There was a case of a reported apparition of Mary that I
went to check out one time. It was
pretty benign and as such seemed possibly legit. Then one day “Mary” started to reveal things
and give instructions found nowhere in the Tradition of revelation already
presented to us. At that point, I knew
to pack my bags and enjoy prayer time elsewhere.
It is our dogmatic teaching that all revelation ended with
the death of the last apostle. (That
doesn’t mean we might not discern a truth by contemplating more deeply truths
already revealed to us along the lines of contemplating 2 + 2 and coming with
the answer 4 for the first time) That being said, there will be no further
revelations until the second coming of Christ.
This makes a great litmus test for discerning apparitions.
Through the ages God has revealed Himself to us in many and
varied ways which we have explored here before.
Works, acts, prophets all lead up to the ultimate revelation of God =
Jesus Christ. He completed and perfected
the revelation of God. In other words,
He was here, He met us, He spoke to us, He passed on His will to us,
established an institution to keep His memory and teaching alive, and finally
gives Himself to us in His Body and Blood.
It would difficult to think of a way for Him to reveal Himself in time
any more clearly unless He was reborn innumerable times and in thousands of
locations to make Himself available to each of us personally – which, come to
think of it, is exactly what kind of happens in the Eucharist. Huh. Well, I’m out of ideas.
That’s why He is God, and I am lowly priest.
Thus we have the new and definitive covenant with God. There will not be a newer covenant the new
and everlasting covenant. It’s this or
nothing.
1 comment:
An old Fatima believer, I've been reading and thinking it all over for the last six months-with very mixed feelings.
All this, because I promised to deliver a talk on this to some friend's children... so, as you can see, the matter, what shall I say?, matters.
The Church has always admitted private revelations as such, and Fatima in particular has been especially recommended by no less than seven Popes.
But, as I say, I had (and have) a couple of reservations with this and that. On the other hand, what to do, what to think of those three innocent and saintly little children (Jacinta, Francisco and Lucy) and all their sufferings because of what they went through? Can I really, put this down and move on to other subjects?
After all, Jacinta, for example, was only six years old, playing with her little brother and cousin in the most innocent way, when suddenly... it didn't take long before she was contemplating Hell itself.
Oh, I'd really love to move on to other things, and let this go.
And yet... because of little Jacinta, I'm still at it, studying, revising, thinking it all over again and again.
Hating Bertone's cover-up, loving Socci's and Ferrara's books.
And trying to deal with this and this other reservation of mine...
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
J.T.
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