by Roger Oakland
As we read through both the Old and New Testament, one thing becomes very apparent—Christianity is all about Jesus Christ and in believing in Him alone for salvation. The Scriptures testify of the true Jesus, who made this clear:
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. (John 5: 39-40)
The entire Bible leads us to, testifies of, and focuses on, the one and only Savior of the world.
Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. (John 1:45)
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:27)
Adding to God’s Word or perverting His Word has devastating results. To do so, or follow those who do, is very dangerous. In the very last chapter of the Bible, we read this somber warning:
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life. (Revelation 22: 18-19)
According to the Bible, if you follow a false christ based on unscriptural sources, you will end up separated from the true Christ and spend eternity in hell.
The Catholic Mary Points to the Eucharistic Christ
In an article published by Zenit on April 17, 2003, it is reported that Pope John Paul II had called for Catholics to refocus on the Eucharist and Eucharistic adoration [Eucharistic Adoration is the worship and prayer offered by Catholics and others to Jesus in the Eucharist, when kneeling in front of the displayed consecrated Communion Host.] from an encyclical that he had written called “Ecclesia de Eucharistia.” On the very same day, Zenit sent out another news item that was equally important. The title for this article was “Mary Has a Place in Latest Encyclical: Pope Describes Her as a ‘Woman of the Eucharist.’”1 The article began the following way:
The last chapter of John Paul II’s encyclical “Ecclesia de Eucharistia” is dedicated to the Virgin Mary—a surprise in a document dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament.2
Then this interesting statement from the pope’s 14th encyclical: “If the Church and the Eucharist are inseparably united, the same ought to be said of Mary and the Eucharist.”3 Laying a foundation for the Catholic Church that is not found anywhere in Scripture, Zenit quoted the pope:
The relationship between the Virgin Mary and the Eucharist is explained by referring to the “Eucharistic faith” that Mary already practiced “even before the institution of the Eucharist, by the very fact that she offered her virginal womb for the Incarnation of God’s Word.”4
The article concluded with another weighty statement made by the pope:
Mary is present with the Church and as the Mother of the Church, at each of our celebrations of the Eucharist.… Mary Most Holy, in whom the Eucharistic mystery shows itself more than in anyone else, as mystery of light.5
Think about the implications of this statement! According to the head of the Catholic Church, when the ordained priest consecrates the wafer during Mass, not only does Jesus appear, but the mother of Jesus also shows up. Of course, this contradicts the Bible’s affirmation that only God is omnipresent.
It can be documented that a woman claiming to be the mother of Jesus has been appearing in numerous places all over the world for some time. While I touched on this subject in a previous book, New Wine and the Babylonian Vine, a more thorough and complete exposition of this topic can be found in Messages from Heaven . This DVD reveals that the Mary of the apparitions, and the Catholic Church, is not the Mary of the Bible.6 Those who follow the apparitions are very aware of the Mary-Eucharist connection that cannot be ignored.
Peace through Eucharistic Devotion
Throughout the world, the apparition of Mary is emphasizing the importance of the Eucharist. With the increasing number of Marian apparitions, there has been a corresponding increase in Eucharistic adoration.7 This is no surprise to the millions who are devoted to the “Blessed Mother.” Those who follow her messages are aware of an interesting prediction made by Catholic Saint John Bosco in 1862:
[T]here will be chaos in the Church. Tranquility will not return until the Pope succeeds in anchoring the boat of Peter between the twin pillars of Eucharistic devotion and devotion to Our Lady. This will come about one year before the end of the [20th] century.8
Many believe this prophecy is near fulfillment. For instance, in more recent years, the apparition has encouraged the formation of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration groups. These groups number in the thousands around the world.9 Their sole purpose is to worship, adore, and pray to the Jesus of the Eucharist around the clock, perpetually.
Eucharistic and Marian Era
Of course, Marian apparitions have always stressed the great importance of the Eucharist. In particular, the Queen of Heaven has repeatedly stated that the Eucharist, once consecrated by a priest, becomes the literal body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus, and is therefore worthy of worship and adoration. . . .
The Eucharist Holds Center Stage in Medjugorje
There is undeniably a strong devotion to the Eucharist at the Fatima apparition site. However, the Queen of Heaven’s Eucharistic emphasis at Medjugorje is arguably greater. Our Lady of Medjugorje has time after time told visionaries to worship and adore Jesus in the Eucharist and to frequently partake in Holy Communion. Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic tells us what the “Blessed Mother” explained to her about Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist:
The Blessed Mother says that during each Mass, Jesus comes in person, in tangible form. We can take Jesus, in physical form, into our body… This is our way to accept Jesus into our heart. Jesus comes alive to us through the Eucharist.10
Those who have visited Medjugorje or examined Our Lady’s messages are convinced that the apparition teaches that the Eucharist is the source and summit of Catholic life. For instance, the late Father Joseph A. Pelletier, a noted theologian, wrote in his book, The Queen of Peace Visits Medjugorje, that the central theme of the Medjugorje apparitions is primarily Eucharistic:
As more and more information has come forth, it has become increasingly clear that the Eucharist holds center stage in Medjugorje and that from the very start Our Lady spoke to the six seers about the Eucharist and its importance with more frequency than was suspected. This helps to understand why the parish has placed so much emphasis on the Mass and public adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.11. . . .
Everywhere Mary Emphasizes the Eucharist
Apparitions from the four corners of the globe express this common and central theme: The Eucharist has the power to transform the world; the Eucharist should be worshipped; Eucharistic adoration will bring peace and unity. Messages originating from such diverse places as Amsterdam, Holland; Akita, Japan; Rome, Italy; Naju, Korea; Bayside, New York; and Budapest, Hungary all convey this common idea. . . .
