meditation on solar eclipse

Everything "X" Eclipse!

“And God said: Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years: To shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the earth. And it was so done. And God made two great lights: a greater light to rule the day, and a lesser light to rule the night: and the stars. And he set them in the firmament of heaven to shine upon the earth. And to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good.”

Genesis 1:14

“The Great American Eclipse”

&

“The Great North American Eclipse”

2017 ~ 2024 

Many believe the Total Eclipse of the Sun proves the existence of God.  It shows obvious intelligent design, that the Moon fits perfectly over the Sun, to block out the day and show the glorious corona, that can never be seen otherwise.  For many, witnessing this event is deeply spiritual and life-changing.  Other cultures, notably the Native Americans and the Muslims, have taken eclipses very seriously.  Let us pray that the upcoming Total Eclipse on April 8th will see a conversion in hearts for those living lives of sin or those who do not believe in the Divine Majesty.  Let us also pray, for those already on the path of holiness, that they may increase in faith and trust in our Almighty Creator after witnessing such an incredible phenomenon. 

What are the basic facts about these 2 eclipses?

The upcoming eclipse takes place on the feast of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary, that she will bear the Savior of Mankind.  Is this event an announcement of a sort?  Even if it portends dark times, we know that there is always hope and in God’s time, a glorious ending.  Totality starts in the Pacific Ocean, lands in Sinaloa Mexico, traverses from Texas to Newfoundland, Canada, and onto the Atlantic Ocean.  This whole wavelike dance takes roughly 3 hours, 15 minutes (on land) and reaches maximum totality at 2:17 EDT.  This eclipse is unique in that it will last roughly 4 ½ minutes (which is long), the sky will fall darker and the the Sun’s Corona will be quite active, as we will be close to a solar maximum (this refers to the Sun’s 11-year cycle).  From astonomy.com:  

“Everyone in the continental U.S. will see at least a partial eclipse.  In fact, if you have clear skies on eclipse day, the Moon will cover at least 16 percent of the Sun’s surface…you’ll start to notice that the shadows around you are getting sharper. The reason is that the Sun’s disk is shrinking, literally approaching a point — and a smaller light source produces better-defined shadows. At about 85 percent coverage, you’ll be able to spot Venus 15° west-southwest of the Sun. If any trees are at your site, you may see their leaves act like simple pinhole cameras, with hundreds of crescent Suns appearing in their shadows…Unlike the 2017 eclipse, which covered only one large city, Nashville, the 2024 event will plunge several major metropolitan centers into darkness. [Following is edited for clarity.]  Many lie directly along the path of totality, while others will have a smaller (but still significant) percentage of their areas covered. Among them are Mazatlán, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, Dallas, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Buffalo.” 

The last total eclipse 7 years ago, crossed the USA from Oregon to South Carolina.  The 2 eclipses together, create an “X” across the Midwest:  9,000 square miles covering parts of Missouri, Kentucky and Illinois.  The first eclipse occurred on August 21st, the date of the Our Lady of Knock apparitions in Ireland in 1879.  This was a strange, silent vision, seen by many people, which included not only Our Lady, but also Our Lord in the form of a Lamb, Saint Joseph and Saint John the Evangelist, along with angels.  The presence of the writer of Apocalypse may indicate a prophetic meaning, perhaps even speaking of our own times.  It is also worth noting this occurred during the month of the Immaculate Heart and the year of the Fatima Centennial.  There was also a 9-month-long astronomical event overlapping with this eclipse, to be discussed below. 

What is the significance of the 7-year time period between these eclipses? 

This is obviously in the realm of speculation.  We would do well to take a look at what has transpired in the past 7 years.  2 years after the first eclipse, the world saw a weaponized virus descend upon it.  It’s been a whirlwind ever since, with no end in sight.  We are now engulfed in a variety of polycrises or multi-front attack vectors, which we will take a look at below.  The Western world has indeed crossed a threshold during these 7 years.  The Covid agenda successfully proved that all human rights we took for granted can now be breeched, even in “the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”  Not surprisingly, in the wake of this unprecedented disaster, things are heating up all over.  Since the US is the world’s great military power, anything happening here should concern the entire world…and there’s an “X” coming…and it’s hard to ignore. 

Darkness in the form of an “X”…or a cross.  We know God has used darkness before as a sign and will use it again.  The 9th Plague of Egypt was 3 days of darkness.  And during Our Lord’s Crucifixion, there were three hours of darkness, about the same amount of time for this eclipse to traverse from Mexico to Canada: 

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole earth, until the ninth hour.” 

