Pierced by a Sword (22 page)

"Let me tell you, friends, that the birth pangs have just begun. The natural disasters will increase in number and intensity.
This will exacerbate an already weak world economy. Wars will increase. Deadly new diseases worse than AIDS have been predicted by certain mystics.

"Worst of all, the Church itself will experience an open apostasy–a falling away from the faith–far worse than the troubles we see today. This morning's news of the tragic death of Pope Patrick is very troubling. Very troubling.

"As these signs of
the times increase, we must be prepared. Unlike the Great Depression when economic disaster hit a mostly Christian nation and social unrest was not a problem, economic disaster in our age of no moral values will mean the probable breakdown of law and order. I do not mean that we should be prepared, as some say we should, by storing up food and guns. I mean spiritual preparation. We must prepare to
sacrifice our lives for the faith.

"It should not be lost on any Knight of Immaculata that our founder, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, died in Auschwitz at the hands of the Nazis. If what Mary is telling us in these worldwide apparitions is true, then we must be prepared for a
Zeitgeist
–a spirit of the age–far worse than Nazism, if that can be imagined.

"In the coming days, you may no longer be able
to go to your own church to receive confession or Communion.

"In the coming days, you may no longer be able to 'buy or sell' and earn your daily bread without renouncing your faith.

"In the coming days, we may see blood spilled on the streets of America for the first time since the Civil War, only this time with greater weapons of destruction at our disposal.

"In the coming days, as the confusion
mounts, your neighbors may have only one person to go to for spiritual enlightenment and relief–you."

Leading up to the last several statements, Wheat's voice had grown stronger. No sound could be heard in Saint Joseph Church except for his deep voice. Now Wheat lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Before I begin my summary of Marian apparitions, let me just make one more observation. If an antipope
comes, there is an easy way to identify him. The antipope will contradict the universal teachings of the Church in his effort to destroy it. Watch the
teachings.

"Watch what he teaches about sexuality, chastity, divorce, contraception, women priests, or magisterial authority, even about the doctrine of hell. Especially watch for a watering down or denial of the doctrines of the real presence of
Jesus in the Eucharist and the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Of all the wonderful avenues of grace we have at our disposal, these two–Mary and the Eucharist–are the ones which are most effective. Satan hates these the most and will attack them with all he's got. These teachings have never changed throughout history, despite the enormous pressures brought upon the Holy Catholic Church by the governments
and the philosophical forces of this godless world."

Wheat was finished with his introduction. Slinger was amazed that the otherwise mild-mannered and genteel professor hit so hard so fast.
He doesn't pull any punches,
Slinger thought.

Many in the crowd, even faithful Catholics, were uncomfortable with Wheat's message. It was very hard to believe that the world would be punished so completely.
On the other hand, it was hard to deny the facts of economic uncertainty, social breakdown, wars around the world, and unprecedented natural disasters. The mysterious death of Pope Patrick added to the weight of Wheat's words. On the day after his death, papers were already filled with rumors that the next pope would be Cardinal Casino. Months before Pope Patrick's death, Casino had hinted in the
press about the need for vast "changes" and "modernization" in the Church–code words for changes in practice and teaching. Was Wheat predicting these new (but most certainly false) teachings here, as he had correctly predicted natural disasters and wars years before? Wheat left it up to individuals in the crowd to decide for themselves.

A person's first inclination would be to write Wheat off
as an end-of-the-millennium fanatic,
Joe Jackson thought,
but even some mainline evangelical Protestants are predicting the return of Christ based on biblical prophecy.

Joe's love for Holy Scripture made it easy for him to dialogue with Protestants. He had many friends among evangelical and fundamentalist leaders around the country. His love for the Bible actually grew after he joined the Catholic
Church. He loved how the Scriptures are integrated into Catholic sacramental life, especially the Mass. He also enjoyed having a trustworthy "judge" for interpretation of Bible passages–the Holy Spirit as He guides the Catholic Church. He relished the freedom of no longer getting bogged down in endless disputes over interpretations.

