What a crack up. I subscribe to the Catholic CD of the month and Matthew Kelly is a prominent speaker on some of them. I've really enjoyed his communications.
I am a bit of a Matthew Kelly groupie. I saw him at the first Medjugorje conference we ever went to at Nortre Dame. He was the speaker I thought I would like the least, this being my first time ever hearing of him. He ended up being the best thing that happened to us that weekend, second only to being blessed by Fr. Petar! Matthew has been very instrumental in our (especially my husband's) conversion and our road back to Jesus, the rosary, fasting, and all of it. Of course he has been to Medjugorje. This is his new website that Padraig lists, and I think it has potential to be a great tool in coming days. Rediscovering Catholicism is on our coffee table right now. For a while he was trying to bring a message and method to the corporate world, but it seems he is now coming back more to the heart of his mission which is to re-engage disengaged Catholics. He recently battled pancreatic Cancer (and appears to have won at least a repreive?), and just a few months ago he was blessed with the birth of his first child. I pray for Matthew, and for his mission. He received inner locusions in his early life (at age 18-19) which sparked the start of his mission. He was asked by his Bishop to stop writing about the messages he was receiving, so he no longer mentions them in any way (he may still be receiving them though...only he knows). Many people do not even know about this part of his personal conversion. The old writings are now long out of print. For those of you who look at Ron Conte's "false" list, Matthew is on there, #180, but the reasons are very weak. I e-mailed Matthew about this, and he replied to me that he was sad that Ron misunderstood the meanings of what he described. I in turn e-mailed Ron about it also, but he stood firm in his opinion. That's ok. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. One of the things he mentions is that Matthew says that God described the warning to him as a mini-judgement. Ron speculates that there is only one judgement, and so this is a false locusion. Well, I read the actual passage in question, and there God is talking to a 19 year old boy (Matthew), and is trying to describe to him what the warning will be like. He says there it is "like" a mini-judgement (not that it actualy "is" one). We must remember that God or Mary will say things so that the receiver can understand them. To me, that is all God was doing. To read more into it is silly, in my opinion. Anyway, I love Matthew, and I commend him on what he is trying to do with his life. And I love that accent! LOL
I am afraid I have never read Matthew Kelly but came across him by accident, if there is such a thing as an 'accident', which I doubt. There is a tab at the top of my computer called 'share' and when I pressed it I went into 'Twitter' and published this web sites url. I notice when I do so more people come to read and I suppose many of them would not be of the faith which would be great as maybe it would do some good. Anyway on Twitter you have 'followers' folks who follow your little messages and Matthew became a follower of my Mother of God site twitter which led me to his site. He seems to be putting in a really huge effort into this, in fact I think it must be a full time effort. I often hope God will raise up Religious and lay orders/organisations which will work full time on the internet. I am guessing by his accent he is Australian?
Ron Conte has Matthew Kelly on his false list? Mmm - who predicted the warning in 2009 and 2010? - and subsequently posted that his work is speculative in nature! Who predicted that his work would come to the attention of the Vatican and the world and he would be persecuted for his prophetic writings, a new Jeremiah! Sorry folks, just getting that one off my chest. But it's justo too easy to declare someone false on a 'whim'!
