Anneliese Michel--A unrecognized and misunderstood victim soul. A closer look at her possession, exorcism and death

The German book "Anneliese Michel and her demons"
The Exorcism and death of Anneliese Michel--Why did she die? The true story

-A unrecognized and misunderstood victim soul. The case of a young German woman who died at age 23 during a series of official exorcisms

By Glenn Dallaire on July 1, 2015. the 39th anniversary of the death of Anneliese Michel

Beginning on September 24, 1975, Anneliese Michel underwent a series of exorcisms. The official rite was administered during the course of 10 months by two Catholic priests, Rev. Ernst Alt and Rev. Arnold Renz, who were given permission to do so by the local Ordinary, Bishop Stangl, in an effort to free Anneliese of at least six demons that were believed to have been possessing her.

During the early morning hours of July 1st, 1976 Anneliese died of what an autopsy later determined to be malnutrition/dehydration, yet without many of the normal accompanying physical signs of such. Because she was not only under the care of her parents, but also the two exorcist priests, worldwide publicity immediately followed her sudden death, and afterwards Annelise's parents and the two exorcists were brought to trial, and were later found guilty of negligent homicide in a dramatic court case that garned attention not only in Germany, but throughout much of the world. Fr. Arnold Renz, Fr. Ernst Alt and Annelieses' parents Josef and Anna, were sentenced to six months in prison which was suspended with three years probation, and all incurred court costs. Additionally, the two priests were fined.

The case of Anneliese Michel is well documented in two books: Anneliese Michel: A true story of a case of demonic possession by Fr. Jose Antonio Fortea and Lawrence E.U. LeBlanc and also "The exorcism of Anneliese Michel" by Dr. Felicitas D. Goodman. The motion pictures 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' , 'Requiem' and 'Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes' were all based on the case, but in the movies there were quite a number of details that were added as hollywood fiction. Contrary to normal procedures, many of the exorcisms were recorded on audio tape, and have been subsequently "leaked" and released to the public over the years, which also has provided additional information concerning this case.

Anneliese Michel's death was a very painful case for the Church in Germany and abroad, most especially for the priests and the local bishop involved, but the case did bring about some very important worldwide changes as to how exorcisms are now evaluated and performed. Details of her case can be read in the above mentioned books, and there are also many details on the internet. The emphasis of this article will be why she was possessed, and why she died.

Anneliese Michel
A virtually unrecognized victim soul of the Church
“She died to save lost souls, to atone for their sins. Anneliese was a kind, loving, sweet and obedient girl. But when she was possessed, it was something unnatural, something that you cannot explain...
-Statement of Anna Michel, Anneliese’s mother, in 2005.

In September of 1973, Anneliese told a physician named Dr. Luthy that she was having visions of "Fratzen", the German word for ghastly demonic beings. Later that fall she also stated to another physician that she was experiencing horrible stenches, which at that time only she herself could smell. Later however, others in her family and the priests who performed the exorcisms would also smell the horrid stench during the times she was losing consciousness and being overtaken by the demons. Without going into all the details of her possession and exorcism, which are readily available in the above mentioned books and online, suffice it to say that two priests, Fathers Ernst Alt and Arnold Renz, were eventually given permission by the local Bishop to perform the Rite of Exorcism upon Anneliese, after providing numerous proofs of her possession.

This leads us to the first of two popular misunderstandings concerning Anneliese:
1) The false belief that Anneliese was mentally ill, and not possessed,
2) The lack of understanding that Anneliese was a victim soul for the Church and the conversion of sinners.

Concerning the first misunderstanding, that of her being possessed and not mentally ill, there is the statement of Fr. Alt which shows that possession was the consensus of all of the priests who knew Annelise Michel: 
"As her spiritual director, which I was from 1973 to 1975, I cannot allow that her terrible possession and her conscious acceptance of this as expiation [for sin], which both Father Renz and I have established, be passed over as if it were some “theological accident.” Anneliese Michel was possessed. All the priests who took part, Rev. Ferdinand Habiger, Rev. Karl Roth, Rev. Eduard Herrmann, and the expert on cases of exorcism, Rev. Adolf Rodewyk, S.J., were all of this conviction."

Next we will address the second misunderstanding--That lack of recognition of the fact that Anneliese was a victim soul.

The Blessed Virgin Mary makes and appearance
The choice to be freed of the demons, or to save souls- The Blessed Virgin Mary makes an appearance
One Sunday afternoon in July, 1975, Anneliese and her boyfriend Peter decided to go for a walk around an area called Paradise Mill, near Rollbach, just east of Klingenberg . They drove up to Paradise Mill, but during this period in 1975 Anneliese could barely walk without help, because somehow the demons were able to "make her legs like sticks" and she was only able to bend them with much difficulty.

After they parked they set out for a walk. Because she had so much difficulty in walking it was excruciatingly slow. Suddenly Anneliese stopped and dropped to her knees. Peter tried to communicate with Anneliese several times but she was unresponsive and appeared to be seeing a vision. A few minutes later, Anneliese stood up and shouted with excitement, “I can walk, look at me! I’m free! I’m free!”

Peter was amazed at the sudden change in Anneliese’s physical and emotional condition. He asked her what had happened to bring about this sudden change. Anneliese replied that she had seen the Blessed Virgin Mary. Unable to contain their excitement, Peter and Anneliese rushed home to share the good news with her parents and sisters. Anneliese ran upstairs and exclaimed to her mother, “Mom, mom look at me! I can walk again, I can jump, I can dance! The Mother of God appeared to me!”  As for Peter, he was completely stunned by Anneliese sudden cure, and remained in the car for quite awhile, completely dumbfounded at what had happened.

Things remained quite calm for the next two months until Anneliese had another apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary---this time at Engelberg Monastery, which is a Franciscan monastery where Anneliese would often visit to pray. This time, the Blessed Virgin Mary complained to Anneliese:
"It is a great suffering for my heart that so many souls are lost! It is necessary to do penance for priests, for the youth and for your country. Would you be willing to do penance for these souls, so that not so many are lost?”

