We have our
reservations about the experiences of the Roman Catholic mystics (see below),
but it is not our intention to completely dismiss them. And that is because in an age of pride and all
kinds of depravity, many of their words and actions (poverty, fasting, constant
prayers, etc.) do encourage folks to reject those corruptions.
That said,
there are dangerous distortions that are part of the Roman Catholic system that
lead to spiritual shipwreck. As an
ensample, we turn to the life of Faustina of Poland (1905-38), proclaimed a
saint by the Roman Catholic Church.
Visions of
the Lord Jesus Christ
In relating
the appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ to Faustina, and conversations between
them, it is generally described as happening in a casual atmosphere. There is a hint of power immediately below,
but ‘talking with Jesus’ overall seems to be so underwhelming an experience
that she takes to journaling about it like a junior high student would about
what went on in homeroom each day:
On February 22, 1931, Faustina was
visited by Jesus, who presented himself as the "King of Divine Mercy"
wearing a white garment with red and pale rays coming from his heart. She was
asked to become the apostle and secretary of God's mercy, a model of how to be
merciful to others, and an instrument for reemphasizing God's plan of mercy for
the world.
In her diary, Faustina writes:
"In the evening, when I was in my
cell, I became aware of the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand was
raised in blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From the
opening of the garment at the breast there came forth two large rays, one red
and the other pale. In silence I gazed intently at the Lord; my soul was
overwhelmed with fear, but also with great joy. After a while Jesus said to me,
'paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the inscription: Jesus,
I trust in You.'"
--https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=510
After taking her vows, Faustina was
transferred to Vilnius, where she met Father Michael Sopocko, the appointed
confessor to the nuns. During her first confession with Sopocko, Faustina told
him about her conversations with Jesus and his plan for her. Father Sopocko
insisted she be evaluated by a psychiatrist. Faustina passed all the required
tests and was determined sane, leading Sopocko to support her religious
efforts.
Sopocko encouraged her to start keeping a
diary and to record all of her conversations with Jesus. Faustina told Sopocko
about the Divine Mercy image and it was Sopocko who introduced her to
Kazimierowski, the artist of the first Divine Mercy painting.
--Ibid.
The
experience of the Orthodox Saints is quite different. Let us look at two of them, St Alexander of
Svir to begin with:
In 1508, twenty-three years after he came
to this secluded spot, the Life-Creating Trinity appeared to Saint Alexander.
One night he was praying in his cell. Suddenly, there was a dazzling light, and
he saw three Angels in resplendent white garments approaching him. They shone
with a pure brightness greater than the sun. Each held a staff in His hand.
Saint Alexander fell down in terror, and after recovering his senses, he
prostrated himself upon the ground. Raising him by the hand, the Angels said:
“Have faith, blessed one, and do not be afraid.”
--https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/08/30/102423-venerable-alexander-abbot-of-svir
And St
Sergius of Radonezh and his disciple St Micah next:
Saint Micah of Radonezh was one of the
first disciples of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, and lived with him in the same
cell, and under his guidance he attained a high degree of spiritual perfection.
For his meekness of soul and purity of heart, Saint Micah was permitted to
witness the appearance of the Mother of God to his great teacher. Once, after
Saint Sergius had completed the morning Rule of prayer, he sat down to rest for
awhile; but suddenly he said to his disciple, “Be alert, my child, for we shall
have a wondrous visitation.”
Hardly had he uttered these words when
a voice was heard, “The All-Pure One draws near.” Suddenly there shone a light
brighter than the sun. Saint Micah fell down upon the ground in fear, and lay
there as if he were dead. When Saint Sergius lifted up his disciple, he asked,
“Tell me, Father, what is the reason for this wondrous vision? My soul has
nearly parted from my body from fright.” Saint Sergius then informed his
disciple about the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The second
is particularly instructive, as St Micah was so overwhelmed by the Grace
present in the Most Pure Lady that he came near to death. How much more should we expect to fall down
senseless when in the full presence of God!
Exactly the latter is seen in other Saints’ lives, such as the Holy
Apostle John (Rev. 1:17), the Apostles Peter, James, and John at the
Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-8), St Seraphim of Sarov, and St Silouan of Mt
Athos.
Even the
presence of angels is enough to scramble our senses (Daniel 8:16-18, Rev.
