A simple question for Mark Mallett

Mark,
Please answer this question. You state the popes are prophecying the coming of a temporal era of peace which will end one day before the final judgment. Please could you explain why Pope Benedict in his Midnight Mass homily of 2010 prayed this prayer "Lord, make your promise come fully true. Break the rods of the oppressors. Burn the tramping boots. Let the time of the garments rolled in blood come to an end. Fulfill the prophecy that “of peace there will be no end” (Is. 9:7). We thank you for your goodness, but we also ask you to show forth your power. Establish the dominion of your truth and your love in the world—the “kingdom of righteousness, love and peace.
And just to clarify, the following year he prayed in almost the same words "In this time of ours, in this world of ours, cause the oppressors’ rods, the cloaks rolled in blood and the
footgear of battle to be burned, so that your peace may triumph in this world of ours"

In this prayer he explicitly prays for the fulfilment of the prophecy that "of a peace there will be no end" Why does he not pray for your temporal era which will have an end, if he knows it is to come and its prophecying it?

 

Stephen,

The answer is also simple. The Church from the very beginning has cried out, "Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!" We long and thirst for the eternal Kingdom of God. We long to see Jesus face to face! Like St. Paul, we consider all things rubbish compared to knowing Him... and we will not fully know Him until eternity, and even then, it will be an eternity of knowing Him.

But even the early Church in Apostolic times began to see that God's plan of salvation was not what they thought; that the return of Jesus was not imminent as they had assumed. Thus, St. Paul, in his second letter, writes,

...with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. (2 Pet 3:8)​

What does this mean? Rather than imposing a subjective or personal opinion on the Scriptures, we must rather turn to the Church, beginning with the Church Fathers, to understand what is meant.

Let us now devote our attention to the Apostolic Fathers; that is, to the first and second generations in the Church subsequent to the Apostles. And thus, we can see where the Church's journey begins in history. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, General Audience, March 7th, 2007​

We turn to the early Church Fathers because they began the development of doctrine according to what they received through Apostolic Tradition.

The true teaching, therefore, is not that invented by intellectuals, which goes beyond the Church's simple faith. The true Gospel is the one imparted by the bishops who received it in an uninterrupted line from the Apostles... Apostolic Tradition is "one." —POPE BENEDICT XVI, The Fathers, Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, p. 26-27​

And so, what did the Fathers say about this, and of course, about the millennium St. John wrote about: the "thousand year" reign?

…this day of ours, which is bounded by the rising and the setting of the sun, is a representation of that great day to which the circuit of a thousand years affixes its limits. —Lactantius, Fathers of the Church: The Divine Institutes, Book VII, Chapter 14, Catholic Encyclopedia; www.newadvent.org​

And again,

Behold, the Day of the Lord shall be a thousand years. —Letter of Barnabas, The Fathers of the Church, Ch. 15 ​

Thus, the Fathers give a point of departure to which they themselves further explain what is meant. The "Day of the Lord", according to Apostolic Tradition, has a midnight, dawn, midday, and setting. Through their own words and subsequent theology of many theologians, we have—like the early Church—come to understand that the return of Our Lord is preceded by the ebb and flow of the Holy Spirit according to God's plan of salvation. This does not detract in any way from our hope and desire to see Jesus. Thus, we hear many of the popes praying for the eternal kingdom. But of course, every pope knows that "the kingdom of God is near." It is the teaching of the Church that we are to make a "civilization of love" while on earth, a necessity flowing from God's justice. Lastly, the popes—including Benedict—have indeed been praying for a restoration of the Kingdom of God throughout the world through a "new Pentecost".

