Readers of this blog know that the topics of my most recent articles have included "a bishop dressed in white" who is described in the Third Secret of Fatima (a Vision), the lightening that struck St. Peter's dome hours after Benedict XVI announced his resignation, the earthquake near Rome three days after the official abdication, and prophesies like the alleged St. Malachy "Petrus Romanus" prophecies. My latest article, Comets and Coincidences, made the connection between the upcoming November 2013 Comet ISON and another Nostradamus prophecy.
While the most recent prophecy excerpt about a pope fleeing in December (while a great comet lights the daytime sky) is certainly intriguing, I'm not certain if the news writers got this one right. In the World News article, no further information on this particular Nostradamus prophecy is offered - not the quatrain number, not even the entire prophecy. All we have is an excerpt. (Meanwhile, I've already conducted a search. So far, every website or blog simply repeats the exact excerpt of a sentence (to wit, "flee Rome in December when the great comet is seen in the daytime"), and nothing more. I f I may, I would like to invite my readers to look it up. If anyone has any success finding the entire prophecy, I would appreciate a heads-up, accompanied by a link. Thanks so much!)
Here's the thing: If Nostradamus did indeed prophesy with those words, he indicated that December is the month of the "great comet." The NBC World News article makes a brief reference to the calendar difference of Nostradamus' time to ours, but the article again offers no specifics. The facts are that Nostradamus died in 1566 A.D. and the Gregorian calendar was instituted on October 4, 1582 - advancing the calendar by 10 days (but during a leap year, 11 days). Now that's a bit uncanny if Nostradamus did prophecy about a December comet, and here's why:
1.) Comet ISON will enter the sun's orbit on November 28, 2013 A.D. If it survives, astronomers are predicting it could become so bright that it will be seen in the daylight hours - and, indeed, that would be a "great comet."
2.) As I noted in Comets and Coincidences, Nostradamus did predict that "the great star will burn for seven days" and a cloud will cause two suns to appear. He concludes the prophecy: "The [Great] Mastiff will howl all night, and the Pontiff will flee to another country." In his book, Catholic Prophecy, Yves Dupont mused that the "Great Mastiff" could be "Arab powers."
3) If we can take Nostradamus literally, and if Comet ISON is the "great comet," it will begin to burn brightly on or around November 28th, and continue to burn through Wednesday, December 4th or Thursday, December 5th. If such is the case, Nostradamus was right about a "great comet," down to the very month.
Speaking of comet prophecies, here is another one from St. Hildegard of Bingen (d. 1179 A.D.):
"Before the Comet comes, many nations, the good excepted, will be scoured with want and famine. The great nation in the ocean that is inhabited by people of different tribes and descent by an earthquake, storm and tidal waves will be devastated. It will be divided, and in great part submerged. That nation will also have many misfortunes at sea, and lose its colonies in the east through a Tiger and a Lion."
"The Comet by its tremendous pressure, will force much out of the ocean and flood many countries, causing much want and many plagues. All sea coast cities will be fearful and many of them will be destroyed by tidal waves, and most living creatures will be killed and even those who escape will die from a horrible disease. For in none of these cities does a person live according to the laws of God."
It is very amazing when these "coincidences" of lightning strikes, minor earthquakes, comets, and papal prophecies are getting the attention of secular news sources. Meanwhile, many Catholics who are making inquiries to their priests about these signs are usually being told to calm down, relax, and simply live a life of sanctifying grace.
Frankly speaking, if more people were living a life of sanctifying grace, we wouldn't be receiving these warning signs from God. I've said this before but will say it again, quoting Fr. Bernard Kramer, who was an biblical exegete, especially on the Apocalypse: "In the Septuagint, the word [sign] is used for celestial phenomena." (The Septuagint is the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament.)
In the Old Testament, God said, "Let there be lights made in the firmament of Heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years." (Gen. 1:14-16, Douay-Rheims Bible) In Hebrew, the word 'season' is 'moed' and and signifies an appointed or fixed time (which means it does not indicate the seasons of spring, summer, fall, or winter.)
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, Our Lord, said: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves; Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved." (Lk. 21: 25-26) That is an infallible prophesy. It will happen. What's more, this infallible prophecy seems to have a connection to St. Hildegard's, mentioned above. Moreover, the word "heavens" could mean the skies above, but it could also mean "the Church" since in biblical prophecy, the word "heaven" or "heavens" usually indicates the Church. Again, if that is the case, Our Lord could have meant "For the powers of the Church shall be moved" - indicating a Pope and perhaps also the hierarchy.
For these reasons, let's pay very respectful attention to the signs so far given. Is it really a coincidence that lightning struck the dome of St. Peter's, just before 6 p.m., on the same day Benedict XVI announced his resignation? How about the "light" earthquake that struck near Rome, three days after the pope's official resignation? Perhaps they were small but remarkable "coincidences" (the news about both certainly received attention), but let's also consider that in the Bible, God uses lighting and earthquakes as signs.
Finally, let's also look at this year's comets and the timing of their appearances. The comet that blazed through Russia did so on the first Friday in Lent, Comet Pan-STARRS is appearing at its brightest during Lent, and Comet ISON (if it successfully passes through the sun) will burn brightly during the first week of Advent 2013. Both Lent and Advent are penitential "seasons" of the Church. The common sense of a faithful Catholic would say it is highly likely these comets are signs from God. Pay attention and respond as we should. Pray and do penance for our own sins and for the conversion of sinners.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment