystical Body.  
My daughter Poland rises up.  
Pray for Kazakhstan.
Pray for America.
The permanant sign will soon be left and all will know the glory of God.
You are walking my path of sorrows.
I am the lighthouse to bring you to My Son.  I protect in my mantle those who ask.
My earthly spouse, Saint Joseph, calls on the men to rise up in their role of authority God gave them to work for peace.  Just as he cared for me and the Divine Child, so he cares for you.  An anchor in these times.  
Rise up.  Rise up in Love.  Love is the only way.
– The Immaculate Conception
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The Soul of the Aborted Child

Posted on April 10, 2019 by veilofveronica

Pregnant Blessed Mother

CCC 1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation.60 He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them.61 Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament.62 The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are “reborn of water and the Spirit.” God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.

CCC 1261 As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,”64 allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church’s call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.

 

I have had many conversations of late about what happens to the soul of the aborted child (or the miscarried child).  The catechism teaches us that baptism is necessary for Salvation, and that we can hope in God’s mercy for these children, but it does not speak of how.  I do believe God’s mercy is unfathomable.  But I wrestled with the question in speaking with others.  I myself lost a child to miscarriage.  I have had people assure me these children are in heaven.  I have had others assure me they are not.  There used to be the teaching of limbo, but that is not really taught anymore.  Everyone has a differing opinion.  I am sure this post will get a lot of comments, but it is my understanding that this question has never really been settled by the church.  Individuals have opinions, and it is debated, but depending on who you speak with you get different answers.

In my own struggle, if you say that they’re in heaven, then one could also conclude that baptism isn’t necessary for Salvation.  If you say that they’re not, God seems cruel and far away.  In my heart, I felt that both statements are true, that baptism is necessary, and that these innocent children are in heaven.  So I took my thoughts and conversation and turned to my own Blessed Mother about it.  The following is what I wrote in my journal as her response to me.  If the church came out tomorrow and said this is not true, then the church is correct and I am wrong.  I write what pops in my head when I have a conversation with God or the Blessed Mother.  My intent is never to lead anyone astray, so please know that as you discern what I have written.  I am only posting part of it, as some of it was personal to me;

April 8, 2019

Beloved Child,

You have asked what happens to the unborn child who dies or is aborted before birth.  They are with me.  Womb means Mercy. I was Immaculately conceived and my womb carried Mercy.  I am the Mother of Mercy.  When human beings turn towards wickedness or a child is lost to miscarriage because death was brought into the world, I am the Mediatrix of Grace for these personally innocent babies.  I intercede with my own consecrated womb, as the Mother of Mercy, the blood and water in my womb, the same DNA as the blood and water from the side of my Son, baptizes them in my Immaculate Conception, freeing them from Original Sin.  In God’s Divine Providence, my Assumption allows this.  My physical and spiritual womb of mercy extended to them because Baptism is necessary for Salvation. 

Pray for an end to the evil of abortion.

  • The Immaculate Conception

This brought me great comfort.  That God is amazing and true.  That both statements of heavenly reward for these innocents and the necessity of baptism could be true.  We must fight the evil of abortion with all we have, because the Mother of Mercy is also the Mother of Sorrows because of this wickedness we have allowed.

 

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The Weight of Saint Thomas

Posted on April 6, 2019 by veilofveronica

Doubting Thomas

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:24-28

I hope you all can bear with me, as this story is kind of long, but I believe I am meant to tell it.  Before I begin I want to remind you that when I was in Medjugorje the Lord told me to “pay attention to the dogs.”  I never thought the Lord may actually have meant my own dog.

4 ½ years ago we decided to get a dog for the children.  I prayed ardently because I wanted the Lord to be involved in all of my decisions, especially those that change the household.  I told the Lord, I am not picking this dog, I leave it entirely to you and trust you wholeheartedly to pick this animal out for my family.

I went to the rescue.  There were tons of German Shepherds.  But there was a pen with two small dogs in it.  One black, the other white, they were sisters.  The rescue told me these two dogs were terrified of people and had been severely neglected and were found starving at a puppy mill.  They were 6 months old.

I went in the pen, said a prayer, and squatted down like a baseball catcher in the pen, both dogs on the far side away from me.  I extended my hands outward.

Then the white dog turned towards me.  She walked over and she licked my hand.  The lady at the rescue was stunned.  She said the dog had not gone near any person since they had rescued them.  She couldn’t believe she licked me.

I was sold that this was the dog God picked out for me and my family.  I honestly thought at the time that God had a plan that included this dog and one day in the years ahead I would know why he picked this particular dog for me.

In the first three years we had her she was terrified of everyone but my family.  She grew to be a medium sized dog, but she would cower in the corner and bark like crazy if people came over.  She clung to me.  THIS BECAME MY DOG.  More than the kids dog.  There was only one stranger to her she did not bark at but that story is for another time.

