David Carollo, the Executive Director of the World Apostolate of Fatima, USA and the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, writes the Voice of Fatima blog monthly.The Truth Will Set Us Free
The readings during Passiontide are accusatory of those who held positions of authority in the time of Christ. Over the years there have been allegations that these were attacks against the Jewish people. More accurately these statements are aimed at those who held positions of religious authority in that time. The Gospel’s words are not anti-anyone nor is it about stigmatizing any group. Instead, it interrogates our human nature and how we respond when we fear that we will lose our special position. It calls out the denial of truth and the reality. Even though we follow the ultimate Truth, we must also be vigilant about assuming that only we are the chosen ones in this day. Christ said that He would be with us until the end of time, specifically in the Eucharist, but the question to ask is this: will we remain with Him? Assuming that we are superior because we have been given the gift of Faith is taking a detour from the path Christ sent the disciples on, the same path that as baptized Catholics all of us are commanded to follow. Each of the apostles faced persecution and violence for his beliefs. Indeed, most of the first popes died as martyrs, happy to give their lives for the Faith.
Lent Calls Us to Selfless and Sacrificial Love
On February 14th we celebrated Valentines Day. The greeting card industry has enshrined this as the day when we emphasize romantic affection. It is beautiful to especially acknowledge spouses and those with whom we have a romantic connection. Love is in the air as they say, but true love can be better found when we explore and remember the saint after whom this day is named. St. Valentine was martyred for the Faith on February 14th, offering an act of pure love, not romantic love. I mean no disrespect to the industry that thrives on the promotion of these secular days. My father owned a gift and hobby shop when I was a child, and Hallmark cards were a big seller for him. Living in a committed marriage, however, brings the selfless love of sacrificial care together with the romantic in a lasting relationship. I find that my love for my wife has grown over the years as long-term care and common experiences define our relationship.
Can the fulfillment of Our Lady’s request for the First Saturdays Devotion in this Extraordinary Marian Jubilee Year bring about a lasting peace?
The call of Fatima is more urgent than ever today. As an apostolate we have been charged with disseminating this call for fidelity in an age of apostasy. Ponder for a moment what the world would look like if Our Lady’s call for adherence to the laws of God and respect for civility had been followed in 1917. The peace and stability that only God can provide would rule the day. Instead, confusion about the very nature of the human person and the dehumanization which always precedes conflict is overbearing. The constant upheaval that defines our world today is a product of our insistence on following our own path and not the lead of God. Today society is in a desperate state as we set on the brink of global war and uncertainty. Suicide rates are on the rise as desperation, the most powerful tool of the devil, is prominent among those who do not see the hope that God shows us. People are judged by a secular vision which sees only their apparent usefulness and not their intrinsic human dignity; thus suicide, abortion and euthanasia are easily rationalized.
Celebrate This Christmas United to Her Immaculate Heart
In these last days of Advent let us join Our Lady in anticipation of the birth of the Savior. She trusted that the words given to her at the Annunciation would be fulfilled and that the promise made to our fallen first parents would soon become a reality. The O antiphons that mark the final […]
The Promise of Devotions: Not Just Checking a Box
There are many devotions that have promises connected with them. One popular example is the recitation of the prayer of St. Gertrude for the deceased, especially during the month of November. It is said that 1,000 souls are released from purgatory each time it is prayed. Likewise, whenever we pass a cemetery, we offer this prayer for the holy souls: “Eternal Father, I offer thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son Jesus in union with all the Masses said throughout the world today for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church for those in my home and within my family, Amen”. While we cannot guarantee the release of these suffering souls or the conversion of sinners, we nevertheless continue to pray and to hope.
Seeking God’s Guidance for the United States: An Appeal for Prayers
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation, the President has called for a campaign of prayer leading up to this milestone. A call to prayer such as this should be a time of unified vision and good will for the sake of our nation, which has put the need for Divine guidance aside. Let us put our partisan differences aside. Let us put our religious differences aside. Petitioning God to bless our nation should come from all believers.
Pray Every Day for World Peace
At Fatima, Our Lady stated that if her requests were heeded there would be peace in the world. Peace has been illusive in these 108 years since she appeared to the three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria. Why is this? She stated that war was a punishment for sin. How simple this is. Not […]
An Optimistic Time for the Church
I was in Rome several weeks ago. There I felt a sense of optimism and the hope that we Catholics should always feel. I attribute this to several factors: firstly, this is a Holy Year of Hope, which Pope Francis declared this last year. Since it began many have made their way to Rome to enter the Holy Doors at the major Basilicas. Secondly, the Conclave and the election of Pope Leo XIV have added to the enthusiasm as he is bringing a youthful energy to the Papacy bringing even more people to the seat of our Faith. Holy years are always a time of renewal. They provide a unique opportunity to avail ourselves of the spiritual benefits such as the attainment of a plenary indulgence when we visit jubilee churches. These are special and exceptional gifts that the Church grants, but the full intention is for us to embrace full amendment of life, without which there is no long-term benefit. Dioceses all over the world have designated pilgrimage sites: the Blue Army Shrine is a designated place of pilgrimage in the Diocese of Metuchen. A pilgrimage to Rome however is special as it is the seat of the Church and for those able, it is a must do journey.
People are Seeking God in the Quiet
I read an article in the National Catholic Register about the increase in vocations to the priesthood in several dioceses in the U.S. It was an uplifting piece which shows that the call is there and many are answering. However, looking at the regions from which they come defies established logic, however. The large population centers with many Catholics and beautiful churches are not on the list of these places. The percentage of young men pursuing priestly vocations in large urban areas of the United States is much lower than it is in smaller regions. In places like New York and Chicago this is apparent. Perhaps the noise of the big city is drowning out the call of God. It is easy to blame bishops and priests in these areas, or to point to difficulties in the seminaries, but perhaps the root cause is deeper than that. These troubling statistics reinforce the concerns of many, including the Holy Father and his recent predecessors, that the distractions of our present world obscure the call of God. He whispers, He does not shout.
Confronting the Technological Revolution
After his election to the papacy last month Pope Leo XIV gave insight to his selection of the name he chose. He referred, as I expected, to Pope Leo XIII’s focus on the well-being of working-class people in the rapidly changing socio-political environment of the late 19th century. Just as Pope Leo XIII saw the dangers that the Industrial Revolution posed and the looming specter of the Marxist ideology, which was looking to control the working class, Pope Leo XIV has stated he sees the dangers of out-of-control technology in the present day as a great threat to our humanity. Both of his immediate predecessors, Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI, also referred to the potential dangers in these technologies.