19:9-10). Yet with Faustina and other
Roman Catholic mystics, in the presence and voice of God, their minds and
bodies carry on mostly as per normal.
New Revelations
This is
something one encounters with regularity amongst the Roman Catholic mystics,
that God has revealed some new teaching to them that they are then to carry
into the world. For Margaret Mary
Alacoque it was the veneration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; for Teilhard de
Chardin, it
was the arrival of the Omega Point. For
Faustina, it was Divine Mercy:
In her diary (Notebook I, Items 47 and
48), she wrote that Jesus told her:
Paint an image according to the pattern
you see, with the signature: "Jesus, I trust in You" (in Polish:
"Jezu, ufam Tobie"). I desire that this image be venerated, first in
your chapel, and then throughout the world. I promise that the soul that will
venerate this image will not perish.
. .
.
Pope John Paul II said, "The message
she brought is the appropriate and incisive answer that God wanted to offer to
the questions and expectations of human beings in our time, marked by terrible
tragedies. Jesus said to Sr. Faustina one day: 'Humanity will never find peace until it turns
with trust to the Divine Mercy.'"
--https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faustina_Kowalska
“Speak to the world about My mercy… it is a
sign for the end times. After it will come the day of justice (Diary 848)…Souls
perish in spite of My bitter passion…I am giving them the last hope of
salvation; that is, the Feast of Mercy. If they will not adore My Mercy,
they will perish for all eternity. Secretary of My mercy, write, tell
souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My
justice, is near” (Diary #965).
--https://feastofmercy.net/pages/custom-frames
(bolding added)
The Orthodox
would answer with St Paul’s statement to the Hebrews: ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day,
and for ever’ (Letter to the Hebrews 13:8).
The same experience of Christ, and how to attain it, is detailed from
the Apostles to today. The path of
purification, illumination, and deification; the union with the Uncreated
Energies of God the All-Holy Trinity – this is the unchanging life and witness
and goal of the Orthodox Church in all the ages. Therefore, one will not find St Paisios of Mt
Athos declaring a secret message unknown to St Irenaeus of Lyons or St John
Chrysostom. All proclaim the same
revelation: Jesus Christ, the incarnate
Son of God, through union with Whom we are taken up into the very Life of the
Holy Trinity.
The Roman
Catholics’ assent to an evolving Church message will make the acceptance of
Antichrist all the easier, he who will bring another ‘new teaching’ – that he
is ‘god’!
Unfortunately,
many Protestants fall into this trap as well:
“God is about to do something new and
glorious,” says Rev. Kevin Jessip, president of The Return International. “This
new thing is beyond revival, beyond an awakening. It is a work of God that He
alone initiates when He can no longer endure the polluting of His holy name.”
Strange
Lights during Visions
The beams of
light coming from the ‘heart of Jesus’ during Faustina’s vision described above
are curious also. It is well documented
that certain flashes of light can be used to alter the
mind/memory/consciousness, whether during MKUltra experiments,
https://blog.nomorefakenews.com/2021/09/17/how-cia-hid-their-mkultra-mind-control-program/
During
so-called UFO/alien encounters (i.e., encounters with demons),
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2003/02/alien-abduction-claims-examined-2/
And now with
optogenetics:
https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/qa-how-to-control-the-brain-with-light/
https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-10/scientists-implant-false-memories-brains-flies/
It is not
out of the realm of possibility that the demons would use this sort of light
trick to manipulate the mind of a young novice like Faustina, thus making her
more susceptible of accepting her visions and conversations with ‘Jesus’ as
being authentic.
The Orthodox
experience with the Uncreated Light of God is, once again, something different
from what we have just seen in Faustina.
When a man or woman experiences the Uncreated Light, it is not a
strangely colored beam emanating from a body part of Christ, but an
all-encompassing blueish-white or white Light that enraptures the whole man,
taking him out of the physical world and causing him to weep with tears of
joy. St Symeon the New Theologian
(+1022) and St Sophrony of Essex (+1993) have described their experiences in
detail. Some of St Sophrony’s
descriptions are recounted here:
https://iconandlight.wordpress.com/2017/08/08/18939/
We do
appreciate the good things Roman Catholic ascetics like Faustina have left us,
but their departure from the Orthodox way has led them down false paths, which
we would do well to avoid.
--
Holy Ælfred
the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!
Anathema to
the Union!
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