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In Latin the word is "completere," which means complete or fullness, hence the phrase fullness of revelation. This does not mean that God will no longer speak to His people, but that His speaking will not contain any new doctrine. Therefore, if it is not contrary to church teaching and not containing any new doctrine, the faithful may find it useful in fostering devotion and deepening their faith. If it increases their faith, it is good for their souls and if it is good for their souls, it is not from the devil, " a kingdom divided can not stand." The devil will not seek to destroy himself by causing good for souls; he is not capable of leading souls to God. Our Lord said "you shall know a tree by its fruits." When there are many conversions, authentic repentance of sin, deepening of faith, vocations to the priesthood, returns to the church, increase of virtue in those who receive the messages, such as humility, and obedience; these are signs of the Holy Spirit. How do the messengers react when the persecution begins, as it surely will if it is authentic, since all true good comes from God and has the capacity of bringing good to others and subsequently attracts the malice of the devil who persecutes Christ in those who belong to Him. It is therefore, in God's providence, that they be tried by fire to resemble Christ who was martyred. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for my sake...”
While private revelation is not necessary, in the strict sense of the word, it has proven over the course of history in the church to be very efficacious to the vast majority of souls. Who has not benefited from devotion to the Sacred Heart, Immaculate Heart, Divine Mercy, the Rosary etc. , all from private revelations. It therefore becomes incumbent on the person to test if it is good for his or her soul, assuming there is nothing contrary to church teaching. And if a soul finds a private revelation leads him closer to God, to love Him more and be more faithful to Him, it is reprehensible that anyone would try to dissuade him from it. The church does not teach that a person should not believe in private revelation unless and until it is approved by the church. That is an excessive fear of being led astray. If a private revelation makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to believe in it. But just because you are uncomfortable, that doesn't make it not from God, unless you are infallible. So if you are uncomfortable, feel free to not believe, because you are free to not believe, but why try to dissuade others who are just as free to believe, when they have found something fruitful for their own souls? When Fatima or Lourdes or Guadalupe or Knock or Beaurang or Banneux, were not yet approved, was it wrong for those who believed in them to believe in them? Should it have been imposed on their consciences to disbelieve their authenticity until a declaration was made? That is like telling them to not follow grace, to not obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit, to go against the natural inclination of all souls to be attracted to what is good for them and to believe simply what their faith assures them is holy. In fact it is precisely the good fruits produced among the believers of the particular apparition that led to the approval, so it is not only unthinkable but impossible to expect approval prior to belief, since approval by its very nature follows belief. Furthermore, as the church uses authenticated miracles to corroborate the authenticity of an apparition, and Our Lord says that there can only be miracles where there is faith, it stands to reason that miracles follow faith, and therefore approval follows belief in the apparition.
Lastly, there is a grave concern here with regard to authentic private revelation. Our Lord says "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." To call evil what is good, to call from the devil what is from God, is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. It is better to remain silent and leave judgment to those whose office it is, than to condemn something that might be a work of God. And certainly it is better to not denounce to others what has not been proven false and thereby add the sins of calumny and gossip and the defamation of one's good name and reputation, and the worse sin of preventing others from the spiritual benefit they might otherwise receive.
So God continues to speak to His people. He wants us to know that He desires an intimate personal relationship with us, and by speaking to one of His children directly, He manifests that truth in a particular way. In all authentic private revelation, God communicates something of Himself in the messages. And it is God Himself, that those who are seeking find, in any authentic private revelation. The simple childlike believer, of whom Our Lord says we must be like to enter the kingdom of heaven, through their purity of faith are moved by the Holy Spirit to believe what is true, and without the skepticism of rationalism, easily believe what is authentic and reap great benefits from it. Those who are not must follow a more difficult path of discernment, and must have good will and a sincere desire for what is true above their own personal feelings and ideas, to apply objective discernment principles. If He has something to say to His children, should not His children have the proper disposition of wanting to know what He has to say? And if they find that what He has to say draws them closer to Him and deepens their love for Him and their relationship with Him, should they not believe that it is indeed Him? May we all, always seek His will above our own. And may we always have the humility to bend when we find our will has opposed His, and not expect or demand that His will bend to ours. Amen.
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