| |
|
CHRIST'S
CHURCH
ST. JOHN BOSCO,
Priest
Vision of
the Bark of
Peter in Storm:
|
 |
|
| |
|
THE
VISION OF THE TWO COLUMNS: On May 30, 1862 Don Bosco recounted that, in a dream, he had seen an immense sea,
on which a great many ships were arranged for battle, against a larger and
taller ship. He also saw others which
were defending the tall ship. Here are
his words: |
|
| |
"In
the midst of this endless sea,
two solid columns, a short distance apart, soar high into the sky. One is surmounted by a statue of the
Immaculate Virgin, at whose feet a large inscription reads: "Help of Christians". The other, far loftier and sturdier,
supports a Host
(Holy
Eucharist) of proportionate size, and bears beneath it the inscription, "Salvation of Believers".
|
|
|
The
flagship commander
-
the Roman Pontiff - standing at the helm, strains every muscle to steer his ship
between the two columns, from whose summit hang many anchors, and strong hooks
linked to chains. The entire enemy fleet closes in, to intercept and sink
the flagship at all costs. They bombard it with everything they
have:
books and pamphlets, incendiary bombs, firearms, cannons. The battle rages
ever more furious. Beaked prows ram the flagship again and again, but to
no avail, as, unscathed and undaunted, it keeps on its course. At times, a
formidable ram splinters a gaping hole into its hull, but, immediately, a breeze
from the two columns
seals the gash.
Meanwhile,
enemy cannons blow up; firearms and beaks fall to pieces; ships crack up and
sink to the bottom. In blind fury, the
enemy takes to hand-to-hand combat, cursing and blaspheming. Suddenly the Pope falls, seriously
wounded. He is instantly helped up, but
struck a second time, dies. A shout
of victory rises from the enemy, and wild rejoicing sweeps their ships. But no sooner is the Pope dead, than another
takes his place. The captains of the
auxiliary ships elected him so quickly, that the news of the Pope's death
coincides with that of his successor's election. The enemy's self-assurance wanes. |
| |
|
Breaking
through all resistance, the new Pope steers his ship safely between the two
columns; first, to the one surmounted by the Host, and then to the other,
topped by the statue of the Virgin. At
this point, something unexpected happens. The enemy ships panic and disperse, colliding with and scuttling
each other. |
| |
|
Some
auxiliary ships, which had gallantly fought alongside their flagship, are the
first to tie up at the two columns.
Many others, which had fearfully kept far away from the fight, stand
still, cautiously waiting until the wrecked enemy ships vanish under the
waves. Then they, too, head for the
two columns, tie up at the swinging hooks, and ride safe and tranquil beside
the flagship.
"A great calm now covers the sea".
|
| |
| THE PROCESSION
(St. John Bosco):
"And
to you, Rome, what will happen? You admire nothing else in your Sovereign
except luxury, forgetting that you and your glory stands upon Golgotha. Now he is old, defenseless, and
despoiled; and yet at his word, the word of one who was in bondage, the whole
world trembles. The Sin will have its end. And before two full moons of the month of
the flowers will have run their course, the rainbow of peace will rise above
the earth...There shall come a great warrior from the North carrying a
banner and on the right hand that supports it is written: "THE IRRESISTIBLE HAND OF THE
LORD" At that very moment there went out to meet him the
Venerable
Old Man of Lazio (Pope) with a brilliantly glowing
torch.
The banner then increased in size and turned from black to snow
white. In the middle of the banner, in
letters of gold, there was written THE NAME OF HIM WHO IS ABLE TO DO ALL
THINGS. The warrior with his men
bowed and shook hands with the Venerable Old Man power of the
Lord is in His hands. He scatters His
enemies as a cloud. The Venerable Old
Man attires himself in all his ancient raiment. There will come again a violent hurricane. Iniquity is consummated. |
|
|
| |
|
PROPHECY OF
PREMOL
- 5th
Century
War, war, war! Civil and foreign wars!
Mourning and death everywhere! Famine
over the whole world. Why, O Lord, dost
Thou not stop all this with Thy arm?
