Connecting to Heaven

As a Mathematician I have a great hunger for knowledge.  I seek knowledge in Mathematics like a bulldog would, I dig in, latch on, and don't let go until I have what I want.  Because this is the method I have used to acquire knowledge, it was no surprise that I would employ these same techniques when it came to seeking after God.    

It is written, "there is no one who seeks God", well I did.  I went after God, and sought Him diligently and by God's grace I will tell what I found.  

1.  God exists, and is very real and is an eternally Holy, and is eternally just.   Although there will be no direct scientific proof of Him, because He is the author of creation and is not bound to be subject to the criteria of proof required to prove 'existence' .  God does give evidence of Him being the author of all life and creation, but men push it away as a natural occurrence, a fluke or a coincidence.  There is no such thing.  Natural occurrence, fluke or coincidence are only aspects of the mystery of "God Allowing."  God is  "I Am"....He IS existence.    

Human beings experience 'reality' in relation to time and sensation, God is not bound to these constraints.  As we were created by an Eternal God, the eternity that is our destiny was placed in our hearts and despite all our limitations in a fleshly state, we can rise above the groans and demands of the flesh and seek the truth of an Eternal existence that is not waiting for us when we die, but that we are a part of right now. 

If we are in Eternity right now, then our thoughts, actions, and words will have eternal consequences.  Whatever we say, do, or think, God remembers for all eternity, and if our actions are sinful and not repented of, they may require an eternal consequence.  Do not think that because you flesh lives a short life, that you can do what you please and tread on the Honor of God for your own desires.  For some will come to their deathbed in such a horrible state of mortal sin, that only the hands of a Priest giving the Anointing of the Sick can turn God's wrath from their eternal damnation. 

2.  As God loves those He has given life, God has given his creation a means of piercing the veil that separates life from death and perceiving, at least in part, the eternal reality that awaits those that will diligently seek Him.   Yes, we can perceive Heaven, even while we are in the flesh.

3.  The most powerful methods given to man to gain access to the heavenly realm are:
      i) The Holy Mass with frequent Holy Communion
      ii) The Holy Rosary 
      iii) Confession and Penance
      iv) Holy Scriptures 

The two most 'portable' methods of these being the Holy Rosary and Holy Scriptures.  

The Holy Rosary is the best portable method of purification of a soul in order to gain access to the Heavenly Realm, as God allows.  We can have access to praying a Rosary when reading scriptures would not be feasible.  

4.  Gaining access to heaven isn't about what you do, or how many times it is done, but about what your heart does.  There is no list of how many prayers it takes to get into heaven.  St. Michael will not be looking at your excel spreadsheet of prayers to see if they were completed, but he will take you heart and weigh it in it's love for others.   How much did you truly love and pour yourself out for others, even to your last breath.    In one scale, will be your heart, in the other will be the Cross of our Lord.  Your heart will be weighed against the Passion of our Lord, and His sacrifice.   If you understood this, you would be terrified.

5.  The Holy Rosary is for purification and petition, but the Holy Mass is where the Heaven's are first opened for us.  This was not something that happened instantly, I had been a great sinner, and had to go through several years of purification before I attained this perception, as God wills it.  But I can tell you, when the Heaven's Open during the Holy Mass, we have access to the Throne of God for our petitions for others.  (You only get to this level, if you have truly humbled yourself before God, sought nothing for self, and petition God for the good of another, seeking no acclaim or attention.)  

I have seen the Saints in heaven observing the Holy Mass being celebrated on Earth, and how happy they are!  When you perceive God in this way, you are given what a victory the Holy Mass is on the Earth and how it was a gift from God to man.  Not just Catholics, but every soul on the Earth benefits from each and every Holy Mass that is said, and many souls in Purgatory are released to the beatific vision of God. 

6.  As God allows, depending on the state of your heart and soul to God, He may allow you access to the Throne of God for your petitions outside of the Holy Mass.  Yes, God can do that, and I didn't even realize I was seeking this connection outside of Holy Mass until God showed me what I was doing.  

We in the flesh are very limited, so God gives us each and every person that we encounter in our lives, no matter how insignificant that encounter.   Your children and family are a gift from God, but also is the woman that cut you off in traffic.  God gave her to YOU and He showed you that she is in a potentially dangerous state, and made sure you didn't forget her.  (Wouldn't you come home and complain about being cut off!  You remembered her!!)  There are NO coincidences, and no accidents.  