Wheat had finished summarizing five or six historical apparitions
and was now explaining the most important of all in this century, Fatima. He told the crowd how Mary appeared six times over a period of six months in 1917 to three young children in the mountains of Portugal. On October thirteenth, Mary appeared for the final time at Fatima. More than
seventy
thousand people experienced the greatest public, predicted miracle in the history of the world: the famous
"spinning sun!" The sun gave off colors and danced in the sky, then it plunged toward the earth in a "power dive" toward the crowd. Huge numbers of witnesses thought it was the end of their lives. All those present, including the atheistic reporters from Lisbon, were shocked to discover that the muddy countryside was completely dried. The entire region had been soaked by torrential rains for
days leading up to the miracle. Physicists reported later that only the BTUs created by a nuclear weapon could have vaporized so much water instantly.

Wheat explained the stupendous predictions made by Mary
in 1917
at Fatima, including the Second World War, and the as-yet unelected pope during whose reign it would begin! Mary also predicted that Russia would come under the tyranny of the "Bolsheviks"
and atheism, and that Russia would become a "scourge of the earth."

In 1917, anyone examining the predictions at Fatima would have found them more incredible than Wheat's predictions on this very night.

Professor Wheat also noted that Our Lady of Fatima's predictions had not yet been completely fulfilled, including the "annihilation of nations."

Quoting from the book that changed his life,
Our
Lady of Fatima,
Wheat warmed to his topic...

"Mary brought those children to hell so they could warn us of what was in store for souls who don't respond of their own free will to God's grace. The children were radically changed forever. They were never the same again and voluntarily took on painful mortifications for the sake of others." Wheat repeated the last five words,
"For the sake of others."

"After all, what is this battle all about? What is Jesus trying to save us from? From hell!

"Now, even in friendly crowds such as this, some do not enjoy references to hell. Let me just remind you that the existence of a physical hell is a doctrine of our faith. No one can be a sincere Catholic and deny hell's existence if you know the teachings of your Church, which are the very teachings of Christ
Himself. After all, Jesus mentioned hell over fourteen times in the Gospels. Jesus believed in hell! In this, we have common ground with our separated brothers and sisters, Protestants who remain true to this essential biblical teaching.

"The fact remains that Satan knows that more people are alive today than have lived and died in all of human history. The evil one wants to drag as many souls
to hell as he possibly can, and therefore Satan does
not
want us to believe in the place 'where the worm dies not.'"

At this point, Wheat held up a book,
To Hell and Back.

"Here is a book by a Protestant doctor which documents hundreds of Near Death Experiences that people have had of hell. Many Catholic mystics have visited hell as a warning to them and those who come after them. One nun, Sister
Josepha Menendez, used to return from hell with her habit smoking from burns."

Wheat's voice was starting to build again.

"The point is, unless we do something to help Jesus as part of His Mystical Body, souls will go to hell of their own free wills who otherwise would have chosen eternal life in heaven. Whether the Marian prophecies I speak about are true or not, and I do believe many Marian
apparitions are true, this central doctrinal truth about the nature and existence of hell remains just as true as ever!

"Imagine the fires of hell. Pain worse than any pain on earth. The accounts in this book describe flames licking up from the ground and searing white hot heat engulfing inside and outside of your body while all the time you are being tormented by horrible demons far more ugly
and grotesque than in any horror movie! The torture and pain are unending! And your sentence in hell is not for a day. Or a year. Or a decade! Or a hundred years!"

Wheat was shouting now, but his voice and intonations were still perfectly controlled, like a fine instrument.

"You are there forever!
Forever!

"Just imagine that forever and ever your brain is seared and singed by unbelievably painful
flames as you try to breathe and think! Unending physical pain!
And,
the worst pain is knowing that you have no hope of ever knowing God or seeing heaven, and that you chose your own destiny by refusing His grace during your life and at the time of your death! God doesn't send people to hell, they choose it for themselves by their very lives!

"It's so horrible we don't want to think about it.
We wouldn't want our worst enemy to go to hell. Imagine your closest friend or relative in hell forever."

