We are in the second week of Advent.
December 8th
On December 8th Catholics honor our Blessed Mother Mary’s Immaculate Conception. This refers to the Catholic belief that Saint Anne, Mary’s mother, conceived her without the stain of original sin.
The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception
Pope Pius IX formally defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, Ineffabilis Deus, in 1854. In 1858 the Blessed Mother Mary revealed her name to Saint Bernadette, an uneducated, peasant girl by saying, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
Notre Dame
On December 8th Paris, France will be buzzing. Dignitaries from all over the world will witness the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Marie Ulrich, consecrate the altar of this grand cathedral. It is by no coincidence that this celebration falls on December 8th. It is the providence of God that this is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Dates and numbers are important in our liturgical calendar.
Holy Number Thirteen
It is not surprising that Satan wants to take over the 13th day of the month. He mimics anything holy, attempting to rob us of our blessings by using the 13th as a cursed number. Those of us who were properly catechized recognize the schemes of the Devil and will not yield to his diabolical antics.
The Blessed Mother Mary appeared to the three shepherd children of Fatima six times between May and October in 1917, always on the 13th day of the month.
Saint John Paul II
On May 13, 1981, while Pope John Paul II was greeting thousands of visitors in St. Peter’s Square, there was an assassination attempt on his life. After over five hours of surgery and the transfusion of six pints of blood, the pope survived. The pontiff credited his survival to Our Lady of Fatima by saying, “One hand fired the bullet, while another hand guided it.” A supernatural force saved him.
On this exact day, May 13, 1981, in Fatima, the pope had given permission for the Third Secret to be read. During the reading of the Third Secret the pope was shot.
The First Secret was the vision of Hell, and the Second Secret was the rise of Communism in Russia. The Third Secret was much more intense and apocalyptic.
The Third Secret Of Fatima
This information is from the Fatima Center in Portugal: In the conclusion to his study of the Third Secret, Frère Michel sums up his findings as follows:
“Having reached the end of our inquiry, we are able to discern, with near certainty, the essential elements of Our Lady’s final secret: While ‘in Portugal, the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved,’ in many nations, perhaps in almost the entire world, the Faith will be lost. The pastors of the Church will fail gravely in the duties of their office. Through their fault, consecrated souls and the Faithful in great number will let themselves be seduced by pernicious errors spread everywhere. This will be the time of the decisive battle between the Blessed Virgin and the devil. A wave of diabolical disorientation will be hurled over the world. Satan will introduce himself even to the highest summit of the Church. He will blind the minds and harden the hearts of pastors. And God will deliver them to themselves as a chastisement for their refusal to obey the requests of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This will be the great apostasy predicted for the ‘last times’; ‘the False Lamb’ and ‘False Prophet’ will betray the Church to the profit of ‘the Beast’, according to the prophecy of the Apocalypse.”
This Third Secret was given to the three children on July 13, 1917.
President Trump
There was an assassination attempt on President Trump on July 13, 2024. His life, too. was spared. In the words of President Trump, “God spared my life not once but twice.” In the same speech President Trump stated that he would restore religion back to our country.
Preparing
How do we prepare for the great apostasy predicted in the Third Secret? As for me, I will continue to occupy until He comes. My life will be unchanged because God knows my heart. I am a sinner, whose sins have been nailed to the Cross. Attending daily Mass and receiving Holy Communion absolves me of all venial sins. The Devil cannot condemned me nor remind me of my past sins because Jesus paid the price on the Cross for not only me but for everyone.
Fear Not
If you are truly serving God, you have nothing to fear. The Enemy will use every trick in his dirty bag to try to bring you down. He is like an attorney from hell, and logic is his key weapon. But God has given us great discernment and wisdom to fight off the fiery darts of the Devil.
Covered By The Blood
Stay on the right path and know your giftings. We all have special gifts. The closer you approach the throne of God, the more revelation you will receive. Most importantly you must have a covering; mine is the Catholic Church. Be aware of false teaching, and flee if the beliefs of that church do not align with the Word of God. Lastly, stop preaching to Catholics that their doctrine is incorrect. We’ve been around for over 2,000 years, and our first pope was Saint Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ!
Paris
I have visited the Cathedral of Notre Dame many times. Once when we were attending Mass, it was crowded with many pilgrims, so we had to stand. At that time Mother Teresa’s nuns were giving communion. When a nun approached me, she motioned for me to open my mouth. As awkward as this was for me, I understood the reverence.
The Crown of Thorns
Only years later did I discover that the Crown of Thorns is deposited in the treasury of Notre Dame Cathedral. We praise God because the Crown, along with other beautiful icons, was saved from the fire of 2019. I know soon, God willing, Mike and I will make our way back to Paris to visit Notre Dame and all the other holy sites that France has to offer.
My Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for restoring Notre Dame. In many ways I believe that You are restoring France as well. Lord, just as You can rebuild edifices, You can restore us. Bring us from the ashes and breathe new life in us all. Amen.