After encountering an older gentleman that God gave to me for prayer,  I looked up to heaven and petitioned God for this soul as if I was with him before his Judgement.  Instead of just praying for the soul, I go the extra mile and seek to be present at the souls Judgement and petition God for them.   I seek the Throne of God, the Judgement seat of Christ, and before the Cross, I kneel with this soul and petition God to be merciful for his or her sins.  

If the man is still alive, how can I do this? Because we are bound by time, God is not.  God is ever present in a state of eternal "now", with all things before Him constantly with an eternal and perfect knowledge whether the knowledge is from the past or the future.    This perfect knowledge in eternity in no way hinders man's free will to direct his future even though that future is already known by an eternal, loving and perfectly just God.   Even though this man is still living, God is in some sense of eternity presiding at this man's judgement, and He was given to me to be one that pleads for him before the Throne of God.  I have a level of faith that knows that God, if He wills, can allow me to plead at this man's Judgement even though this man is yet still in the flesh.  

If we are going to seek after God we must realize that because of our sinful nature, He is not like us, but as He wills, we can become more like Him.  We must seek to understand the truth of God's reality and seek to perceive this reality to attain the salvation of others.  

One of the best ways to do this is also to constantly remind God, "Nothing is impossible to you, if you will it."  But know God is not mocked, He knows even the deepest secrets of your hearts, so if your intention is not pure, you will attain nothing without a heart directed for others that allows you to be properly dressed for the wedding feast.

God desires ALL  to seek Him.  The Saints have all had this access to the Throne of God, and the one's that did most obviously, where very devoted to the most Holy Rosary.

GO AFTER HIM...and Godspeed. 

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St. Gemma praying, looking to Heaven.

St. Gemma's prayer as a child was “Holy Virgin, make me a Saint.” During this time she often said the whole fifteen decades of the Rosary on her knees in the evening after her return from school and she also began to use penances and to rise in the night to pray. - 

Conversation With My Guardian Angel

Driving Home from Work.

Suddenly I had such a feeling of appreciation of all the times that I had been protected by my Guardian Angel and Saint Michael the Archangel.  I thought I would give thanks to God. 

Me:  "..., my Angel, I know how God has allowed you to protect me in the past when I have gone to battle for souls that are lost, and I thank God and you for this gift.  For you know I will go to battle again soon, as God wills it."

Guardian: "I will be there." 

Me: "I know, and I appreciate that."

Guardian :  "It is not by your appreciation that I serve." 

This is when I realized, that my angel served first out of love for God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and then for the love for me.  

Our Guardian Angels have one of the hardest jobs in Eternity.  First they love God and then they love the soul they have been given to guide, protect and defend on the  souls journey back to God. Angels know no sorrow for they know the plan of the Creator is perfect.  But if they could wish for anything it would be to be able to suffer for those they are in charge of, and then offer this suffering to the Father for them.   Angels cannot do this, because God did it for us on the Cross.  

But God in His mercy left us the gift of offering an oblation of our suffering to God for the salvation of the lost.  "Take up your Cross and follow me."  Not to seek any suffering but by accepting the smallest to the greatest suffering without complaint, and then offering it silently to the Father for the conversion of sinners.  

The Angel can guide, protect, and defend us, but he cannot offer an oblation by his own merit for any soul on Earth.  The closest and Angel comes to offering an Oblation to God for us is when the Angels take the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass before the Throne of God for us. 

The Angels love the most Blessed Trinity so much, and they are made happy to do the least thing in obedience to God so that souls that God loves will not fall into hell.  What joy they must know at this moment........

An Angel's Joy.

THE EXCHANGE*

The truth of our Salvation is far more terrifying on this side of the Cross than for the Jews before the Incarnation of God in the flesh.  

When you study His Passion, you only begin to understand the truth of what His Blood truly means to both those who accept Him and those who .....reject Him.

When you have touched the edge of Eternity and faced a second of your own future Judgement you are never quite the same again. This is why those that claim to be mystics and have messages from Jesus or Mary but then try to get WEALTH from these claims of mystical knowledge are LIARS.   When you have touched the edge of heaven, you never fully want the things of the earth again, because everything that sparkles is so dull compared to the beauty of Heaven.