The cities are destroyed , the natural elements are set loose, the earth
quakes everywhere. But mercy, mercy for
Rome! |
|
|
| |
|
But Thou hearest not my
entreaties, and Rome also collapses in tumult. And I see the King of Rome with his Cross and his tiara, shaking
the dust off his shoes, and hastening in his flight to other shores. |
| |
|
Thy Church, O Lord, is torn apart by her own
children. One camp is faithful to the
fleeing Pontiff, the other is subject to the new government of Rome which
has broken the Tiara. But Almigbty God
will, in His mercy, put an end to this confusion and a new age will begin. Then, said the Spirit, this is the beginning
of the End of Time"
|
| |
|
MARY LATASTE - 1847
During three years and a little more, this city (Rome) shall appear
overcome. But my Mother will come
down to that city: She will take the hand of the old man sitting on the throne,
and will say to him: Lo! the hour is
come; rise up; behold thy enemies! I make them disappear, one after the other,
and they shall disappear forevermore.
|
 |
|
|
Thou hast given me glory both on earth and in heaven. Behold, men venerate thy name, venerate thy
courage, venerate thy power; thou shall live, and I will live with thee. Dry up thy tears, old man; I bless
thee!" |
| |
|
BLESSED SISTER KATARINA
EMMERICK - 1774-1824
"I
saw a strange church
being built against every rule...No angels were supervising the building operations.
There was only division and chaos. There was something proud, presumptuous, and
violent about it, and they seemed to be very successful. I did not see a single Angel nor a single
saint helping in the work. I saw
also the relationship between the two popes...I saw how baleful would be
the consequences of this false Church.
I saw it increase in size; heretics of every kind came into the city.
The local clergy grew lukewarm, and I saw a great darkness ...Then the
vision seemed to extend on every side.
Whole Catholic communities were being oppressed, harassed, confined, and
deprived of their freedom. I saw many
churches close down, great miseries everywhere, wars and bloodshed. A wild and ignorant mob took to violent
action. But it did not last long. I saw again the Blessed Virgin ascend on the
Church and spread her mantle. I saw a
Pope who was at once gentle, and very firm...I saw a great renewal, and the
Church rose high in the sky."
|
| |
|
ST TERESA OF AVILA
Once
in prayer, with much recollection, sweetness, and repose, I saw myself, as it
seemed to me, surrounded by angels, and was close unto God...I began to
intercede with His Majesty on behalf of the Church. I was given to understand the great services which a
particular Order would render in the latter days, and the courage with
which its members would maintain the faith
(Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew, Carmelite & St
Teresa's traveling companion says "The Order is Ours" - National Library of Madrid)
(The following visions are all part of the above but under
different variations. The "Large
Book" is always Scripture;
Elijah is the spiritual father of the Carmelite Order, founded by
the early hermits on Mt Carmel in Palestine.)
"I
had a vision of a Saint, whose Order was in some degree fallen. In his hands he held a LARGE BOOK which
he opened. And then told me,
"In times to come this Order will flourish; it will have many
martyrs".
On
another occasion, when I was at Matins in choir, six or seven persons
(apocalyptic
symbol - 7 angels), who
seemed to me to be of this Oder, appeared and stood before me with swords in
their hands. The meaning of that, as I
think, is that they are to be defenders of the faith, for at another
time, when I was in prayer, I fell into a trance, and stood in spirit on a wide
plain, where many persons were fighting; and the members of this Order were
fighting with great zeal. Their faces were beautiful, and as it were on
fire. Many they laid low on the ground
defeated, others they killed. It seemed
to me to be a battle with heretics."
|
| |
|
CARMEN GENESIS
Francis Thompson (excerpts)
Sing how the uncreated Light
Moved first upon the deep and night…Creation’s
primal plot…:
And what thy Maker in the
whole Worked, little maker, in thy soul Thou work’st, and men know
not….
