The words of Our Lord Jesus Christ to Saint Margaret of Cortona, the Franciscan Magdalene:
"Know that just as people criticized My miracles and My teaching, so they will dare to criticize the Friars Minor, your Fathers. But just as, despite the accusations of My critics, I did not give up My good works, so let the Friars in turn not cease performing the good works that they do in me, on account of those who slander them."
"My enemies have increased in number in order to tempt My people. The Friars Minor, to whom I have given the nets of My preaching, are the shields of souls."
Source: The Revelations of Margaret of Cortona the Franciscan Magdalene
by: Most Rev. Ange-Marie Hiral, OFM Bishop of Sululi
We are denounced from pulpits; we are called Lutherans by a certain Diocese, and we are avoided like the Plague. May the Most Holy Trinity be blessed and honored in all of this, and may we all be given a true spirit of penitence through the intercession of this glorious Saint to whom Our Lord said: "Those who come to you in my name will receive a special grace."
posted by Brother Bonaventure, OFM at 3:05 AM
11 Comments:
I had a friend ask my this question a few days ago,"Why is it if the Franciscans under Bishop Vezelis are doing such good works, they do not have more vocations?" They compare the vocations to what they see in the Sects of the "Traditional" movement. I think it is sad. I have my reasons as to why I personally believe this to be ordained by God but I wanted to hear your take on it. I am sure it is probably along the lines as to what I wonder and think. It is sad that we cannot get others to open their eyes.
From my post, True Franciscan Authority:
"Quality, not quanitity has always been the mind of the Catholic Church concerning religious and priestly vocations."
When Bishop Louis founded the community there were more seminarians and novices, but they didn't perservere because they either a real Faith, Divine vocation or both.
Also there are teenaged candidates for both the Friars and the Poor Clares, but their parents won't let them go until graduation.
Another reason is that some are called but refuse to respond. In these days the vocation to religious life and priesthood is hardest, especially for those raised in this God-less moral-less society are hardly willing or ready to "turn their backs on the pleasures of the world to embrace the joys of eternity."
Pray for good and holy vocations- that God's holy will be done.
Brother Augustine,
You have admirably answered this question, with Faith and in truth. Allow me to add this all-important prophecy concerning these dire times of the Great Apostasy. Let us first keep in mind that we have already experienced the Great Apostasy, the irreversible and universal turning away from the True Faith. Now, Saint James of Massa had a crystal clear vision of the entire Franciscan Order, from its foundation to its very last friar. He saw the Order as a giant tree, and he knew perfectly the virtues, merits, graces, and faults of each and every friar. Suddenly, there arose a great storm, and the tree was so violently shaken that it seemed to be totally uprooted, and crashed to the ground with tremendous ferocity.
Although it seemed that the entire Order of Friars Minor has been destroyed by heresy and apostasy, this holy friar saw something amazing protruding from the ground near the fallen tree: a little golden shoot. As a novice, I asked His Excellency if he thought that we few friars could be the ones that our prophetic predecessor spoke of. His reply, which was almost mystical in its delivery, was that, "I believe that we have a golden community."
whoislikeun2God, you seem to have a firm grasp on the realities that we all face as Roman Catholis who hold to all that Our Holy Mother Church believes and teaches. Let me reassure you that we grieve right along with you concerning the abominable desolation of the right order of the Ecclesiastical hierarchy, and the indifference and willful ignorance of so many of those pietistic people who mistakenly believe in their own delusions. Truth is truth, and facts are facts. I am just a Friar Minor, and I merely present to you, in the best way that I know how, that our intellects and our consciences do not deceive us; and it has been revealed by Our Lord Himself to Saint Margaret of Cortona that in the last days, the Order of Friars Minor will be called upon to fight against the Antichrist. God willing, my brothers in Christ, we will stand alone.
Yes, the revelation given to St. James that Brother Bonaventure told us about is very important in understanding the Order and our place in it.
