Conclusions
You certainly read it all. Ignore the editing and spelling. Take as much as you can from this site. If it moves you, do your own research. There is much I left out. In two-thousand years of saints' lives, several of them illiterate in theology, we see that their core writings do not contradict each other, but why? Because the Truth comes from a single source, the Holy Trinity, through their faith, all of them linked through time. God bless their lives and writings.
Therefore, what are the resources to increase our faith? The Bible, of course, but also reading about approved supernatural miracles, incorruptible bodies, mystic accounts and their conversations, Passion visions, pilgrimages to holy sites, Marian apparitions, exorcist experiences, and Jewish traditions. Together with prayer, Mass, and sacraments, they help us understand Christianity. After so many books, what is prevalent is God's unconditional love for us (even though we keep failing), our need to fix our flaws by using real, effective methods, and emptying ourselves for the love of our neighbor. Our struggle to increase our love and trust in God by prayer, and relying on God in our weakest moments. We can always imitate saints in some devotions. The Trinity is love, and we have to fight to belong to that love with small sacrifices like fasting, prayer, and almsgiving to the needy as much as we are able, coming to the realisation that we are not alone and God is always there waiting for us in us.
I hope this site has awakened your Christian curiosity. It is all there, but it takes an effort to understand and more effort to fix our lives according to those teachings. A Rosary to Mary, a prayer to Jesus at 3 pm for His guidance every day, and you are on your way.
I'll give you the most important message given by Jesus to a mystic, Maria Teresa Carloni (1919-1983), a modern-day stigmatic with exceptional mystical gifts. In January 1967, while Teresa was visiting Israel with a friend, Jesus appeared three times to them in human form. In Gethsemane, Jerusalem, Jesus helped her find the tree where He wept, very close to the basilica (there are many olive trees around the basilica on the Mount of Olives). Teresa's description of Jesus matches Saint Faustina's image of Jesus (1934 portrait). Jesus appeared to them once more at Mount Tabor and the Mount of Beatitudes (Sea of Galilee), the most peaceful place. Jesus revealed to them how a person would be judged. Jesus said:
They will not be asked details about their lives, they won't be asked how many hours they worked or prayed, but they will have to answer about charity towards their neighbour:
.Have you been humble?
.Have you been meek?
.Have you suffered worthily?
.Did you hunger and thirst for justice?
.Did you have mercy?
.Have you been pure?
.Were you instruments of peace?
.Have you been persecuted for love of me?
In truth I tell you, that souls will be judged only based on this, that is, on charity.
But please have in mind the context of charity in this message. Fulton Sheen explains:
St. Paul tells us that philanthropy, sacrifice, alms, even martyrdom, if embraced for any reason except love of God does not deserve an eternal reward. "I may give away all that I have, to feed the poor; I may give myself up to be burnt at the stake; if I lack charity, it goes for nothing" (1 Cor 13:3).
Saint Thomas Aquinas in 1250 said,
Primarily and essentially the perfection of the Christian life consists in charity, principally as to the love of God, secondarily as to the love of our neighbor.
Can we match the 8 Beatitudes of Jesus (Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10), with the 8 questions in the revelation? Yes, they fit beautifully, clarifying, even more, its meaning.
Have you been humble?
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."Have you suffered worthily?
"Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted."Have you been meek?
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."Did you hunger and thirst for justice?
"Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."Did you have mercy?
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."Have you been pure?
"Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God."Were you instruments of peace?
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."Have you been persecuted for love of me?
"Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Book: Kingdom of Happiness: Living the Beatitudes in Everyday Life by REV Fr Jeffrey Kirby
Saint John the Apostle, Saint Teresa of Ávila, and many other saints encourage people to love their neighbours through their actions rather than their words, and they confirm that devoting oneself solely to prayer in religious life is a mistake. A physical world demands physical action according to the will. We've come full circle. Love God with all your heart and your neighbour as yourself.
Saint Bernard(1090-1153) may further clarify,
A good or bad tree is distinguished, not by its leaves or flowers, but by its fruit. So By their fruits, He saith, ye shall know them (S. Matt. vii. 16). Works, then, and not words, make the difference between sons of God and sons of unbelief. By works, accordingly, do you display your sincere desire and make proof of mine.