Wheat lowered his voice to a whisper again, so low and soft he could barely be heard.

"Face it, brothers and sisters, my fellow Knights. Our actions affect whether or not other people go to heaven or hell. Face that, and the fact that we are all members of the Mystical Body of Christ, responsible
for each other and not unconnected islands, and you will do all you can to respond to the Blessed Mother's desperate pleas, and to the grace Jesus provides for you to change.

"The Mystical Body of Christ reminds me of what Jesus told Blessed Faustina of Poland when He gave her the Divine Mercy Chaplet during a vision in the 1930s..."

As Wheat spoke about hell, Nathan squirmed in his seat. He was
reminded of the sins he had confessed to Chet only hours earlier. He grasped for Joanie's hand.

If anyone deserves to go to hell, I do,
he judged.
I hope Chet is right about confession.

Then Nathan Payne prayed.

Dear Mary, if you're up there in heaven like Chet says, show me whatever it is I need to know to avoid hell. Show me how my sins have hurt others. Show me, because I don't want to lose
Pascal's Wager!

I'm no fool, Jesus, but I know that I need more than the fear of hell to straighten me out. I need something more and you must know what it is. Show me!

Use any means necessary!

It was the most important prayer of his life.

Nathan's faith was like a mustard seed. It was small, and new. He couldn't feel it inside himself. But he was sincere. He knew he had to do more than just go
through the motions. Just two days of feeling like an alien in Joanie's family had proven that to him.

During Tom Wheat's talk, the Mother of God heard Nathan's prayer in the Beatific Vision. She was touched by his honest desire to know the truth. A fearful grace was procured for him at that very moment because of his sincerity, and because of his unique destiny. It would be implemented later.

The reason for his Rendezvous with Grace would not be much different from the reason for the drastic measures God had taken to save Lee Washington. It was required because of each man's special destiny. The
means
of grace would be different for Nathan–dramatically so–as Nathan would find out in less than five days.

Joanie was quite sensitive to the tightening grip of the man she loved. She had been
praying so hard for him while he silently prayed his "Show me" prayer that she completely tuned out her father's talk. Joanie was as much a cause as anyone for the Rendezvous with Grace which he was now "scheduled" to undergo. Such is the reality of the Mystical Body of Christ. Joanie's love connected her to Nathan through Jesus.

Nathan's faith was indeed a mustard seed. It would grow into a tree
quickly–but not without exquisite growing pains. After all, Nathan had asked Jesus to use
any means necessary.

Chapter Ten

1

Monday Evening
9 October
South Bend, Indiana

This is better than Father Chet said it would be,
Becky thought as she helped herself to another slice of Bruno's pizza. The style was East Coast, and the heaping cheese and crust were perfect.

Better watch yourself. Don't want to be fat
and
pregnant.

Becky was thoroughly enjoying the dinner conversation among Tom Wheat, Karl Slinger, Father
Chet Sullivan, Nathan Payne, and Joe Jackson, although Joe and Nathan rarely spoke. Joanie Wheat and her mom seemed to speak more often than Joe, but whenever Joe spoke, everyone stopped to listen carefully to his observations, delivered in that soft but clear voice of his.

My man doesn't waste a word. Am I already calling him
my
man? Joe doesn't even look at me. He pays more attention to Joanie.

Prodded by Chet, Slinger told some amazing stories of how SLG Industries had been built into such a huge company. Slinger gave credit for the success to the people he had hired, but it was clear that he knew how to get the right people working for him and how to delegate authority. In the 1960s, SLG had pioneered the concept of technological ranching and private agricultural franchising by sending
teams of experts to "franchise ranches" to consult with ranch owners. In turn, owners agreed to share profits as legal partners with SLG. The partners remained highly independent, but outpaced their competitors with more modern production and distribution. SLG was the Domino's Pizza of agriculture.

