Be Ready to Receive the Lord

Let us heed these words and be watchful and ready so that we are not caught off guard, for the Son of Man will come like a thief in the night. Prepare yourselves well with a good Confession so that you can receive Jesus without any stain, spot or wrinkle on your soul. This can be your gift to Him…a heart contrite and humble, pure and chaste, and filled with love, peace and good will. Our Blessed Mother tells us how to prepare:

“Prepare yourselves with me to live, in peace, in silence and in trembling expectation, the liturgical remembrance of his birth. In this time of preparation, let faith increase, hope be illumined, charity be strengthened and your prayer become more intense.
(367b, Nov. 28, 1987)

“I urge you to walk, each and all, along the way of light which I have traced out for you, to offer your life to the perfect glory of the Most Holy Trinity, to live well the last times of this second Advent, in such a way as to be ready and with lamps burning to receive the Lord who is coming.” (429i, August 15, 1990)

“And so, listen, one and all, to my voice, and hasten after the immaculate light of my virginal beauty, to the encounter with the divine splendor of Christ.
Open your hearts to hope. The second coming of Christ is near at hand. The signs that He Himself has given you, to prepare yourselves to receive Him, in these times of yours, are all on the point of being realized.
Open your hearts to hope.
Live in peace of heart and in prayer.
Live in faith and in joy.
Live in grace and in purity.
Live in love and in holiness.
Because Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, our Savior and our King, is about to come to you in the splendor of his glorified body.” (438jkl, December 8, 1990)

Signs Described in Holy Scripture

In the passage from the Gospel of Luke, read during the 1st Sunday of Advent, Our Lord tells us that there will be signs to warn us that “our redemption is near at hand.” Our Lady speaks of these signs in her messages to Fr. Gobbi. In Message #485, “The End of Times”, given on December 31, 1992, Our Blessed Mother helps us to understand all of the signs, as described in Scripture, which indicate that his glorious return is now close. We can see that we are now living through these very times. Yes, the return of Jesus is indeed close at hand. Prepare in a special way this Advent season because the time of his Second Coming is upon us.

(…)
“I have announced to you many times that the end of the times and the coming of Jesus in glory is very near. Now, I want to help you understand the signs described in the Holy Scriptures, which indicate that his glorious return is now close.
These signs are clearly indicated in the Gospels, in the letters of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and they are becoming a reality during these years.

— The first sign is the spread of errors, which lead to the loss of faith and to apostasy.
These errors are being propagated by false teachers, by renowned theologians who are no longer teaching the truths of the Gospel, but pernicious heresies based on errors and on human reasonings. It is because of the teaching of these errors that the true faith is being lost and that the great apostasy is spreading everywhere.
‘See that no one deceives you. For many will attempt to deceive many people. False prophets will come and will deceive very many.’ (cf. Mt 24:4-5, 11)
‘The day of the Lord will not come unless the great apostasy comes first.’ (cf. 2 Thes 2:3)
‘There will be false teachers among you. These will seek to introduce disastrous heresies and will even set themselves against the Master who ransomed them. Many will listen to them and will follow their licentious ways. Through their offense, the Christian faith will be reviled. In their greed, they will exploit you with fabrications.’ (cf. 2 Pt 2:1-3)

— The second sign is the outbreak of wars and fratricidal struggles, which lead to the prevalence of violence and hatred and a general slackening off of charity, while natural catastrophes, such as epidemics, famines, floods and earthquakes, become more and more frequent.
‘When you hear of reports of wars, close at hand or far away, see that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many places. All this will be only the beginning of greater sufferings to come. Evildoing will be so widespread that the love of many will grow cold. But God will save those who persevere until the end.’ (cf. Mt 24:6-8,12-13)

— The third sign is the bloody persecution of those who remain faithful to Jesus and to his Gospel and who stand fast in the true faith. Throughout this all, the Gospel will be preached in every part of the world.
Think, beloved children, of the great persecutions to which the Church is being subjected; think of the apostolic zeal of the recent popes, above all of my Pope, John Paul II, as he brings to all the nations of the earth the announcement of the Gospel.
‘They will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all because of me. And then many will abandon the faith; they will betray and hate one another. Meanwhile, the message of the kingdom of God will be preached in all the world; all nations must hear it. And then the end will come.’ (cf. Mt 24:9-10,14)

— The fourth sign is the horrible sacrilege, perpetrated by him who sets himself against Christ, that is, the Antichrist. He will enter into the holy temple of God and will sit on his throne and have himself adored as God.
‘This one will oppose and exalt himself against everything that men adore and call God. The lawless one will come by the power of Satan, with all the force of false miracles and pretended wonders. He will make use of every kind of wicked deception, in order to work harm.’
(cf. 2 Thes 2:4,9-10)

‘One day, you will see in the holy place he who commits the horrible sacrilege. The prophet Daniel spoke of this. Let the reader seek to understand.’ (cf. Mt 24:15)
Beloved children, in order to understand in what this horrible sacrilege consists, read what has been predicted by the prophet Daniel: ‘Go, Daniel; these words are to remain secret and sealed until the end time. Many will be cleansed, made white and upright, but the wicked will persist in doing wrong. Not one of the wicked will understand these things, but the wise will comprehend.
‘Now, from the moment that the daily Sacrifice is abolished and the horrible abomination is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits with patience and attains one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.’ (Dn 12:9-12)
The Holy Mass is the daily Sacrifice, the pure oblation which is offered to the Lord everywhere, from the rising of the sun to its going down.