Because we have quite a few newer members here who might not know the history regarding Ron Conte and his agenda, I'm going to chime in along with Bobby. Many of the members here, including myself, were kicked off Ron Conte's forum for questioning his views or debating them. I was given the boot when he mandated that all members agree to his personal dissenting brand of Catholicism. I stated that I could not in good conscience do so, and my membership in his forum was terminated. Ron Conte has written extensively on eschatology and has made many predictions about the future, including specific dates. I first came to the Catholic Planet Forum after reading an article on Spirit Daily which talked about Conte. He had correctly predicted that the Pope would choose the name Benedict XVI. To my knowledge, so far this is the only prediction Mr. Conte has been correct on. Conte predicted this Pope would be black. His timeline of dates originally had the events predicted in Garabandal happening in the 1990's. When this didn't happen, he readjusted his timeline to the first decade of this century. He published dates in 2009 for the Warning and Miracle, and when they didn't occur, he moved the dates to 2010. Didn't happen. Considering Ron Conte's failing grade regarding predictions of the future, my recomendation is to ignore his timelines. In fact, I do not believe it is the Lord's will for us to know specific dates about the future. It is enough for us to recognize the signs of the times, and live our lives accordingly. He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority (Acts 1: 7). Regarding Ron Conte's true and false list, I wouldn't trust that either. Conte uses his own timeline of predicted future events as a litmus test in judging private revelation. If his timeline isn't reliable... I would recommend using your own judgement regarding private revelation: 1) Has the Church made a judgement on it? As faithful Catholics, we must go by the Church's judgement; even if we have questions in our own hearts, we must be obedient. 2) Is the message consistent with the teaching of the Church and the Sacred Scriptures? If not, move on. As long as a private revelation hasn't been negatively judged by the Church and is consistent with Scripture and the teaching of the Church, it's OK to believe.
He gave me the boot too. I forget now why; actually I am grateful to Ron for this forum would never have gotten of the ground and I 'd still be posting I suppose on Catholic Planet. Which reminds me to pray for Ron. Also I think it might have been Ron who recommended the server for this forum, .
hmmm- i won't disparage Ron's efforts to discern, but we should remember the warnings about false prophets and discern for ourselves. I agree the whole date thing has made Ron's efforts suspecious and I've fallen into that trap myself more than once And seriously? Anyone who would give Padraig the boot makes me suspicious! I agree that Ron needs our prayers- he is leading many many folks and needs to be in line with what Mary and Jesus want. Pray pray pray for him Really, Momscalling, what you are saying about Mathew's description of the warning as like a mini-judgement rings true to me in the sense in that we will learn God's opinion of us and be judged- some will die right then and there, there will be a huge earthquake, etc. etc. etc.- many of us will get the opportunity to change. If God doesn't give us an opinion on our souls how will we know what state we are in? All my love for God, Kath
When I was out of work a few years back Ron offered me a little money to help tide me over, although he has only very little himself , I think. I didn't take him up on his offer. I went up to the Poor Clare nuns and asked for prayers and was offered a great job the very next day. But it shows a real kind heart on Ron's part. I suppose we all have two sides of ourselves. I think Ron is genuine in his beliefs. But as far as mystical experiences are concerned I think he is inclined to see things in too black and white terms, Reading scriptures and the experiences of the saints we see folks often judging Jesus, the Prophets and walking away from Him and them. In fact His family came to take Him away because they thought He was nuts. I think we need in judging mystical experiences to cut folks a little slack and I don't think Ron is doing this. I did try to warn him, but.... Mark 3:20 20Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
Padraig, I think you are right on with that last post. I agree. I never joined Catholic Planet because I could not agree either with all the tenets Ron required for his members. However, he did frequently and promptly correspond with me by e-mail, and he even posted some of my remarks that I wanted to post but could not because of my non-member status. In fact, not long after that, he started a thread about possibly allowing people into the forum that did not necessarily agree with everything. He put it up to the other members, but for the most part the idea was shot down. I sort of wondered if it was me, and perhaps others like me who really wanted to contribute but would not be untrue to our own hearts in our disagreement with the terms of the forum. Maybe he was being inundated with private e-mails! But then, I found this forum and am so much happier with all you wonderful people! It was so funny to discover though, that the creation of this forum was in-part a result of Ron’s strict rules, and that so many like me were looking for this home that you have provided, Padraig! Hmmm, makes you think, doesn’t it? I still browse through Catholic Planet now and then, but I no longer send him e-mails. No need, I have all the outlets I need here (sorry I am so wordy in my outlets!!!) Anyway, I also feel he is way too black and white, and that perhaps when the warning does occur, if he is, he will be shown this. If we are wrong about the black and white thing, then we will be made aware, won't we? As Ron often says, let God be the judge...but we, and he, simply cannot seem to do that all the time. We are all human, and we cannot be perfect and we cannot seem to keep ourselves from judging...