When it comes to the Final and Divine Chastisement, this is one of those subjects which, again, has been kicked around all through the ages since the flood wiped out the human race—with the exception of Noe and his family. As in the case of the flood, most divine chastisements are directed at the enemies of the faith— Sodom and Gomorrah , the ten plagues of Egypt (where every first born of the Egyptians died)—and the faithful were protected. We read in Deuteronomy (32:41): “I will render vengeance to my enemies, and repay them that hate me”; and Ephesians (5:6): “The wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience.”
The reason for these chastisements was that during these particular periods in history the faithful become so overwhelmed by the opposition that God finds it necessary to eliminate a needed amount of the enemy in order to protect the remaining faithful. This will also apply in the end times, during the conclusion of the great apostasy and just before the second coming, God again finds it necessary to foster the same action. It is stated in the Apocalypse 16:2, 8: “A sore and grievous wound was made upon the men who had the mark of the beast…the sun was allowed to scorch mankind with fire…and (those who lived) did not repent.” These findings are supported in Father Kramer’s Book of Destiny (1956, p. 367; Tan Books) “How this heat is solely directed towards the enemy of the faith, I cannot explain.” Faher Spirago in his book, The Catechism Explained, confirms,”…and this fire will purge those who have yet to do penance for sin:” page 272, Tan Books 1921. This could explain the role of the sun in the Miracle of Fatima as a prelude to the apocalypse.
The Church has always alluded to the sign of the Cross in the sky before these final events transpired (cf. Spirago).( Matt. 24:30). Whether everyone will see this sign is not clear. I believe that only the faithful will see it; and I also believe that the fire will come down during the Lenten season.
It has been brought to my attention that some of the seers and holy persons in the past have professed to believe in a “three days of darkness” as the precursor of the apocalyptic events; but there isn’t any divine revelation to support this assumption. You also have a contradiction to what is stated in Genesis (8:22), when after the flood, God made the promise, “All the days of the earth, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, night and day, SHALL NOT CEASE.”
So, my dear faithful, when anyone speaks of the biblical apocalyptic chastisement, even though we as Catholics will be undergoing tribulation and suffering, we need not fear falling under the chastisement God has reserved to punish the enemies of the faith.
Lententide:
Unless the mind and will are ready to believe in God’s absolute right to teach and command, there is little likelihood that fasting and penance with extra prayer will be followed carefully.
The will must be free of self-interested desires and fears in order to bend the mind to assent to an unseen God and to His whole mysterious order of salvation. Prejudices and sinful habits easily find excuses for refusing assent to truth and to self-discipline.
Christian mysteries, accepted and lived, lead men to their supernatural destiny. A Christian’s joy in living his faith, without complaining of the cost, is a sign that he knows what he is about.
Christian wisdom does not judge and choose according to rebellious instincts or misguided opinion: it chooses according to the teachings of the New Testament and in view of man’s destiny for eternal happiness. The wise Christian sees God’s will in all things and surrenders to God’s will in all things. He chooses God’s way gladly and gratefully in all things, and not merely when God’s will is in accord with his own inclinations . Moreover, wisdom leads the Christian to be content with God’s favor and guidance and not to ask for signs and wonders to prove His presence and power. Be Converted To Me In Fasting and in Weeping
A good way to get the feel and have your hand on our Lord’s pulse would be to read the Readings and Gospel for each day in lent if daily Mass is not available.
Most of the main events that take place in Scriptures take place, from Lent to Pentecost Sunday and I might add so should the Great Chastisement which precedes the Second Coming of Christ.
Grace be with you, In Christ, Joseph