The Sacrifice of the Mass renews that which was accomplished by Jesus on Calvary. By accepting the Protestant doctrine, people will hold that the Mass is not a sacrifice but only a sacred meal, that is to say, a remembrance of that which Jesus did at his Last Supper. And thus, the celebration of Holy Mass will be suppressed. In this abolition of the daily Sacrifice consists the horrible sacrilege accomplished by the Antichrist, which will last about three and a half years, namely, one thousand two hundred and ninety days.

— The fifth sign consists in extraordinary phenomena, which occur in the skies.
‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; and the stars will fall from the sky; and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ (Mt 24:29)
The miracle of the sun, which took place at Fatima during my last apparition, is intended to point out to you that you are now entering into the times when these events will take place, events which will prepare for the return of Jesus in glory.
‘And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. All the tribes of the earth will mourn, and men will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven, with great power and splendor.’ (Mt 24:30)

My beloved ones and children consecrated to my Immaculate Heart, I have wanted to teach you about these signs, which Jesus has pointed out to you in his Gospel, in order to prepare you for the end of the times, because these are about to take place in your days.
The year which is coming to a close, and that which is beginning, form part of the great tribulation, during which the apostasy is spreading, the wars are multiplying, natural catastrophes are occurring in many places, persecutions are intensifying, the announcement of the Gospel is being brought to all nations, extraordinary phenomena are occurring in the sky, and the moment of the full manifestation of the Antichrist is drawing ever nearer.

And so I urge you to remain strong in the faith, secure in trust and ardent in charity. Allow yourselves to be led by me, and gather together, each and all, in the sure refuge of my Immaculate Heart, which I have prepared for you especially during these last times. Read, with me, the signs of your time, and live in peace of heart and in confidence.

I am always with you, to tell you that the coming about of these signs indicates to you with certainty that the end of the times, with the return of Jesus in glory, is close at hand.
‘Learn a lesson from the fig tree: when its branches become tender and sprout the first leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things taking place, know that your liberation is near.’ ” (cf. Mt 24:32-33)

The Holy Night

We are presently living through the concluding times of this second Advent. Yes, our liberation is near! It all began two thousand years ago with the birth of Jesus during the Holy Night when He, our true and only Liberator, came to offer humanity our Heavenly Father’s merciful love and forgiveness. This, his Redemptive Work, will finally be completed at his Second Coming which, according to Our Lady’s words to us, is closely approaching.

It is imperative that we prepare ourselves well for this glorious day of his Second Coming. One of the many means we have is the contemplation of the mysteries of the Incarnation and the Birth of Jesus. Thus, allow me to quote a few excerpts from Our Lady’s messages on the First Coming of Jesus, to fill you with the spirit of that Holy Night as if you were actually there gazing at the child in the manger alongside the shepherds. O Come, Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord.


Message #189 “How Great a Light”
December 24, 1979

“This is the holy night. Beloved sons, gather about me to welcome my divine Child.
There is so much darkness all about.
And yet, an ever increasing light shines within the cave. And now it appears entirely from heaven, while the Mother is deeply absorbed in prayer.
How great a light descends from the bosom of the Father into the virginal womb of the Mother, who opens herself to his gift, to Life.
And completely enveloped in this divine light, I behold for the first time his body: his eyes, his cheeks, his lips, his face, his arms, his hands; I feel his little Heart which has scarcely begun to beat. Each beat is a gift of love which now will never again be quenched.
There is so much cold about us: the severity of the cold and the frost of those who have shut all doors on us.
But here, within the cave, there is a pleasant and welcome warmth. It is the shelter that this poor place offers us; it is the warmth of little things; it is the help which a little straw gives us, and a manger which offers itself as a cradle…
No place is so warm, now, as this most chilly cave. And the Mother bends happily over her Baby who has been given you by the Father, over her Flower finally come to bloom, over her Heaven now forever opened, over her God who has been awaited for so long.
And my tears mingle with my kisses, while I gaze enraptured on my Son and my God, who has been born of me on this holy night.
There is still a great night lying over the world. There is a great cold freezing hearts and souls.
But the light has now conquered the darkness, and love has forever defeated all hate.
My beloved sons, on this holy night, keep watch in prayer. In my Immaculate Heart, remain in readiness.
His glorious return is now near. And new light and great fire will renew this world.”

