A Prophecy

The prophetess spoke:  "Women of the United States awaken, come before me and bow your heads reverently and ask for your country to be saved.  Embolden your tongue before your God and man.  Be as astute as Esther was, and long for freedom.  Freedom from all the capital vices of this country.  Freedom from the winnowing cry of your people in the darkened room of fear.  Freedom from the tyrannical rule upon which the course is being set.  I love you and want to see you free to love and honor me.  You must first gird yourself with prayer and fasting.  Then it is time, as holy women to step forth and save your country.  Do not read these words and turn away.  Do not read and forget them.  Stand up and be women who will save your race.  Man times I have called you to pray for your country and many times you have prayed.  But woe, woe to you who do not heed my voice and awaken your sleeping land.  You are about to see the slaughter and I your God would like to protect you from it.  You who are willing and able, I give you hope.  But hope is useless without faith.  Do you have faith that I will stop the terrible dirge from coming?  If you have hope women, begin to call.  Now I beg you, begin to keen in my ear that which I want to hear, which I need to hear, for I so want to save you.  Oh Esthers of the New World!  Esthers, who can save their land.  Oh Esthers! whom I am calling.  The time is now.  Do not hesitate.  Save your land.  I am waiting for your call.  I am waiting for your keening.  I am waiting for your love.  Oh where are you Esthers of this present earth? Are you there?  Show yourselves.  Speak loudly.  I am a Lord of specifics and I specifically tell you, I am listening.  Are you calling?  Cry out in a loud voice for land, for your people, for your children.  Pray to your Blessed Mother.  She will help.  She has helped beyond reason, but you are condemning yourselves.  Where are you now?  Where are you when you are needed to stem this tide of filth and decay? Where are you?  Oh my children, how I love you! Awaken to my cry."
Spoken at an Anne Marie Schmidt retreat at the Marist House, Framingham, MA.

The Odor of Sanctity

This post was circuitously inspired by "That Smell," an article in Dominicana.  Br. Paul Clark, op, the author, asks what holiness smells like.  He goes on to describe how the sense of smells many times will trigger memories, set the scene, make us drool.  It's a viable sense to reckon with.

I immediately thought of Anne Marie Schmidt.  She has the "odor of sanctity."  I know you're asking, "What?"  She carries around the smell of roses.  It emanates off of her.  She is not aware of it.  Her husband can't smell it, but everyone else can.

Some years ago, I was blessed by going to one of her retreats.  She is an elderly lady who lived through a concentration camp.  Her experiences are filled with God's mercy and providence.  Again I was blessed, with a session of spiritual direction with her.  What does holiness smell like?  Holiness, to me, smells like Anne Marie Schmidt.   I don't remember what she said; I do remember how she made me feel.  I felt God holding me in His hands. I felt all anxiety melt away.  All I felt was love.  May God bless Anne Marie Schmidt.