Notebook 1945-50
Chapter: The Apocalypse of St. John the Apostle
Page: 572-578
Chapter Two
“The Apocalypse is a book of revelation, certainly. Indeed, it concludes the great Revelation. But it is also a prophetic book.
“Both revelation and prophecy come from God. For only God inspires them. Only God can inspire them because only He knows the Truth and is familiar with future events because He is the Eternal, the All-Knowing, and the Almighty.
“Prophecy is like a projection of future events seen by God alone and illuminated for those living in the mists of their temporary present. To enable the great illiterates in religion to understand—and there are so many even among those who limit being Catholics to receiving the Sacraments obeying the precept to observe the days of obligation, taking part in processions and going—yes this too—to talks but who are unable to respond, when questioned, on so many matters and the meaning of certain words for one thing is the expression “prophecy and prophets” and another “apostle” and still others and they get something good, involving light mixed up with what is not good not made of light, because they do not know—to make these religious illiterates understand what religion is and what prophecy is just as elsewhere to explain the Unity and Trinity of God the comparison was used of the three sided polyhedron in the same way let the comparison now be used—and perhaps they will understand—of a projection based on real events but happening in another place and in a previous time or a projection of events which will certainly take place but are not yet present and one single Mind knows them one single Eyes sees them and one single Word can set them forth.
“Man over the ages has made many inventions and discoveries some good some bad and others which could have been good because they could have a means for training instruction and even elevation and instead have become not good because they have served to excite the base appetites of the inferior part corrupt the intellect and harm the soul as a result. One of the things which could been good and which have become not good in serving to disseminate vice crime and sin is cinematography; another is the press. But the former is of use to get our idea across. Cinematography with its films can depict events and persons of the past. More or less competently in historical terms for man rarely does what he does well and even more rarely does so according to the truth of things. But in any case, by means of this invention it is possible to show the living persons events traditions and customs of past centuries and even millennia. The film flows by and man sees.
“God takes a man—a prophet of one inspired by Him certainly chosen by Him for this purpose—and for spiritual eyes and ears depicts and relates past events whose truth has been altered, because of the passage of centuries or an involuntary alteration which may easily arise in oral revelation or a voluntary alteration cause by religious schisms heresies or scientific investigation detached from religious wisdom.
Or He illuminates and reveals future events which only He knows in his eternal Present. And they see and hear as if a film with sound were being projected in front of them to become his hand and mouth to write and say what God has been pleased to reveal.
“This comparison—Jesus too made use of comparisons to enable his followers to understand his lessons—will enable many to grasp what prophecy is and what the prophets are what the inspired person or seer is and how one must believe in them who manifest what is good to know so as to proceed along sure paths provided they do not say things incompatible with Faith and the Great Revelation.
“To some prophecies seem to be something not only incomprehensible because they are too obscure but obsolete in speaking of events that took place centuries ago. Yes many things mentioned in them have already happened and will not be repeated. But many will be repeated as they already have been every time humanity has returned to the condition for which the prophecy was given. Accordingly whereas the Incarnation of the Word and the founding of the Church will not be repeated since the Church founded by Jesus its Pontiff and Eternal Head cannot perish because of his divine promise and there can thus be no need to found another it is just as true that the punishments permitted by God as a result of the abomination entering the holy place and human injustice will be repeated as they already have been repeated. And in regard to many other things in will be that way.
“Humanity with alternate cycles of justice and injustice of real faith and merely external faith—“the letter and not the spirit of faith”—or even of nonfaith for half the world’s population also undergoes alternate cycles of punishment and forgiveness—already suffered and obtained respectively—without being made better by this. And prophecies because they are given by those seeing “Time” with no limit in time in many points serve as light and guide a voice of truth and a merciful counsel for every time.
“The Apocalypse the prophecy of the Apostle of Light and Charity illuminates—and does so through Charity—times every time until the last time. Nineteen centuries have passed since John received the revelation called “the Apocalypse” whose time of fulfillment when measuring it solely against eternity could be termed “near”. But if time of waiting when measured against earthly time was and is long as regards references to the state of the seven churches it is as current now as it was then.