The Mother of God told her not to answer right away, but to think it over. Anneliese spoke to her mother Anna concerning the request made to her by the Blessed Virgin Mary, and her mother in turn discussed it with her husband, Anneliese's father, Josef. Her parents were understandably very concerned and worried, for they knew that the "penance" that Anneliese would have to undergo would in large part be that the demons would once again freely and ferociously terrorize her, and they all surmised that if she said yes it would likely be significantly worse than before.  

Anneliese spent much of the next days praying before a crucifix. When Anna suggested to Anneliese that she could not say yes and go through with this, Anneliese responded, “I can mom. If I don’t, souls may be lost!” 

We know that Anneliese said yes to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and it likely occurred a few days later in the family kitchen, when in Anna’s presence she heard Anneliese say: “Mother Mary, you are so beautiful!”  Anna wasn’t able to understand anything else, but she stated that Anneliese seemed to be seeing a vision. Soon afterwards she told Peter that "Things will soon get bad again."

This time things got so bad that while prior to this point Bishop Stangl had refused to allow the official Rite of Exorcism to be given to Anneliese, now on August 3, 1975 the Bishop gave permission for a "minor" Exorcism as a test to see if demons were actually present inside of her, which quickly became readily apparent during the "test". A few weeks later later he gave his consent for the full Rite of Exorcism to be given to her, which began on September 24, 1975.

Some remarkable events during her Possession and Exorcism
On one occasion Father Renz brought in three unmarked glasses of water. One contained holy water from Lourdes, one water from San Damiano, the other tap water. When Anneliese picked up the water from San Damiano she stated: “San Damiano shit water.” and put it aside. She then drank only the tap water.

During one exorcism, the demon stated: “I can speak any language but speak to me in German.” Although Father Renz normally read from his prayer book in Latin, on one occasion he spoke freely without his book. The demon through Anneliese immediately pointed out that he had made a mistake in the prayers and that his Latin was poor. It was also astonishing to the priests to see the demons immediate responses to questions put to Anneliese in Dutch and in Chinese (Fr. Renz had been a missionary in China for over 15 years).

On one occasion during an exorcism, Lucifer said through Anneliese: "Today, hardly anyone believes any longer in the Immaculate Conception. And the Church? At present, most believe it is only a community. The modernists are killing it evermore. We are hard at work at this, and we throw much poison into the Church, so it might be discredited. By now, those who believe in the Church and are faithful and believe in Her [teachings] are very few. The rosary? They think it is "modern". Many believe that after life, everything is finished. These are very many, and they live accordingly, because they do not pray any longer. Sins reach Heaven: but the thing will not last long. The one of 1917 [the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima] said it. But only a few have listened to her. Death, tribulations, and famine, O yes, they will surely come again!”

One has to be careful of course concerning statements from the demons, because during exorcisms the demons lie constantly in an effort to deceive, and they only tell tell the truth out of obligation under strict obedience to the command of the priest in Jesus name. Pertaining to Anneliese's case, one thing that was learned however is that when asked in direct command by the exorcist in Jesus Name as to how the demons came to possess her, they repeatedly stated that she was cursed in her mothers womb prior to her birth by a woman in her mothers hometown. Prior to be married to Joseph, her mother Anna had had a relationship and a child (Martha--Anneliese's half-sister) with another man. The woman who did the curse was the wife of this man, and she did so presumably because she was jealous of Anna's previous relationship with her now husband. Since Anneliese was her parents--Anna and Josef's--firstborn child, thus such a curse would in fact fall upon her. So, we can see that Anneliese's possession was in no way caused by her own doing, as in some other cases of possession where the persons involved "opened the door" to the demonic through seances, channeling spirits, Ouija boards, satanism, the occult and other such practices forbidden in the Scriptures.

Why couldn't the exorcists just cast the demons out of Anneliese?
During one exorcism session, the demons were desperately complaining:

"We are damned eternally! Out! Out! We wish to come out of the snotnose. We cannot bear staying in her any longer. That filthy slut stays the whole day in the church. We are damned! Damned!”
Exorcist: “Then come out!”
Demon named Judas: “We cannot, because He does not allow it. The one up there, that one does not want it! He wants us to remain. We want to get out from her, who goes to Communion, and she goes every day! We cannot bear this! We wish to come out, out, out!...We wish to come out, but the one up there does not allow us!”

-Thus we can see that it was God Himself who permitted the demons to oppress Anneliese, so that sinners might be converted and be saved from damnation.

Anneliese with her mother towards the end of her life 
Reported mystical graces
During this time period she reported that she was receiving visits from two deceased family members, her grandmother Furg who had died three months earlier, and her sister Martha, and then also Siegfried, the recently deceased nephew of Fr. Roth, who all reportedly came to comfort and strengthen her.  Also, there were a quite a few occasions where she reportedly knew exact times and places when persons were praying for her. There were even reports of stigmata as witnessed by family members, Fr. Alt and Peter, who purportedly saw small but clearly visible oval wounds on her hands and feet. She insisted that these wounds were not self-inflicted. She continued to feel pain, especially in her feet, after the wounds had healed.

Concerning the purported stigmata, her mother Anna related the following: “One morning I entered Anneliese’s room and said, 'Anneliese, you are in bed today.' 
I usually found her kneeling before the crucifix or doing some other form of penance. I noticed the wounds on her feet which were very swollen. This had occurred during the night. She later received the same on her hands. Her hands were not as bad as her feet. She suffered very much from these wounds.”
Even the physician Dr Roth reportedly stated upon first seeing her on one of these occasions: "My God, she has the stigmata!" but he later denied stating this in the Court proceedings. 

In another statement her mother said: "I know that we did the right thing because I saw the sign of Christ in her hands. She died to save lost souls; to atone for their sins.