I have sure knowledge of God's existence and He has confirmed every promise made to those who love and also fear Him.  I cannot prove His existence, because that is not how He works.  Do not ask God to provide you proof of His existence, ask Him to provide proof of His love, and then watch what happens in your life.

THE EXCHANGE

In the beginning God created with His word, and it was good.  Satan created with his word, and it was evil.   Adam and Eve listened to the devil and by their free will chose death and sin to come into the world.  Man, through Adam had EXCHANGED intimate relationship with God for a stain of sin and death that would be generational.

Because of the unfaithfulness of His people, God allowed His people to go through many tribulations and suffering in order to bring them to a state of purification.  He did this by the creation of life through a holy act of sexual creation.  (The "begat"s in the bible).  With each "begat",  This purification of the hearts of the Jewish people in one lineage (David) led to a heart so pure that the heart of the woman that had the potential to be a holy vessel for God himself to come into her womb.  At God's intervention, at Mary's conception, God made the chosen vessel of the Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, to be Immaculate, or free of the original sin of Adam in her Mother's womb.  

At the exact moment that Mary was perfected to be God's vessel of our Salvation, God rained His blessings on the Earth by sending an angel to say to her, "Hail Favored One!", and with her yes, the story of our Salvation begins.  She was always the first to say yes to Jesus.  She was presented with an EXCHANGE of her own, for this unplanned pregnancy could potentially cost her suffering and even her life.  God in His goodness sent her a protector in the form of Joseph her husband.  

At the conception of Jesus in the womb of the Holy Virgin Mary (for God cannot come into any place that is not holy) the EXCHANGE began.

God EXCHANGED heaven for flesh, and at His death on a Cross, God would leave a permanent sign of the way to heaven through the EXCHANGE.  The sign of this exchange is NOT an empty cross, but one with our Lord on it in His suffering.    

When Moses held up the snake on a wooden staff, those that looked upon it were healed.  Jesus even compared His passion to this event. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life."  [John 3:14-15].

Many deny Jesus on the Cross, and protest that He is no longer on the Cross.  True, but if Jesus compared himself to the event in the Old Testament, and did not instruct us to remove the image of the snake on the pole that represented His passion, then we must study the Lord's passion with Jesus ON THE CROSS.    Not to re-crucify our Lord, but to study the ULTIMATE SIGN OF THE EXCHANGE, and find our way to our own final suffering and passion as He wills it.    Only by studying the sign allowed by God which is Jesus ON the Cross can we fully walk the path that is laid before us and drink the cup of suffering that may be presented to us.  

The EXCHANGE  is simple.  A life for a life.  

God came and by His will laid down His life for us, submitting His flesh completely to the will of God, as God allowed His Passion to progress.  He did this not because He had to, not because it was something He could do for His Father, but because the LOVE in His heart brought forth His willingness to lay down His life for all of us. 

 Jesus didn't just begin pouring out His life for us at His Passion, He began pouring himself out at the beginning of His ministry.  Feeding the poor, healing the sick, raising the dead,  showing us not only holy poverty but God's providence in that holy poverty.   In His poverty Jesus paid his bills in holy obedience.  (The temple tax). 

As the shadow of the Cross passes over us, we know that we too must walk our own path to Calvary, not exactly as He did, but as we have been assigned and placed on this Earth and to the best of our abilities.  

Jesus did nothing for Himself, and we see Him teaching and giving all for others, pouring Himself out for others through all His Ministry.  All of this was like the previews to what the final destination would be, but the message from all of it is the same.  

The road to heaven is to pour yourself out for another because of love for God and the one you pour yourself out for.  In order to seek the salvation and the good of another because you love God so much you would not wish to feel the heart of God hurt by the loss of a soul to hell for all time.  Knowing that you can do nothing for God, but as you love Him, you know that His heart will be moved by your love to work in the life and salvation of those you pray for. All of this must be done to seek NOTHING FOR SELF.  We only pray for a few crumbs from the Master's table to fall to us at the judgement.  This is giving a life for a life.  

This is what the Saints knew, and tried to teach us.  Fasting, prayer, works of charity, and with the greatest love of God in the hearts of the Saints, even miracles.   When we see the life of a person completely make a 180 degree turn, and every aspect of the person's life changes to reflect the life God wishes for us, we are witnessing a soul who has accepted the EXCHANGE.    St. Augustine of Hippo is one of these. 

