Hopeless Things Are Not

O my God! relying on Thy almighty power and infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.

Goffine asks[1]: When should we make an act of Hope? As soon as we come to the use of reason and are sufficiently instructed concerning this virtue and its motives; in time of trouble or of severe temptation against this virtue; when receiving the holy Sacraments; every morning and evening, and especially at the hour of death. Children are taught the acts of Faith, Hope, Charity and Contrition from their first years in studying Catechism. And this is a good practice to prepare them for death. We remember assisting at the beside of an 18 year old man, who was dying from leukemia. When he was awake he would recite prayer after prayer he had learned as a child. Indeed what better way to prepare for death. And if we cannot memorize these prayers due to our advanced years, let us prepare a notebook full of prayers and meditations and ask that these be read to us as we enter our last days!

The substance of the Act of Hope is this: I hope for Heaven and the means to obtain it. God will provide us with everything we need to obtain eternal happiness, if only we will make use of these great gifts. Daily God is granting us many gifts, especially graces, to help us obtain eternal happiness. This instruction is a gift from God to remind us of His infinite mercy. Give glory to the Lord for His mercy endures forever. [2] We should recite this prayer daily, especially at the hour or mercy, that is three in the afternoon.

The virtue of hope “is a supernatural gift of God by which we firmly trust that God will give us eternal life and all the means necessary to obtain it if we do what He requires of us. [3] There are two qualities of this virtue to which all others can be reduced: 1. That it be firm or immovable, and 2. That it be universal.

Further on let us read about the three parts of the universality of hope:

We should hope for all things, all good things to be obtained from the merciful hands of God:

1. Eternal happiness to be certainly obtained if we persevere in grace, or it grace be lost by sin, hope is not lost unless the sin be one of despair, the sinner may still hope sincerely for repentance and the recovery of grace and the restoration of the friendship of God.

2. We should hope for all the means necessary to obtain salvation-these God has promised. And,

3. We should hope and pray for all things necessary for body and soul.

Again we should hope always and at all times, no matter in what condition or state we may find ourselves. The more helpless and miserable we are, the greater should be our hope.

Let us consider this well, hope is a virtue directed to the obtaining of our salvation. God will help us obtain salvation, if only we cooperate. Let us look at this from another angle. We say that I can save my soul if only… If God withholds something we think we need, then He is telling us that we do not need it at this moment. My grace is sufficient. [4] So let us hope for salvation and let us have faith that God will save us, if only we cooperate.

And let us consider this well, God can save us, but only if we cooperate with His grace. God cannot save us without our help! And so let us resolve here and now to do all in our power to do God’s will, especially when it is a hard saying!

Another question arises. Several people commented that they did not believe they would see the restoration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. When all was scheduled, these comments came forth, and then there is now a delay. Have we all lost hope? On July 16, 1990 the Apostolic Succession of mission and authority was restored in a humble building in a small town in the wilderness. And for over a decade and a half, things have progressed extremely slowly. And they that remain of the trees of his forest shall be so few, that they shall easily be numbered, and a child shall write them down. [5] This prophecy can still be verified today. But are things hopeless?

All the holy Fathers agree that after the death of antichrist the whole world will be converted, and although some of them assert that the world will last but a few days after his death, while others say a few months, some authorities insist that it will continue to exist many years after. St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Francis of Paula, and a number of other saints have predicted this ultimate universal conversion. [6]

We are after the death of antichrist, which occurred on August 6, 1978, almost three decades ago. Note well that the Fathers of the Church are in unanimous agreement that the conversion will occur. However, they are not sure how and exactly when or how long before the end of the world. We believe this is because God has withheld knowledge of some things, so that another prophecy could be fulfilled the deception of the elect. [7] We are of the opinion that the opinion that the conversion will exist for many years is more likely what will happen. In fact this may continue for over a century.

Let Us give Our personal opinion on these matters. First of all We believe that We will not see the end of the world. However, We believe that We will see the universal conversion or at least come to the door as Moses saw the Promised Land but was not allowed to enter. And so Our immediate successor may be in charge of the universal conversion as Josua was in charge of conquering the promised land. We believe that all reading this will see the restoration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

In the end My Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Blessed Virgin Mary predicted this at Fatima. Notice that Her prophecy is not conditional, just as the universal conversion is not conditional. Both will happen. Let us consider, I may not convert, but the world will eventually convert. We personally believe there is some more tribulation for the world to come between now and this universal conversion. This is why We strongly recommend all become firm in faith, hope and charity. We will need to be founded on a rock, that is the rock of the Church.

Saint Dominic said at a chance [8] meeting of himself, Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Angelus: One day, Brother Angelus, to your Order of Carmel the Most Blessed Virgin Mary will give a devotion to be known as the Brown Scapular, and to my Order of Preachers She will give a devotion to be known as the Rosary. And one day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, She will save the world. Notice that this prophecy is also not conditional. It is Our belief that the universal conversion and the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary will be one and the same thing. That is Mary will triumph over the heresies of today. Saint Dominic was given the Rosary as a means of triumphing over heresy. Indeed we honor Mary as the Vanquisher of All Heresies.