"You will become a great saint"
In Anneliese’s diary on October 20, 1975 we read: 
Savior: “There is still something that you must write down.” 
Anneliese “What is that?” 
Savior: “What I told you last night.” 
Anneliese:“I did not want to write that down because I thought it was from Satan. Besides, my nature revolts against the idea. Savior demands that I obey, therefore I will write it down. 
Savior: “You will become a great saint.” 
Anneliese:” I still did not want to believe it, and then the Savior, to prove that I had heard correctly, made me weep tears.” 

We can note here that Jesus is likely not referring to Anneliese becoming a officially canonized Saint of the Catholic church, but rather a great saint in heaven, for all persons in heaven are in fact "saints" (small "s"). When Jesus made a similar promise to St Gemma Galgani, in her case he WAS referring to canonization, because He specifically said to her: "Within some years, you will be a Saint, will do miracles and will be raised to the altars."

With in regards to Anneliese, the state of possession endured with patience and love certainly works powerfully towards ones sanctification. Since enduring the possessed state is significantly more challenging than voluntary sacrificial acts, there is little doubt Anneliese sanctified herself in a heroic way by accepting these sufferings in union with Jesus for the benefit of others, for Jesus tells Anneliese this in her Diary:
Savior: “Every suffering, even the most commonplace, bears much fruit when it is united to my suffering.”

A visit from a soul in heaven
Diary undated, but sometime in mid-October 1975: 
"The nephew of Father Roth (named Siegfried, who was paralyzed since childhood, and who had died the week before) was here with me on the evening of October 10 and let me know he was in heaven. I did not want to believe this at first. I did come around to believing it. First because he came to me this morning and several times during the day (as far as seeing is concerned, I see nothing) and secondly because he always tries to give me courage. When I asked him why he visited me so often, he said it was because I also had to suffer, as he suffered when he was alive. He promised to give me support in all my tribulations."

During an exorcism on October 31, 1975 the demons were exceedingly upset, stating that there were a number of heavenly visitors present in the room, including the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Padre Pio, Anneliese's deceased sister Martha, Siegfried, both of Anneliese’s grandmothers, Therese Neumann [a well known mystic and stigmatic who had lived in the same region of Germany], and St. Michael the Archangel.

In fact, both St Padre Pio and Therese Neumann reportedly came quite a number of times--to the great dismay of the demons---to encourage Anneliese and assist at the exorcisms. For their part on this day the demons said "It is so hard to be in this room! There are so many holy people present!"
And it was on this day, Oct 31,  that all of the demons, except for one, were temporarily driven out of Anneliese. A few days later however it was discovered that they were allowed back, along with other "mute" demons which were permitted to enter her.

Anneliese Michel
Why did she die?
It should be pointed out that up to this point in the history of the Catholic church there had never been a reported death while a person was undergoing a series of official exorcisms. The autopsy report stated that Anneliese died of malnutrition/dehydration. Certainly many people have contested this conclusion, like the author Dr. Felicitas Goodman, who felt that the prescription drug Tegretol (and she was also given numerous presrciptions for Dilantin), which Anneliese had been taking for awhile, likely played a significant role in her death.

For sure, in her final months, Anneliese insisted on many occasions that she "was not allowed to eat" and she was very adamantly opposed going to the physician or a hospital because she believed that they would declare her mentally ill, and place her in a mental illness facility. The demons admitted it was their desire to have Anneliese in a mental institution. There, she would not have the benefit of the priests and the exorcism prayers, and they would thus be able to torment her more freely, and she would be out of the public view where the world would not have been aware of her possession and sufferings.

Regardless, the "how" of her death is nowhere near as important as the "why" did she die? Exactly why did God allow her to die?

The simple answer is that Anneliese died for the same reason as St Joan of Arc: That is her mission in this life was completed.

Towards the end of her harsh and very unjust imprisonment, a Voice from heaven revealed to St Joan of Arc:
"You will be released on May 30th!"

Oh, how Joan's heart leaped with joy at the revelation of her imminent release from the torturous prison, after having suffered a rigorous imprisonment for one year! She gloriously shared this great news of her forthcoming release with the few people who were allowed to visit and attend to her. What she didn't know, but soon learned, was that the promised "release" consisted of the terror of her being burned alive at the stake, her soul thus being released from this life, to fly to heaven to be with her Jesus. -How different is the perspective from heaven than that of us here on earth! "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord." (Isaiah 55:8) And so we see how even the greatest Saints can completely misinterpret what would seem to be a very simple and straightforward prophesy.

But going back to the death of Anneliese, in April, 1976, Anneliese told Father Alt that "May and June were going to be very tough months, but July would bring a resolution". Repeating the same message, on May 1st, Anneliese told her boyfriend Peter that she "would have to suffer until July", and once again on May 9, 1976, Anneliese told her father, mother, Peter and her sister Barbara that "The months of May and June were going to be bad, but that July would bring relief."

Yet at Ettleben in April, Anneliese privately stated very seriously to Father Alt: “I know now what will happen; I know this coming summer will be hard and terrible and I know I will not survive. No one can tell me any different. I will not survive.” 

During the last weeks and days, everyone--including Anneliese herself--were hanging on heavens words to Anneliese, that being that she would be freed of the demons in July. On the morning of July 1, 1976, Anna called Father Alt to inform him that Anneliese had died during the night. Like St Joan of Arc, she was indeed now free. Not in the way we here below would have it, but in the way that God would have it, for God sees with the eyes of eternity that our lives here on earth are only a temporary pilgrimage, whereas our true life is with Him in heaven for all eternity. Her sacrificial mission as a victim soul was completed, and now she was to receive her eternal reward.

When the news spread of her death, many mourned what they saw as the tragic and sad death of a young mentally ill woman who died because of the neglect of her parents and two priests, much in the same way that many people view what appears on the surface to be the tragic and sad deaths of many mystics and victim souls who give their lives wholly to God.

To quote from the book referenced below: "Since these events may be regarded from a spiritual perspective as a way of participating in Christ’s sufferings, the death of Anneliese was by no means a failure of exorcism. It has to be understood in the same way as Christ’s death. What may be seen, in the eyes of the world, as a failure, may in reality be success in the eyes of God."
LeBlanc, Lawrence (2012-09-19). Anneliese Michel--A true story of a case of demonic possession Germany-1976 (Kindle Locations 1569-1571). 