The Saints that embraced Holy Poverty, Obedience, and Chastity, giving all that they had for love alone to God and others, where those that also realized the terrifying aspect of the Cross.

The terrifying aspect of the Cross is that before the moment of His Ascension into Heaven was 100% of God's mercy poured on the Earth in the form of the Blood of His Son.  On the judgement side of the Cross will be the Judgement of God when He returns.  Each of us will be presented with His Passion and Crucifixion in comparison to how we have lived our own Passion in our lives in our book of life.

While we live, we are still on this side of the Cross, the side of His love and Mercy.  We have time to repent and preach to other's the importance of studying the Passion of our Lord on the Cross so that those who would, will accept the gift of the EXCHANGE.

Look at the world.  How many are shirking the EXCHANGE in their lives, leading lives of complete "me, me, me..." selfishness.  This self centeredness leads to so many sins; adultery, lying, stealing, murder, all sexual sins.  How many are on the path of destruction because they wish their own will and not Gods.  

Jesus taught us this also.  

The Innocent must pay for the guilty.

Holy hidden souls are needed that love God and are willing to do much Penance and offer sacrifices for the sake of the Salvation of those who are running headlong into eternal damnation. 

If we have someone we love who is not saved, or living an atheistic life, then if we say we love them, we can offer some small sacrifice and do penance for this soul.   All of this must be completely hidden from the eyes of others, for if we seek acclaim for our holiness, we have cut off our communication with the ONE who can actually do something about the one we love who is lost.     

The time of  seeking mercy by the Holy Passion and Crucifixion of our Lord is a limited proposition.   There will come a time when our Lord will say..."That's it, time's up. "  

Do the sacrifice now, do penance now, for the one you seek to know God, and never give up on those that are lost, even to your last breath.   
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*Inspired by the writing of Bryan Melvin.

When the Archangels Weep

St. Michael the Archangel Icon Weeping at Rhodes, Greece

In 2013, in Rhodes Greece, an Icon of St Michael the Archangel began weeping.  There is a video of the event, which I will post a link to at the end of this post.

When I saw this, I was terrified.  The implications are quite frightening.

Statues of the Blessed Virgin and even images of our Lord have also wept in the past, sometimes even blood.

Statue of Mary Weeping at Akita

Are all of these true? Of course not, and we as Christians, have to use our powers of reason that God gave us to discern the truth.  But are they all lies? I doubt that also.  Some of them are rather compelling even without an official Vatican investigation.  So I reserve my skepticism but don't let my brains fall out of my head either.

But something IS going on.

If God is sending us a warning with a weeping statue of His Mother, what is He saying to us?

This should not be treated as an oddity to gawk at, this has a message.  The Virgin Mary always pleads to her Son to be merciful to us.

Her Son is our intercessor to the Father.  For there is one God and one intermediary between God and humanity, Christ Jesus.  (1 Timothy 2:5).  Mary is our human Mother and was closest to Jesus while He was on the Earth.  Who is always your best friend, and closest confidant, your Mother!  What could you deny your Mother whom you love?  Nothing.  So this beautiful Mother's heart is always before her Son, pleading to Him to be merciful to us, the children He gave to her.  So as God allows, by these signs we are given a glimpse of this Mother's love for us and God allows her to tell us to turn to her Son while there is still time.

Jesus's Mother does not know when the Judgement will be, nor the number that will be condemned to hell, although she does know that many souls do go to hell.    We know this from what Our Lady of Fatima told the little children.  

On July 13, 1917 the Blessed Virgin unveiled a terrifying reality before the three children's eyes. Lucia              recounts: "Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire, which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire     were        demons and souls, in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished       bronze, floating about in this conflagration in clouds of smoke, lifted by flames coming out of their bodies.    They rose and fell  on all sides, like sparks in roaring fires, without weight or direction, amid shrieks and      groans of pain and despair that terrified us and made us tremble with fear. The demons could be                        distinguished by their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and                transparent like burning     coals. This          vision lasted but a moment, thanks to our good Mother from        Heaven who had warned us beforehand, and promised to take us to Heaven. Otherwise, I think we would      have died of horror and fear. Then we raised our eyes to Our Lady, who said with kindness and sadness: 'You have seen Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world            devotion to My Immaculate Heart. If people do what I am going to tell you, many souls will be saved and       there will be peace. ' "  From: The Message of Our Lady of Fatima

 This is why our Lord's Mother is crying, she is weeping for her children that fall into hell every day!