(so thank God for confession!) So let’s Pray, Pray Pray for him and for ourselves. Kathleen, I agree with you mostly about the warning, and I feel that God used the “like a mini-judgment” description to help Matthew understand how it will feel for him. However, I believe it will NOT be a judgment of any kind, (as Ron says too) as we will only receive one actual judgment from God. He will simply show us our soul as He sees it at that moment, and the one who will judge what is there will be OURSELVES! So, if we are already trying to practice not-judging, we will be a little better practiced at realizing this when the warning happens. And we will not despair to the point of death, nor will we die of fright or fear. Why? because we know we can change ourselves, and that this vision is the most open and merciful gift that God could ever give to us. With it though, comes great responsibility to make the changes. If we ever had an "excuse" before (the ignorance plea), we will not have one after this occurs. So, he will not judge us then, he will simply show us the truth. And then - it becomes our truth....what an awesome responsibility. Some will not be able to bear the weight and will fall, but we have the rosary, we have confession, we have our Mother, we will not fall. We then can pray for others so they will not fall. That is our gift and our mission, and our weapons to fight for our own conversion, and then for those who need our help. Whoa, sorry that got a little profound. I swear, it is the Holy Spirit, because when I type this stuff I literally cannot keep up with my thoughts and I have a zillion “typos” as I frantically click away at the keys. Then it takes a couple of proof-readings to get all the typos out, then I post. Does anyone else have that experience sometimes when posting on this forum? Yikes! I just did! :shock:
Hey all. I had an idea a while ago, and in fact, I wrote Matthew about it as a possible thing he could do on his new website after the warning. I never received an asnwer, though I didn't really expect one. Have some of you seen that show on TV where the entire world blacked out for 2 minutes and saw a tiny glimpse of their future, called FlashForward (Gee, I wonder where that idea came from...) Anyway, on the show, they made a website called Mosiac, where people shared their flashforwards to learn and understand more about their glimpses of the future, and everyone's future, as a whole. Well, think of the wealth of knowledge of sin and of mercy and graces that a site like that would provide to all people...after the warning occurs! If people have a place to share with others what God revealed to them during their warning - concerning the sins and the graces on their souls, if they could tell others what God revealed to them as wrong, or what God revealed to them as right, what a wealth of information for those who follow after and for those who are born after the warning occurs! Imagine, all the questions, all the controversies, all the debates over what is right or what is wrong in God's eyes, all these could be answered, at least to some deeper degree than they are now. We have the Bible, we have the teachings of the Church, but these are always questioned. After the warning, there would be a new source of truth - the actual visions of our very souls, to show the world what is right and wrong...once and for all! Just imagine! Maybe you could be the one to do this, Padraig!
Its funny MC, I was just thinking about after the warning the last week or so, great minds think alike!! After people who have no real religious culture and even lapsed Catholics will be wondering what to do. I think the most important thing of all will be that they know how to say they are sorry to God, or to put it another way, to say an act of contrition. This sounds so simple but I think it is the most important thing of all...that they should know if they say they are sorry and really mean it God will forgive them. I think after the Warning there will be queues of people looking for advice from every faithful Catholic there is....and I think this is the most simple and important thing of all to know that God loves us and will forgive us if we say we are sorry. It sounds so simple, but you know its not simple if folks don't know this. Also how will folks know who to go to. Well maybe they just will, certainly the people I work with know I like to pray...I think they know what tooth paste I use in the morning :lol: :wink: Working in an office they know EVERYTHING about you after about two seconds being there. I think another thing about the Warning that interests me. Apparently Jesus has promised that for those who go into this already people who like to pray...well very special graces. I just find this so interesting. Very special graces. Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal pointed out at the Rue De Bac that she has loads of graces she can not give because people never ask for them. Well since I was a kid I have often racked my brains wondering what special graces I might ask for...like a greedy child who does not want to miss anything But I wonder during the warning if Faithful Catholics might be left with some little sign on their person so people who need help and advise know where to go to...this might maybe only last for a while but still...fun to think of. I think after the warning we will all be apostles at least for a while, which is wonderful.
