As I say on Facebook,
I'm a man who paints pictures and writes nonsense.
A friend alerted me that I've taken things out of context to make Charlie look stupid.
That wasn't my intention - I wasn't trying to make Charlie look stupid, much less his followers or commenters. I apologize if I gave that impression. When I've written about him, I use quotes with a source link for the reader to click on to read the quote in context. It's a standard practice with blogs.
Let me first say, Charlie Johnston is a very intelligent man with a great deal of experience and knowledge of political and financial systems. He definitely appears to be a devout and faithful Catholic. I have no doubt that he is. He believes he has a call and a message from God for the world. He has priests who direct and guide and approve of his spirit. I can never contradict or condemn Johnston or his message. I have never said he is a liar. I'm not qualified nor allowed to judge another persons soul
I do not have to accept literally what he says, nor do I have to believe him. At times I've said I don't want him to be right - for various reasons, but mostly because I would prefer to look to the Church to teach, guide, and form my faith - or to explain the meaning of private revelations such as they have done for Fatima. I also do not like to look outside ordinary circumstances to project or interpret the signs of the times as the fulfillment of this or that private revelation, or the combination of several revelations. (Some Catholic sites attempt that, connecting a series of approved and unapproved revelations to explain what the global unrest we are experiencing today means or signifies.) It is also worth noting that no saint was ever canonized for mystical-charismatic gifts such as prophecy or stigmata, and so on - but for heroic virtue and holiness of life.
Charlie Johnston offers practical advice and that is good. He's forecast certain events which may or may not happen as predicted. That's how prophecy goes. John of the Cross writes all about it, so I do not need to repeat it here. Many things, such as the Storm or some form of chastisement can be known naturally. If people do not know that by now, then they must be anesthetized as Pope Francis uses that term. Charlie seems to want to be correct and makes it known when people approve or seek his advice. He seems to want to be his own witness - a concern he would be more credible without.
That said, in general, the amazing thing to me about private revelations and their attraction is this: We have the Church, the Pope, the bishops in communion with him, the Scriptures, the Catechism, yet so many today will believe prophecies by old and new mystics regarding fearful events that more or less coordinate with contemporary experience. They prophecy doom and gloom when we have a Pope indicating - actually demonstrating - how to live the Gospel in modern times - how to follow Christ in today's world - how to associate with the lowly and suffering. He lives the Gospel - without anxiety over politics and finance - without seeking human respect and approval. God is his witness.
So many appear to reject the Pope these days - not Charlie of course, he seems to me to be supportive of the Holy Father - but many other good Catholics do condemn and reject the Holy Father. They prefer their private interpretation of Fatima and dubious mystics, like the Locutions to the World seer, Vassula Ryden, Christina Gallagher, and other Remnant types to what the Church teaches, accusing the Pope of heresy and apostasy when in fact the rejection of Peter is the bridge to at least schism, if not apostasy.
If it helps your faith - do it, I guess. It's your choice.
I've encountered mystical phenomenon all my life. I've met true and false mystics - some I felt were false, others proved to be. Fr. Gino Burresi, alleged stigmatist is one. Mama Rosa of San Damiano, Italy is another, and the most theatrical of them all was of course, Veronica Luekin. I know and have known people who claim locutions - true or false? I don't know - mys sense is that much of it is personal meditation - which is not to say the Holy Spirit is absent. I just know I wasted a lot of time with this stuff. It can make you 'feel holy' to be around these people and fervently respond to their 'call', but it can also feed your curiosity for more experiences. It's a false spirit that leads you when you do that.
Faith is a supernatural gift - not a feeling or an experience.
So I hope this explains my skepticism and why I treat these things lightly. I'll be more careful in the future to avoid giving the impression I'm making fun of people of good will - silly things they do or say is another matter all together.
Remember, it doesn't matter what I think or say, I'm just a layman with an opinion. If you disagree with me and dislike what I share here, by all means, unfriend me, delete your follower app, and shake the dust from your sandals.
If no one read me or commented I would probably stay offline - and be just fine. The blog is vain and superficial and quite a waste of time.
Yup! That's me.
