Repent and Repair!

And I sought for anyone among them who would repair the wall and stand in the breach before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30 Reparation…Catholics are familiar with this word. It means making amends for the wrong one has done, but also to repair what has been damaged. In these days in which I am unable to participate in mass, and receive Jesus in the Eucharist, my soul has gone through a process that I didn't expect. I am seeing dark corners of selfishness, negativity, pride, and envy that needed the illumination of the Holy Spirit. I am seeing how I have not put God first. I am not sure how this has happened when I am bereft of Holy Mass and the Eucharist. But I am grateful…for now I can repent, make amends, and repair my relationship with My Lord even more. I wonder if this has been happening to some of you. It is easy to say that we put God first, but when it comes down to it, do we? Our selfishness, vanity, pride, and even misplaced attachments to things, no matter how small, are all idols that we put before God. I think He is showing many of us our idols now. Are we paying attention? I have written about a prayer book that I came across some time ago called Holy Hour of Reparation. You can read that post here. In this booklet, is a very important part that has stuck in my mind since then, “…I undertake to help, to the extent of my means, to secure the triumph of the rights of God and of Thy Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer Thee my efforts to obtain that all hearts may acknowledge Thy Sacred Royalty, and that so the Kingdom of Thy peace may be established throughout the entire universe. Amen.” Many say "I have a right to do with my body what I wish. I have a right to do what I want on Sunday. I have a right to do my will"… and forget God’s will or His rights. The only rights we really do have flow from our dignity as a child of God. They include the right to life, the right to worship Him freely, to own property, and receive just wages etc. These come from God alone. And God, as Our All Powerful Creator, has rights over our bodies, our worship of Him, and how we treat Him and one another.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Matthew 7:21 We are created by God, for God! We are created for one purpose, and that is to share His life in Heaven, eternal happiness! And in order to reach Heaven, we must follow His Will, because “nothing unclean can enter heaven.” If you believe in Him, have faith, and pray, that is necessary for a relationship with Him, and salvation. But we must also obey His commands if we wish to enter Heaven. It is for our own good that they are given to us. And if we say we are Christian, and do not obey Him, then we do not really love Him. Some people think that God's commands don't apply to the modern world, because "things are different now", or "they are too hard" to do now. Things certainly are different now than ever before in history, but God is unchanging. And Jesus told us it wouldn't be easy, but He also said we can "be perfect". That only happens with supernatural power, what we call grace.

...if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, then will I remember my covenant... Leviticus 26:41 In His great love for us, Jesus, took on all of our sins, and made reparation for us. It is only right that we follow in the footsteps of the Master. We must also do the work of reparation, making amends for the wrong we have done. It might help to understand this better if you think about this… if someone wrongs you, and they say they are truly sorry, that is important and meaningful. But if they try to make it up to you somehow, then you KNOW they are really sorry. The proof of love is in their actions, and it “repairs” the relationship. There are many ways that we can make reparation to God. Obviously we can right the wrongs we have done. We can offer our suffering, as He did. We can pray, fast, do other penance, give to the poor, helping others…all of the works of mercy offered to Him, show God that we are really sorry, and want to repair for how we have hurt Him by our sin. It is just and right. We owe Him this.

Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:13 And then we can simply obey, and LOVE Him. This is what His heart desires most of all. The Heart of God which has loved so much only desires our love in return. But He cannot nor would not force that because then it is not love. Those of us who are parents and grandparents know how your heart can melt when your little one, in love and trust, throws their arms around your neck. Our Lord longs for that kind of love and trust from each of us. His heart melts when we show it to Him. Think about that for just a minute. You can melt the heart of God by just showing Him you are sorry and throwing your arms around Him. If you don't know this, then you don't really know Him like His heart desires. We can also show Him love, by repairing for the sins of others, again following in the footsteps of Jesus. There are many who do not even think of God, do not care to obey Him, or outright reject Him. This was the most heartbreaking thing that Jesus suffered. That after all He did and offered, that some would still reject His love. Some would be eternally lost. But we can do something to help snatch souls from the devil! Our prayers and sacrifices can bring special grace and help to someone. Our love for our neighbor releases even more grace to souls. And it is His mercy that allows that to happen. Our prayers and reparation can also hold back Justice. He does not want to have to correct us. But He will if he must, because justice demands that He makes things right. And that may be the only thing that saves some people’s souls! The pain on earth is nothing compared to eternal pain in Hell!