Elias, when thou comest! Yea,
Mak’st straight the intelligential way For God to pace into…I start,
Thy secrets lie so bare! |
| |
|
|
|
LILY OF THE KING
Poem by Francis
Thompson
O Lily of the King! low lies thy silver wing,
And long has been the hour of thine unqueening;
AND THY SCENT OF
PARADISE
ON THE NIGHT-WIND
SPILLS ITS SIGHS,
NOR ANY TAKE THE SECRETS OF ITS MEANING.
O Lily of the
King, I speak a heavy thing,
O patience, most sorrowful of
daughters!
Lo, the hour is at
had for the troubling of the land,
And red shall be the breaking of the waters. |
|
 |
|
|
Sit
fast upon thy stalk, when the blast with thee shall talk,
With the mercies of the King for thine awning;
AND THE JUST UNDERSTAND THAT THINE HOUR IS AT HAND,
THINE HOUR IS AT HAND WITH POWER IN THE DAWNING.
When
nations lie in blood, and their kings a broken brood, Look
up, O most sorrowful of daughters!
Lift
up thy head and hark what sounds are in the dark,
For His feet are coming to thee on the
waters.
O
Lily of the King! I shall not see, that sing,
I
shall not see the hour of thy queening!
BUT MY SONG SHALL SEE, AND WAKE like a flower that dawn-winds shake,
AND
SIGH WITH JOY THE ODORS OF ITS MEANING.
O
Lily of the King, REMEMBER THEN THE THING
THAT THIS DEAD MOUTH SANG;
And thy daughters,
as
they dance before HIS WAY... Sing there on The Day
WHAT I SANG WHEN THE NIGHT WAS ON THE
WATERS!
|
| |
|
THE LITTLE BLACK ROSE
Aubrey
De Vere
|
The
little black rose shall be red at last ;
What
made it black but the march wind dry,
And
the tear of the widow that fell on it fast?
It shall redden the hills when June is
nigh.
The
silk of the Kine shall rest at last;
What
drove her forth but the dragon-fly?
In
the golden vale she shall feed full fast
With
her mild gold horn and slow dark eye.
The
wounded wood-dove lies dead at last!
The
pine long bleeding it shall not die!
This song is secret—mine
ear it passed
In
a wind on the plains at Athenry. |
|
|
THE AFTER WOMAN
(excerpts)
Francis Thompson
Daughter
of the newer Eve… The celestial
traitress play,
And all mankind to bliss
betray…
Give me
song, as She is, new…
FAIR, I
HAD A DREAM OF THEE
When my
young heart beat prophecy..
How my
desire desired your day, …Then
EDEN’S
LOPPED TREE SHALL SHOOT AGAIN
For who
Christ’s eyes shall miss, with those
Eyes for evident nuncios…WHO SHALL NOT FEEL THE
HEAVENS HID
IMPEND, at the tremble of your lid…
|
|
|
|
...YEA,
’FORE THE SILVER APOCALYPSE
FAIL, AT THE UNSEALING OF YOUR LIPS...When to love you
is
(O Christ’s spouse!)
To love
the beauty of His house;
THEN COME THE ISAIAN DAYS;
the old
Shall dream; and our young men behold
Vision—yea, the vision of Thabor-mount…BECAUSE
IN ALL MEN’S HEARTS
SHALL BE
THE SEEING AND THE
PROPHECY…
When
Egypt’s spoils are Israel’s right
And
Day fulfils the married arms of Night.
BUT
HERE MY LIPS ARE STILL,
UNTIL
YOU
AND THE HOUR SHALL BE REVEALED,
THIS SONG IS SUNG, AND SUNG NOT, AND ITS WORDS ARE SEALED.
|
| |
|
HUDSON VALLEY
(excerpts)
- America
by Dag Hammarskjold -
First Secretary to the U.N.
A warm
autumn night...Far away a heart stops.
On
the drawing-room table The BOOK
became soiled, And the text was lost.
When
the God's play They look for a string
That has never been touched by men.
May
I be offered To that in the offering Which will
be offered...
Be
pure and dare-- In this fight with the
mountain, With myself against me...
FOR HIM WHO HAS FAITH,
THE LAST MIRACLE SHALL BE
GREATER THAN THE FIRST. |
| |
| |
| |
|