The Blessed Virgin is the greatest witness to the reality of Hell since her Son walked the earth.  If we can't doubt Him when He talks about Hell in scripture, then how can we deny what His Mother did, showing us the reality of hell to three innocents?  

But what does it mean when an image of an Archangel weeps?

Excerpt from Han's Memling, "The Last Judgment." 

St. Michael the Archangel is the weigh-er of souls at the judgement.  Every soul will be weighed to be determined if by it's heart and deeds is worthy of eternal life, or eternal damnation.

Mary does not know the number that are on the path of destruction, nor does she know the time of the Judgement.  St. Michael the Archangel on the other hand may have been given knowledge of  the number of those on the path of destruction, and that the judgement of souls on the earth will be soon.

Perhaps St. Michael the Archangel weeps because he has been informed by the Father that because of the sins of man, God's wrath will cover the Earth.  The judgement of humanity is coming  soon, and St. Michael will be commanded by God's perfect justice to escort many to hell...or  the second death.  

God's justice is perfect, if the wrath of God begins, we will not be able to stop it once it starts, however His wrath may manifest itself.  

When Abraham pleaded for God to not destroy Sodom, it was not for the sake of Abraham's argument that God accepted Abraham's lessening of the just souls required to not destroy Sodom.  It was because of Abraham's LOVE for those souls that moved God's heart to relent.    

We all need to repent and turn back to God, and for those who are stubborn in their sin, there must be innocent souls willing to offer penance and sacrifice for them for the reason of love alone.   Only love from one soul for another can turn back God's wrath upon us.  


VIDEO:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKJbcJ5fKDk

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"So the LORD said: The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave..." Genesis 18:20. 

"Oh Mother...The Victory."

What victory is this, that all suffering that we suffer now will pass away, and every tear, every pain along with every joy, and shout of praise will bring to fruition the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.

I have seen the victory, and it is wondrous.

In a moment at God's will I was shown the end.  When hell and death are thrown into the pit, it will all be understood as perfection by every soul that is in eternity.  There will be no questioning at the end, even if someone we knew and loved on Earth is to suffer the second death, we will agree that God's judgement is perfect.  With one shout all the souls in heaven and the angels will exclaim, "The will of God is perfect, the justice of God is perfect, praise be the will and justice of God!"  

Then I saw the Son of Man standing in a white robe with a golden sash, and He was standing next to His Mother who was in a blue garment with a white veil on her head.  A sash was tied high on her waist.  The Lord put His left hand on His Mother's back and with His right hand swept it around indicating what was happening.  He said to her, "Oh Mother...the Victory".

Who would be the one human being ever born that our Lord would want to share this victory with?  Wouldn't it be His Mother?  This is why Our Lady of Fatima said  "In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph."  God is giving he this triumph, because of her humility, obedience and love.  What she says is truth what God has shared with her.  Her Immaculate Heart will triumph, not because Mary wills it, but because God wills it and she always speaks the will of God. If God desires to give you victory, what measure of victory would He give his own Mother?

In this moment I knew that every tear, every pain, every suffering that was allowed to be would ultimately lead to His perfection.  In the end, every tear and suffering will be wiped away because it will have met its perfection in eternity.  

We are perfected in this life by not complaining, submitting in all love and obedience, and offering all suffering for the salvation of others.  When we ask out of love for another that God save souls, seeking nothing for self, mercy is given to others and God changes the world. The mystery is that the crumbs of mercy fall from our Master's table for us so that we too may know the joy of heaven.    

A Priest Saved My Life Tonight

The Priest says, "...This is my body."

And it is. 

"...This is my blood." 

And it is.

It is His body and His blood, He is truly present.

How can I describe what this feels like to be present when the Priest sets down the Eucharist on the altar after this moment. .

If one could be in the center of a galaxy when it is being created, this is it.  

The power of God that is present is terrifying.  How can I describe it.  He IS Holy. The fear of my death comes to me, because the Holy God is present, I can feel His power not only over the universe but over my next heartbeat.  I begin to pray trembling, "Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world."  I know why the Jews didn't want to go into the tent where God was, for in the presence of a Holy God, you realize how much dust you are.    