For those interested in learning more about the life of Anneliese, I highly recommend the book Anneliese Michel: A true story of a case of demonic possession by Fr. Jose Antonio Fortea and Lawrence E.U. LeBlanc. I can state upfront that I personally do not receive any remuneration from book recommendations, so this is simply a sincere recommendation on the subject.

"Oh, Father, I never thought it would be as cruel as this. I always thought I would want to suffer for others so they would not have to go to hell, but I did not realize it could be this bad and this cruel and terrible. People think suffering is an easy matter, but when things get really awful you don’t want to go on, you don’t want to take a single step further." -Anneliese Michel to Fr. Arnold

“You will pass all of your tests (the tests at her school), but you will be called upon to undergo tests of a different kind. I will give you my grace, and you will be faithful until death.”  Reported words of Jesus in a vision to Anneliese on Nov 10, 1975

-Some quotes from Anneliese Michel:
“You can mark one thing for sure--I want to go to heaven, cost what it may; to gain heaven, nothing is too much for me…On that account I should place my life at the disposal of others out of love for God, and hope more for the reward of God, than for the reward of men."

From Anneliese’s diary, October 24, 1975: 
Savior: “You will suffer a great deal and do penance, even now. But your sufferings, your sadness and desperation will help me to save souls.”

Anneliese’s diary, October 29, 1975: 
Mother of God: “Later you will also have visions.
"If I understood her correctly, it will be as compensation for the satanic countenances that I saw in the past and those I still see. I am not sure though if this was something Satan deluded me with.

(Savior:) "Do not worry about the future. Unburden everything on Me. Seek every minute you can to listen to Me, to fulfill My will, My slightest wish, by listening to My voice. The lambs know the voice of their shepherd. I am the good Shepherd and I love My lambs."
-Quote taken from one of the four notebooks given by Anneliese to Father Renz.
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Those interested in getting a better understanding of victim souls and also some thoughts on possession-expiation should see the article "MARY CRUSHES THE SERPENT -30 Years of Experiences As An Exorcist Told In His Own Words"
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The time of the Purification of Humanity

The flaming Sword of Justice cleanses and purifies Adam and Eve 
The Great Storm Is Coming Upon Us

June 2015

Then Jesus told the crowds, "When you see a cloud coming in from the west, you immediately say, 'There's going to be a storm,' and so it happens." (Luke 12:54)

On April 18, 2013 I published the article "God's Warning For Humanity Has Been Delayed-The Time Of Mercy Has Been Prolonged."
 On November 7, 2013 I published "The Great Purification That Is Soon To Come For All Of Humanity"

This present article completes the Trilogy of the Warning. The alleged mystic I wrote about in a veiled way in Parts 1 and 2 has recently passed from this life. If (and I do mean "if") she had in fact helped to withhold the arm of God up until this point, well that help is no longer with us in this life. Yet, I know that there are other victim souls in the world at this time, but eventually God's justice must be brought forth for the salvation of souls, because for sure many souls are being lost in our current culture and the ever growing Godless society in which we are living.

Two laymen whom I deeply respect for their integrity, wisdom and devotion to God have each recently issued warnings that the "Storm-Purification" is soon coming upon us. The recent forewarning of this impending "Storm" for humanity comes from Mark Mallett of The Now Word and his article "The Hour of Lawlessness" here, and Michael Brown of Spirit Daily and his "Special Report" article here

If what these men along with a number of others in the Catholic-Christian world are foretelling is indeed true--and this writer believes it is---very soon God will allow a great Storm-Purification to overtake us for a time, all in an effort to set things right, that evil may not triumph. The truth is, in the end, it will be the Immaculate Heart of Mary that will Triumph.

In the upcoming years we are all going to suffer for our own good, and for the good of humanity. Our pride and all that is contrary to God and His laws must be crushed and rooted out. The majority of the world is currently living in Godless cultures and societies, and so the supporting structures of our current civilizations prideful 'tower of babel' against God will be removed, and the collapse will be great. Those who have ears to hear ought to hear. We must prepare now, while we can; spiritually first, then also materially, for it is very prudent to do so (and very foolish not to). We ought to endeavor to be like the wise Virgins and to fill our lamps with oil, both spiritually and materially.

The website Rorate Caeli has published a translation of a remarkable interview, originally published in 2008, with Cardinal Cardinal Carlo Caffara of Bologna. In it, he references correspondence he had with Sister Lucia, one of the visionaries of Our Lady at Fatima:
Question: There is a prophecy by Sister Lucia dos Santos, of Fatima, which concerns “the final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan”. The battlefield is the family. Life and the family. We know that you were given charge by John Paul II to plan and establish the Pontifical Institute for the Studies on Marriage and the Family.
Yes, I was. At the start of this work entrusted to me by the Servant of God John Paul II, I wrote to Sister Lucia of Fatima through her Bishop as I couldn’t do so directly. Inexplicably however, since I didn’t expect an answer, seeing that I had only asked for prayers, I received a very long letter with her signature – now in the Institute’s archives. In it we find written: The final battle between the Lord and the reign of Satan will be about marriage and the family. Don’t be afraid, she added, because anyone who operates for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always be contended and opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue. And then she concluded: however, Our Lady has already crushed its head.
Talking also to John Paul II, you felt too that this was the crux, as it touches the very pillar of creation, the truth of the relationship between man and woman among the generations. If the founding pillar is touched the entire building collapses and we see this now, because we are at this point and we know it. And I’m moved when I read the best biographies of St Padre Pio, on how this man was so attentive to the sanctity of marriage and the sanctity of the spouses, even with justifiable rigor on occasion.


Lot and his daughters fleeing Sodom, with Lots wife turning to a pillar of salt
Do not look back on what is lost when our society collapses
As I write these lines, I am reminded of the very providential Mass reading's today (June 30, 2015) which directly pertains to our current situation:
The first reading, (Gen.19, 15-29) is the story of Lot and his family being led out of Sodom by two Angels, just prior to Its destruction by the will of God.

