I don't like cutting and pasting big chunks into the forum but this article puts some sense on a niggling query I have re. the muslim connection of Fatima and Guadalupe: but I have to cut the article in two to post it. http://www.michaeljournal.org/marymoslems.htm Mary and the Moslems What is Islam? Since the September 11 attacks, the attention of Westerners has been drawn to Islam, since we are being told that Osama Bin Laden committed these terrorist attacks in the name of Islamic fundamentalism. While it is true that the vast majority of Moslems condemn violence and these terrorist attacks, a minority of extremist Moslems claim that it is “Allah” who asked them to wage a holy war against “the infidel”. What is the real face of Islam? Does it preach peace or war? Even if the word “Islam” itself can be defined as “to make peace”, “to surrender”, the truth is that there is a dark side of Islam which, although only put into practice by a small number of extremists, indeed advocates violence. Over the centuries, Muslims have engaged in tremendous wars with Christians and Jews, and Christians are being persecuted and killed by Moslems in many countries today, like Indonesia and Sudan. Is there a way Christians and Moslems can co-exist together in peace? Mohammed Mohammed, the founder of the Islam faith, was born in Mecca, Arabia, in 575. An orphan raised by an uncle, he served as a camel caravan leader until the age of 25, when he got married to a wealthy woman who was 15 years older than him, and he became the manager of her fortune. Like the other Arabs of his country, Mohammed did not profess any particular religious creed. Over 300 gods were worshipped in Mecca, among them Allah, the god of the moon. Mohammed liked to talk to strangers, be they Jews or heretical Christians, and used to read their books. Mohammed then invented a religion of his own – a mixture of his readings – and presented it to his wife and some of his relatives. Only one God, Allah (that is why Islam is represented by the crescent), but several prophets, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and the last and greatest prophet of all, himself. (According to him, Jesus was not God, but only a prophet, and did not die on the Cross, but was replaced by another person at the last moment.) The people of Mecca did not accept his religion, and he was forced to flee to Medina in 622, year one of the Moslem faith. There he won over a majority of people to his new religion, and came back to the “holy city” of Mecca with the title of “the great prophet of Allah”. He died there in 632, leaving to his disciples the Koran (the holy book of the Moslems, divided into surahs), which promised a paradise of eternal sensual pleasures to all those who faithfully accomplished the few practices indicated in the Koran, especially to those who would spread Islam by all means... including the sword. Historians agree to say that there is a big difference between Mohammed's personality in Mecca and his personality after his migration to Medina. In Mecca, Mohammed was struggling to be accepted, so he tried to appeal to Christians and Jews as well, his teachings condemning violence, injustice, and neglect of the poor. However, when he moved to Medina, and his followers grew in strength and number, he no longer needed to please people of other faiths, and became a relentless warrior intent on spreading his religion by the sword. In Surah 73:10, God tells Mohammed to be patient with his opponents, but later in Surah 2:191, God orders him to kill them. In Surah 2:256, God tells Mohammed not to impose Islam by force (“Let there be no compulsion in religion”); while in verse 193 God tells him to kill whoever rejects Islam. In Surah 29:46, God tells him to speak nicely to people of the Book (Christians and Jews), but in Surah 9:29 God tells him to fight them. To justify this sudden change in the Koran's mood, from peaceful to militant, conciliatory to confrontational, Mohammed claimed that it was God who ordered it. It was God who abrogated the peaceful verses, and replaced them by harsh ones. To conquer countries with the sword became the password. The Moslems set out in 634 to conquer the world. Within a year, they had captured Syria and Damascus. Three years later, they captured Jerusalem. By 643, they had conquered a territory half the size of Europe. In 711, they crossed the strait of Gibraltar, and rapidly conquered Spain and Portugal, and remained there for seven centuries. In 1571, at the naval Battle of Lepanto, the invasion of Europe by the Moslems was definitely stopped.
