|
Fr. Gobbi spoke in his 2006 Circular Letter of the need to be “Apostles of the New
Evangelization.” He further added in his talk to us at the International Retreat in Italy on
June 30th, 2006, that Our Lady wants to form “Apostles of the Last Times.” He said, that
at La Salette Our Lady had a “rule” to form these “Apostles” in the new Missionaries of
La Salette but it was not adhered to. So, Fr. Gobbi said, in the Marian Movement of
Priests (MMP) she forms the Apostles of the Last Times. St. Louis du Montfort also
spoke that these Apostles of the Last Times will be formed “near the end”.
Fr. Gobbi commented that we need to be aware of obstacles on the path which makes
us Apostles of the Last Times, Apostles of the New Evangelization. These are his
reflections taken from his Circular Letter which can be viewed at www.mmp-usa.net, and
also from my notes from his meditation at the MMP International Retreat in Italy 2006.
1. Relativism in Dogma
2. Naturalism in Scripture
3. Permissiveness in Morality
4. Laxity in the Liturgy
5. Disobedience to the Magisterium
6. Neglect of the Eucharist
7. Religious Globalism
(The comments in italics are mine, Fr. Charlie Becker)
1. Relativism in Dogma. Pope Paul VI saw that errors would become dominant in the ensuing years after the Vatican Council. (I might add, not because of the
Council, but because of particular persons and their incorrect theologies, who
would apply their erroneous thinking in place of the true spirit of the Council).
Paul VI said there will always be a little flock, a faithful remnant. The present
Pope, when the Holy Spirit rushed upon him, he spoke clearly of the faith and of
the “dictatorship of relativism”, whereby the ego becomes the dominant thing. He
is criticized because he says this “ego” is even dominant in theologies! There is a
tremendous danger here because some Truths are denied and some are ignored.
The faithful need Our Lady to rescue them from these times! In Our Lady’s Dec.
8, 1994 message she says ‘we need to spread the light of Christ and of His divine
truth.’ We need to proclaim the whole faith; death, judgment, heaven, hell,
purgatory, these things that are not spoken of anymore. We need to think of these
basic things that are no longer spoken about and we need to proclaim them with
simplicity. Once a priest was told by his bishop not to talk about hell so much
because it is too pessimistic.
2. 2nd Danger- Naturalism in Sacred Scripture. Jesus is the Living Word. His Word
is obscured by making it natural, merely human, thereby denying the divine
aspects of the Word in order to eliminate the supernatural. (I was told by a
recently ordained priest that the various critical approaches to scripture study ie.
literary, form, etc..., were formed on the philosophies of Hegel, an agnostic. An
example of this is when a priest homilist says ‘ there really wasn’t a multiplication
of loaves and fishes but rather the people all shared what they had and it was a
miracle of sharing and caring’). See where we have come? These theologians
have made up their own Gospel with their own words. Our Lady reminds us in the
Nov. 15, 1995 message, “Spread my light, by preaching the Gospel of Jesus with
force and fidelity….with the same simplicity with which Jesus has announced it to
you.” May those who see you, see the Gospel.
3. Permissiveness in Morality. We have a great permissiveness because of
secularism that justifies sin. This justification of sin transgresses the Laws of God
and makes them supposedly “natural needs”. The people need to see sin as a
grave evil, depriving us from sanctifying grace and if we die like this we go to
hell. If we are in mortal sin, we need to go to confession before receiving
Communion. Fr. Gobbi reminded the priests that we need to go to Confession and
to hear Confessions regularly.
4. Liturgical Discipline. This means ignoring the liturgical norms and doing what
one likes. We have the recent letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship,
Redemptionis Sacramentum whereby we are given instruction for these matters.
Fr. Gobbi said, “Do not concelebrate in wrong vestments. Put on proper
vestments. Do not invent liturgical prayers. This spreading of abuse hurts Jesus
most of all. In obedience to the Church wear ecclesiastical vestments, the cassock
or at least the clergyman collar.” Fr. Gobbi recounted how Our Lady asked him to
wear the soutane (cassock) out of reparation for priests who wore no vestments.
He said he attended a priest convocation in Milan and many priests were in shorts
and secular clothes. He said they all stared at me at which point he said, “I don’t
come from the moon…. I come from Milan!”
5. D isobedience to the Pope. The Pope is wounded with our disobedience. We must
sustain him with our love, prayer and fidelity. Fr. Gobbi said someone told him
that their bishop always does the opposite of the Pope. Fr. Gobbi commented not
to directly oppose your bishop but rather ask the laity to do penances for the
bishop to obey the Pope, this then helps it not become worse.
6. Neglect towards the Eucharist. “New apostolates must be eucharistc centered. The
Eucharist should be central to the Church, not in a side hole somewhere in the
church. Our Lady asks for Hours of Adoration and to surround Jesus with lights
and flowers, with genuflections and devotion indicative of your piety. We should
receive the eucharist with devotion. The faithful have a choice on how to receive
communion. We can’t force them to receive either by hand or on the tongue,
kneeling, etc…. If you ask me, I would encourage the more reverent way, due to
the fact that fragments can remain in the hand or someone runs off with it, but we
can only suggest.
7. Religious Globalism. This has occurred through television. Everyone knows
today of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, etc… and this causes religious
indifferentism whereby all religions are made the same. We need to be careful!
The Church must proclaim, even to the point of blood, that salvation only comes
through the name of Jesus! Yes, we love everybody but we have to give our
witness that there is only One Name in which we can be saved. This is a
fundamental Truth that Our Savior and Redeemer must be proclaimed!“So then, we become Apostles of these Last Times! These Cenacles are extraordinary
because we’ve been called to walk in these times. Go home in Joy, in Trust, in Hope!
Our Lady needs us to spread this need for comfort and consolation. Don’t get
discouraged at the darkness, “I’m the Dawn before the Sun, before the Day of the Lord.
You are sustained and carried safe in the garden of my Immaculate Heart.” (TTP-To The
Priests, Message # 257). |
|