We are all in the presence of God now.

How could anyone dare to be in the presence of the Holy God and still live.  

Then the second miracle of the Holy Mass begins.

Yet still feeling His power, we experience His love and mercy for us when we take Communion and take His Body and Blood into ourselves.

 

It is evidence of God's mercy that we do not die instantly when we partake of our Lord's Holy Body and Blood at Mass.

This is the second miracle of the Holy Mass.  God loving us by giving us His very self to us, and protecting us from a physical death by the offering of the Priest of not only himself to God for us, but also offering the precious body and blood of our Lord Jesus back to God for us.

You went to Holy Mass and your Priest just saved your life, and you didn't even know it. 

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Authors Note:  Information that we are given that is beneficial to others is under holy obligation to be shared. Not me God...but ALL YOU!

The Art of War. (Part I)

Virgin with Jesus giving Holy Rosary to St. Dominic

The most treacherous path you will ever take is the Warrior's Path

You do not choose to be a Warrior, God chooses you, and His choice is quite terrifying.  

When God chooses the Warrior, there is no false humility.  When God says to you, "You ARE a Warrior," you don't say, "Oh no God...not me."  On the contrary, you say, "Yes sir!" and then you tremble at what being a Warrior for God could truly mean.   The fear at being called as a Warrior, is to shake so violently before the Lord that you think every bone in your body will break.  The fear comes on the realization that a warrior will be given souls to fight for, and will be asked to account for them.

When you are called to the path of the Warrior, it is a responsibility to be pure, obey, and seek only the good of the other, never thinking that you are doing anything for God.

God the Father has a special place in His heart for His Warriors, and He allows them to feel the love He has for all mankind.  All persons, no matter how good or evil they may be are loved by God, and the Warrior pleads before the throne of God for the most wicked, pouring out themselves, never thinking of the cost to themselves, but seeking to only be allowed to pour out more of self so that God will be merciful to others.  The perfection of the pouring out is if God allows, that the Warrior is allowed to pour his or herself out completely to the last breath and last drop of blood, for the love of God and neighbor alone.    

Warriors plead before the throne of God and seek the salvation of the atheist, the murder, or those with the blackest of hearts, in prayer and tears reminding God that NOTHING is impossible to him, even to save one that appears to all the world as lost.  

The Call.

God calls us all in various ways, and to many different types of service.  None is greater than any other because no one can really do anything for God, but by seeking after God, purifying ourselves and being obedient, we each perfect the path we are on.   After saying yes to God, the greatest task is to overcome our own will and obey completely those in authority over us.  No one disobedient will be in heaven, if this was so, the the devil would be their now.

Purification:

After saying "yes" to God, then the soul must undergo purification in order to become a Warrior.  As perfection is truly only in heaven, the process of purification will go on for the rest of your life.

The path to purification are:

1.  Being hidden. 
Do not tell anyone what you do, what you are, etc.  If you do charity, tell no one.  Let everything you do, be between only you and God.  Seek no acclaim, or attention for anything, because nothing is what you do, it is what God does.  If you seek acclaim, attention in anyway for being a warrior, you have just lost all merit before the throne of God for the one you just pleaded for.  If deep in your heart you want someone else to see you being pious or holy, your effectiveness is small.  No one is holy but God. 
If you truly want to know the presence of God and see miracles, remain hidden for the good of another. 

2.  Being silent.  
Do not speak of any good you do, for no one is good but God.  Do not speak any ill of anyone, as no matter if it is the worst person that has done you great evil, keep silent about what was done to you, and carry it.  Suck it up.  This is the person you are called to fight for.  You can't fight for a person after you have spoken bad of them to your neighbor or on social media.  If someone has done you evil, then that is the person God has specifically given to YOU to become a servant to. Do not give your opinion about anything unless it is uplifting.   Suffer ALL for the sake of another.  If you come to know the presence of God and he allows you a small taste of eternity, you realize how Holy God is and you know that you have no right to seek acclaim for anything.  

