May 25, 1976

CONSUMER CIVILIZATION

When I instituted the sacraments I knew the necessity that Christians would have of them; this necessity has not decreased, but on the contrary, it can be said that today, for all of you, it has increased in proportion to the rapid transformation of society from a patriarchal, agricultural society to an industrial society.

Industrialization has brought more riches to the people and to families. I said more riches, and not more well-being; it has brought more material commodities, but not more happiness; it has brought greater and marvellous means of communication, but not greater unity of hearts; even more, when these means are ill-used, an impressive contagion of spiritual and moral evils afflicts modern humanity.

All of you, born and raised in this society in continuous evolution, have been confused by its inexorable rhythm, often inhuman; you have been infected by its fever, which is often so elevated, that it has produced spritual malaise, that causes you to lose from sight what you should always keep present in your mind: the principal finality of your perishable, earthly life; so distracted, and at the same time attracted by the fruits of consumer civilization the Enemy enters into you, who with all his skill surrounds and traps souls, darkening them, weakening them, and depriving them of their necessary spiritual nourishment.

Tragic fall

Modern life does not have time for the interior life, weakening and very frequently killing the seed of grace, and at the same time dazzling souls with the brilliant fascination that the products of modern civilization exercise upon the heart and senses.

Deceit and lies concur everywhere to materialize life, and to make you forget that this earthly pilgrimage should not be considered as an end in itself, but only and exclusively ordered toward eternity, for which you were created.

With this terrible method, prepared and realized with great astuteness, the Enemy of God and of man has succeeded in leading all of society to a tragic fall, turning aside entire nations from the right path, and in this cunning he included even the Church.

Holy confirmation

In Me, the eternal Word of God, there is no past or future; I am the instant in which everything is present; I have given men all the means necessary to save themselves and to defend themselves from all evils, that have as origin Satan, the Prince of this world, the Prince of darkness who wishes to obscure everything.

I wanted to establish the sacraments, precious fruits of the Mystery of my Redemption, and I linked them to the Mystery of the Church, for your salvation. Among these sacraments I established holy Confirmation, in order to make of each baptized person a true soldier with adequate weapons, with a seal and indestructible device, called a character; this device characterizes the confirmed person as a soldier and distinguishes him from one who has not received this sacrament.

At present, the crisis of faith that has descended, even in the Church through the work of the Evil one, has disorganized the vast army of my soldiers.

Consider, my children, the consequences that are derived from an army that no longer believes in its officials and commanders, that no longer believes in the reasons for which it has been mobilized, that no longer believes in the efficacy of the weapons with which it has been furnished.

Imagine the state of soul of the troops, inferiors and superiors, who neglect their duties, officials who do not punish lack of discipline, because they also doubt even their reason for existing!

Consider the great, erosive force that disjoins this army; consider also the arrogance and power of the enemy, who knows the situation of his opponent very well, and he almost thinks he has him in his hands.

The Church today

This is the situation of the Church today, and everyone can verify this tremendous reality; the present evils are not imputed to Me, as the Enemy would like to have you think; rather, they are imputable to those whom I have chosen with an act of love, in order to guide and shepherd my flock.

It is useless, as the first parents desired to do so and as guilty man always tends to do, to try to remove and take away one's own faults.

You are responsible for this lack of vigilance, for this lack of efficiency in the army of the confirmed, among which many do not even recall that they are such.

What is needed is humility, in order to know how to acknowledge one's own faults and responsibilities.

I bless you, my son.