"Let no one deceive you in any way. For unless the apostasy comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one doomed to perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship, so as to seat himself in the temple of God, claiming that he is god--do you not recall that while I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. But the one who restrains is to do so only for the present, until he is removed from the scene. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord [Jesus] will kill with the breath of His mouth and render powerless by the manifestation of His coming, "the one whose coming springs from the power of Satan in every mighty deed and in signs and wonders that lie, and in every wicked deceit for those who are perishing because they have not accepted the love of truth so that they may be saved.
Therefore, God is sending them a deceiving power so that they may believe the lie, that all who have not believed the truth but have approved wrongdoing may be condemned...
therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours."--2 Thessalonians, 2:3-11, 15.
Sao Paulo, Brazil [March 13, 1990]
"You read in the Gospel: 'When the Son of Man returns, will He still find faith on earth?' (cf. LK.18:8).
Today I want to invite you to meditate on these words, uttered by my Son Jesus. They are grave words, which cause one to reflect and which succeed in making you understand the times through which you are living. First of all, you can ask why Jesus has uttered them: to prepare you for His second coming and to describe for you a circumstance which will be indicative of the proximity of His glorious return.
This circumstance is the loss of faith. Also, in another part of Holy Scripture, in the letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, it is clearly announced that, before the glorious return of Christ, a great apostasy must take place. The loss of faith is a true apostasy. The spread of the apostasy is therefore the sign which indicates that the second coming of Christ is, as of now, close at hand.
At Fatima, I have foretold to you that a time would come when the true faith would be lost.
These are the times. Your days are marked by this painful and significant situation, which was foretold to you in Holy Scripture: the true faith is in the process of disappearing in an ever increasingly greater number of my children.
The causes of the loss of faith are: (1)the spread of errors which are being propagated and are often taught by professors of theology in seminaries and in Catholic schools and which thus acquire a certain character of credibility and legitimacy; (2) the open and public rebellion against the authentic Magisterium of the Church , especially against that of the Pope, who has from Christ the duty of preserving the whole Church in the truth of the Catholic faith; (3) the bad example given by those pastors, who have allowed themselves to be completely possessed by the spirit of the world and who become propagators of political and sociological ideologies, rather than messengers of Christ and His Gospel, thus forgetting the mandate received from Him: 'Go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature' (Mk. 16:15).
Thus, in these days of yours, apostasy on the part of many of my poor children is inundating you more and more.
'When the Son of Man returns...' If indeed His return is close at hand, then my motherly action becomes more concerned and vigorous, in order to assist all my children to remain ever in the truth of the faith. This is why I have asked you to consecrate yourselves to my Immaculate Heart. This is why, in these times of yours, I have spread everywhere my Marian Movement of Priests: to form the little flock, reunited in the prayer of the cenacles and watchful in expectation--the flock gathered together and formed by me to ever preserve the true faith.
Thus, when the Son of Man returns, He will still find the faith on earth in all those who will have consecrated themselves to me, allowing themselves to be gathered together in the heavenly garden of my Immaculate Heart."-To The Priests-Our Lady's Beloved Sons, MMP (2009); Interior locutions to Fr. Stefano Gobbi, MMP [1973-97]. #420, pp. 636-38
Meditation: Do we accept Church teaching--Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium [teaching]of the Church? Or do we consider truth only what we
choose to see as truth? The whole Truth is contained in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium led by the Holy Spirit--
"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of Truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you"
--John 14:16-17.
Prayer: Pray for us Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ...Amen.