Book: Life And Works Of Saint Bernard, Abbot Of Clairvaux (1889) by John Mabillon
Read the judgment and the resurrection of Gloria Polo to have a better understanding of charity.
As we delve further into Catholicism, we may want to go back to just reading Christian books and materials written by the Roman Catholic Church and Doctors of the Church. While Saint Thomas Aquinas and his 4300-page book may take time, by better understanding God we save offending Him. A must-read book is The Catechism of the Council of Trent. It is good to step out of our comfort zones. Blessed Emmerich's visions are as far I would go (as things may get very tricky going farther). Exploring mystic books, whether some information is incorrect or not, challenges us to think. What we get out of them is a deeper love and fear of God. Was it worth it? Not many people would travel this far. I say yes because I now gladly pray the Rosary every day, I look forward to going to church, I fast once a week when possible, and I go to confession without fear. It's like I am not going through a routine anymore, and I push myself to find ways to advance. So you know, the devil will try to distance us from people as we become more religious, but we now know that charity asks for the opposite, that we become more humble before God. The Church cannot err since it is guided by the Holy Ghost. Anyone who speaks against the Holy Ghost will not be forgiven, such as arguing against the faith or misrepresenting the Christian faith to make it seem undesirable; in other words, "the willful blindness of mind and obstinacy of the will, in virtue of which we directly resist divine truth, revealed to us, and strive to prevent others from receiving it" but there is enough material on this site to start breaking down that stubbornness. That is, every sin that men repent of shall be forgiven, but the sin that is not repented shall never be forgiven, neither in this world nor the next by the spirit of Penance or the Holy Ghost.
Book: Treatise on the Love of God de Sales, Francis
Book: 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Divine Mercy Consecration by Gaitley, Father Michael
However, if you like knowing God from a philosophy point of view, as God is infinite and time does not exist for the Trinity, you may read:
Book: Summa Theologica by Saint Thomas Aquinas
Book: City of God by Augustine of Hippo
LibriVox has both as audiobooks.
Always remember these words from Jesus to a Benedict Monk in 2012:
I will that all knowledge of Me lead to love of Me. Theology is useful only insofar as it leads to communion with Me in humble prayer and in adoration. Theology is at the service of love. Separated from love, it is a monstrous science that separates even from Me.
Then, what does it take to make it to Heaven? Let saint Mechtilde of the Blessed Sacrament (1614-1698) explain,
It will be done to us according to our faith, it is not in our merits that we base our salvation... a person who dies with great confidence in the goodness and merit of Our Lord, provided that she did not have willful sin, will go straight to Heaven... what happiness has this soul to return to God from Whom it came! But a reflection soon comes to disturb our joy, in view of our sins and faults, by fear of judgment. We can now say to our Lord: "You did not come for the righteous, but for sinners, of whom I am one. You are our Saviour, save me by your merits and your infinite goodness!" For I believe that a soul that would be well penetrated by this trust would have nothing to fear.
Jesus also said to Catholic nun Marie Lataste (1822-1847):
I am between God and men. No one can obtain anything from My Father unless he obtain it through Me. Now, I have placed My Mother between men and Me, and I grant nothing to men save by My Mother, and in consideration of her. Let the sinner address himself to Mary, let him obtain her protection, and he is forgiven. He who is at peace with Me is at peace also with My Father ; in like manner he who possesses the friendship of My Mother possesses My friendship also. Ask of Mary all the graces which you need, and she will obtain them for you; recognising your unworthiness, address yourself to Mary, and Mary will pray for you. All the graces which God distributes are in Me as in an immense reservoir ; I cause them to flow into Mary as into another reservoir ; and you must go and draw them thence. A grace is asked for, My Father consents, I grant it, and Mary gives it. If you wish to be always received by Me, pray Mary to present you, or present yourself in the name of Mary, begging Me to receive you, not for your own merits, but in consideration of Mary. When you cannot come to Me, go to Mary ; beseech her to intercede for you; I shall behold you with pleasure at her feet. Go to Mary in temptations, dangers, perils; by so doing you will be secure of victory. To be in the hands and under the protection of Mary is to be secure of your salvation.
Book: The life of Marie Lataste, lay-sister of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart by Edward Healy Thompson
Book: The Way of Salvation and of Perfection by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori
My best wishes on your path. God bless!