“John on seeing the seven churches at that time the seven more or less luminous lights at that time saw not only those but the other churches which would be formed over the centuries just as he foresaw what has happened and will happen on earth in Heaven and in the netherworld.
“He saw. The lights of holiness. The shadows of injustice. The growth of spirituality. The growth of humanity or rather of materiality. The blazing of charity and of wisdom nourished by it a blazing rising up to Heaven. And the misty smoke of science devoid of wisdom crawling on the ground when man attempts to explain himself and so many other things in creation with his own knowledge alone. The sickening smoke of the lusts of the self of all the lusts. The blameworthy smoke of selfishness and ferocity. Smoke, smoke, nothing more than smoke and harmful smoke crawling on the ground seeping in sullying poisoning and killing. Killing the “best” things in the sense which God gives to this word and which we would call the most “beautiful” things.
“The three and four virtues social relations consciences intellects peace in the family…. All of them things which the smoke which is found where there is no blazing of charity kills poisons sullies and penetrates. The forming of the new world—the world of Jesus, of his Kingdom. And the forming of a new world in the new one—the world of the antichrist of his kingdom.
“The triumphs of Christianity. The defeats of Christianity. The admirable unity of Christ’s Sheepfold. The rebellious separation of parts of the Flock. John saw it all. And his vision was so intense that the fulfillment of all seemed to him to be immediate. But it was not! Centuries and centuries had to pass before everything viewed by the seer on Patmos was fulfilled. But everything will be fulfilled as stated as partially and at different times it has already been fulfilled through without reaching the completeness of the things which are not good foreseen by John.
“A human matter which is not readily perfect and even less readily not repeated. Belonging to the People of God did not keep the Jews from falling again into the same sins on different occasions.
Peace be with you always
» Book 2 Chapter 167. In the House of Johanna of Chuza. Jesus and the Roman Ladies.
» What Does it Mean to Be Spirit? Seraphim
» Mother Teresa's Words.
» The World is a Dangerous Place
» Towards the Retreat on the Mountain before the Election of the Apostles.
» A few words of remembrance from the Lord...
» Farewell and Ascension of the Lord.
» The Sermon of the Mount: « You Are the Salt of the Earth. »
» 631. The Last Teachings before Ascension-Day.
» Union with Wisdom
» I Believe In You
» Grace and the Justice of God
» The Communion of Saints
» Another Look At Church. Another Way to Broaden Our Gripes
» 348. The Transfiguration and the Curing of the Epileptic.
» 353. The Bread from Heaven.
» “Learn, then, the way to be heard: ‘To do the will of God out of love for Him. ’Redemption Through Obedience
» Jesus Said Do Not Be Afraid
» Freedom From Spiritual Anxiety - To Keep the Spirit Centered on God
» Some Tips In Living
» Learn from Judas Way of Living and Do the Opposite
» God Is Simple
» Exorcisms Deliverances That Are Available
» Mystery of Prayer to Englighen and Raise Souls to a Higher Place
» How to Persevere in Love
» At The Crucifixion A Few Words
» Book 2 Chp.186. The Demoniacs of Gadara.
» 1950: Pg 548 The Apocalypse of St. John The Apostle
» Instructions to Vicar -- More On Apocalypse
» Clarification of the Apocalypse
» The Demons Aping God's Angels. The True Knowledge of Christianity
» What Is The Core and the Main of Evil?
» Faith the Real Big One That We Are Less Likely To Think On
» Conditions Preparing the Descent of the Holy Spirit
» The Life-Giving Spirit
» Commentary on the Breath of Life and John 17
» Perfection as Application of the Gospel
» The Power of the Cross of Christ
» The Enduring Sign of the Gospel
» The Need to Pray That There May Be Sufficient and True Priests
» Full Communion with the Trinity
» Reasons for the Gift of a Long Life
» Some Definitions From Christ
» Periods in the Life of the Church
» Love for Mary
» Christ’s Desire To Communicate
» A Vision of Paul and the Early Martyrs-Tullianum Jail
» Commentary on Isaiah; The Father's Words on Jesus as the Light Sent into the World
» The Father's Condemnation of Satanic Religion