3.  Being completely obedient.
Obeying all those in authority, whether at home, work, or at Church.  In this obedience, you will pour yourself out for others at work, etc., seeking the good of the other and not of yourself.  Obedience is so important.  Obedience without grumbling, obedience with a loving heart, knowing that what is being asked of you is allowed by God.  You cannot have all other steps of holiness and not have obedience.  Obedience is the foundation that leads to heaven.  

Holy Confession

3.  Confession.
Regular confession is part of your armament.  Make a good confession, or you will place a black cancer in your heart and conscience that will grow and make it hard to get rid of.   Confession as needed monthly or as needed.  You are confessing your sins to correct your sinfullness, to do penance, and to hear and receive instruction from Christ who speaks through your Priest. Confession is also needed regularly because of it's ability to keep the Warrior exorcised of worldly attachments, sins, and yes, demons.  The Warrior can no more do without regular confession than he or she can do without regular breathing. 

Miraculous Medal

4.  Rosary with Miraculous Medal. 
The daily Rosary is also part of your armament.  Praying the Rosary is the best method to stay on the path of purification and help you lead others to God.  Wearing a  blessed Rosary will keep the demons at bay, for when you wear a Holy Rosary with a Miraculous Medal, the demons will see the Virgin Mary and will not want to come near you.

When you wear the Miraculous Medal, be aware of your surroundings and what happens.  Be aware of the people God will send you and how people will react to you.  

The Virgin Mary told Sister Catherine Laboure about the Medal, "Those who wear it (the Miraculous Medal) will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around their neck."

As I wear the Miraculous Medal around my neck daily, I can attest this is true.  I have had more doors opened for me while wearing the Miraculous Medal  than I have ever had in my life.  They are not opening the door for me, they are opening it for her!  Wearing the Rosary and Medal I have had people that will look at the Medal and then immediately look away.  I have also had people run away from me while I was holding and praying the Rosary in public.  

I have also been given strangers seeking me out from across grocery store.  I was in Walmart Grocery at the deli counter, and there was a woman some distance away from me.  She made a beeline for me and asked me about a necklace she was purchasing for an older lady, she wanted my opinion.  I told her it was a beautiful necklace, but I think the woman would like this one better, to which I took off the Rosary I was wearing and gave it to her.  I told her it was a Rosary with the Miraculous Medal and that it was already blessed by a Priest.   She thanked me and told me that something had told her to come to me and talk to me. 

I encourage all Warriors to pray the Rosary wherever they go, and watch the miracles happen.  God will send you those you are to speak to by having someone comment on the Rosary you are wearing or praying.  Be prepared to give a witness of your belief and have an extra Rosary handy to give away.

Our Lady of Fatima

When Our Lady of Fatima appeared to the three children, Lucia asked if Francisco would go to heaven.   Our Lady said, "Yes, but first he must say many Rosaries."  The Holy Rosary is one of the best methods of daily purification and protection of the soul against being worldly and in serious sin.  It is quite impossible to remain in serious sin and pray the Rosary with devotion daily.  You will either give up the sin, or you will give up the Rosary.  
Warriors pray the Rosary. 

5. Holy Hour.
Spend time with Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament whenever you can.  Even 15 minutes is beneficial, and you will find, that spending time with Jesus before the tabernacle is the sweetest vacation you can ever take.  When you fall in love with Him, you won't want to leave Him, and you will take every opportunity to be with Him.   What would you ask God in the flesh if He was before you?  He is present with us always in the tabernacle and the Monstrance.  What graces God would shower upon our brethren if we would just ask for them.   The best way to be blessed by God is to seek a blessing for someone else. 

Spending time in front of the most Blessed Sacrament is like laying you head on Jesus' shoulder like John did. 

6.  Holy Mass.
This is your Heaven and Battlefield.  During the Holy Mass the Heaven's are opened and we can plead directly before the throne of God, pouring out our heart, tears and supplications for the salvation of souls.

The heaven's are opened and we have access to the angels adoring before the throne of God!  How can one live after you have seen the angels before the throne of God adoring him and hearing their sweet adoration?   The angels sing before the throne of God so loud with their love that it would deafen every soul on earth, but yet so sweet and soft that it brings the soul to an ecstasy of love for God and a desire for heaven.  

