Monday, May 12, 2008

Storm hits Midwest, South; earthquake rips China; what is God telling us?

At Fatima, Our Lady gave a basic message: conversion or chastisement. Conversion is not happening, and we are living in a moral crisis that is a real chastisement.

But we are also experiencing a chastisement in the form of natural disasters. The disasters are also invitations to conversions.

St. Alphonsus Liguori, tells us how God uses natural calamities such as floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes, to warn people to change their ways, rather than as punishments. He show proves that God uses these disasters to warn us to change our ways.

Here are the facts:

-- Mother's Day brought a devastating storm system that hit the Midwest and South, causing 22 deaths.

"An official surveying the damage in the Midwest said it looked like a "war zone." "It's just horrific. It's devastating to all of us," said Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry, who declared a state of emergency in Ottawa County. "It appears the search and rescue part of the mission is over and now we're in the cleanup phase." (CNN online, May 12, 2008)

-- China was shaken by an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude, killing hundreds and causing huge material damage. Fatalities could pass 10,000.

-- Cyclone in Burma-Myanmar: Officials the death toll could reach more than 100,000, with disease killing even more.

-- Chiaten Volcano in Chile: a 9,000 year dormant volcano is spewing ash for weeks, and is forecast to continue blowing for weeks, months and even years. The volcano started erupting shortly after a man in black burnt the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Chile, the Patroness of the country.

Saint Alphonsus Ligouri preached a series of sermons about God and Natural Calamities that is timely to read.

Catholic Treasures


NATURAL CALAMITIES, DIVINE THREATS, AND THE FOUR GATES OF HELL

St. Alphonsus Liguori. This great Doctor of the Church has written six of the most powerful discourses on how God uses natural calamities such as floods, storms, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. to warn people to change their ways, rather than as punishments.

He discusses how God threatens to chastise us in order to save us from chastisement; how sinners often refuse to believe in God's Divine Threats until the chastisements come upon them; how God is merciful for a season and then chastises; how external devotions are useless if we do not cleanse our souls from sin; how God chastises us in this life for our good, not for our destruction; and the four principal gates of Hell, which are hatred, blasphemy, theft and impurity.

Included are quotes from Scripture on particular calamities that God uses to warn us to change our ways. Insurance companies call natural calamity destruction "Acts of God" and so should we.

8½" x 11" with spectacular illustrations. 28 pp. ITEM #10498 $1.25

To order a copy, please go here:

http://www.catholictreasures.com/cartdescrip/10498.html

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