Let us consider this briefly now, and We will return to this in separate instructions later. The Rosary was originally given as a tool against heresy. Indeed it reminds us of fifteen doctrines of the Divine and Catholic Faith that relate especially to our salvation. And in the 16^th century Pope Saint Pius V commanded the world to pray the Rosary for success in a battle against Islam and the potential invasion of Europe. And today we are fighting among other heresies, that of Islam. [9] After Fatima Mary gave the First Saturday devotion to remind us that the Rosary consists in more than 150 Hail Marys separated into fifteen decades. No, the Rosary consists in meditating on the mysteries attached to these decades.

And the Sabbatine Privilege attached to the Brown Scapular is indeed comforting, but requires effort to obtain. However, we know that anything worth while is worth working for. Saint Alphonsus: To obtain the Sabbatine indulgence, chastity must be observed according to each one's state (of life), and the little office of the blessed Virgin or the canonical office recited. The office may be supplied by the fasts of the church and abstinence on Wednesday and Saturday; or if these fasts and abstinences are not possible, by some works equally painful and meritorious, as prescribed by the priest authorized to receive members. We are reconsidering the matter of a general commutation of the works prescribed, which is within the fullness of Our authority as Pope, since Jesus said: Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth shall be bound also in Heaven. [10] More on this soon.

Apocalypse 12:10-11: And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ: because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of the testimony: and they loved not their lives unto death.

Kramer’s commentary (pages 291ff): Verse 10 …. The latent power of the Eucharistic Christ has manifested itself now in the zeal it has inspired to renounce the world and all its promises. … The sovereignty that belongs to God, the Creator and Redeemer, shall be re-assumed, because the way is cleared for it in the purging of all evils from the Church. … When this power concealed in His Eucharistic Presence finds no evil in the Church to stem the forces of its love, it will inundate the world with a quickening flood of grace, wash away all malice and plant the everlasting peace, strength and salvation of God’s kingdom. When the Church is cured of all weakness, the triumph of the power and authority of Christ is assured. … Verse 11 … The “blood of the Lamb” means here the same as in 7:14, the blood that flows from the Eucharistic Christ in the sacrifice of the Mass and inundates the soul with grace and strength to make a fearless profession of faith at all times. It cured them of spiritual anemia and fortified them to stand unmoved in the fact of death.

Our comment in an article being compiled in June 2006: “And let us consider this from Kramer: When this power concealed in His Eucharistic Presence finds no evil in the Church to stem the forces of its love. If we truly want the Mass back we must abandon our lukewarmness and become on fire with the love of God and His Church and be willing to give ourselves unconditionally to the cause of the exaltation of the Church.”

Isaias 10:10:22: And they that remain of the trees of his forest shall be so few, that they shall easily be numbered, and a child shall write them down. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that shall escape of the house of Jacob, shall lean no more upon him that striketh them: but they shall lean upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall be converted, the remnant, I say, of Jacob, to the mighty God. For if thy people, O Israel, shall be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them shall be converted, the consumption abridged shall overflow with justice.

The remnant shall be converted. Let us convert ourselves from a life of lukewarm semi-conformity to the world into men and women on fire with the love of God and His holy Church. Let us acquire the spirit of martyrdom as recommended by Saint John Eudes who fought heretics similar to those of our day. Let us go forth with the Cross in one hand and the Rosary in the other, while clothed with the Scapular.

And he said to all: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. [11] How do we take up our cross daily? We do this as Jesus reminded Sr. Lucia dos Santos, by doing our daily duty to God and our fellow man. For most of us this consists mainly in our duty to God and duty to one’s own family. But if any man have not care of his own and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. [12]

And let us remember that the Rosary, of which most customarily say a third part, is a series of meditations while the various prayers are said. Saint Bernard: Remain here, all you earthly and distracting thoughts. I may have time for you after meditation. And the modern custom has added the Apostle’s Creed a summary of Catholic Doctrine. In addition to daily recitation of a third part of the Rosary, let us add a half an hour or more of study of the Catechism each week.

And one of the key parts of the Scapular devotion is the observance of chastity, which is so attacked in these days of utter paganism. Let us fight this neo-paganism by modesty in dress, reserve in entertainment, and chastity in mind, soul, heart and body.

And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which thing, thrice I besought the Lord that it might depart from me. And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee: for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. For which cause I please myself in my infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ. For when I am weak, then am I powerful. [13]

Let us recite morning and evening the Act of Hope by the form above or some other form. Let us take this to heart and acquire the virtues of faith, hope and charity. Let us pray on these, meditate upon these and study these most important virtues. Many more things could be said, but We have already gone into many and given everyone, including Ourself, much to meditate upon.

Pope Michael, November 12, 2006 Feast of Saint Martin, beginning of Saint Martin’s Lent [14]

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a, living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and the acceptable and the perfect will of God. [15]

[1] Instruction on the Second Lord’s Day after Easter

[3] Fr. Arthur Devine, C.P. in Parochial Course of Doctrinal Instructions, volume 3, pages 97 and 98

[6] Saint John Eudes, page 319, The Admirable Heart of Mary.

[8] Actually there is no such thing as chance or luck, only the providence of God.

[9] There is much to this and not space here to consider Islam and what may lie ahead in the near future. Some think that Islam will destroy Rome, which is why We as Pope remain in exile.

[14] Some observed a fast of 40 days and 40 nights prior to the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ on December 25^th. This fast was observed as strictly as Lent was. We recommend that all observe some form of voluntary fast, during Advent proper from the First Monday in Advent until Christmas Eve. We shall have more to say on this, when We send out the calendars.