The Eucharistic Reign of Jesus
The apparition of Mary explains that the culmination of her apparitions will usher in the Eucharistic Reign of Jesus. To Father Gobbi, the head of the Marian Movement of Priests, she proclaims that the Eucharistic Jesus will soon transform humanity!
Today I ask all to throw open the doors to Jesus Christ who is coming. I am the Mother of the Second Advent and the door which is being opened on the new era. This new era will coincide with the greatest triumph of the Eucharistic Reign of Jesus. For this, I invite you, in this extraordinary year, to make flourish everywhere the cult of adoration, of reparation and of love for the Most Holy Eucharist.… Let the Eucharist become the center of your prayer, of your life.12
In fact, the coming of the glorious reign of Christ will coincide with the greatest splendor of his Eucharistic reign among you. The Eucharistic Jesus will release all his power of love, which will transform souls, the Church and all humanity.13
The glorious reign of Christ will coincide with the triumph of the Eucharistic reign of Christ.… Jesus will be made manifest above all in the mystery of his Eucharistic presence.14 . . .
Eucharistic Miracles
Of course, the humble Mary of the Bible never once referred to the Eucharist. Nor did she ever instruct Christ’s followers to worship the Eucharist. However, this survey of messages given by the “Mother of the Eucharist” around the world, shows that the apparition that claims to be Mary consistently directs followers to concentrate on Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist. And as if to corroborate “Mary’s” messages, at many of these apparition sites, Eucharistic miracles such as bleeding Communion Hosts have occurred. . . .
Apparitions of Jesus Confirm the Eucharistic Christ
If Mary’s apparitions don’t convince the skeptic, and if miracles aren’t enough to persuade the cynic, there is an even stronger validation offered to make any questions or examination with Scripture look sinful at best, or more strongly put, blasphemous. Apparitions of Jesus himself are appearing. Yes, apparitions of Jesus have also been reported worldwide, albeit at a much lower frequency, and they too give attention to the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Listen to this one description that took place in Alberta, Canada:
[A]fter Communion, I could see the Host in the monstrance and then it was quickly covered over. Jesus said: “My dear people, today you celebrate My institution of My Blessed Sacrament by My Presence coming into the bread and wine at the Mass. Believe, My faithful, that I am truly present in the consecrated bread and wine. You have witnessed many miracles of My Real Blood coming forth from the Host as evidence to those unbelievers. I tell you, at every Mass you witness My miracle in the Transubstantiation when the bread and wine are made into My Body and Blood. Take advantage of this time to adore Me in exposition of My Host, for a time is coming when this privilege will be taken away. I recommend to all of you to encourage your priests to have Perpetual Adoration of My Host.”15 . . .
Why the Eucharist?
There are many more Eucharistic messages and reported miracles. But the question we must ask is why? Why does the apparition of Mary encourage the faithful to worship and adore the consecrated Host? Her many messages on the Eucharist have spurred the formation of multiplied thousands of Eucharistic prayer groups and perpetual Eucharistic adoration groups throughout the world. Was this her goal? Obviously yes! But might she have a much greater goal in mind?
Messages From Heaven demonstrates from God’s Word that the apparition of Mary contradicts the Scriptures and offers a false gospel. She, or more accurately it, is not the Mary of the Bible, but rather a satanic counterfeit. Therefore, would a demon endeavor to lead the world to worship and trust the true Jesus of the Bible? Or is it more likely that these impostors would direct the people of the world to worship “another Jesus” or a false christ?
Attention to the Eucharistic Christ is being focused upon, not only by the pope, but also from apparitions claiming to be the mother of Jesus. Could their vision of a global move toward the Eucharistic Jesus really occur? (This has been a condensed version of chapter10 of Another Jesus? by Roger Oakland.)
Notes:
1. “Mary Has a Place in Latest Encyclical” (Zenit, April 17, 2003, http://www.zenit.org/article-7085?l=english, accessed 09/2007).
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Jim Tetlow, Messages from Heaven (Fairport, NY: Eternal Productions, 2002).
7. Eucharistic Adoration is the worship and prayer offered by Catholics and others to Jesus in the Eucharist, when kneeling in front of the displayed consecrated Communion Host.
8. “Prophecies of Interest: St. John Bosco” (The American Inquisition, http://americaninquisition.blogspot.com/2006/02/prophecies-of-interest-st-john-bosco.html, accessed 09/2007).
9. The Real Presence Association: Churches and Chapels that have Eucharistic Adoration, http://www.the real presence .org/chap_fr.htm. This web site lists nearly 7,000 adoration sites in the US alone.
10. Ibid., pp. 185, 186.
11. Fr. Joseph A. Pelletier, The Queen of Peace Visits Medjugorje (Worchester, MA: Assumption Publications, 1985), p. 205.
12. Fr. Don Stefano Gobbi, To the Priests, Our Lady’s Beloved Sons (St. Francis ME: The National Headquarters of the Marian Movement of Priests in the United States of America, 1998), p. 676, message given to Father Gobbi, February 26, 1991, Brazil.
13. Ibid., p. 640, message given to Father Gobbi, April 12, 1990, Italy.
14. Paul A. Mihalik, The Virgin Mary, Fr. Gobbi and the Year 2000 (Santa Barbara, CA: 1998), p. 29, message to Father Gobbi, given on November 21, 1993, Australia.
15. John Leary, Prepare for the Great Tribulation and the Era of Peace (Santa Barbara, CA: Queenship Publishing, 1997, Volume VII), pp. 57, 58, message from “Jesus” to John Leary.
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