Over this past year she slowly stopped being quite so afraid.  She was always a barker, but she started to come out of her shell and interact with other people.

Her barking was scary sounding but her fear of people had always kept her at bay.

Last Friday morning I got up, prayed in my peaceful place, offered the sufferings and joys of my day for Mary to dispense as she sees fit.  I got in my car to go to Mass.

I arrived in plenty of time for Mass, but my mom texted me that my dad was on his way to the hospital.  I left before Mass started to go to the hospital.

I spent the morning with my dad at the hospital (he is now fine), but let’s just say it was emotional.

I came home.

I prayed a Rosary.

Afterwards I went to go out front and water my flowers.  My neighbor had her baby in her stroller and was walking up the street.

My dog saw her, and slipped through the crack in the door because I was watering the flowers.  She ran up to my neighbor and nipped her in the back of her calf.  She drew blood.

I couldn’t believe she bit her.   I followed protocol and I called Animal Control and my dog is in quarantine and my husband and I now have to decide what to do with her.  Please pray for us.

It might sound ridiculous but this really shook me and threw me for a loop.

I couldn’t understand why God would give me a dog only to have this happen where I would be put in a position to chose between trying to decide the fate of this animal I love, and trying to protect people from harm, who I am compelled to love more than an animal.  I felt it was cruel and there was a moment I was mad at God.  And if I am honest, there was a moment I felt that THIS DOG thing was going to make me lose my faith…. That I was just crazy and God never actually spoke to me about the dog or about anything.  God didn’t pick a dog out for me.  I am just a mad woman.  I had a surge of the worst anxiety I have had in awhile, and I physically found it hard to breathe.  I cried harder than I have ever cried since Veronica’s murder.  I know this may sound stupid to many of you that have way bigger struggles, but I am just relaying the thoughts and feelings.

I knew interiorly that all these feelings were exactly what the devil wanted me to feel, so I pushed past them, turning back to God in prayer.

That was one week ago.

I was driving to first Friday Mass this morning, not thinking about the dog incident, but instead intent on a project my friend Ashley and I are working on.

After communion at Mass I knelt down to pray and I was asking about the project…but God had other plans for me and out of left field he slammed me with the weight of Saint Thomas…. Here is what he said;

 

Beloved,

You have asked me about your dog and why I would allow this to happen?  I am showing you Saint Thomas and allowing you to feel what he felt.  His entire world had crumbled.  He all but unbelieved in me.  Even after the Resurrection he did not believe the witness of his friends.  Thomas felt what atheism is.  Ask yourself why, why he was allowed to see me after his incredible doubt?  It is because of his connection to the others, and because of their prayer for him.  My Mystical Body working as it should.  When you pray for others you surround them in the Mother’s Mantle.  Thomas did not understand the larger plan.  He had a construct in his head of what it would all look like.  And when his construct crumbled so did his belief.  Pay attention to the dogs and don’t construct in your head what my plan will be, for when you lose control, you must know who I AM.  I AM showing you the Father, and what he looks like surpasses understanding. I AM YOUR LORD AND YOUR GOD.  It strikes silent the most intellectual.  I AM only one WORD.  The name above all names.  The world may seem to be crumbling around you, but I AM RESURRECTION.   I AM PERFECT LOVE.  DO NOT DOUBT IT.

John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

 – Your Divine Spouse

I cannot explain the weight of what Thomas felt.  And how I knew I had looked at what happened with my dog totally wrong, having in my head a picture of perfection that doesn’t belong to God.

I went to confession after Mass and I explained to the Priest my doubt, my unbelief because of the dog, and how I had entertained the thoughts too long.  He gave me my penance, I could not even make it through the Act of Contrition.  The tears just kept coming.  I had to keep pausing.  He probably thinks I am nuts.

Later I spoke to my friend Ashley about what happened.  I spoke of how we always look at John or Peter… but never really Thomas.  Ashley pondered what made John different from the rest.  Ashley said she doesn’t think John ran away before coming back to stand at the Cross.  She thinks when they came to arrest Jesus that he left to get Mary, because John had been listening and receiving, and he knew not to run because he was resting in the bosom of the Lord.  He went to get God’s Mother.

And I knew that God is desperately trying to bring the rest of us there to that place of trust.  But along the way we get thrown off track by the enemy, who has trained us how to think.  But the Lord always gives us a way back.  In his immense love and mercy, even when we doubt like Thomas, he has a way to bring us in.  Through prayer, the Sacraments and His Mystical Body, God is pouring grace out upon us.  Don’t ever forget that.

