Bernie, thank you for this post, there are indeed lots of places to investigate. Susan Tassone has been a long time favorite of mine.
Bernie: I have always liked saying prayers for the souls in Purgatory since no one knows about the work/fruits except God and those on the other side - it keeps me from being prideful. Do you have any personal experience with FOSS?
"The future will be better than the past"...hmmm. Just noticed your signature, Daniel. I just saw a You Tube video with Matthew Kelly talking about that concept. We are going to attend one of his Passion and Purpose events this Saturday. We are old groupies of his, but haven't been to one of these yet, so it is time we go, and it's close by, in Elk Grove Village IL. He talks to businesses as well about this concept. If we do not think that our future will be better than our past, we will disengage...in whatever our endeavor is. You know, it really makes a ton of sense. Why strive to become the best version of yourself if you don't think your future will be better than your past? We get hung up in all this economic depression, and in all the crazy things going on, and sometimes we may begin to think that the future is bleak. What a mistake. You know, even when everything does get me down, I think of my new grandchildren. I think of how they will make all the difference, how they will make my world, our world, better as they make it their own. If it becomes hard to think of the world being better in a global sense, then I think of individuals - like them, who will make it better. And I think of the good fruits of the warning and chastisements to come, not of the bad consequences they will bring, how it will make the future better. Thanks, Daniel!
MC, OK you caught me ripping off Matthew's line, but this attitude provides me with a lot of peace regarding the future. When trials come I think we will need hope by the bucket and this attitude is one I am trying to adopt now. I remember seeing Matthew about 17 years ago when my first daughter was born (Matthew and I were both young go-getters then). I remember him quoting Abraham Lincoln that if America fell sure it would fall from within. I also recall him saying we live in a transitional period of history that will be followed by a rebirth like the Christian Middle Ages - not dark ages, Christian Middle Ages. It seemed an odd thing to say back then but less so now. Glad you had a wonderful trip to Notre Dame and are back to liven up the forum
LOL - Liven up... -thanks for that! :lol: I think it is a great philosophy - I agree that it is an excellent attitude to adopt! We must believe things will be better in the future or we will die of dispair, won't we? 17 years ago...wow! that was back when Matthew was still writing about his locutions, I believe. It is hard to find his old books now, since his bishop asked him to stop and he obeyed (but I managed to dig them up on used bookstore sites). He was also told about the warning and what would come after...hence his statement you mentioned from long ago. I love his energy and his approach to trying to bring God back into not only our hearts, but also into the workplace in a roundabout way. Good for him. I am sure he is still following God's lead and I am confident He is leading him down the right path. Hopefully we may get a moment to speak with him this Saturday. Last time we saw him it was just before his whole ordeal with cancer. In fact, he missed one of the three nights of talks because he had to see a doctor in Chicago while he was here. He said at that time it was for his back, but shortly after that it came out he had cancer. When we saw him on night 3, he looked very run down and tired compared to the way he was prior, at the Medjugorje Conference in Notre Dame a couple years before. It is great though, to know he has beaten the cancer and continues his mission. I am sure many, many people were praying for him, myself included. He is now married with a son and a new baby daughter, which is also wonderful. I do admire his perseverence, and I am glad to have read his books, even the old ones with the messages in them. Last Easter we ordered a boxful of Rediscovering Catholicism books to pass out at our church. They went like hotcakes. The evangilization committee is planning to do it again this Christmas.
I'm late in coming to the table for Matthew Kelly and wasn't aware that any of his writings included inner locutions. I had first been introduced to him through Lighthouse Media CD's found in a kiosk in the vestibule of the church. He is very entertaining and enthusiastic, and breaks down even the most resistant audience with his sheer likability. I was able to find an old copy of A CALL TO JOY which I believe was his first book. I look forward the read, thanks for the tip. :wink:
Most people do not know this about him Lee, because he did obey his bishop and stopped publishing his locusions, or talking about them in public at all. Most people now only know of his evangelical and high-energy seminars. He was the first evangelical Catholic speaker my husband and I had seen, and he blew us away. I remember when we were driving to Notre Dame in 2007, I was looking over the bios of all the guests and speakers at that first Medjugorje conference we ever attended, and I didn't think I'd like him at all...I didn't get the evangelist-thing and Catholicism going together back then. In fact, I was actually disappointed that someone like that would be at the conference! His talk spanned through the morning and evening, they broke it up into pieces. We were captivated, and I have been following his career ever since. Actually, I have helped one of his employees just a little bit with suggestions on their new Dynamic Catholic website, and am keeping in touch with his company in Chicago, working on a possible marketing job there, either part-time or full-time. It would be a great thing for me to be able to do, however, it is a long commute from my home, so I would have to solve that problem. The book you are waiting for is interesting, it is like the story of his evangelical awakening and the basis for his early talks. Written in 1997. He is so young on the cover! You see the topics in there that he still focuses on today, but you read them in context with the messages he received from God on each topic. It is like a "prequel" to his more recent books like Rediscover(ing) Catholicism and The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality, to name two. He never mentions his "source" of wisdom in his later books or talks, of course, but in the 1997 book you learn where he got it all from initially. His other old book that's out of print is called Words from God. This is his first one, I believe, and it is a literal journal of the first three months of his locusions in 1993. Its just a little book. This is where the warning and other contraversial topics are written. I don't think he actually discusses the warning at all in A Call to Joy. There is another book dedicated to his father, called the Book of Courage. It is all quotes, like a "quote of the day" thing. Apparently he lost three family members to cancer. After this book, he got cancer himself.