Message #462 “The Bright Cave”
December 24, 1991

(…)
“This is the holy night. This is the night which brings to an end the expectation of the centuries. This is the night which is opened to the Light and brings to an end forever the time of the first Advent. This is the night which brings to a beginning the new day which knows no setting.
In this night, heaven is espoused to earth; the song of the angels blends with the voices of the little ones, of the poor, of the pure; to the shepherds is given the announcement which gives joy to all: ‘Today is born for you a Savior.’ (cf. Lk 2:11)

Bow down, together with me, to cover the Child with kisses and tears, with warmth and love, with sweet and affectionate tenderness. He is so little; He is just born; He cries because of the sharpness of the cold; He wails because of the great coldness which enfolds the whole world. Like the shepherds, you too, bring Him simple gifts. Your priestly heart, filled with love, becomes for Him his one great comfort.
And do you also welcome the great announcement of joy that is given to you today: his second birth in glory is close at hand. You too are traveling along the last stage of a long journey. You too are coming to the end of the time of the second Advent. So therefore, live with me and with my spouse, Joseph, the precious hours of this new vigil.

Let a deep silence surround the great noise of words and of images, which today is filling the whole world. Let the prayer of the heart bring you to a continuous loving dialogue with the Lord Jesus who has come, who comes and who will come in glory. And let the tranquil peace of the soul mark the passing of your days, so threatening and thick with sorrows for all.

Go forward safely on the tempestuous waves of these last times of the great tribulation, without becoming troubled at seeing that the doors are still closing to Jesus Christ, who is coming.

My Immaculate Heart is the bright cave, which brings to an end this second Advent, because it is with its triumph that Jesus will return to you in glory.”

The Birth of “Merciful Love”

Together with the Mother of Divine Mercy let us receive the birth of “Merciful Love” who is Mercy for ALL. For on this day is born our Savior and Redeemer. He is the Heart which beats to renew the heart of every creature…the new heart of the world.

“Beloved sons, live with me, in silence and in prayer, the anxious hours of the vigil.
Walk with my most chaste spouse, Joseph, and with your heavenly Mother on the long road which is bringing us from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Feel, you too, the fatigue of the journey, the weariness which takes hold of us, the assurance which leads us on, the prayer which accompanies each step, as a heavenly blessedness fills our hearts, now united in perfect communion with the Heart of the Heavenly Father which is about to open itself in the gift of his only-begotten Son.

The noise of the crowded caravan does not disturb us, nor does discouragement take hold of us before all the doors which are closed on our request to be taken in.

The compassionate hand of a shepherd points out to us a poor cave, which opens itself to the most sublime and divine prodigy. The only-begotten Son of the Father is about to be born to his human life. There is about to descend to the world that Merciful Love who becomes man in the Son born of me, his Virgin Mother. After long centuries of expectation and of prayerful supplication, your Savior and Redeemer at last comes to you.

This is the holy night.
This is the dawn which arises upon the new day of your salvation.
This is the light which shines forth in the deep darkness of all history.
My spouse Joseph seeks to make the frigid cave more hospitable and sets about transforming a poor manger into a crib.

I am absorbed in an intense prayer and enter into ecstasy with the Heavenly Father, who surrounds me with his light and his love, and fills me with his fullness of life and blessedness, while paradise, with all its angelic cohorts, prostrates itself in an act of profound adoration. When I emerge from this ecstasy, I find in my arms the divine Child, miraculously born of me, his Virgin Mother.

I press Him to my Heart, cover Him with tender kisses, warm Him with my motherly love, wrap Him in clean linens and place Him in the manger, which is now ready.

My God is completely present in this Child of mine. The mercy of the Father is made visible in the newborn Infant who utters his first plaintive cries.

Divine Mercy has given his Fruit to you: together let us prostrate ourselves and adore the Merciful Love who has been born for us.

— Together let us look into his eyes, which open to bring upon the world the light of the truth and of divine wisdom.

— Together let us wipe away his tears, which run down to bring compassion upon every suffering, to wash away every stain of sin and evil, to close every wound, to bring solace to each oppressed person, to cause the awaited dew to descend upon the frigid desert of the world.

— Together let us clasp his hands, which open themselves to bring the caress of the Father upon human miseries, to bring help to the poor and the little, support to the weak, assurance to the discouraged, pardon to sinners, health to the sick, and to all the gift of redemption and salvation.

— Together let us warm his feet which will follow the barren and insecure roads to search out the straying, to find the lost, to give hope to the despairing, to bring liberty to prisoners and the Good News to the poor.

— Together let us kiss his little Heart, which has just begun to beat with love for us.
It is the very Heart of God.
It is the Heart of the only-begotten Son of the Father, who becomes man to bring back to God a humanity redeemed and saved by Him.
It is the Heart which beats to renew the heart of every creature.
It is the new heart of the world.