October
2001
Dear
Faithful,
Allow
me to give my impressions of the tragic events we witnessed
last month. I am writing of course concerning what as been
termed "The Attack on America". However horrendous
it may be, we must try to see beyond the loss of life, destruction
of property and disruption in everyday life to try to understand
what Our Lord is trying to tell us, all of us, by the events.
For surely He is speaking to all our western nations, warning
us.
These
events seem to bring out the best in people. We have all read
and heard of countless acts of natural virtue: the great rescue
effort, victims helping one another, etc. The newspapers are
full of courageous and heroic stories. We have also seen supernatural
virtue: the Catholic priest, chaplain of the firefighters
who died doing his duty giving extreme unction to the dying.
God draws good even out of such terrible and tragic events
and if one soul has gone to heaven because of it, he is now
thanking God for letting it happen.
I
think there is more to it than the fact that "they
hate... a democratically elected government. (...) They hate
our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech,
our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other."1
They don't hate us because we are so good.
I
cannot however, help but see this as a punishment. I remember
one of the first thoughts I had on seeing the disaster; how
it has come a few weeks after President Bush announced federal
funding for stem cell research. To me there is no coincidence.
Despite
all the patriotism, which is manifested at these times, our
western nations, as nations, are guilty of many sins. I am
not speaking about the personal sins of individuals, great
as they may be, but about the sins of the nation, sins which
cry to heaven for vengeance and which are socially accepted
in our "civilized" countries. God bless America,
yes, but America leads the world in abortion, divorce, contraception,
drug abuse, pornography, gay rights, working on Sundays, all
the immoral medical research, the separation of Church and
State, etc. Soon there will also be euthanasia; it is already
quietly practiced and the media are working to change the
way people look at it so that the number of those in favour
of it grows daily. So it is just a matter of time before it
also becomes legal. And Canada is not far behind.
Reparation
must be made for these crimes, either by prayer and fasting
and kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament or in the blood
of our fellow citizens. Since nations do not go to heaven
or hell they must be punished here below and this almighty
God does by calamities and wars.
We
can understand the feeling of "quiet anger" felt
by our American friends. Certainly the US has the capability
of bombing Afghanistan off the map, but what would it solve?
The cause would still be there. The real culprits are not
Muslim "extremists". We bring these things upon
ourselves. If we stopped offending almighty God these people
would have no power. This is what Our Lady warned us at Fatima:
unless men stop offending God and Her request for the Consecration
of Russia to the Immaculate Heart is granted, "RUSSIA
will spread its errors throughout the world, raising up
wars and persecutions against the Church. The good will be
martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various
nations will be annihilated." The solution rests
not in bombing the h--- out of Afghanistan. It is not a matter
of military might. We must stop offending God and do penance
otherwise we will all likewise perish. "No, I say to
you: but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise
perish."2
And I do mean all of us. This time America was targeted. Next
time it might be France or England or Canada. We here in Canada
are no better.
I
cannot help but wonder that, if instead of all the rhetoric
and sabre rattling, we had heard President Bush, like the
king of Nineveh ask God for forgiveness and instead of a day
of "ecumenical" prayers he had asked his fellow
Americans to pray and fast in atonement, things might be different.
God has worked miracles when nations returned to Him. Patriotism
must not blind us to the reality. We do have great nations,
built at the price of great sacrifices with enormous possibilities
for good but it seems our progress is more material than moral.
Morally we have produced a culture of death. We do have much
to be thankful for, but also much to atone for.
If
at least all Catholics would amongst other things make a good
confession, say their daily Rosary, abstain from meat on Friday,
refrain from work on Sunday, offer penances such as fasting
in reparation, I guarantee our countries would turn around
in a hurry and then God would truly bless us. But God will
not bless America or any other nation if they keep abusing
His blessings. "His mercy is from generation unto generations,
to them that fear him."3
We
must pray for our "fearless" leaders. They've lost
all fear of God! World leaders and the great majority of the
world's people, including the so called shepherds who were
to guard the sheep, no longer FEAR GOD, or believe in Him.
Or they have made a god according to their desires to whom
they can turn in time of calamity without changing their ways.
Through their liberalism of the past 100 years the Muslims
have succeeded in doing what they were unable to do in the
15th & 16th centuries with their
armies: invade the West. There are now millions of them in
North America and every European country. What will happen
when the US starts bombing Afghanistan? Will they all rise
up to defend their fellow Muslims? If they do we are in big
trouble. This is the fear in the West and why all politicians
are saying such nice things about Islam. But Islam is of its
very nature very militant.
As
for those who believe Islam is a religion of love just look
at history and look at every country today where they have
the upper hand. To my knowledge, in all of them except one,
Christians are being persecuted. Dom Gueranger (1805 - 1875)
said: "Russia becoming Catholic would mean an end
to Islamism, and the definitive triumph of the Cross upon
the Bosphorus, without any danger to Europe; the Christian
empire in the East restored with a glory and a power hitherto
unknown; Asia evangelized, not by a few poor isolated priests,
but with the help of an authority greater than that of Charlemagne;
and lastly the Slavonic race brought into unity of faith and
aspirations, for its own greater glory. This transformation
will be the greatest event of the century that shall see its
accomplishment; it will change the face of the world. "4
Did he know something we should know or have forgotten?
We
all know how this will come about. So of course pray for the
man who holds the solution: Pope John Paul II. If he has not
done the consecration yet it is probably because we do not
deserve it because of our lack of prayers and sacrifices.
Never forget, this is a religious problem, the fight of the
two cities, and a fight for souls. This is not a fight for
democracy! The situation is serious. Be faithful to your daily
Rosary, do penance, and keep yourselves in the state of grace.
Thank
you for your continual support. As usual, the last Mass of
the month is offered for all our friends & benefactors
both living and deceased. Be assured of our daily prayers.
With
my blessing,
Father
Jean Violette
1.
President George W. Bush's address to the joint meeting of
Congress September 20 2001.
2. Luke 13,5
3. Luke 1,50
4.
Dom Gueranger, The Liturgical Year Vol. XV Time after Pentecost
Book VI November 14 Saint Josaphat
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