Matthew 27:45 

But darkness is only a metaphor, an eclipse is only a symbol for the spiritual eclipse which has taken place in our world.  Sin has blotted out the Light of Christ.  And repentance will bring it back. 

What are the spiritual polycrises facing us?

Gender Ideology     In Vitro Fertilization     Pornography     Fornication     Homosexuality     Contraception     Abortifacients     Abortion     Child Abuse     Sacrilegious Communion     Modernism     Scandal & Confusion in the Church     Occult Practices     Corrupt Entertainment     Despair     Drug Use     Dishonesty     Violence     Materialism     Divorce     Nihilism     Religious Persecution     Corruption of Children Immodesty

What are the temporal polycrises facing us?

Energy Depletion     Green Energy Pipe Dream     Trillions in Debt     Excessive Money Printing     International Abandoning of Dollar     Political Corruption     Distrust of Institutions     Mass Human Migration     Mind Control & Mass Psychosis     Breeches of International & Domestic Law     All Human Rights in Jeopardy     Climate Change Hysteria     Screen Addiction     Human Trafficking     Genocide     Geo-Political Tensions     Supply Chain Issues     Weaponized Government     Media Lies     Electronic Surveillance     Artificial Intelligence     Ecological Damage     Crime     Biotechnology     Advanced Weaponry     Breakdown of Family & Community     Government Dependence     Globalist Agenda     Weaponized Healthcare

This is why we must pray for mercy.  Of course these 2 groupings overlap in many ways and fundamentally all is a spiritual battle…

“For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.”

Ephesians 6:12

Why perform a Pilgrimage?

Pilgrimages, or physical travel to places of religious significance is a universal and ancient practice.  It has been practiced by Catholics and also the Jewish people, including the Holy Family, were required to visit the Temple in Jerusalem 3 times per year.  Pilgrimages connect the faithful to places of meaning, for we live after all, in a physical world.  The physical contains the spiritual, as the body contains the soul, as the Tabernacle contains the Real Presence.  Pilgrimages connect us to the transcendent and also each other.  Physical travel, along with devotional practice, shows effort and contains some measure of sacrifice.  It is extraordinarily beneficial and also offers opportunity to create beautiful memories with our loved ones.

The Eclipse Pilgrimage of Mercy first invokes Our Lord in the Divine Mercy Novena, which is a Pilgrimage of the Heart coming to Christ.  Then we travel to a holy site to pray the Rosary, invoking Our Lady.  Our Two Hearts, pierced by 2 swords of sin across the land, creating a cross, we pray, will receive consolation and reparation.  We in turn, hope to mitigate the coming chastisement.

What role does Our Lady of Guadalupe play in these events?

Our Lady appeared to Saint Juan Diego on Tepeyac hill in Mexico.  This coming eclipse begins on land, also in Mexico.  The miraculous image which appeared upon Diego’s “Tilma,” shows the Mother of God surrounded by the rays of the Sun and standing upon a crescent Moon.  One cannot help but see a connection to Saint John’s apocalyptic vision mentioned below, which some say appeared in the sky 33 days after the first eclipse.  Also, Mary’s image on the cloak has been described as a kind of “eclipse,” as she seems to be blocking the Sun, while its Corona emanates from her. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe is known as the “Queen of Mexico” and the “Empress of the Americas,” as her devotion spread throughout Mexico and to all the people of South America.  The “X” Eclipse is given to North America, within her patronage (and hence to the world).  She brings this warning to our land at a time when we are engulfed in crises like never before, with all manner of devastation looming.  Just as she converted the pagans of Mexico, she now seeks to convert this post-Christian culture, which has forgotten its great Redeemer, and create a new world, close to God and nature…the Authentic Life.

April 8th’s Eclipse is overlapping with Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke’s Nine-Month Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, which began March 12th.  He sees the polycrises all around us and has instituted this devotion as a response.  Like a loving Mother, Our Lady always comes, not simply to chastise, but ultimately to console.  Remember her words to Saint Juan Diego:

“Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms?”

How does this Eclipse relate to Apocalypse 12:1?

What was the 9-month astronomical event which took place in conjunction with the Eclipse 7 years ago?

“And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”  

Apocalypse 12:1

My research has yielded the following.  This is speculative.  Please make your own judgement.  I am not responsible for errors, as I am not an astronomy expert. 

On the feast of Christ the King, Novemer 20th 2016, an astronomical story began to unfold, which lasted 9 ½ months, correlating roughly with a woman’s pregnancy.  Some believe a comet, which appeared at the outset, represented the Incarnation.  And at the end of this period, a birthing, reflecting Apocalypse 12.