Whispering "Father, Father," when the Holy Eucharist is offered to God, I plead with tears before the throne of God for those that are lost.  Because of this love in my heart that God allows me to have, God has allowed me to have a taste of heaven.  There are no words that can describe a place where there is perfection, love, and all is eternal with no progression of time.  Heaven is the place of reality, we live in the shadow world.  We must make every effort to prepare for our entrance into eternity, for when we have passed through the veil, we will be sealed by eternity and face the Holy Just Judge, giving an account for our life.

 How I wish I was with them now, adoring the Holy Trinity, giving my voice to what is in my heart.    

In the following blog posts I have written about how the Holy Mass is one of the best avenues for our purification, happiness, and to plead before the throne of God for others. 

Heaven the Battlefield I
Heaven the Battlefield II
Heaven the Battlefield III


NEXT POST:  The Art of War. (Part II) ~ What Warriors do.

The Sin of Judas or "I know best."

Judas Iscariot, a name synonymous with betrayal.  

But the question that everyone wants the answer to is "why?"  

There have been many theories over the centuries, to which I will add my own.  

I think Judas thought he had it all figured out.  He was going to be the big hero of Jesus' Ministry and get the ball rolling.  The motive wasn't the money, the money was just the means to bankroll what he thought was going to happen.  

He had it planned so perfectly. 

Judas was one of the 12, and he must have witnessed the miracles of Jesus.  He knew he was the Messiah, the prophesied King of the Jews, the new King like David to rout the Romans and set up His kingdom on the Earth.  

But there was a problem.  Jesus wasn't doing His miracles for the people that it counted to see them.  The Pharisees even asked to see a sign, but Jesus rebuked their request.  

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful* generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  Matthew 12:38-39.  

If only they could see what Jesus was and what He could do, then the Pharisees would bow down to Him, the Jews would rise up and defeat the Romans, with Jesus leading them, and the dreamed of Kingdom would be established.  

But how to make that happen?  Maybe if Jesus was forced to perform a miracle for them, they couldn't help but believe.  

Throughout the New Testament it speaks of Jesus speaking with "authority".  I think Judas realized Jesus's authority, and thought if Jesus was among the Pharisees, this authority could not help but express itself.  If Jesus was held prisoner, it could be the catalyst for the establishment of the Kingdom.   

Yes...that would be perfect.  The Pharisees will of course question him and all will be made right.  I will sell them Jesus's location, adding to the purse and then we will have a greater stake to begin the Messiah's Kingdom.

Judas heard what Jesus said about the sign of Jonas, but Judas had another plan...because Jesus didn't really understand how to deal with the Pharisees, whereas Judas had been around them his whole life. 

Judas knew best. 

To Judas kissing Jesus in the garden was a kiss of victory.

It was later, when he realized that all his plans where not materializing as he thought they should that it hit him what he had truly done and who he had really betrayed.  

"They can't crucify Him! He is the Messiah!! NO. NO NO..this isn't what is supposed to happen!"  

His first thought was to return to the temple, to rectify the situation, make it right.   

Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply regretted what he had done. He returned the thirty pieces of silver* to the chief priests and elders,
saying, “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? Look to it yourself.” Matthew 27:3-4

Imagine this.  He had betrayed the Messiah, God in the flesh, now he was rejected by the Priests of the temple.  Where else could he go?

No one on the earth ever faced such ultimate despair that Judas at this moment. 

********

Judas's sin was a sin that all of us have committed.  The sin of thinking we know better than God.  We commit this sin by being disobedient, arrogant, or just trying to get our own way no matter what the cost is to others.  

The saddest thing is Judas could have been forgiven. 

You see God was still allowing Judas to breathe, and his heart to beat long after he had betrayed His Son.  God could have struck Judas down anytime he wanted.   God will give so many opportunities for us to turn to Him, no matter how black the sins.  
God was giving Judas a chance.  

The battle for Judas's soul must have been a fierce one between the demons and his Guardian Angel.

But just as Judas was shortsighted in who Jesus was, he also lacked an understanding of the mercy Jesus showed even in His ministry on Earth.

There must have been no hope in a man that had seen a man dead four days raised to life but yet despaired that anything could be done for him.     

God's mercy was with Judas, available to him up even till he threw himself from the tree with the rope around his neck.   But by his own choice and action on that choice, Judas set his own eternity.     

We should never forget that God's mercy is available to all, even the blackest of hearts, until their last breath.  Our job is to tell those farthest from God about God's mercy while there is still time.