 

 

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Conversion – Protestant Pastor to Catholic – Jansen Bagwell

Posted on April 4, 2019 by veilofveronica

 

st paul

Glorious Saint Paul, most zealous apostle, martyr for the love of Christ, give us a deep faith, a steadfast hope, a burning love for our Lord, so that we can proclaim with you, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
Help us to become apostles, serving the Church with a pure heart, witnesses to her truth and beauty amidst the darkness of our days. With you we praise God our Father: “To him be the glory, in the Church and in Christ, now and forever.”Amen.

This is the story of my friend Jansen Bagwell’s conversion from Protestant Pastor to Catholic.  Jansen has taught me so much.  It is a powerful story, I hope you will take the time to listen.  You can click on the link here.

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What is reality? – a dream

Posted on April 3, 2019 by veilofveronica

double decker pool 1

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains. John 9:41

I had another of those surreal dreams on Saturday night.  One where it I remember it vividly.

I was vacationing with my family and we had been invited to this house of this very wealthy and powerful family (who it was I couldn’t tell you), the city seemed Vegas like, but the house seemed Old and Victorian.   Old world and old money hidden away in a new and shiny city.

There were children everywhere, but they were unsupervised.  All of the adults were off working.  And I noticed a 6 year old child still in diapers, who may have been disabled, but not enough to still be in diapers.  I was trying to care for her but I couldn’t find any diapers or anything to help her with and she was dirty and soiled.  At some point she ran off.

There were secret passages all over this house, and secret meetings.  And the children knew how to navigate through the house without being caught by the rich people in their secret meetings.

There was this double decker pool outside, and we decided to go swimming.  My son fell from the top deck to the lower one, and I remember thinking I shouldn’t worry because he will be fine, and I looked down and he was just swimming in the pool below, though that pool seemed bottomless, I knew it wasn’t.  But I felt inside not to worry about him, that I have to let him be without me navigating things and he will be okay.  My other kids and husband were all next to me.

Suddenly a rainbow appeared in the sky, but it wasn’t a real rainbow.  It was humming, and the colors were more dull than the colors of a real rainbow, so it appeared with like a pinkish/reddish hue throughout.  I was trying to take a picture of it, but it was like I was blocked from doing so.  Then suddenly a movie overtook the sky, and it was like we were watching real stuff go on around us but in the sky, and in the movie the man was surfing on what he called a vaping cloud.  But the weird thing was the movie surrounded us, so that you couldn’t distinguish reality… earth from sky.  It was dizzying.  And I had to close my eyes to know what was actually real.  And I was telling my family to close their eyes.  And I knew I had to walk blind in order to know what was real.  Then I woke up.

As I pondered this upon waking, I realized it actually didn’t seem far from reality.  The digital world has sucked us in and the constant barrage of media, much of which is propaganda, is thrown at us incessantly.  So much so that it is hard to know what is really true.  I am sometimes astonished at “news” stories and how seriously flawed they are.  So clearly pushing a story line that isn’t reality.  The children are largely being raised by this digital world as most of them have a device in their hands.  It is hard to know Truth.  That is, it is hard if you don’t know Jesus.  I close my eyes and I pray, and truth becomes clear.  And like the dull rainbow, the devil mimics beauty, but it’s beauty is somehow off and your interior knows because you see with the eyes of faith.

The reading at Mass on Sunday was from Year A because we were celebrating the scrutinies.  Jesus heals the man blind from birth.  I thought about how spiritually blind we all are.  In my dream I had to close my eyes to see.  I had to close my eyes to hear God speak, walking blind and trusting God in what is ahead.  We do not know what the future holds, but when we see spiritually, we trust that God will guide us.  We must be steeped in prayer and the Sacraments during these times so God’s truth can prevail in our hearts.

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Prayer to Saint Joseph Protector of Families

Posted on March 24, 2019 by veilofveronica

Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph and the Christ Child – Nicholas Enriquez (1704-c1790)

  “God Has willed that we should have nothing which would not pass through the hands of Mary.” (Hom. III in vig. nativit., n. 10, PL 183, 100) – Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

More and more, Our Immaculate Mother points out her earthly spouse to me.  Saint Joseph is a clear example of manhood.  He is a mighty intercessor of protection for these perilous times we live in, so I wrote this prayer to call on his protection.

***

O Most Holy Saint Joseph, by your yes to the plan of God, you were united to Jesus through Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces.  You were called by God our heavenly Father, through the Holy Spirit, to marriage with the ever-virgin Mary Immaculate and to the earthly fatherhood of Christ the Son.  We ask O Saint Joseph, terror of demons, and Patron of the Universal Church, that you intercede on our behalf and extend your protection to our own domestic families.  Dispel all fear and confusion.  Guard us from the evil one, just as you guarded and protected the Most Holy Family.  In particular we ask for protection from (state intention here).  Help us to be open to grace so we will be ever united to the Most Holy Trinity as you are.  Guardian Heart, pray for us.  We ask this in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

*** I am submitting this prayer to see if it is theologically correct and will make changes if need be, as I submit to what the church rules on such matters.

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