Today you had a video of a strange cloud/storm formation with lightening and thunder a strange black thing…and often you give news of strange things. I wish for all Catholics to know this: all such strangeness can disappear just like that when we pray the Litany of the Saints. I learned this from the ‘contadini’ here in Italy (it is a centuries-old custom approved by generations of Priests but nowadys many would frown on it!). They have always prayed this way in times of great peril and fear. I also pray as is the age-old custom among the ‘peasantry’. These things are all but dying out, which is a shame. It means that many modern Catholics here are fearful of everything–because they don’t know how to pray. I assure you, it is very simple. First of all, a person must be in the Grace of God, otherwise prayers serve no purpose, and fear overcomes a person. Then, I urge all Catholics to keep a blessed Crucifix (not a cross) with them, all the time (even a small one, like worn around the neck). More and more Catholics need to have a habit of prayer, like the Rosary. The times will get stranger but prayer will keep us from being frightened. Prayer and daily Mass, weekly confession. Then, if anyone is in great danger: powerful storms, earthquake, tornados, fires, flooding, whatever, let them get on their knees, light a blessed candle (from the Feast of the Purification is what is always used here), or burn a bit of blessed palm leaf from Palm Sunday, and begin the Litany of the Saints and all the invocations and prayers that follow. Be sure to use the old version. The one after the Vatican II changes has been shortened and is not too effective. While praying the Litany one makes the sign of the Cross in the air, largely drawn, once to the north, then to the south, and the east and the west, with the Crucifix. I have been praying this way for years, with an old  ‘contadina’ friend whenever danger looms–and we are in earthquake area, flooding, violent storms, hail etc.. I have seen all these threats just vanish before we ever get to the end of the Litany. I say, our God is very good, and if we are in His grace, there is nothing ever to fear. And all those strange things in the sky, satan likes to spook us because we don’t even think to pray, But you can pray it away. for sure!

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Thank you for the personal accounts on dying.  Here is mine:

My dad was not a believer and not a church-goer, even though he had been baptized and confirmed.  He was in the hospital for 7 weeks, near death several times.  He commented to me, “why do they keep taking me downstairs every night?”  I asked him what he meant.  He said, “they take me down there every night.  It’s a room with strange looking people.  There are spiky things poking out of the walls.”  I asked him if it was scary.  “Yes!  Very scary.  I don’t like it.”  So of course, I started talking to him about God.  I asked him if he would talk to a priest.  He said, “Yes.  I think I would like to be Catholic again.”  I was praying the chaplet of Divine Mercy for him every day at this time.  I found the hospital chaplain immediately.  He talked to my dad and my dad said it was a “great talk”.  So later, he was about to leave the hospital.  He had been anointed very quickly one moment when he was near death, but he had not had confession.  I called the chaplain’s office, and a woman answered who said she was a sister.  I asked for the priest, but she said he was not around, and that she would come.  I hung up disappointed because I wanted a priest to administer the sacraments.  I prayed to Jesus for help.  Instantly I remembered that the priest had scribbled his cell number on a piece of paper for me!  Where was that?  I had no idea.  Again I prayed to Jesus.  Immediately, I remembered it was in a pocket of pants that were in the laundry.  I went and got it and called the priest and he said, “of course I remember your dad!  I will be there to see him in 15 minutes!”  So the next day we were home.  My dad told me, “that nice priest came by to see me.  We had a very nice talk.  He asked me if I wanted to confess and I told him I didn’t remember how.  He asked me if I ever murdered anyone and I said no.  He asked me other questions and we had a very nice conversation.  Then he put oil on my head.  And he even gave me the wafer!  And I didn’t even have to sign anything!”  I was amazed at how the mercy of Jesus was working in my dad’s life!  He was home for one month before he died of sudden cardiac arrest.  During that month he had started to drift back to saying he didn’t remember anything about the room in the basement and that he didn’t think he needed to go to church.  I believe that Jesus had to take him before he went back into a sinful life.  He may well be in Purgatory, but I believe that he was saved from Hell!