This story began with Jupiter, representing a king, entering the womb area of the constellation Virgo, representing a virgin.  Jupiter was in “retrograde,” and spent 9 months in this position.  The first half of the “X” Eclipse occurred on August 21st, 2017.  On September 23rd, on the feast of Saint Padre Pio, in the month of Our Lady of Sorrows, the “birthing” was seen in the night sky.  The planet came out of Virgo, the Sun rose directly behind the constellation, and the Moon was at its lower part.  Saint John’s account depicts a crown of 12 stars upon the lady.  Above Virgo, appeared the nine stars of Leo, along with Mercury, Venus and Mars.  Some say the saga continues astronomically with the depiction of the dragon seeking to devour the child, etc. 

Saint Pio may be significant, as he gave a number of warnings about the coming days.  The woman in this verse, is often seen to represent the Church or the Virgin Mary.  There are varying opinions as to the uniqueness of these events.  Some insist that taken as a whole, such a progression in the sky cannot be ignored and would be extremely rare.  The Eclipse in August is a local sky event that can be seen as overlapping with the other universal phenomena.  Are we living through Apocalypse in real time?  You decide.

Remember to be joyful and always trust in God!

He sends us this “X” out of love!

We have such a great Savior and such a beautiful Mother!

Peace be with you & your families!

PS If you are reading this after the factthe “X” will remain relevant, it cannot be forgotten…you can always say the Divine Mercy Chaplet Novena and you can always pray the Rosary…please also pray Cardinal Burke’s Guadalupe prayer, see link above.

The Day After the Darkness: A Double Marian Feast!

[Note this was written in 2017, on the day after the first “X” eclipse.]

In His great mercy, Our Blessed Lord gives us His Mother today in a glorious double Marian feast....it is the feast of the Heavenly Queenship of Our Lady in the new calendar and the feast of her Immaculate Heart in the old.  He struck a sword through our heart just yesterday, but today reminds us that we always have recourse to the one who knows this sword well.  Her own heart was stricken seven times with the sword and she knows just how many babies were slaughtered in their mother's wombs across that very path of darkness through our country yesterday....how many impure acts, blasphemies, lies, drug overdoses, suicides...she sees it all.  The Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States of America, comes today to us with her graces, the Mediatrix, in her Queenly crown, with her bleeding heart....to show us the way out.

As darkness descended in the Northwest yesterday, the musical piece "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence," began to play on the Pandora channel in my kitchen.  When I noticed this, I was amazed, shut the music off in obedience, went to the live-cam, and saw the eclipse approaching total blackness.  Following are the words to this beautiful hymn, from the 4th Century Liturgy of Saint James.  They seem frighteningly appropriate:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand,
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand....

Rank on rank the host of Heaven,
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of Light descendeth,
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of Hell may vanish,
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six-winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the Presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry,
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

And ponder the words of Saint Francis of Assisi, from his "Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon:"

"Praised be Thee my Lord with all Thy creatures
Especially Sir Brother Sun
Who is the day through whom Thou givest us light
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor
Of Thee Most High, he bears the Likeness"

If we follow Saint Francis' theology, then it is God who has been eclipsed.  Look around.  It would seem so.

As the journey of the Total Eclipse across our land was reaching completion, I was inspired to write the following poem on the Long Island Railroad, on my way to Forest Hills...traveling the same path as those who were massacred on the train 24 year ago (though they were heading the other direction):

O Brother Sun!

O Brother Sun!  O Sister Moon!
What dost thou do?
In thy marriage, we are convicted
In this darkness, our blindness dispelled
As it once was, so long ago
When Our Savior hung upon the Cross
How Father orders the cosmos
To speak to His children!
Even from the beginning of time
He orders it according to our sins
O Brother Sun!  O Sister Moon!
What dost thou do?
May all mortal flesh keep silence
In this hour
And as thou shinest once again, Brother Sun,
May we in turn, shine brilliant, resurrected
Returning to innocence, O may it be so!
By Mother Immaculate, our Patroness
Showering her graces, like a storm
O Brother Sun, see and rejoice!

We are not to forget this great sign given us at a most critical hour in human history.  The rest of the world, with its short attention span, will forget even this....and many have seen the Total Eclipse of the Sun, but have not seen at all.  But we, cherish these things and keep them in our hearts.

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Forest Hills, NY

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Forest Hills, NY

The eclipse was very subtle in New York, but there was a feeling, a slight darkening, like an impending storm.  My niece in Pennsylvania said it was subtle there also, difficult to describe, and "eerily still."  Above, you see Our Lady, triumphant, in total brightness later in the day, her feet trampling the serpent, with blue roses to honor her. 

"In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph!"