Answers to God's Mysteries
By Cicily Sunny
(Continued)

Peter and the Catholic Church

Talking about the future of the Church Jesus says to Peter, "I was saying that the sacrifice of each of its members is required starting with me, the Founder. I am, in fact, its mystical Head, for you, for all the disciples, for all those who will be called Christians and will belong to the universal Church. And really in the great classification of the hierarchy the most humble people, who seem to be simple numbers will be the ones who will make the Church truly vital. In actual fact I will often have to seek refuge in them, to continue to keep alive the faith and the strength of the continuously renewed apostolic colleges, and I will have to allow those apostles to be tortured by Satan any by envious, proud, and incredulous men. And their moral martyrdom will not be less painful than a material one, as they will find themselves between the active will of God and the wicked will of man, who will act as an instrument of Satan any by every means and effort will endeavor to make them appear as mendacious, mad, possessed persons, in order to paralyze my work in them and the fruits of my work, which are as many victorious blows against the Beast." (V. 3, Ch. 361, P. 504). 

When Judas Iscariot asks Jesus a question about the head of the Church, Jesus answers, "I am the mystical Head. Peter is the visible head because I am going back to the Father leaving you Life, Light, and Grace by means of my Word, of my suffering, of the Paraclete, who will be the friend of those who are faithful to me." (V. 5, Ch. 594, P. 460). 

While Jesus appears to Peter on the shores of a lake after resurrection he says, "Put on the pontifical and take the Holiness of the Lord among my flock. Fasten your clothes at your waist and keep them fastened until you also from shepherd become lamb." (V. 5, Ch. 629, P. 828). 

When Jesus appeared to his disciples and about five hundred believers on Mount Tabor, he said, "For this religion unique, true, perfect and immutable in the doctrine taught my me, the Master, completed by the continuous teaching of Him who will come, the Holy Spirit, the most holy guide for my pontiffs and for those who will help them, second chiefs in the various churches created in the various regions where my word will be asserted. These churches, although various in number, will not be different in thought, but will be one thing only with the Church, as with their individual parts they will form the great building, greater and greater, the great new temple, that with its pavilions will reach all the corners of the earth. Not different in thought, nor contrasting with one another, but united, brotherly to one another, all subjected to the Head of the Church, to Peter, and to his successors until the end of time. And those that for any reason should separate from the Mother Church would be members cut off, no longer nourished with the mystic blood that is grace from me, the divine Head of the Church. Like prodigal sons, separated through their own will from the paternal house, in their short-lived wealth and constant and graver and graver misery, they would be blunting their spiritual intellects my means of too heavy foods and wines, and then they would languish eating the bitter acorns of unclean animals until they returned to the paternal house, saying with contrite hearts: "We have sinned. Father, forgive us and open the doors of your abode to us". Then, whether it is a member of separated Church, or an entire Church-oh! if it were so, but where, when will so many imitators of me arise, capable of redeeming these entire separated churches, at the cost of their lives, to make, to remake only one Fold under only one shepherd, as I ardently wish?-then whether it is only one person or an assembly that comes back, open doors to them." (V. 5, Ch. 630, P. 831).

In Chapter 631 Jesus continues his advice to Peter, "My Church is demolished by its own ministers! While I support it with the help of victims, they, the priests, who will have only the garment and not the soul of a priest, will help the ebullition of the waves agitated by the infernal Snake against your boat, Peter. Stand up! Transmit this order to your successors: "Hands on the rudder, the lash on the shipwrecked people who wanted to be shipwrecked, and try to founder the boat of God". Strike, but save and proceed. Be severe because just is the punishment for marauders. Defend the treasure of the faith. Hold the lamp aloft, like a lighthouse above the rough sea, so that those who follow your boat may see and not perish. Shepherd and pilot for the dreadful times, gather, guide, hold my Gospel high because safety is found in it and in no other science." 

After the vision of the Pentecost, Jesus says to Maria Valtorta, "The revealed works of God, of the Love of God, end with Pentecost. From then onwards the intimate mysterious work of God continues in his believers, united in the name of Jesus in the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, Roman Church; and the Church, that is, the assembly of the believers- shepherds, sheep and lambs- can proceed without erring because of the continuous spiritual operation of the Love, the Theologian of theologians." (V. 5, Ch. 636, P. 885). 

Speaking to John about the future church and his responsibility to be the supreme light left to remind people of Christ, Jesus says, "I promised Peter that my Church, which will have my stone as its head and foundation, will not be demolished by the repeated and fiercer and fiercer assaults of Hell….Also those who believe in me in an imperfect manner, because although they accept me they will not accept my Peter, will always turn to your lighthouse like boats without pilots and without compass, which steer in their storms towards a light, because light means also salvation." (V. 4, Ch. 506, P. 581). 

Next Topic: Purgatory, Saints, and Martyrs

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