Slinger was fascinated as Joe and Tom explained how Saint Maximilian Kolbe also used technology
to pioneer new ways of evangelizing the world. At one point in the 1930s, Kolbe had over seven hundred priests and brothers publishing millions of magazines and newspapers for distribution throughout Poland and the world. Kolbe's Knights of Immaculata used the latest technology of the day–printing presses all over the world still incorporate innovations developed by poor friars in the backward countryside
of Poland! The Nazis shut down the presses and took Kolbe to Auschwitz when the saint was discovered hiding Jews, and because he refused to stop denouncing Nazism in his daily newspaper.

"The extent of Kolbe's vision and activities are under-estimated by historians," Wheat explained. "The Solidarity Movement which toppled Communism was led by Catholics who grew up reading Kolbe's Immaculata magazine.
These humble union workers found their strength in the Catholic Church and in the example of Kolbe's martyrdom."

Both Slinger and Kolbe were technological trailblazers–and Poles–which seemed to please Slinger.

Slinger, excited about the talk he had just heard in Saint Joseph Church, laid out his plans to evangelize the business community in Salt Lake City and beyond. Karl A. Slinger's middle initial
stood for Action, it seemed, and he was not going to delay in getting the word out. He had already cornered Joe before the meal and asked him to submit a wish list for the Kolbe Foundation.

Becky noticed, however, that the most attention was paid to the one who spoke the least, Nathan Payne. Becky was a very perceptive girl.

Even Mr. Wheat and Mr. Slinger stop and listen when Nathan says something,
or they simply look to him after they suggest a course of action as if they need his permission or something. That's odd.

Denny Wheat arrived late, but there was plenty of extra pizza for him, and he was able to join the others in rousing choruses of the
Notre Dame Fight Song, God Bless America,
and other standards. Chet had started the singing with a beautiful
a cappella
stanza of the Fight Song.

The owner, Bruno Nepolitano, emigrant to America in 1958, soon had his daughter Tina playing the accordion. The other forty-plus patrons at the old-fashioned family restaurant joined in the singing. Karl Slinger and Bruno himself, arm in arm, were singing the loudest. Large bottles of Bruno's homemade wine appeared on the tables,
gratis.

Becky and Nathan, newcomers to Notre Dame-Bruno's Pizza traditions,
were quite stunned by the exuberance and warmth of the festivities. Notre Dame, the Irish Wheats, and the Italian Nepolitanos–the three cultures intermingling during the meal were all known by their members for a characteristic summarized in one word: family. Nathan was reminded that Father Chet was always talking about "the Notre Dame Family" and Joe Jackson had even mentioned "the Kolbe
Foundation Family." Wheat, Slinger, and the younger Bruno openly shared stories about another family the three men shared–the Marine Corps.

Both Becky and Nathan had come from broken homes but had lived in relatively staid environments from then on. Nathan simply felt uncomfortable, and despite his social nature, felt the most out of place–like an impostor, an alien. He felt the same way about
his brief stay at the Wheats, despite his attraction to Joanie. He was a man who didn't like to face his emotions, so he didn't allow his discomfort to rise to the surface of his consciousness. He tried hard to play along and to avoid being discovered–as if a family as warm and loving as the Wheats would reject him.

Becky, perhaps because of her feminine nature, was reminded of the LeCarré novel
about the spy who was ordered active after years of living undercover. She felt like she had finally come in from the cold. Unlike Nathan, she had once known the warmth and love of her devoted father. Her reaction echoed another word beside family: layers.

There are so many
layers
here,
she realized, amazed. She began to peel them like an onion.
There's the Wheat family and the Notre Dame family.
There's the American family expressed in the patriotic songs, and the ethnic family and food. Even the Catholic family of the Body of Christ has a "Father" here in Chet. There is the Marine Corps family for the men; the Marian family which is so intimate because it has the Christ Child in the center of it! There is so much love here, how could anyone ever fail in a life immersed in so many layers
of family?

For Becky, this realization was an epiphany. Now that she was in from the cold, she didn't want to go back outside again.