Our Lady of Fatima, in Portugal It is extremely difficult for Christian missionaries to convert Moslems, because they think that their religion is the accomplishment of Christianity, because it came after... and of course also because the Koran teaches that any Moslem who converts to another faith must be killed. So those who do convert do it at the risk of their lives, and most of the time, must flee to Western countries. In 1952, Catholic Archbishop Fulton Sheen devoted a chapter in his book, “The World's First Love”, entitled “Mary and the Moslems”. In it, he wrote that it is his firm belief that Moslems will eventually be converted in Christianity, thanks to the devotion they already have to the Virgin Mary. In fact, God the Father seems to have a special plan to draw the Moslems to Jesus through His Mother, Mary. Bishop Sheen wrote: “In the Koran, the Virgin Mary is mentioned thirty times. It believes in Her Immaculate Conception, and also, in Her Virgin Birth. It has also verses on the Annunciation, Visitation, and Nativity. Angels are pictured as accompanying the Blessed Mother and saying: ‘Oh, Mary, God has chosen you and purified you, and elected you above all the women of the earth.’ Mary, then, is for the Moslems the true Sayyida, or Lady. The only possible serious rival to her in their creed would be Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed himself. But after the death of Fatima, Mohammed wrote: ‘Thou shalt be the most blessed of all the women in Paradise, after Mary.’ In a variant of the text, Fatima is made to say, ‘I surpass all the women, except Mary.’ “This brings us to our second point: namely, why the Blessed Mother, in the 20th century should have revealed Herself in the significant little village of Fatima, Portugal, so that to all future generations she would be known as ‘Our Lady of Fatima.’ Since nothing ever happens out of Heaven except with a finesse of all details, I believe that the Blessed Virgin chose to be known as ‘Our Lady of Fatima’ as a pledge and a sign of hope to the Moslem people, and as an assurance that they, who show her so much respect, will one day accept her divine Son too. . . I believe the Blessed Virgin chose to be known by the name Fatima because she also came for the conversion of Islam, without which there cannot be an era of peace for mankind. “Evidence to support these views is found in the historical fact that the Moslems occupied Portugal for centuries. At the time when they were finally driven out, the last Moslem chief had a beautiful daughter by the name of Fatima. A Catholic boy (the Count of Ourem) fell in love with her, and for him she not only stayed behind when the Moslems left, but even embraced the Catholic Faith. The young husband was so much in love with her that he changed the name of the town where he lived to Fatima. Thus, the very place where our Lady appeared in 1917 bears a historical connection to Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed.” Alain Pilote Here is what Father Cizik, editor of the excellent Marian periodical SOUL Magazine, wrote in his Sept.-Oct. 2001 issue: “It is a fact that Moslems from various nations, especially from the Middle East, make so many pilgrimages to the Shrine of Fatima in Portugal that Portuguese officials have expressed concern. The combination of an Islamic name and Islamic devotion ro the Blessed Virgin Mary is a great attraction to Moslems.” (To subscribe to SOUL Magazine, send money order in U.S. currency (Canada 1 year $10.95) to: SOUL Magazine, PO Box 976, Washington, NJ 07882-0976. Toll-free: 866-523-1917.) This same issue of SOUL reports another proof of the devotion of the Moslems to Our Lady: “When the Moslems invaded the Holy Land in the seventh century, they destroyed every Christian church, with one remarkable exception: the Basilica of St. Anne in Jerusalem, because it was believed to be built over the spot where the Blessed Virgin Mary was born. Their great reverence to Our Lady precluded the Moslems from destroying Her birthplace.” Spain “As the Moslems swept through Spain in the 8th century, a great religious treasure was buried for safe-keeping in the earth, high in the Estremadura Mountains. It was a much venerated statue of Our Lady holding the Divine Child Jesus that was a gift of Pope Gregory the Great to Bishop Leander of Seville. After the overthrow of Moorish occupation, the image was uncovered in the year 1326, subsequent to a vision of Our Lady to a humble shepherd by the name of Gil. Our Lady's very special statue was enshrined in a nearby Franciscan Monastery next to the ‘Wolf River.’ “The Moslems, during their Spanish occupation, had actually named the river. The Islamic term for Wolf River is ‘Guadalupe’ (Guada = River; Lupe = Wolf). Hence, the famous Catholic image in Spain has been known, since the 14th century, by the Islamic name of ‘Our Lady of Guadalupe.’” Mexico Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Mexico “In the fullness of time, we can be sure that Almighty God knew that the Islamic religion would pose a serious threat to Christianity. God also knew that the Spanish missionaries would face grave resistance in the ‘new world’ from the mighty Aztec Indians. The Aztecs worshipped an evil stone ‘serpent god’ that demanded human sacrifice. (Between 20,000 and 50,000 were sacrificed a year. The rituals included cannibalism of the victims' limbs. The early Mexican historian Ixtlilxochitl estimated that one out of every five children in Mexico were sacrificed.) “However, with God all things are possible. Our Lady appeared to a humble Aztec Indian convert by the name of Juan Diego in 1531. When asked her name by Juan Diego, at the request of the local bishop, Our Lady's response, in the Aztec language, included the words ‘te coatlaxopeuh’ (pronounced: ‘te quatlasupe’) and meant “one who crushes the head of the stone serpent.’ “To Juan Diego and his fellow Aztecs, this revelation had great meaning, coupled with the miraculous image of Our Lady standing on top of a ‘crescent,’ the symbol of this evil serpent god. A tidal wave of conversions to Catholicism ensued. However, Bishop Zumarraga, who was from Spain, made what was no doubt a ‘heavenly mistake’ that one day may lead to the mass conversion of Moslems. To the Bishop's Spanish ears, Our Lady's Aztec name of ‘Te Quatlasupe’ sounded just like the name of the revered Madonna from Spain with the Islamic name, ‘Guadalupe.’ Hence, the bishop named the Mexican Madonna ‘Our Lady of Guadalupe.’ It is interesting that the ‘crescent’ is also the symbol for Islam. Battle of Lepanto “On October 7, 1571, a great victory over the mighty Turkish fleet was won by Catholic naval forces primarily from Spain, Venice, and Genoa under the command of Don Juan of Austria. It was the last battle at sea between ‘oared’ ships, which featured the most powerful navy in the world, a Moslem force with between 12,000 to 15,000 Christian slaves as rowers. Knowing that the Christian forces were at a distinct material disadvantage, the holy pontiff, St. Pope Pius V called for all of Europe to pray the Rosary for victory. “We know today that the victory was decisive, prevented the Islamic invasion of Europe, and evidenced the Hand of God working through Our Lady. At the hour of victory, St. Pope Pius V, who was hundreds of miles away at the Vatican, is said to have gotten up from a meeting, went over to a window, and exclaimed with supernatural radiance: ‘The Christian fleet is victorious!’ and shed tears of thanksgiving to God. What you may not know is that one of three admirals commanding the Catholic forces at Lepanto was Andrea Doria. He carried a small copy of Mexico's Our Lady of Guadalupe into battle. This image is now enshrined in the Church of San Stefano in Aveto, Italy. “At Fatima, Our Lady taught us to pray the Rosary every day. Heaven presented its peace plan at Fatima and truly gave us hope for the world. Conversions were promised at Fatima: the conversion of sinners; the conversion of Russia; and what also appears to be the conversion of Islam. Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!” Father Cizik This article was published in the January-February, 2002 issue of “Michael”.
Did you know that Fatima was Muhummed's daughter and the village of Fatima is named after her? Also I believe Fatima means , 'Peace'? I sometimes wonder if these things are a coincidence.
This article in Spanish was re-tweeted to me, and for the first time ever (miraculously?) I saw the 'translate from spanish' button. What is the Blessed Virgin up to - she's almost as unpredictable as Pope Francis! http://infocatolica.com/?t=noticia&cod=21376 Millions of Muslims visit Marian shrines of the East: Mary attracts more women The spiritual dialogue between Catholic and non-Christian faith in the Middle East seems to have many more results than the cultural, social and political dialogue between the communities. This is the conclusion of the Egyptian Jesuit Samir Khalil Samir priest, who explained in a special article for the agency's extensive Asia News devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary who is attested in Muslim countries, especially among women. (CariFilii / InfoCatólica) As explained by the priest, millions of Muslims annually visit the major Marian shrines in the region. Popular Piety and the Virgin, meeting point Egypt has several shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and the feast of the Dormition (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin) is very important for the faithful of the country. That day, on 21 or 22 August, millions of people visit shrines and attend including hundreds of thousands of Muslims, especially women. In Jabal al Tair, 200 kilometers from Cairo, the festival is also an opportunity to many infant baptisms and even a kind of special baptistery was built, due to the high demand of the sacrament by Muslim families. Where slept Sagrada Familia Another Marian shrine which draws many non-Christians is to Deir Dronka where a cave in which, according to tradition the Holy Family spent a night during their flight to Egypt is preserved. In the place several apparitions of the Virgin at the end of the twentieth century were reported. In Deir Dronka these appearances occurred: January 22, 1980, the Virgin appeared to a Coptic deacon the January 10, 1988 appeared on the church tower to an Australian tourist, and Jesus monastery workers appeared with a dove on August 7, 1990, the Virgin appeared to the monks, surrounded by light, in a cave of the convent. Since then it is a place of great influx of pilgrims where many baptisms are celebrated, to the point of having a "specialized" monk baptisms as the Coptic rite. Soufanieh: appearance for Catholics and Orthodox This enthusiasm also was recorded in Damascus, Syria, where the icon of Our Lady of Soufanieh attracted multitudes of non-Christians. Tears Icon Soufanieh and cures related to it started in the home of a mixed marriage (one Greek Orthodox spouse, another Catholic) and Muslim neighbors compañros with witnesses and with the approval of local bishops Catholic and Greek-orthodox. Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa In Harissa, Lebanon, the Arab country with the highest percentage of Christians-the Marian shrine crowns a mountain that dominates the landscape. There come not only Lebanese Muslim, but Iranian women, so the rector arranged a special chapel where prayers for them and titles are written in Persian language to facilitate their devotion. Often local Muslim families come to the temple to see the Catholic liturgy throughout the Eucharist. In Morocco: She was not touched by Satan In Morocco, Samir found P. practicing Muslim women during pregnancy the "fast of Our Lady", following a tradition inspired by the Koran, which refers to the Blessed Virgin and attributes titles are not given to any other woman. A popular Muslim tradition ensures that every baby at birth is touched by the devil and that the only exception to this "rule" were Mary and her Son, a tradition which greatly recalls the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The narrative of the Annunciation in the Koran saves great similarities with the Gospel and the Muslim people proves to be very open to expressions of devotion to the Blessed Virgin. The popular veneration of saints Father Samir Khalil said that another aspect that attracts a large number of non-Catholic Christian churches is seeking the intercession of the Saints. Christian popular piety infects numerous people who venerate St. George in Egypt (since time immemorial) or visit the shrine of St. Charbel Makhlouf in Lebanon (Maronite Catholic monk who lived in the nineteenth century). The copious testimonies of healing and favors granted through his intercession motivate pilgrimages, which are rejected by fundamentalists. For Islamic fundamentalists-not for the Muslim Middle, the only recognized is the pilgrimage to Mecca on and consider the forms of popular Muslim piety to the Blessed Virgin or the Saints as a form of idolatry. At this point, Fr Samir compared this attitude with Christian heresies also despise or condemn such practices. According to the priest, people really value the presence of God through faith experiences and many of them have no qualms about the source of these manifestations is Christian. Exorcism and Evangelism A perhaps unexpected chapter in the situation described by the missionary is the important role of Catholic exorcisms for the Muslim peoples. Fear of the devil is a feature of the faith of the people and cases of possession are often taken to Catholic priests and religious. Samir P. himself recounted that during his studies in Cairo, Egypt, a Muslim keeper stopped him to ask him please to come to his daughter, who apparently suffered a possession. "I took her to our magnets and could not do anything. They themselves told me the only thing that can release a monk, "he recounted. Being inexperienced, Fr Samir promised just pray for the young, which visibly disappointed man. By having the experience to their religious brothers, the priest was criticized for this attitude, because people expect from Christian priests performing the Ritual of Exorcism, and is a common practice for families to come to the monks and priests for this purpose . Similarly, Muslims ask for help from religious God for the healing of diseases and other supernatural favors. "These gifts are distributed only in Christian environments," explained Fr Samir, "but are certified, verified by non-Christians." When you mention the Virgin ... Father Samir explained that in his dealings with Muslims notice a big difference once mentions the Virgin. "There is a noticeable change in attitude: there is an atmosphere of piety, of silence, of brotherhood, as if, after talking to many things, one entered a place of worship, where there is silence." According to the priest, Marian devotion is naturally open to all people. "Even in the West, Marian shrines attract not only Christians but also to other believers, or people who have left the Church, or even people who do not believe. Even if the liturgy is clearly Christian. " For the missionary, find a Muslim praying in a temple dedicated to the Blessed Virgin is a source of great relief that "devotion is a much stronger foundation for a relationship and a friendship that ideological, political or cultural ties." The phenomenon of popular piety spontaneously produces large fruits in the difficult way of living the Christian faith in the region.
http://endoftheamericandream.com/ar...rucifixion-of-christians-by-radical-jihadists http://www.breathecast.com/articles...adists-for-refusal-to-convert-to-islam-15371/ http://gopthedailydose.com/2014/04/28/hs-students-say-pledge-in-arabic-one-nation-under-allah/
I suppose at least as the blood of the Faithful is the seed bed of the Church we will, all of us be immensely stronger because of all this. Revelations also points out that the protests of those martyred, the prayers, go up before the Lord and cause Him to act on their behalf on Earth. I must remember to pray for all Persecuted Christians all over the World. It is true our ruling classes don't seem to care. Surprise, surprise but if a homosexual is refused a special baked cake it is headline news for weeks.
Something else (I am Dutch, one of those who hoped that, finally, the Dutch would win the world cup ) :
Wow, that's quite the video Padraig. This statement struck me: "Mohammed clearly stated, "In the end of days, there will be many who defect from the faith. Kill them when you see them wherever you find them."" I didn't realize that the Koran discusses the "end of days".
A Muslim also thinks that we are living in the End of Times and that Jesus is coming back, but not as Son of God, as we believe, but as a prophet to tell Christians that we are mistaken and that He is only a prophet. What will they be disappointed... but we have the Warning first and this will convert many Muslims (as I remember from one prophesy) and they will become better Christians as the general Christian today. Today we can have an enemy in front of us, tomorrow he may be our best friend.
The Koran is a strange amalgamation of the Old and New Testament of Jewish and Christian. For instance Ramadam is modelled on Lent and the call to prayer on the Divine Office. I suppose it is not very modern of fashionable to suggest it but I wonder if Muhamed as a False Prophet and others like him such as Joseph Smith the founder of Mormonism might have been possessed by the devil. So the 'angle Gabriel ' he was supposed to have met in a cave might have been a demon. They do believe in the End Times when Islam will be everywhere Triumphant. It seems very similiar to the Catholic Triumph of the Immaculate Heart.
