The canonization of Pope John Paul II rings a loud and serious prophetic bell.
He was, after all, whom Jesus Christ, in his message to St. Faustina Kowalska, referred to as the “spark” from Poland who was to prepare the world for Christ’s coming.
That St. John Paul II was the spark Jesus referred to is made more clear by the fact that the Polish pope had initiated the beatification of his compatriot St. Faustina to whom the Lord had entrusted the mission of spreading trust in the Divine Mercy as a last resort for sinners.
The late pope had, indeed, promoted devotion to Divine Mercy by establishing Divine Mercy Sunday, which is the first Sunday after Easter, dovetailed with the Divine Mercy novena that starts on Good Friday. As if St. John Paul II’s espousal of Divine Mercy was not enough, he was, in record time, raised to the altar of sainthood as if to convey urgency of our times. His sainthood, undoubtedly, again rekindled the message of Divine Mercy in a world obviously seriously in need of it.
His death, nay, his sainthood appears to be the last note in the crescendo of an ending era in the vein of the Apocalypse. His precedent was St. Faustina to whom the Lord said: “You will prepare the world for My final coming (Faustina’s Diary 429).” The Lord’s messages to her serve to confi rm the role of St. John Paul II whose earthly mission seemed to be have been fully accomplished in his sainthood.
The Apocalyptic tone of Divine Mercy is gleaned from what the Lord had told St Faustina. Here are some of the messages, as recorded by the sister in her diary.
• Speak to the world about My mercy … It is a sign for the end times. After it will come the Day of Justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fountain of My mercy. (Diary 848)
• Tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near. (Diary 965).
• I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of sinners. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation. (Diary 1160)
• Before the Day of Justice, I am sending the Day of Mercy. (Diary 1588)
• He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice. (Diary 1146).
And then St. Faustina also quoted the Blessed Mother thus: “You have to speak to the world about His great mercy and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Him who will come, not as a merciful Savior, but as a just Judge.
Oh how terrible is that day! Determined is the day of justice, the day of divine wrath. The angels tremble before it.
Speak to souls about this great mercy while it is still the time for granting mercy. (Diary635).” There is general agreement among Catholic researchers that the end of the world is not yet. What the Divine Mercy and other recent supernatural phenomena have been telling us is that we are at the end of an era, from where a new God-fearing world would emerge.
It is said that Jesus would come three times to mankind. He did when He was born in Bethlehem, and He will in the Final Judgement. In between, He will come amidst a purifying Apocalypse. In our times.