What tremendous suffering for a young man to endure. There's nothing like it to bring you to the heart of Jesus. I'd love to find his book however, I'll keep an eye out for it. I'm curious, when you attended the seminar in 2007 do you remember there being a Dave Leatherby from California on the bill who spoke about his conversion experience in Medjugorje? Cathy and Denis Nolan from today's Marytv would have been there too but more in a filming or support capacity or I would think. They should be there again this weekend, they live there. It seems to me the more prominent speakers in the Catholic Evangelical movement today are mainly those who have had heart moving conversion while in Medjugorje. Our Mother's lasso gets us all.
Matthew also had a similar book to Words from God called "Mustard Seeds" which was daily reflections on the locutions. As Rain alluded in another post, it is easy to see when God the Father is speaking through a person by the wisdom and by the fruits. I saw Matthew speak at a few conferences in PA with Tom Rutkoski many moons ago and both of them helped me greatly in my spiritual journey. A little bit of Tom's story was just on Spirit Daily this week with the "it can rain everywhere but where you are" topic. Tom was a photojournalist for a local TV station before having a conversion at Medjugorje and devoting the rest of his life to evangelizing lukewarm Catholics thru Gospa Missions. I may never make it to Medjugorje myself but it is definitely through Tom and Matthew bringing Our Lady into my life that I share in the Medjugorje conversion club.
Food for Thought for October 13 from the Dynamic Catholic Institute: Jesus didn't come to condemn you; He came to save you. - Mustard Seeds I forgot about this book, thanks Daniel! Basically, between the other two older books I have, these quotes are already covered so I never did buy this one. If you belong to the Dynamic Catholic email list, you get these quotes every day, I didn't realize they are all quotes from the messages, but you are right Daniel...note he does not ever say this, but his talks are based on these messages also. It looks like that is how he is keeping them alive. With folks not knowing their origin and yet seeing the fruits of the talks and the lives he touches proves to me that he is authentic. I got out Words from God this morning and am halfway through it already. I plan to finish it by tomorrow (he was only 19 when he wrote it - there is no way a 19 year-old could write wisdom like that). I had only read it through once before, then I gave it to my husband. He had a little trouble with it and I see now he didn't finish it. I found it among his things in the basement. I think it changed his idea of Matthew in some way that was uncomfortable for him, so he put it down. My husband is more of a doubting Thomas than I am. He doesn't dig into all the mysticism like I do. Sometimes he thinks I'm a little "out there". Some people are not as comfortable reading about locusions and visions as others. He also can't bring himself to pick up St. Faustina's diary...same thing, I think it unsettles him, makes him uncomfortable. He is just not ready for that full leap yet, I guess. But he can read a 1000 page biographical book about Fr. Sorin, the founder of Notre Dame. Now there's a book I can't bring myself to open! LOL Matthew's little book can be read straight through if you are an avid reader, or in a couple of days anyway. I forgot many of the messages in there. They are all full of peace and good advice and lots of 3's... . Perhaps I shouldn't be promoting it since its not something you can find anywhere anymore. I am hoping that perhaps after the warning he will be able to re-publish it, and/or perhaps publish additional locusions he has had since. I know he is very obedient to his bishop, but maybe the warning will change his bishop's recommendation. In the meantime, his other books are terrific spiritual reading. What I love about Matthew is that he has found a way to carry out his mission and help bring people back to the fundamentals of the faith without even mentioning this special "guidance" he receives. He sticks with the basics at this time. Perhaps after the warning he will go in another direction. I am hoping he will be one of the leaders on the internet helping people make sense of it all in the midst of the confusion that will ensue. I have thought that for a long time now, as he is slowly building a great website and a following without any mention of anything dire or foreboding. He would make a good leader or guide in the turmultous times ahead. He will not be sent reeling by it all because he already knows about it, and he will be ready to help immediately. I thank God He did not take him early with the cancer. We'll need cool heads about us...and he is definitely cool! :lol:
Prayer of St Bridget which is said to release 33 souls from Purgatory if said on Good Friday: "I adore Thee, O Holy Cross, which has been adorned with the tender, delicate, and venerable hands and feet of my Saviour,Jesus Christ, and immured with the Precious Blood. I adore Thee, my God, nailed to the Cross for me. I adore Thee again, O Holy Cross, for the love of my Lordand Savior Jesus Christ. Amen" To be said before a Crucifix with prayers for the Pope.
