The icon shown above was (according to some) painted by St. Luke. Many centuries after, the icon was attacked by a barbarian whose sabre left a mark on the face of Our Lady. I like to see that mark as cross + and a letter L presumably the initial of “Lucanus” —in His own mysterious way, God sometimes uses His enemies to give the final touch to a message. One good example of that is the sign that Pontius Pilate placed above Christ’s head on the Cross of Calvary. That sign continues to tell the world that Jesus is God. Anyone honestly learning about that sign must conclude like I did years ago: “This Man is the Son of God.”

In the case of the icon of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa the right hand of the Child Jesus points through the centuries exactly towards the wound on Our Lady’s face. The message of the icon—to which the unwittingly barbarian gave its final touch— appears to me like a message to the Church: “Follow her on her sufferings” which is something that even Baby Jesus did because Mary of Nazareth suffered undeserved shame and persecution even before Our Lord was born. My conclusion was and is: “If He follows Mary , I will follow her as well” and I did. Shame and persecution followed but also the greatest adventure.

Our Lady was recently quoted by a seer hailing from Rio Grande do Sul. An anonymous priest transmitted quite an important message: that the Tribulation described by Christ in Matthew 24 is about to begin in October 2023. And not only that but the announcement contains a promise of Our Lady about some unknown event that will happen on October 13, 2023.

Should these two predictions fail to occur, the career of the seers will come to an ignominious end. So, I conclude the seers are sincere or they are the latest of a number of fools announcing dates and events based on their own illusions, calculations, etc. We will know in a few months. I write this on Sunday, July 23. October is around the corner. If you allow me to insert a thought: the Tribulation seems to be chomping at the bit. Events around the world, geopolitical projections, and other hard evidence seem to indicate that humanity is in dire straits. I wish you all (and myself) the best. Pray a lot.

This blog started a decade ago. The original purpose was to present the Catholic faith as the True Faith, of the True Church of Christ from a different angle. Not a new angle but one that was falling into oblivion. I thought of Sir Francis Bacon’s comparison of Plato’s “all knowledge is but remembrance” with Solomon’s “all novelty is but oblivion.” In the long years that took me to know the faith (about a decade) I noticed the history of the Church was fraught with thousands upon thousands of “coincidences” and mysterious events forming a parable or sometimes, many parables. The fact that the usual critics of the Church decided to ignore those astonishing facts never surprised me. What truly amazed me was the total indifference of the majority of Catholics. I decided —perhaps pushed by an invisible hand— that I was not going to be that way.

One day, as I was preparing for a radio program, I brought up the profuse number of coincidences that surround and enrich the passages of Matthew 16. I have written many articles on that subject and I keep unearthing more and more material from that chapter. Well, the person who had invited me to that show told me in no uncertain terms: “You must NOT talk about that!” After the program I asked him why. He answered that he had never heard those arguments before and could be deleterious to the relations between the Catholic Church and Protestants. I learned that day that the much self-promoted Catholic apologist had never read the Fathers of the Church in depth. Those arguments came from the Fathers and were long forgotten until then.

Read the Fathers. All of them. Meditate on the many layers of truth presented in their works and in Holy Scripture. Those things are there to make your faith stronger. The early Christians did not allow persecutors to martyr them for nothing. Their faith was anchored in the signs they knew well. Beyond that knowledge was the experience of a faith they lived day after day.

Back to the sign contained in the ancient Holy Icon of Hodegetria, the One Who Shows the Way and the curious announcement allegedly received from Our Lady this past June 17, 2023. pointing at next October 13. I do believe we are about to receive one of those supernatural signs that no one can deny. I am not making a prediction, I just have a hunch that something big is about to happen. That will have both pleasant an unpleasant consequences. Many may believe as a result of that sign. Others will be upset by it and a time of persecution may ensue.

A modest movie dealing with the rescue of abused children has been presented to the public recently. Sound of Freedom is not an ordinary film. It seems to me that is going to be one of those works of art that leaves a mark in history. That movie is being attacked by usual critics just like that icon of Our Lady was attacked by a mere barbarian but watch! The attacks are permitted and soon we may see the real criminals coming out of the shadows to defend their horrible deeds thus adding a confirmation to the sign, making it complete as it were.

The man that attacked the Hodegetria did not know that the marks of his sword were transforming the icon. After the sword stroke the image, it was transformed into a witness, an invincible testimony of how good defeats evil.

May be the message of June 17, 2023 is one more instance of Our Lady showing us the way. May be a movie dealing with the story of decent men (real men) liberating children from slavery is more than another epic movie, it may be a sign of a bigger liberation that is about to visit mankind.

Look at the eyes of Our Lady in that image. She is NOT happy with what it’s being done to their children, and with the cowardly indolence of those who failed to protect their bodies and souls.