…let us implore from God the grace of a new Pentecost… May tongues of fire, combining burning love of God and neighbor with zeal for the spread of Christ’s Kingdom, descend on all present! —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Homily, New York City, April 19th, 2008 ​

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Yes, of course they have. That was Jesus' prayer as well, that we would all be "one." We know this cannot be perfectly achieved until after time and history. But nonetheless, the popes have anticipated, before the end of time, a certain purification and triumph of the Church (of the Immaculate Heart) that prepares her to receive Jesus at the end of time. Thus, as the early Church Fathers taught, the "era of peace" is not just some little period randomly plopped at the end of time, but is in fact the preparation and prelude to the return of Jesus. In my writing Dear Holy Father.... He is Coming! and Wedding Preparations, I touch upon this theology, as well as dozens of more writings on my website. We also have the testimony of many, many 20th century mystics who explain this through the inspired words of Jesus and Mary.

Pope Benedict XVI called the youth to be “prophets of this new age” that is coming, he said to them:

Empowered by the Spirit, and drawing upon faith’s rich vision, a new generation of Christians is being called to help build a world in which God’s gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished—not rejected, feared as a threat, and destroyed. A new age in which love is not greedy or self-seeking, but pure, faithful and genuinely free, open to others, respectful of their dignity, seeking their good, radiating joy and beauty. A new age in which hope liberates us from the shallowness, apathy, and self-absorption which deaden our souls and poison our relationships. Dear young friends, the Lord is asking you to be prophets of this new age… —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Homily, World Youth Day, Sydney, Australia, July 20th, 2008​

This is not a reference to Heaven since it would come as a surprise to others that Heaven is still under construction; that we are going to have to “help build a world in which God’s gift of life is welcomed.” I was under the impression that, in Heaven, the gift of life was already welcomed. However, this statement makes more sense if it is understood as a triumphant period of Christianity in the world that emerges after this present culture of death has been crushed beneath Our Lady’s heel—the “triumph of the Immaculate Heart.”

In 1957, Pope Pius XII in his Urbi et Orbi Easter address that you quote in your book, he says:

But even this night in the world shows clear signs of a dawn that will come, of a new day receiving the kiss of a new and more resplendent sun… A new resurrection of Jesus is necessary: a true resurrection, which admits no more lordship of death… In individuals, Christ must destroy the night of mortal sin with the dawn of grace regained. In families, the night of indifference and coolness must give way to the sun of love. In factories, in cities, in nations, in lands of misunderstanding and hatred the night must grow bright as the day, nox sicut dies illuminabitur, and strife will cease and there will be peace. —The Tablet, April 27th, 1957 as cited in Heralds of the Second Coming by Stephen Walford, p. 218-219​

So what if there is to be no “era of peace” and this refers to the state of Heaven? Then Catholics may find it strange that there will be “factories” in eternity. Rather, the popes have been prophesying of some kind of restoration in Christ that will only realize it's perfect fulfillment in Heaven.

Oh! when in every city and village the law of the Lord is faithfully observed, when respect is shown for sacred things, when the Sacraments are frequented, and the ordinances of Christian life fulfilled, there will certainly be no more need for us to labor further to see all things restored in Christ… And then? Then, at last, it will be clear to all that the Church, such as it was instituted by Christ, must enjoy full and entire liberty and independence from all foreign dominion… All this, Venerable Brethren, We believe and expect with unshakable faith. —POPE PIUS X, E Supremi, Encyclical “On the Restoration of All Things”, n.14, 6-7​

But what if there is to be no such temporal “era of peace”? Then Piux X’s words are a pipe dream if not a theological error. For he refers to a time of peace and liberty “when the Sacraments are frequented.” The Sacraments belong to the temporal order, not Heaven: they will cease in eternity since Jesus will then be physically and eternally present and united to His Mystical body. Thus, this time of peace he is referring to cannot refer to Heaven, but to a momentous hour in the future. This is precisely what Our Lady of Fatima and many approved mystics in the Church have been saying one after the other.

Stephen, the answer to all of your questions lies in "filling in the gap" in your understanding of eschatology by studying the early Church Fathers with an expansive theological approach. I could not recommend Rev. Joseph Iannuzzi's books more since they are a careful progressive theology that encompasses the entire body of Revelation to the Church.