Here's the link to the full story in the Little Flowers of St. Francis:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/ugolino/flowers.iii.xlviii.html
Thank you Brothers. I was talking with Father Joseph regarding what was revealed to St. Margaret of Cortona and he was trying to remember where else this was revealed. Maybe you can enlighten our beloved Father for his memory loss. :) lol.....No disrespect intended. I would be curious to read it also. Thank you for your words of encouragement. I know we all get a little frustrated but we have to be patient, for Our Good Lord has His plan for the Franciscans. I try to walk very carefully when saying this as I fear Pride (which I am filled with and working on) may get in the way and blind me but I sometimes meditate on things of my childhood and my early adulthood and realize our Savior has been calling me to the Franciscans for years! I know this is the time for the True Franciscan order. Call me crazy but I just feel it in my whole soul. Again, I may be wrong, but things sure do point divinely in that direction. I know most have not yet heard of Mother Marianna de Jesus Torres, of the Conceptionist Order in Quito, Ecuador but if you should ever have time, try and read some of it. This was approved back in the 1500's. Our Lady told Mother Marianna that her title would not be known or the story of it all until the 20th Century. Well not a word of it was revealed until the 20th Century! Everything has happened exactly the way our Lady predicted, without missing a beat. However, the point I wanted to make was this: One of the punishments that came down upon the Conceptionist Order, because of some rebellious religious who wanted to relax the Rule of St. Francis, was that the Franciscans, who were their supperiors, would be forced to leave and that things would get horrible for the Order but one day she would return the Order to the supervision of the Franciscans. Today, even though the order is under the supervision of the False Novus Ordo, the Franciscans have not returned. Our Lady told her what would happen to the order, especially today but promised that it would return to the Rule of St. Francis and under his guidence. Interesting, huh? There is more to it but no room here. I have the books if you are ever interested. They were written by a Franciscan Father, who joined the Franciscans after having an apparition from Mother Marianna. He was a soldier in the Spanish Army and was told by Mother Marianna that he was fighting in the wrong Army. He realized that he was to join the Fransicans. This was around the 1500-1600, I think.
"realize our Savior has been calling me to the Franciscans for years! I know this is the time for the True Franciscan order. Call me crazy but I just feel it in my whole soul. Again, I may be wrong, but things sure do point divinely in that direction."
Whoislikeun2God if you think that God has called you to our Seraphic Order, then pray very much and speak to the Friars.
Public blog comment windows aren't the best way to discuss such a personal call, so I suggest going to Fr. Joseph whom I'm presuming is your confessor/spiritual director and going from there.
May Our Lady, Queen of Our Order guide you in the service of Her Son!
Thank you for the refresher on Our Lady of Quito. You must know that she also spoke of a single Prelate who would stand up and defend the Faith near the end of time. For how many years was Bishop Vezelis the only Epispocal Authority who defended all that Holy Mother Church believes and teaches!
I believe that many things will be accomplished through the Friars Minor before the Final Judgement, since it is Our Lord's good pleasure that Saint Francis should occupy that glorious throne once belonging to Lucifer, and that the Order ahould be filled with more canonized saints and blesseds than any other in the Church.
How does one water a golden tree? My guess would be only with Divine Grace.
May God bless you richly.
Oh, thank you Franciscan Tertiary! Thank you for your advise. I may have not conveyed very well what I was trying to, in that particular comment that you quoted me on. Sorry. I was just sharing what I believed to be how long God had been trying to guide me to His Seraphic Order. It sure took me along time. I am here already and am learning alot. I have been part of the Franciscans for about a year now.I apologize if it sounded as though I was trying to obtain spiritual advise or a personal guidance. My prayers are with you all.
whoislikeun2God: So you're already a Franciscan! Keep reading about true Catholic doctrine, Our Lady and our Franciscan Order & calling.
Nothing to be sorry about at all,
God bless you!
- Br. Augustine, T.O.S.F.
(Franciscan Tertiary)
Saint James of Massa: I read this part as you suggested! This is beautiful. I am like a sponge soaking all this info up. I am so very happy that you started this blog. I am reading and learning so much just by the few exerpts entailed on this blog. I love it. Thank you. I will keep checking in, to read more and more. We are all at such different parts of the country, saddly because of the state of Holy Church, that we cannot all communicate on a regular basis to share these golden treasures. I guess we have to use the evil internet for good, don't we. Good night and God Bless.
So then there is truth to this apparation of Quito, Ecuador?
The 'Traditionalists' in our area are all taken with it, planning and executing 'pilgrimages,' etc. I have wondered about it and pretty much rejected it because of these heretics. I'm sure we need to be very careful here?
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