We know that we are God’s children, and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one. 1John 5:19 How long has the Lord been asking us to turn back to Him, and make reparation? And how long have we ignored Him? Our Blessed Mother Mary has appeared all over the world to different seers, often children, many of these appartitions have already been approved by the Church, such as Fatima, Portugal, and Akita, Japan. She has warned us, and begged us to pray and fast. She has pleaded for us to offer many rosaries, masses, and Holy Hours of prayer because many souls are falling into hell, especially for sins of the flesh, she says. While the world tells you something completely different. (You can read about the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima here.) Many Saints have written similar things. Saint Faustina, who Our Lord spoke to, wrote down His words in which He said that after the Time of Mercy, would come the Time of Justice: “(My daughter) Speak to the world about My mercy; let all mankind recognize My unfathomable mercy. It is a sign for the end times; after it will come the day of justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of My mercy; let them profit from the Blood and Water which gushed forth for them.” Diary, 848 (cf., John 19:34) If there are not enough who repent, and make reparation to God, then justice will fall. And what we ourselves have asked for and deserve, we will get… a Nation without God. When we say we do not want Him, and do not wish to follow His laws, then He will leave us to the consequences of our choice. It is a mystery that God wants and needs our prayers, but yet He does. Do you understand the power of prayer now?

And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? Numbers 14:11 Our country, which has been so richly blessed, has been teetering on a dangerous precipice. We have turned away from God. And He will only tolerate for so long the killing of innocent babies, “mercy” killing, men “marrying” men, and women with women, "choosing" gender, creating human life outside of the womb, creating human/animal embryos, rampant divorce, fornication, greed, abuse of power, etc…to the detriment of His children.

And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. Matthew 16:3 We do not know the hour when God’s justice will come. But Jesus said that many do not know how to read the signs of the times either. It seems to me that signs are everywhere and our world is spiraling out of control. One day He will show us that He is God, and slay our idols. Repent. Repair. Now. I will end this with a prayer that was given to me by Our Blessed Mother Mary in prayer. I had no idea of it before she gave me this word, “Aleinu”. It is a very ancient Hebrew prayer. It is thought that Jesus Himself would have prayed it. It was prayed with a shofar, the trumpet which heralds the Kingship of God, and His justice. Aleinu It is our duty to praise the Master of all, to acclaim thegreatness of the Onewho forms all creation. For God did not make uslike the nations of otherlands, and did not make us the same as otherfamilies of the Earth. God didnot place us in the same situations as others, andour destiny is not the sameas anyone else's.And we bend our knees, and bow down, and givethanks, before the Ruler,the Ruler of Rulers, the Holy One, Blessed is God.The One who spread out the heavens, and made thefoundations of the Earth,and whose precious dwelling is in the heavensabove, and whose powerfulPresence is in the highest heights. Adonai is ourGod, there is none else.Our God is truth, and nothing else compares. Asitis written in YourTorah: "And you shall know today, and take toheart, that Adonai is the onlyGod, in the heavens above and on Earth below.There is no other."Therefore we put our hope in You, Adonai our God,to soon see the glory ofYour strength, to remove all idols from the Earth,and to completely cut offall false gods; to repair the world, Your holyempire. And for all living fleshto call Your name, and for all the wicked of theEarth to turn to You. May allthe world's inhabitants recognize and know that toYou every knee mustbend and every tongue must swear loyalty. BeforeYou, Adonai, our God,may all bow down, and give honor to Your preciousname, and may all takeupon themselves the yoke of Your rule. And mayYoureign over them soonand forever and always. Because all rule is Yoursalone, and You will rulein honor forever and ever.As it is written in Your Torah:"Adonai will reign forever and ever."And it is said: "Adonai will be Ruler over thewhole Earth, and on that day,God will be One, and God's name will be One."