For sure there are a number of  lessons that speak directly to our current situation, given the recent Supreme court decision, and also the referendum vote in Ireland last month, but the most important lesson for us is that Lot and his family were warned by the Angels when they were told to flee "Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley [of Sodom]". 

Unfortunately in her attachment to what was left behind, Lots wife did look back at Sodom, and she was instantly turned into a pillar of salt. We must endeavor to free ourselves to our attachments to the things of this world, and seek to bind ourselves completely to Jesus. Economies will collapse and infrastructures will fail, for the paper and paste that holds them together will soon become unglued. Do not weep over the what will soon become lost, for the Storm will sweep away many things in our current world, so we must endeavor not to be attached to them. The current era in which we are living is passing, and God is going to make things new, with the help of our heavenly Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

And then in today's Gospel (Mt. 8:23-27) we find Jesus seemingly sleeping at the head of the boat, when suddenly a great Storm suddenly falls upon Him and the apostles.
"They woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.

Jesus alone is our Savior and He alone calms the Storm. We are to trust in Him completely. Thus, we would do well to internalize the important lessons from both of these Scripture readings. 

In closing we must never forget that God is love. And all that He does, and all that He allows in our lives is out of His infinite love and concern for us, even though it may cause us to suffer for a time. He wills and desires that all of us be with Him in heaven someday, and being our loving Father He will do all that He possibly can to save our souls, while at the same time always respecting our own free will.

-Lord Jesus Crucified, have mercy upon us! St Michael the Archangel, pray for us!

Beware of psychic mediums: Spirit guides are demonic and evil

Spirit guides, known as "familiar" spirits, are almost always demonic in nature

"Uncle Ponto"- the familiar spirit who almost led a despairing man to suicide
The exorcist, Fr. Malachi Martin, in his popular book “Hostage to the Devil: The Possession and Exorcism of Five Contemporary Americans"  (which can be read for free here) relates a true story of a "spirit guide"--often called a "familiar spirit"---known as "Uncle Ponto", who attached himself to a young California man in the 1970's named Jamsie.

This "Uncle Ponto" as this demon called himself, was a deformed looking person who began appearing to Jamsie during a troubled period in his teens. “All I’m asking for, all I ever asked for,” Jamsie remembers Uncle Ponto saying softly as he drove onto Highway 101, “is that you let me come and live with you. I won’t be in the way. You need a friend like me.”

Uncle Ponto would often appear out of nowhere, suddenly sitting in the back seat of Jamsie's car for example, showing himself through Jamsie's rear view mirror. At first, Jamsie was quite startled upon first seeing Uncle Ponto, for Ponto's appearance was a strange looking caricature of a man, and he had always thought in the back of his mind that Uncle Ponto might be an evil spirit, yet as time went on there were times he appreciated and even relished the eerie company of Ponto, and often he got a kick out of their encounters.

As time went on, little by little the familiar spirit Uncle Ponto began to appear more and more to Jamsie, often giving him day to day suggestions on what he should do in different areas of his life. In fact, he often became overbearing, and did not like it if Jamsie did not take his advice. And as the years continued to pass, Ponto became more and more of a pestering nuisance. Ponto continually sought to isolate Jamsie, saying that he was his only true friend and that nobody else understood him like he did.

Fortunately through a friend Jamsie met a Catholic priest named Fr. Mark. On that evening Jamsie had visited with the priest, Fr. Mark had treated him to mushroom soup made from his own recipe. Afterward, Jamsie had talked with him into the small hours of the morning, telling him of his early life, of Ponto’s harassment, and of his own growing deep despair and continual anger against life.

But several times during that conversation, Jamsie had found himself incapable of going along with what Mark proposed: to get rid of Uncle Ponto. Always, at that point, Jamsie felt an unaccountable fear. If Ponto no longer existed in his life, what would happen? It was just as if Ponto represented some form of security.

Spirit guides\Familiar spirits will never say the holy name of Jesus with devotion
Yet, two very important lessons came out of  Jamsie's meeting with Fr. Mark:
1) Uncle Ponto did not like Fr. Mark at all, and interestingly he was not present at all during Jamsie's visit with Fr. Mark, but afterwards Ponto told him never to speak with Fr. Mark again, and Ponto derisively nicknamed Fr Mark “Mushroom-Souper,”

2)  One of Fr. Mark's suggestions to Jamsie to rid himself of "Uncle Ponto" was to say the holy name of Jesus in his presence, and if he somehow could not, then to spell it out the Name of Jesus one letter at a time. On one occasion soon afterwards, Ponto was being more overbearing than usual, and Jamsie had had enough. In an attempt to silence Ponto, Jamsie said “You’re the son of the Father of Lies!” he shouted poisonously at Ponto. “That’s what Mark said Jesus called him . .”---at the word "Jesus" Jamsie’s ears were split by a high-pitched scream from Ponto. “DON’T!” Ponto shouted. “Don’t mention that person’s name in my presence. Don’t mention THAT!”

Sr. Josefa Menendez
We see this hatred from the demons for the holy Name of Jesus revealed through the lives of numerous mystics. In fact, it is the easiest and simplest way to "test the spirits", as John the apostle advises in (1 John 4:1). With this in mind we can see for example how in her journal Sr. Josefa Menendez writes:
"On the night of the 13th or 14th of January, 1922  the devil began once more to torture me. He tried to force me to abandon my vocation. In his increasing fury he even tried to deceive me by taking on the appearance of Jesus."

And since in the following days and weeks the demon continued to try to appear to her as Jesus, and as various Angels and Saints, eventually to remedy this problem her spiritual director, Father Boyer O.P. at first had her renew her profession vows [as a nun] whenever a "heavenly" visitor would appear, which would naturally repel and fill an evil spirit  with disgust, but after consulting the lives of the Saints and their experiences in this area, he then advised her that immediately upon the appearance of any "visitor", he told her to recite the 'Divine Praises' of which she was to ask the visitors to immediately repeat after her. In their great pride and hatred for God the demons could never utter any of the "Blessings" of the Divine Praises [ie- the "Blessed be God" and "Blessed be Jesus Christ" etc..]

