March 25 has marked many important beginnings since times immemorial. Some believe that was the day when God said “let there be light” and creation began. The new creation begins with the arrival of God to His own when St. Gabriel gave Mary Most Holy the news that she was going to be the mother of the Messiah. The source of that announcement was God: the arrival of baby Jesus was not going to fail. He arrived in this world just in time to turn the tide of decay.

Many centuries later, Our Lady of Mount Carmel arrived in Puerto Rico. This apparition was approved at one point but the Bishop was promptly transferred and the details of the apparition obscured by some dark interests. That was a unique apparition. The US had just won the Spanish-American war and taken control of the island. Then Our Blessed Mother presented herself to a group of poor peasants in the area called San Lorenzo. There, up in a mountain now called Santa Montaña, she nurtured a community of simple peasants teaching them the faith. She lived with them from 1899 to 1909. That should have been the most important Marian apparition ever but it was buried and even discredited by some.

Before returning to Heaven, Our Lady of Mount Carmel left many prophecies there but one of them is quite intriguing. She said her Son would return on a year when Christmas falls on Sunday (“Sunday and Christmas Eve will be the end of times. Remain in prayer.”) Now, this year is such a year. The next Christmas to fall on Sunday will be in 2033, the 2,000th anniversary of the sacrifice of Our Lord on Mount Calvary.

I am writing this about 6:30 p.m. US-EST on March 24, 2022. The Consecration will take place in about 12 hours. I do believe there is a strong possibility that said Consecration will trigger the pains of distress leading to the birth of the Kingdom of God. The war in Ukraine (and Yemen, Ethiopia, and elsewhere) and other wars to possibly come in Europe may very well be the prelude to the Parousia that Our Lord described in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. I hope with all my heart we are getting close to the time prophesied in Psalm 46: 9,

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.

Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.