How Catholic Preppers are Preparing

There are preppers. And, then, there are Catholic preppers. Is there any difference between the two?

All doomsday preppers are making contingency plans, just in case something bad happens and life changes drastically. Some are stockpiling food, while others are collecting heirloom seeds so they can grow their own fruit and vegetables in case grocery stores cease to exist, or the shelves are raided quickly in the wake of a disaster. (During a crisis, the average grocery store would be cleaned out of food, if no new shipments arrived.)

Most preppers, no matter what their religious beliefs, are at least thinking of ways to live without gas, oil or electricity, if these energy sources were no longer available.

Many Catholics who believe things may change in the not too distant future, and not for the better, have also read one or more prophecies that seem to indicate this is going to be the case. If one of these private revelations has been approved by the Church, or at least the local bishop, you can read the message in good confidence that it won't lead you astray. Throughout history, God has spoken to His people and there's no reason to believe He's ever stopped doing so.

In addition to planning for their temporal needs, some Catholic preppers have also stocked up on certain sacramentals, which are holy objects, such as scapulars, Miraculous Medals and Rosary beads, because we believe these are powerful gifts that can help increase our faith and keep the devil away. Some of these have various promises attached, which seem to indicate protection in the event of plagues or other calamities.

The news of the ebola epidemic sweeping through parts of West Africa, and then spreading to the United States and Europe, has lent more credibility to the preppers, who believe the world is on the cusp of life-changing events. At the very least, this horrifying outbreak brings to mind Biblical mention of plagues, as well as scenes from the Black Death that swept through Europe, in the 14th-century killing about 25 million people, or one-third of the European population.

At the height of this recent ebola scare that hit Dallas and parts of Ohio, there was heightened talk on various forums about preparing and Divine chastisement. Fortunately, we seem to have dodged a bullet in Dallas, but epidemic continues unabated in West Africa and, now, there's a new scare in New York City.

I recently noticed that one person who visited one of my blogs was apparently stocking up on Hawthorne herb, a remedy mentioned by Marie-Julie Jahenny, a French mystic who lived in Brittany. During one of her ecstasies, she was told that there would be a fatal plague, and that Hawthorne leaves were the remedy.

This prophecy was received in August of 1880, according to the Marquis de la Franquerie, who wrote a book called Marie-Julie Jahenny - The Breton Stigmatist. Jahenny gave instructions to prepare Hawthorne leaves when a fatal and horrible illness strikes the earth.

This disease, she noted, will produce intense nausea and vomiting. Parts of the skin will turn black, marked by yellow streaks. Some people believe she was describing the ebola virus.

It's interesting to note that Hawthorne leaves appear to be disappearing from various online sources. Pure Hawthorne leaves are increasingly difficult to come by, although it's still possible to buy the leaves and flowers together. I'm not sure if this is a direct cause and effect of Jahenny's prophecy, but I suspect it could be.

Please note that I am not claiming that Hawthorne leaves can cure ebola. Also, pregnant women and nursing mothers should never take an herbal remedy unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.

There is a great deal of Church-approved Catholic prophecy within the last couple of centuries that supports being prepared, physically, and, most importantly, spiritually.

The most famous prophecy is based on a series of apparitions now known as Our Lady of Fatima. In 1917, the Mother of God appeared to three children outside of the village of Fatima, Portugal. She told them that God was deeply offended by the sins of mankind, and warned them that if people did not repent, we would see World War II occur during the reign of Pope Pius XI, whom she named, even though he would not be elected until 1922.

(Pope Pius XI died on February 10, 1939. The official start of World War II was in September of that year, but various skirmishes happened in the years preceding.)

Many other Fatima prophecies have come to pass as well. Our Lady told the children that there would also be famines and persecution of the Catholic Church. (We now know that much of this has come from within, in a series of abuse scandals that have driven many people away from the Catholic faith.)

Our Lady of Fatima also told the children that communism would spread throughout the world, and that she requested the Consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. Only after that, would we see peace in the world. If not, we will eventually see the annihilation of various nations.

There is great debate over whether this has actually been done, and whether it has satisfied the conditions of Heaven. A fair number of Catholics believe that it hasn't, and this is the reason we're seeing so much disorder today.

Fatima is what's known in the Catholic Church as a "private revelation." But there was a very public event, witnessed by 70,000 people. This is known as the Miracle of the Sun, something that generated worldwide headlines. Newspapers ran pictures of a crowd of Portuguese people staring at the sky. Some of the pictures showed a terrified audience, which had gathered at a specific field just outside of Fatima.

They were promised a miracle, and stood in the pouring rain waiting for one to happen. Suddenly, the sun seemed to detach itself from the sky and hurtle down to earth. Where ever it moved, it left a trail of rainbows. Then it returned to its usual spot in the sky. Everyone who had been drenched with rain was now dry.

If you've never heard of the Miracle of the Sun, it seems like a very far-fetched account. But you can still find pictures online of a Portuguese newspaper article that describes the miracle and shows the crowd of onlookers.

One of the most alarming warnings comes from a Church-approved prophecy known as Our Lady of Akita. This is based upon a series of Heavenly revelations received by Sister Agnes Sasagawa, a Japanese nun who was miraculously cured of near total deafness around the time of these apparitions.

Sister Agnes received a very apocalyptic message about a great punishment (fire coming down from the sky) that would befall the earth if people did not turn away from sin. She also spoke of problems in the Church, in which bishop would be set against bishop, and cardinal against cardinal. Our Lady of Akita also told Sister Agnes that many priests and religious souls, whom had promised their lives to God, would be abandoning their callings.

In addition to stockpiling food and other supplies, most Catholic preppers also have various sacramentals in their house. These are holy objects, such as statues, images and medals, as well as blessed water or oil.

Based on the prophetic warnings of various Church-approved mystics, many Catholics believe we'll eventually experience Three Days of Darkness, which will be a worldwide cleansing and a frightful one at that. Marie-Julie Jahenny recommended riding out that horrible time with blessed wax candles, made from 100 beeswax, which she said will burn brightly in the homes of the devout. However, she noted, they will burn in the homes of the wicked.

Although it's probably a good idea to make some contingency plans, just in case, most priests will probably tell you to simply remain in a state of grace, free from mortal sin, because we never know when God will call us home, independent of a doomsday scenario.

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