Revelations (2018)
Fr. Martin Fuchs´s sermon on 13th May 2018, Prague, Czechia
***
Dear faithful!
When we speak about the divine
revelation, we mean that God speaks to people. God spoke to Adam and Eve, to
Noe and Abraham and to many other people.
The universal revelation –
destined for all people for their salvation – was made to prophets and the Apostles.
Partly it was recorded in
written form. We find this written revelation in the Holy Scriptures. Partly it
was handed orally by the Apostles.
Saint Thomas Aquinas calls the
oral transmission a prophetic tradition.
With the death of the last
Apostle, St. John, the universal, divine revelation was completed.
The divine revelation
consisting of the Holy Scriptures and the oral tradition is also called depositum fidei. This treasure of faith
is immutable and contains all the truths that man needs to attain eternal
salvation. The Catholic Church passed this treasure on down the centuries.
Saint Thomas Aquinas called
this transmission dogmatic or doctrinal tradition.
This distinction between
prophetic and doctrinal tradition is very important because nowadays we are
taught again and again by various priests and Bishops that “the Holy Ghost
blows anywhere he wants“. It must not, however, be misinterpreted. They use
this sentence to justify their new doctrine.
Nothing can be added or
removed to the treasure of faith (the Holy Scriptures and the oral revelation
or the prophetic tradition). The Catholic Church has received the Holy Ghost to
keep the divine revelation as it was given and to interpret it correctly.
In addition to this general
revelation, we can also see private revelations in the course of the Church
History.
They had been given in private
to some people for their spiritual benefit or for the benefit of the faithful.
Such recipients of private
revelations were for instance saint Birgitta, saint Juliana of Liège, saint
Margaret Mary Alacoque, saint Hildegard, saint Catherine of Siena, blessed Anne
Catherine Emmerich and others.
The ultimate purpose of such
revelations is God’s glory.
One day Our Lord spoke the
following words to saint Gertrude: “The more I change and multiply the way of
giving my gifts, the more I show my wisdom according to the capacity of each
person to teach him what I want to teach.“
Private revelations are never
given to proclaim a new doctrine.
Another purpose is the
glorification of the Catholic Church, as Anne Catharine Emmerich said one day: “The
Lord said to me that my visions are not for me but for other people. I have to
write them down and pass them to others. It is not the time for miracles. He
gives these visions to prove that He will be with His Church to the
consummation of the world.“
Private revelations have also
special purposes that correspond to the particular needs of the time and the
ordinance of the Divine Providence.
a)
The
sinners should be startled by the description of the dreadful punitive justice.
At the same time those who have good will should be reminded of the mercy and
God’s goodness. We can see it beautifully demonstrated by the revelations of
saint Birgitta.
b)
Some
private revelations are given to invite the faithful to celebrate piously the
feasts of the Church. Let’s just think of the revelations to blessed Juliana
(Corpus Christi), to saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (The Sacred Heart of Jesus).
c)
Others
are given to have a filial worship of the divine Mother, e.g. the revelations
to abbess Mary of Agreda.
d)
Still
others are meant to sanctify the recipient, e.g. those revelations to saint
Philip Neri, to saint Alphonsus Liguori, to saint John Vianney or to saint
Bernadette in Lourdes. On the 20th and 23rd February 1858
Our Lady taught the latter a prayer and revealed a secret for her own life. She
did not speak of it to anybody. Only a few private revelations are for the
whole Church. Those who fight against such revelations are guilty of mortal
sins.
There is no special condition required
to receive divine revelations. God gives these gifts to people of all ages, to
men as well as women.
Father Gravina, however,
distinguishes between the gift of prophecy and its use. For the use of the
gift, special spiritual dispositions are required, e.g. humility and holiness.
That is why Jesus said:
“I confess to thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and
prudent, and hast revealed them to the little ones.“ (Matthew 11:25)
The state of sanctifying grace
is not essential. We have examples in the Holy Scriptures: Balaam, who wanted
to curse the Chosen people and the High priest Caiphas, who prophesied:
“You know nothing. Neither do
you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the
people, and that the whole nation perish not.“ (John 11:49)
These men were in the state of
mortal sin.
Usually, however, the gift of
revelation – according to saint Thomas Aquinas (II-II q 172 a5) – is only given
to those who are in the state of sanctifying grace and have a high degree of
perfection and prayer.
Private revelations have not
more value than the value of the testimony of the prophet who reports them.
This person is never infallible.
There were saints who received
revelations that were not fulfilled – for example St. Norbert of Xanten
(1226-1234) felt absolutely certain that the Antichrist would appear in his
generation… Saint Catherine of Siena believed that Mary had revealed to her
that she is not the Immaculate Conception… Saint Vincent Ferrer (1398-1419)
preached the last 21 years of his life that the Last Judgment is imminent. He
knew that from a revelation and to prove it, he did miracles everywhere. Among
many other miracles he raised a woman of death in Salamanca in 1412. She had
just been carried to the cemetery and she confirmed his words.
But this authentic prophecy
never came true.
God wants us to believe that
even a greatest scholar and a saint are fallible. Only the Magisterium of the
Church is infallible.
It is true especially when a
prophecy comes from a person who is not a saint. At the beginning of the 16th
century, a Spanish nun, Magdalena of the Holy Cross, brought the whole country
in the state of excitement. She levitated, had ecstasies, the Host lay itself
on her tongue, on certain days she had the stigmata, prophesied that Francis I
would be beaten in Pavia and much more; everywhere there was a great
enthusiasm! People from the whole world came to visit her: priests, Bishops,
the emperor, all worshipped her and asked for her advice. One day, Rome sent an
apostolic visit to examine the case, and the “Prophetess“, the “saint“, finally
confessed that when she was a young shepherdess, she had given her soul to the
devil in order to gain power to work “miracles”. This had taken place for 38
years. Even the greatest theologians, Bishops, cardinals and inquisitors fell
for it.
Now there are a number of
revelations approved by the Church. What shall we think about them?
The Church never obliges
anybody to believe in private revelations, given to any person, even if the
Church may confirm them.
By this confirmation she
simply declares that there is nothing against the Catholic Faith and morals and
that everybody can read them without danger. He can read them even with
spiritual profit. Visions are not granted for curiosity; their goal is much
more precious: The sanctification of a soul and the increase of love for the
passion of Jesus Christ.
So we must keep the truths
given by the universal revelation till our death. Without this faith we cannot
reach Heaven.
“He that believeth and is
baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.“ (Mark
16:16)
Amen.