Josefa's spiritual director likely discovered this powerful weapon in discerning the heavenly vs. demonic visitors from the life of St Gemma Galgani (1878-1903), for it was precisely through the reciting of the "Divine Praises" that Gemma was finally able to thwart the devil who was frequently appearing to her under different disguises in an effort to deceive her. For as Gemma learned (thanks to her spiritual director, Venerable Fr. Germanus C.P.) that the devil with his polluted lips is never able to utter such words of praise and benediction. In Gemma's case, when a visitor would appear, she would simply say "Blessed be Jesus and Mary!"  If the spirit was sent from God, the spirit would always reply back to her with the same exclamation "Blessed be Jesus and Mary!"

If however the spirit was not of God, it would either not reply to her exclamation, or it would say simply "Blessed be!", the simple reason being that demons will never utter the holy Names of Jesus and Mary with devotion, however the heavenly visitors were more than happy to oblige in their response with great love and devotion. With this testing of the spirits, both Josefa Menendez and St Gemma were then always able to immediately identify the authenticity of her "visitors."

One very important thing to note here is the significant difference between the authentic mystics of the Church, and psychic mediums is that the heavenly visitors of the mystic-Saints come on their own accord by the divine will and permission of God, whereas the visitors of the psychic mediums are channeled and called upon by the mediums themselves. And this latter action of channeling spirits is the biblical sin of necromancy.

Unfortunately for Jamsie and many others, by the time they realize the truth concerning their familiar spirits, the spirits already have quite a hold on their whole life, and will influence and control much of what they do, or don't do. These "spirit guide" entities have no intentions of letting go, and their unfortunate victims will become trusting and eventually dependent upon these spirits. And as long as they're oppressed and obsessed with these spirits, they typically feel little or no need to pray to God, or to seek Him in any way. In other words, demons wean people away from a close personal relationship with Jesus with beliefs and ideas that are contrary to the Gospel.

The demonic deception of mediums and psychics--Why bother with all of this "Jesus stuff" if all of my deceased relatives are happy and in the light?
The 'modus operandi' or primary purpose of the demons is to very discreetly deceive and to tempt---for sure they do not come to us with horns on their head and a pitchfork! At first they gladly seek to deceive us and lead us away from God through pleasant thoughts and ideas, which on the surface seem innocuous, such as encouraging the idea that all of our deceased relatives are "in the light" and are very happy in the next life, without of course any specific mention of heaven though, because this would bring God into the picture.

Yet, if all of our deceased relatives are in the light of heaven as the channeled dead spirits of the psychic mediums would have us believe, then what need is there of the Gospel message of repentance for sin? Why then bother with going to Church to worship God and all of the "Jesus stuff" and the need for forgiveness of sins? What need is there then of even loving and praying to God, if even your deceased "Uncle Fester", the blasphemous domestic abuser, is now happy and in the light? -There we have the primary nature of the demons seduction when it comes to psychics and mediums. And in their deceptions the demons do not counterfeit copper, but only gold.

If at first the demons can deceive a person with happy feel good doctrines in this way, they will then later inspire one to other deceptions against God, and will eventually tempt one to despair. They are in it for the long game, and one's eternal soul is the steaks.

Beware of those who claim to offer knowledge of hidden matters
The prevalence of the demonic in the world today- Many Christians are giving away their inheritance for "a bowl of stew"
"Then Jacob gave Esau bread and stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright."  Genesis 25: 29-34
Genesis 25 shows us how Esau despises his birthright as firstborn consecrated to God, and sells it to his brother for a bowl of stew.

As the owner of this website, it is very disheartening for me to see that of the 115+ articles on this website, by far the most visited article each day is the article I wrote on "How to get rid of Evil Spirits, Demons and Ghosts" 

I had written this article on how to get rid of evil spirits a few years ago in reply to the numerous emails I have received from people who are plagued by malevolent spirits, who were often driving them to despair. It is sad for me to see that this one article is always at the top of the website page visit list each day, when there are so many inspiring and edifying articles on this website. This simply shows how our Western culture is now heavily besieged by evil spirits which have deeply infiltrated our societies once based on Christian principles and ideals. Many of the christian baptized have sold their birthright to Spiritualist and "New Age" beliefs and practices by personally visiting psychic mediums and clairvoyants, or attending seminars and workshops on "How to get in touch with your Spirit guides" and similar themed conferences.

It's no wonder then that many souls in our Western society are now under the influence of the demonic, and have replaced christian beliefs and practices with pagan ones. If one abandons the crucified Jesus and His teachings on sacrificial love and repentance for sin etc. to seek after more "happy and easy" doctrines, such as where everybody goes to a happy place of light, then what inevitably happens? "To where else would we go, for You alone have the words of eternal life" as Jesus disciples had wisely once said.

Spirit guides may at first seem benevolent, but will inevitably turn malevolent
Closing now the true story of Jamsie and the familiar spirit "Uncle Ponto" who at first seemed benevolent, but in time became malevolent and harassed and plagued him almost constantly. In deep despair Jamsie almost committed suicide by jumping off a cliff, all the while the malignant Ponto was encouraging him to jump, saying: “Jamsie! Be a man. Get it over with!” and repeating over and over: “Jump-uh! Jump-uh! Jump-uh! Jump-uh!”

In the last moment Jamsie remembered Father Mark and his instructions. The trick, that was it! The trick! He began desperately spelling out the name of Jesus again and again: J-E-S-U-S. J-E-S-U-S. J-E-S-U-S. Then he ran all the letters together like an incantation- J-E-S-U-S-J-E-S-U-S-J-E-S-U-S!

That name that Ponto so hated sent him to flight, leaving Jamsie free to collect his thoughts. He immediately decided to call Fr. Mark who came and picked him up. Later, it would be the same Fr. Mark who would perform the sacred Catholic Rite of Exorcism with Jamsie, completely freeing him of Uncle Ponto for good.