That's a good point To sincerely repent in ones heart. It's also important to remember that the Act of Contrition ends with "I am firmly resolved...to amend my life." I imagine this will be a time, not only for evangelizing, but also many people will need religious education.
Padraig, Tonight I read that post I made yesterday and wonder who wrote all that about the warning!?! I think about after the warning quite a lot. About how it will change things, and also about how it will not change all things because many will somehow manage to brush it aside...I can't imagine this myself, but it will happen. For those who don't though, they will need to seek out those who can help them. I also have wondered about a mark...like a cross on the forehead such as Fr. Sudac already has? That would be incredible. Probably though, it won't be like that. Most likely it will simply be how we "are". It will probably be easy to find those who are at peace and who are in such a state to help others, simply because they will "be" peaceful, or smiling, or even happy, when everyone else is walking around in a tormented, confused state. Not that everyone won't be confused and under some distress, but those who are prepared by our Mother will at least have a direction to follow, and like sheep the others will flock to the ones that look like they know where to go. (Hmm, maybe God will tell us to put a rosary around our necks if we want to help, or to wear a medal of some kind...) I also believe that this is the event some groups mistake for a coming Rapture. I hope that they understand this afterward - that no one will actually be taken away to avoid the tribulations. That the chosen will be saved from the despair in their SOULS, not in a physical manner. Those who do die from the warning are not being spared or "raptured" either, as they will be suffering in purgatory or hell, which is certainly not better than staying here and fixing their lives. That their sins were so great, or they were so weak spiritualy as to die from knowing the truth.
MC, My old Spiritual Director, the very holy Fr Bernard,( long gone to heaven) said to me one time that I had a huge advantage over himself and most others in that I had actually seen and talked to Our Lady, whereas others had to walk the path of pure faith. ohn 20:29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." And St Peter goes on to comment: 1 Peter 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, After the Warning and the Illumination of conscience everyone will be in the same boat, like St Peter we will love because we have seen Him, in the sky, hanging crucified (for this I believe is the great sign that causes the Illumination of Conscience..that the sky will roll back like a scroll and we shall see the cross with Jesus hanging there..we shall stand at calvary and watch Jesus crucified and know our sins). Its true for me having seen Our Lady put wings beneath my feet..also she stayed about to help me out and showed me how to pray. So there's no doubt I took of like a rocket ship with a booster rocket on that account. On the other hand there was less virtue in this, for I KNEW whereas others walk the darkness of faith and this path of darkness is much more meritorious. So, really it would be more meritorious for the world if the Sign and Illumination did NOT take place. But God in this is a bit like a poker player who is forced to show His hand. The world has just lost it way and we would all loose the Poker Game if God did not show His hand, He would, I think rather not do so, but He has to, or the world would go down the tubes. Now judging from my own experience could I have ignored Our Lady and just carried on without praying; could I have walked straight back on the road to hell? More importantly could I have gone back to unbelief. Certainly I could have. Humans have an endless capacity to lie to themselves. I could have imagined it a dream. I could have talked about mental illness or whatever, imagination and so on. But the thing about it is, is this. I was presented with a great, great grace. Now if I'd refused it I think my place in hell would be much, much more deep. Also if I had refused this grace I would have become, I think, much , much more wicked. Spititing, as I would have been in the face of Our LAdy and God Himself. The same with me the same with the SIgn and Warning. folks will be shown the Poker Hand and if they see the Cross, Jesus hanging in the Sky and then go back again ..it will not be the same, they will be true children of Satan....a bit like the Jewish elders mocking Jesus on the Cross. The greater the grace , the greater the Condemnation. We all of us have choices and choices have consequences. But after we see Jesus in the Sky, the world will never be the same again. cf http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast/3157392.stm
Oh my, you create such an image in my mind...so is this all your own speculation, or did you have a little assistance in envisioning this as the event in the sky? (just askin') :wink: By one who is trying to walk the path... Connie
OH OH!!! Mass is just starting at your church, Padraig! Will I see you? So if I watch this, I will have just gone to Mass with you, 7 hours and a whole world away! Isn't the internet wonderful sometimes? Can't go to bed now, gotta go to Mass in Ireland!