 

Hi Mark...I am a unlearned man but I listen to the wind for the voice of God. The Spirit tells me that a event called the "Great Chastisement" is in the cards. It has been prophesised by saints and mystics. The 10th secret at Medjugore is what I believe to be the "Great Chastisement". It is when the mercy and justice of God culminates into the wrath of God. I beleive that hell will be emptied of demons and for 3 days and will meet out punishment on mankind for thier sins. The world will be properly reordered to Gods will. Many will die...I've heard 1/2 to 2/3 of the worlds population. It is a divine housecleaning. It only makes sence to me...otherwise how could we have a era of peace with out the cleansing of so much filth and evil(movies, books, all types of modern day idols etc...). Is this plausble...or am I just a sadistict dillusional character...thanks for any enlightenment.

 

Mark,
What a pity. you couldnt just say "you know what, actually I have no answer". I asked a simple question and you have given a totally evasive answer which didnt address in anyway what I asked. The pope prayed "in this time of ours" not "grant us a temporal era of peace of which there will be an end". He implored the peace with no end to come now. There is little more to add this discussion. I would just point out that in most of your posts you have suggested I have gaps or a protestant eschatology. Who are you to judge my understanding? Thank God 99% of the Catholic Church does not adhere to this millennial error any longer.

 

Hi there,

Cardinal Ratzinger approved the message of Akita which speaks of a chastisement to purify the earth. Luisia Picarretta, in an approved translation of her diaries, wrote:

“God will purge the earth with chastisements, and a great part of the current generation will be destroyed”, but he also affirms that “chastisements do not approach those individuals who receive the great Gift of Living in the Divine Will”, for God “protects them and the places where they reside”. —excerpt from The Gift of Living in the Divine Will in the Writings of Luisa Piccarreta, Rev. Dr. Joseph L. Iannuzzi, S.T.D., Ph.D​

She goes on to write then of the "era of peace" that will ensue, which is a preparation for the return of Jesus in glory. The Church Fathers have explained precisely what you are "sensing". You can read their theology here: The Last Judgments and also here: How the Era was Lost. What you will find is that, what the Church Fathers taught, lines up completely with approved prophetic revelation. Surprise, surprise.

Bless you.

 

Stunning lack of charity Stephen, in many of your posts. Makes people want to rush out and buy what you have been promoting here, and bumping. I don't fault you for making a living, and using your talents in a way to help the church while doing it by publishing a book, but mutual respect is a good policy publically.

Funny how even I can also see temporal references in the very quote you posed here:

 

Charity is to correct error.

 

Oh dear ... with this definition (I prefer Paul's in I Cor. 13 myself)) it seems like we're really back to square one in this non-dialogue. Sadly I fear a case of rabies theologorum coming on here, and all I can say is that if there are any non-Christians reading, well, the tone of this and several other threads aren't exactly the best advertisment for the Gospel. Nothing wrong with having passionate convictions, of course, but it seems in some quarters that the phrase 'agree to disagree' hasn't yet entered the vocabulary. If we have one side which is adamant that the other has no right to hold its views despite the insistence (backed up by a good deal of evidence) that this is not a closed discussion, then the possibilities for civil discourse are gonna be pretty limited.

 

Ok for my part the discussion is finished.
God Bless everyone!!

 

LOL...I love the irony of all this. The whole debate is based on an "Era of PEACE". Although I must say, an extremely interesting conversation for me.

 

My dear brother Stephen. I do not judge your heart. I have told you in private letters that I believe you are on a genuine search, and that you have a certain humility before the papal quotes. However, I am challenging you to go much, much further to avoid a fundamentalist, single-level reading of the popes words. I'm sorry if that offends you, but it is something every single one of us must do: acquire a deep humility before the entire body of Revelation in the Church, which most certainly includes the Apostolic Fathers.