-Lord Jesus Crucified, have mercy upon us!

The unique spiritual events in the life of St Joan of Arc

The remarkable heavenly graces in the life of St. Joan of Arc

"Act, and God will act." -St Joan of Arc

Even the greatest Saints have occasionally completely misinterpreted the prophesies given to them
Towards the end of her harsh and very unjust imprisonment, a Voice from heaven revealed to St Joan of Arc:
"You will be released on May 30th!"

Oh, how her heart leaped with joy at the revelation of her imminent release from the torturous prison, after having suffered a rigorous imprisonment for one year! She gloriously shared this great news of her forthcoming release with the few people who were allowed to visit and attend to her.

What she didn't know, but soon learned, was that the promised "release" on that predicted day consisted of the terror of her being burned alive at the stake, her soul thus being released from this life, to fly to heaven to be with her Jesus. -How different is the perspective from heaven than that of us here on earth! "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord." (Isaiah 55:8) And so we see how even the greatest Saints can completely misinterpret what would seem to be a very simple and straightforward prophesy.

Thus we ourselves would be very wise not to have too much confidence in our capacity to understand and interpret the messages from heaven! For in her great humility, St Joan of Arc recognized her human frailty, and during her tortuous imprisonment and trial she told her friends that out of her human weakness she could not be sure what things she might say under torture or duress – and told them to please give witness to others of her intention to serve the Lord faithfully, regardless of whatever she might say while in agony. As it turned out, she publicly kept her faith in God to the painful end – but in her great humility she recognized her human frailty and thus she made provisions for it if she weakened. Oh, the wisdom of a 19 year old that shines before men!

St. Joan of Arc prays and brings a dead baby back to life so that it might be baptized. -Baby said to have been dead for 3 days
In the Spring of 1430, Joan had just arrived in Lagny-sur-Marne, France, where she was to lead the French forces there against the English. It was there, in the midst of war, that the miracle occurred.

According to her own testimony, she was called upon to join some other young women who were praying in a Church beseeching God and the Blessed Virgin Mary on behalf of a dead baby, that it might be revived long enough to baptize it. Here is Joan's own testimony
"I was told that the girls of the town were gathered before the statue of our Lady and wanted me to come and pray to God and our Lady to bring a baby back to life. So I went and prayed with the others. And finally life appeared in him, and he yawned three times. Then he was baptized, and soon afterwords he died, and was buried in consecrated ground.

For three days, I was told, he had shown no signs of life, and he was as black as my jacket. But when he yawned his color began to come back. And I was on my knees there with the other girls, praying before our Lady."


Her obedience to the heavenly "Voices"
During her unjust trial before the tribunal, Joan revealed under oath some details of who were the heavenly voices and visitors that guided and led her into battle against the English, and how often they came to her. The heavenly visits began in the summer of 1424 at age 13, when she says she was suddenly "...surrounded by a great light, and then I heard a revelation from God through a Voice which told me to be prayerful, to frequent the sacraments of the Church, and to always trust in the Lord for help."

At first she did not know whom the Voice was, but on the third occasion she then "knew" it was the voice of an Angel. During her trial she specifically stated that during her lifetime she had received numerous visits from 4 heavenly Visitors:  St. Michael the Archangel and the Angel Gabriel, particularly leading up to, and during the battles against the English. The two other primary heavenly visitors who guided and helped her were St. Catherine of Alexandria and also St Margaret of Antioch.

Without going into details here--for there are numerous biographies on the internet about St Joan of Arc---suffice it to state that through the holy Will of God, these heavenly voices and visions led the teenage Joan to become the leader of the French army, who through her extraordinary courage and guidance, eventually ousted the occupying English forces from France, and restored Charles, the king of France, to his rightful throne.

While many biographers rightly point out that Joan was almost * always obedient to her "Voices", even unto her horrible death at the stake, it should also be pointed out that she also remained obedient to the Church, as is revealed on a number of occasions during her trial, where she sought to obey even the often unjust requests and directives of Bishop Pierre Cauchon, her primary accuser. And during her trial when asked if she would submit herself to the determination of the Church, she replied:
"I refer myself to our Lord who sent me, to Our Lady, and to all of the blessed Sants in Paradise. It seems to me that our Lord and the Church are one and the same, and that no one should make difficulties about this. Why do you make difficulties about Them being one and the same?"

The fact remains that she was never given any directives by the legitimate Church authority concerning her heavenly visitors, so she remained free throughout her life to obey her "Voices." Had her priest spiritual director, confessor or other legitimate Church authority told her otherwise, one can only assume that she would have obeyed their directives. Yet we must concede something here---During her trial when she was asked about obedience to the Church, she replied: “They [the Voices] do not order me to disobey the Church, but God must be served first.”

*One has to say that she was almost always obedient to her Voices, because on one occasion while in prison she jumped out of the window of the  Beaurevoir Tower in an effort to escape, and she herself admits that: "Almost every day St. Catherine warned me not to jump; that God would help me and also the people of Compiegne. [The English were then advancing on the city of  Compiegne] And I said to St Catherine that if God intended to help the people of Compiegne, then I intended to be there helping too."  The height of the jump was said to be at least 65 feet, nevertheless she only received a few bumps and bruises, but she was immediately recaptured. Afterwards, her testimony during the trial reveals that she was deeply repentant for having disobeyed St. Catherine.

To sum up very succinctly this topic of her obedience to the heavenly voices, His Excellency Thomas Basin, bishop of Lisieux wrote the following not long after her holy death:

"Regarding her mission, and the apparitions and revelations that she said she had, everyone has the right to believe as he pleases, to reject them or not, according to his point-of-view or way of thinking. What is important regarding these visions is the fact that Joan had herself no shadow of a doubt regarding their reality, and it was their effect upon her, and not her natural inclination, that impelled her to leave her parents and her home to undertake great perils and to endure great hardships — and, as it proved, a terrible death.  It was these visions and voices, and they alone, which enabled her to believe that she would succeed in saving her country and in placing her king on his throne.  It was these visions and voices which finally enabled her to do those marvelous deeds, and accomplish what appeared to all the world as impossible."

