Divine Appeal Reflection - 145
Today, consider in Divine Appeal 145: "My Eternal Father’s anger is cast down on this world. These are terrible days. Do not be afraid of seeing many flagellations."
Flagellations signify trials, sufferings, and purifying chastisements that God, in His wisdom and mercy, permits for the conversion of hearts, the purification of His people, and the salvation of souls . They are not signs of divine abandonment but reminders that God continues to act within history, calling humanity back to Himself . One of the most profound and often overlooked dimensions of this appeal is that the worst flagellations are not necessarily wars, disasters, epidemics, economic collapses, or social upheavals. The most terrible flagellations often occur invisibly within the human soul. Scripture repeatedly reveals that one of God's severest judgments is permitting people to persist in their chosen blindness when they continually reject grace (cf. Rom 1:21-28). Before Jerusalem (cf. Jer 5:1-3) was destroyed externally, it had already become spiritually desolate internally . Before Samson lost his physical strength, he had already lost vigilance and intimacy with God (cf. Judg 16:20). Before Judas (cf. Jn 13:27) betrayed Christ outwardly, he had gradually permitted darkness to take root in his heart . This pattern remains visible today. A soul slowly abandons prayer, not through rebellion but through neglect. Daily Mass becomes occasional Mass. Occasional Mass becomes rare Mass. Confession disappears. Conscience becomes less sensitive. Sin gradually appears normal. Eventually, the person may retain religious language while losing spiritual life. This interior desolation is a hidden flagellation.
Many modern people suffer from this condition without recognizing it. They may possess opportunities, comfort, education, success, relationships, and endless forms of entertainment, yet still carry a profound interior emptiness. The human heart was not created merely for achievement, pleasure, or self-fulfillment; it was created for communion with God . When God is no longer at the center of life, even good things gradually lose their ability to satisfy the deepest longings of the soul. What initially appears as fulfillment often gives way to restlessness, dissatisfaction, and an unspoken sense that something essential is missing . St. Augustine recognized this spiritual reality through his own experience. After pursuing knowledge, success, pleasure, and worldly ambitions, he discovered that the human heart remains restless when separated from its true source and final end, which is God (cf. Ps 42:1–2; CCC 30). This restlessness is not a defect but a divine sign. It is the soul's hidden memory of the One for whom it was created. Beneath many modern forms of anxiety, boredom, and dissatisfaction often lies a deeper spiritual hunger—a longing not merely for something more, but for Someone greater (cf. Jn 4:13–14; Jn 6:35). Thus, what appears to be emptiness may become an invitation of grace, calling the soul to return to the God who alone can satisfy its infinite desire for truth, beauty, love, and eternal life . Such spiritual blindness (cf. CCC 1865; CCC 2094) is more dangerous than physical suffering because it affects eternity itself .
Another deeply human dimension of flagellations is that they frequently emerge through the consequences of collective sin. Modern culture often separates personal morality from social realities. Scripture does not. When Israel abandoned God, the consequences eventually affected families, institutions, leadership, culture, and national stability (cf. Judg 2:11-19). The prophet Hosea (cf. Hos 4:1-3) described how widespread infidelity gradually corrupted every layer of society . The appeal invites us to recognize similar realities today. Consider families where several generations no longer pray together. Consider children raised without any knowledge of God. Think about the normalisation of euthanasia, abortion, pornography, dishonesty, and disdain for the truth.Think about the millions of people who suffer from loneliness while having continual access to the internet. Despite the remarkable advancements in technology, young people are seeing an increase in worry. These realities are not merely sociological problems; they reveal spiritual wounds affecting entire cultures . A society cannot reject divine order indefinitely without experiencing consequences. Yet the deepest tragedy is not that God punishes; it is that human beings often create their own suffering by separating themselves from the source of life . St. Catherine of Siena frequently taught that many afflictions arise because humanity resists the order established by divine wisdom. The appeal therefore calls souls not primarily to speculate about future punishments but to examine how present disorders already reveal the consequences of living without God .
A particularly striking mystical dimension appears in the words, "Do not be afraid of seeing many flagellations." Jesus does not say that difficult events will not occur. He says not to fear them. This distinction is crucial. Noah (cf. Gen 6:9) witnessed corruption on a scale rarely seen in history, yet he walked with God . Lot (cf. Gen 19:15-17) lived amid moral collapse in Sodom, yet divine providence remained active . The Apostles lived amid persecution, political instability, imprisonment, rejection, and the constant threat of martyrdom, yet they remained filled with supernatural hope because their confidence rested not in circumstances but in the risen Christ . Having witnessed the victory of the Resurrection, they understood that no earthly power could ultimately overcome God's plan . Their joy did not arise from security but from communion with Christ. Fear becomes spiritually dangerous when it eclipses trust in God and begins to dominate the imagination more than divine providence . Today many Christians are constantly exposed to news of crises, scandals, disasters, conflicts, economic uncertainty, moral decline, and social upheaval. Some become absorbed in predicting catastrophes, while others grow weary, discouraged, or paralyzed by anxiety . Yet Jesus consistently redirects attention away from fear and toward fidelity, vigilance, prayer, and perseverance . When plague devastated communities, St. Charles Borromeo increased his pastoral care and sacrificial service. St. Marianne Cope embraced the same mission with heroic tenderness, seeing Christ where others saw only danger and suffering. Their response to crisis was not withdrawal into fear but deeper charity, stronger faith, and greater trust in divine providence . The Christian soul is called to become more prayerful, more Eucharistic, more sacramental, more trusting, and more charitable precisely when the world becomes more unstable . Throughout salvation history, God has often manifested His power most clearly during periods of apparent darkness . Therefore, the darkness of an age should not diminish confidence in God but intensify it. The darker the night, the more brightly the light of Christ shines for those who place their trust in Him (cf. Jn 1:5; Rom 5:3–5; Phil 4:6–7).
At the deepest mystical level, the appeal reveals that flagellations are ultimately ordered toward purification, not destruction. Divine love often permits painful awakenings when gentler invitations have been ignored . Consider the prodigal son (cf. Lk 15:14-17). He discovered the truth about himself not during prosperity but during famine . Consider Nebuchadnezzar (cf. Dan 4:28-37), whose humiliation eventually led him to acknowledge God's sovereignty . Consider Peter, (cf. Lk 22:61-62) who encountered profound conversion through the pain of his denial . Throughout history, periods of crisis have often produced extraordinary saints. St. Teresa of Avila emerged during widespread religious confusion.. St. Faustina received the message of Divine Mercy amid the shadows preceding global conflict. God frequently raises saints precisely when darkness increases . This appeal therefore calls souls not merely to fear chastisements but to become instruments of mercy within them. The proper response is deeper prayer, Eucharistic adoration, reparation, fasting, fidelity to one's vocation, devotion to the Sacred Heart, trust in Divine Mercy, and concern for the salvation of souls . The greatest flagellation is not suffering itself but remaining unconverted after receiving countless graces. The greatest protection is not escape from every trial but living so deeply within Christ that even the darkest events become occasions for greater faith, greater hope, and greater love . In the end, the tears of blood flowing from the Heart of Jesus reveal that mercy continues to seek humanity even in the midst of judgment, because His final desire is not condemnation but the salvation of souls .
Prayer
Our Adorable Jesus, as the world passes through confusion, suffering, and uncertainty, keep our eyes fixed upon You. Let us never be overcome by fear, but grow more prayerful, more faithful, more Eucharistic, and more charitable. Strengthened by Your Presence and sustained by Your mercy, may we persevere with joyful hope, carrying our crosses in union with Yours until the day we behold You face to face in eternal glory. Amen.
Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.