The danger today for many theologians is to miss the multi-dimensional, allegorical theology and theological development that lies beneath the popes words and which was intended by the early Church Fathers, limiting themselves rather to a scholastic theological approach. For example, the Church Fathers spoke of the era of peace in terms of it being a "new heavens and a new earth." They were using the words of Isaiah allegorically, as did John Paul II:

The People of God is a pilgrim along the ways of this world in an eschatological direction... But at present "the former things" are still in existence. They it is that constitute the temporal setting of our pilgrimage. For this reason we look towards "him who sits upon the throne and says, 'Behold, I make all things new'" (cf. Apoc. 21:5). And together with the Evangelist and Apostle we try to see with the eyes of faith "the new heaven and the new earth", for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away. But "the first heaven and the first earth" still exist about us and within us. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Homily, May 13th, 1982, Fatima, Portugal​

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You wrote in your book, '"a new perspective is revealed with the death of Jesus; it is the passing away of the "first heaven and first earth" and with the rolling away of the tomb, the inauguration of the "new heaven and new earth"' (p. 118). Thus, we see that there are not only multi-dimensional meanings to this Scripture, but real and spiritual realities and states that transcend, prefigure, and anticipate the eternal state of beatitude. As Pope Benedict wrote:

Jesus knows that his followers are still fearful, even now. Thus he carries out the gesture of blowing upon them and regenerates them in his Spirit (cf. John 20:22); this action is the sign of the new creation. In fact, with the gift of the Holy Spirit that comes from the Risen Christ, a new world begins. —General Audience, April 11, 2012, www.vatican.va, as cited in The Magnificat, p. 39, May 2013​

Thus, when the Church Fathers speak of the era of peace as a "new heavens and new earth," they are referring precisely to what St. Augustine later said of the "sabbath rest":

...the joys of the saints, in that Sabbath, shall be spiritual, and consequent on the presence of God… —St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.; Church Doctor), De Civitate Dei, Bk. XX, Ch. 7, Catholic University of America Press​

This is confirmed also in the writings of Italian mystic, Vera Grita, whose manuscript bearing the nihil obstat speaks, in the words of Jesus, of His coming Eucharistic reign when "the rebellious will fall." How is this going to be brought about? By what the popes have been calling a "new Pentecost." As Pope Benedict wrote, Jesus blows "upon them and regenerates them in his Spirit." This has also been confirmed in prophetic revelations, such as those of Venerable Conchita:

The time has come to exalt the Holy Spirit in the world… I desire that this last epoch be consecrated in a very special way to this Holy Spirit… It is his turn, it is his epoch, it is the triumph of love in My Church, in the whole universe. —from revelations to Conchita; Conchita: A Mother’s Spiritual Diary, p. 195-196; Fr. Marie-Michel Philipon​

Thus, there is no contradiction when either the Church Fathers or the popes speak of a "new age" or "new heaven and new earth" or "new creation." They are speaking of a purification and preparation of the Church in the end times, as St. Paul said must happen (Eph 4:13; 5:27).

In our time that is so hungry for hope, make the Holy Spirit known and loved. Help bring to life that "culture of Pentecost," that alone can make fruitful the civilization of love and friendly coexistence among peoples. With fervent insistence never tire of praying, "Come Holy Spirit! Come! Come!" —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Address to Members of the Renewal, March 14th, 2002​

Clearly, the popes are speaking of a time to come that, albeit, not in a state of perfection, is also a unique era of peace and justice, even if it is brief. Cardinal Ratzinger himself explains why this is not millenarianism:

The biblical representation of the End rejects the expectation of a definitive state of salvation within history. This position is also rationally correct, since the idea of a definitive intra-historical fulfillment fails to take into account the permanent openness of history and of human freedom, for which failure is always a possibility... The historical process can only be perfected beyond itself. —Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life, p. 213-214​