The greatest Saints are human too! In a moment of weakness, Joan momentarily renounces her visions and mission
On May 24, 1431 Joan was taken to a scaffold set up in the cemetery next to Saint-Ouen Church, and told that she would be burned immediately unless she signed a document renouncing her visions and that she must agree to stop wearing soldiers' clothing. Under deep duress after a years worth of privation in a torturous prison, she signed the document saying: "I would rather sign it than burn."

On May 28, Joan recanted her previous abjuration, donned men's apparel once more, and was accused of relapsing into heresy. In reply to this new charge of relapse she said:
"What I said, I said for fear of the fire. Since then, my Voices have told me that I did a very wicked thing in confessing that what I had done [by leading the war against the English] was not well done. They told me that God, through St. Catherine and St. Margaret, helped me to understand the great treason that I consented to by making that abjuration and revocation to save my own life, and that I was damning myself to save my life. If I should say that God had not sent me I should damn myself. It is true that God has sent me.

"Pray for those who persecute you"- St Joan of Arc pleads to her enemies to retreat before leading the attack against them
We may take yet another important lesson from the heroic life of St. Joan of Arc. Despite the fact that she is often portrayed with armor and sword, the truth is that she disliked bloodshed and longed for peace. She refused to wield her own sword in battle: it was used as a threat to the enemy and held aloft as a signal to her soldiers.

For about an hour prior to many of her battles, before leading the attack she would tearfully plead with the English soldiers to surrender or withdraw. She would have been perfectly happy for them to withdraw from the French positions they held, for she bore them no animosity. Usually during that hour she would be the recipient of the most vulgar and obscene taunts from the Englishmen. Once she was satisfied she could not persuade them to retreat, the battle commenced, and the teenage girl who had been tearfully pleading a few moments earlier, would encourage her men to fight heroically and fiercely.

Thus, she loved her enemies, bore them no ill will, and would have been perfectly content for them to withdraw to their own territory, and live in peace. Many of her fellow soldiers testified how after the bloody battles she often wept upon seeing the dead soldiers on both sides. There is even one occasion that is widely reported where she held one of the dying enemy soldiers in her arms during his last moments, encouraging him in making his confession to the accompanying priest.

Some notable replies from Joan at her trial an at her holy death
-“Do you know if you are in the grace of God?”
“If I am not, may God place me there; if I am, may God keep me there. I should be the saddest in all the world if I knew that I were not in the grace of God. But I think, if I were in a state of sin, the Voice would not come to me. And I wish that everyone heard It as I do! – Saturday, Feb. 24, 1431

-“Was it God who prescribed to you the dress of a man?” [Concerning her 40 pound suit of armor]
“What concerns this dress is a small thing – less than nothing. I did not take it by the advice of any man in the world. I did not take this dress or do anything but by the command of Our Lord and of the Angels.”

-“Which did you care for most, your banner or your sword?”
“Better, forty times better, my banner than my sword!”

-“In what likeness did Saint Michael appear to you?”
“I did not see a crown; and I know nothing of his dress.”

-Was he then naked?”
“Do you think God has not wherewithal to clothe him?”


Warning Joan of Arc issued to her judges:
"You say that you are my judge; take good heed of what you do, because in truth I am sent by God, and you put yourself in great peril. I give you this warning so that if our Lord punishes you for it, my duty to warn you is done." 

Joan of Arc's response to the threat of torture:
"Truly, if you were to tear me limb from limb and separate my soul from my body, I would not say anything more. Yet, if I did say anything, afterwards I would always declare that you made me say it by force!" 

Joan's response when she learned how she would die:
"Oh! Am I to be so horribly and cruelly treated? Alas! That my body, clean and whole, which has never been corrupted, should this day be consumed and burned to ashes! Ah! I would far rather have my head chopped off seven times over, than to be burned!" 

Joan speaking to Bishop Pierre Cauchon after learning of her impending execution:
"Bishop, I die through you" 

At her death, Joan asking for a crucifix to be held level with her eyes:
"Hold the crucifix up before my eyes so I may see it until I die." 

St. Joan of Arc's last words:
"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!" 
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"I place trust in God, my creator, in all things; I love Him with all my heart." -St Joan of Arc
-St Joan of Arc, pray for us!

Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The most Sacred Heart of Jesus! The burning Heart of God which pours forth His infinite love for us! It is perhaps the greatest of all the devotions, as it is centered in the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus. It is said to be St Padre Pio's favorite devotion and he recited the novena prayer below every day for all those who asked his prayers. Like many Saints, Padre Pio knew the power of the infinite love and mercy that comes forth from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

By far the most popular and traditional novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus would be the one below that St Margaret Mary Alocoque herself promulgated. It is also the novena that St Gemma Galgani recited when she was miraculously cured by Jesus, and also the one that St Padre Pio recited daily, as mentioned above. The beauty of it is that it incorporates both a tender love for Jesus and His most Sacred Heart, and also a tender devotion to His Mother, the most Blessed Virgin Mary

While the entire month of June  is dedicated to The Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Church celebrates the Feast (Solemnity) of the of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost.
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Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
(To be recited daily for 9 consecutive days)

I.) O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)
Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II.) O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request)
Our Father...Hail Mary....Glory Be To the Father....
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III.) O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request)
Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O' Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us poor sinners and grant us the grace(s) which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears! Turn, then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary; pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

--Novena promulgated by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

"O' Heart of love, I place all of my trust in You. For I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Your goodness." -St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
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Some of the promises that Jesus made to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque for those who make the devotion to His most Sacred Heart:

(1) "I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life. 

(2) I will establish peace in their homes. 

(3) I will comfort them in all their afflictions. 

(4) I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death. 

(5) I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings. 

(6) Sinners will find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy. 

(7) Lukewarm souls shall become fervent. 

(8) Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection. 

(9) I will bless every place in which an image of my Heart is exposed and honored. 

(10) I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. 

(11) Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart. 

(12) I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment." 

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