We must reject any notion of a "definitive state of salvation" which rightly falls under the category of millenarianism. Absolutely no where in my writings or Fr. Iannuzzi's will you find any claim to definitive perfection in the Church within the bounds of history. But we know that certain saints have reached high stages of union and perfection such that they felt as though they lived more in heaven than earth. What is coming is this kind of union for the Church, which is not the beatific state of perfection, but a preparation for the return of Jesus in glory that in no way removes or absolves the freedom of mankind to sin:

This eschatological dimension is contemplated by St. Louis Marie especially when he speaks of the "apostles of the latter times" formed by the Blessed Virgin to bring to the Church Christ's victory over the forces of evil. This is in no way a form of "millenarianism," but a deep sense of the eschatological character of the Church linked to the oneness and saving universality of Jesus Christ. The Church awaits the glorious coming of Jesus at the end of time. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Letter to the Monfort Relgious Family, January 13th, 2004, www.vatican.va​

And thus, John Paul II said this is not an opportunity “to indulge in a new millenarianism”…

…with the the temptation to predict substantial changes in it in the life of society as a whole and of every individual. Human life will continue, people will continue to learn about successes and failures, moments of glory and stages of decay, and Christ our Lord always will, until the end of time, be the only source of salvation. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, National Conference of Bishops, January 29th, 1996; www.vatican.va​

Precisely.

(Ironically, several of these quotes can be found in your book).

 

Ha! That is funny!

But I do agree with other posters—without an agreement on fundamental approaches to biblical exegesis and an acknowledgment of early Apostolic Tradition, we will just go in circles. I did say what I felt compelled to say here, and so it is time to retreat to my cave. I don't want to be a source of division in any way, but a source of encouragement to others that we have not been abandoned; we have not been left to a subjective interpretation of the end times (2 Pet 1:20). The Sacred Tradition of the Church is there regarding the eschaton, and is being more deeply understood by the hour as the times unfold before us. Moreover, we have the rare gift in our times of mystics (and the Mother of God) who are shedding further light upon the Church's Public Revelation.

Thanks to all who welcomed me here. May God bless your dialogue that it may be fruitful and bear the fruit of peace!

 

Oh Mark...please don't retreat to your cave. The cave is only for Neanderthals like me. Please stay and post more. We NEED your input as well as Stephen's and others. I don't mind the tit for tat stuff. It is so interesting. The cave is sealed over by a giant rock. The resurrection has happened. Please stay.

 

Thankyou Mark for your response...its good to know I'm not a total nut job...yet. Prophecy is meant to edify... so know that God is pleased with your ministry...and in light of hardship you have faced...many souls draw closer to the light of Gods love. I think all of us just want to hear these words from the mouth of the Lord... "good job my faithful child...welcome home". Oh to hear these words...to enter heaven to spend eternity in peace and stand in the warmth of Gods perpectual love. No more the weary road of the pilgrim...but at last...true home. I pray everyone burns with desire to be at home in Gods family. Our suffering is only for a little while longer. Glory to God...in Jesus's name we pray!

 

The forum has received a great gift in receiving mark as a member. He is deeply knowledgeable about subjects pertaining to the Catholic faith. He is also highly literate & able to answer complicated questions in ways many us of will never be able to do.Some forum members may want to push Mark to answer a particular question the way they want it answered. But ultimately, Mark deserves respect, as us all, on this site. I don't want to see the treatment of Glenn on other threads be replicated here. As I see it, he is not here a minute & already he's being hounded. I don't like it & would appreciate it if the moderators came up with some rules along these lines...

 

i'm sorry but i have to disagree. As i see it Mark came on this forum to defend his position vis Stephen. which he did vigorously. The discussion was very illuminating. The discussion ended. Mark is leaving. Oh well.

 

Oh, so we have the caste of untouchables? or some are just more equal than the others?

 

I believe Jerry is right. It was always Mark's intention to come to the forum to defend his position and having done so to leave. I always took that as read. He is now leaving having done so.

It was great having him here. It was never his intention to stay. Time to move on.

 

Mark Mallett is one brave soldier for Christ

I wish the world had many more like him!