She watched Joe singing in his old-fashioned tenor voice and smiled wildly at him. For the third time today she saw his wonderful extra large smile–but for the first time he aimed it
at her
across the table! She began to sing louder herself, uncaring of the fact
that she barely knew the words to
Santa Lucia.
Caught up in the moment and deeply attracted to the layered circles of love she felt in the room, she realized that there was more to life than the romantic love between man and woman (which had been her personal conception of the highest form of love before meeting Father Chet Sullivan).

She realized that romantic love had its place as
a part of
a greater Reality of Love. Real Love (as she now thought of it) drew its sustenance from God's grace and could bear much greater fruit than unions such as she had experienced with Sam and her one other domestic partner. The fruit of those stale unions had been bitter emptiness. Both of her serious relationships had ended with emotional violence. Real Love bore fruit such as she was experiencing in
this restaurant–growing, ever-expanding, warm, and fertile!

There is no end to the layers of Real Love!

Something Father Chet told her earlier echoed in her mind, somehow sounding like her own father:
"The Mystical Body is Jesus' body and has His heart. The key is to set aside your own heart for His purposes. That's what the word 'consecration' means–to set aside for a holy purpose. The fruit
of the consecration to Mary is imitation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It's a mystical, ineffable reality, but I know it's true because I experience it as a priest..."

I'm becoming such a philosopher! Get a grip, Rebecca.

She tried to brush aside her thoughts and sentiments as the result of too much wine. Then she looked directly at Joe again and realized that he was looking back at her with that
sad expression which she already knew was not sad, but simply his natural somber countenance. He nodded at her; her belly turned over like a marshmallow on a stick.

You want him, Becky. You want all this. You want it all! What's so wrong with that?

She nodded back to Joe, and for a moment they left time, as if they were alone in the room. A line from a song she heard somewhere played in her mind:

This one goes out to the one I love.

The moment ended, the music and laughing returned, and Slinger proposed a toast to Bruno in that booming voice of his. Everyone cheered and lifted their glasses.

Becky saw Joe sidle up to Father Chet after the toast and whisper something. Then they both left and walked out the back door while the party continued. Through the window Becky saw Father Chet light
up a smoke. Becky wondered what they were talking about out there.

+  +  +

Father Chet took a long drag off his smoke.

"Been drinking much?" Joe asked.

"Not really, Shoeless," Chet replied with a gleam in his blue eyes. "Who needs to drink when so much fun is already going on? Drinking would spoil it."

The two men, comfortable with each other after years of friendship, stood in silence for a moment,
looking at the few cars in the small parking lot behind the restaurant. Beyond the lot there was a cornfield. Bruno's, though wildly popular among Domers (as Notre Dame students and alumni are known), was on the outskirts of the industrial section of South Bend, not far from the farmlands. The air had a slight chill in it.

"Those smokes'll kill ya, Padre–filthy habit ya know," Joe observed amiably.

"Don't I know it, Shoeless," Father Chet replied, not at all agitated. Joe often mentioned Chet's "filthy habit." Chet finished the Hail Mary he was praying for Joe and Becky, expecting Joe to bring up the subject of Becky. The priest decided to get down to brass tacks.

"Okay, out with it," Chet finally said.

"It's about Slinger," Joe said.

"Tell me," Chet replied, surprised.

"Before dinner, he
asked me to prepare a wish list for the Kolbe Foundation. You know, what we need to buy and all that. He's worth millions, you know," Joe explained.

"I know. So what did you tell him you needed?"

"I told him we needed prayers," Joe said flatly.

"Good. What did he say to that?"

"Well, he said he was already working on that, and that he meant what kind of things could I do with money if I had it.
He's a direct man, Karl Slinger."

Father Chet raised his eyebrow and looked at Joe.

"You know, Joe, it takes you a long time to get with the program, doesn't it?" It wasn't a criticism. It was the truth as far as Chet was concerned. "So what I suggest is that you go home and write up the biggest wish list in the world. Slinger's money is only part of what you need, but you still need it."

"But
we don't do any fund raising at the Kolbe Foundation," Joe protested mildly.

"I know that and if Slinger has been hanging out with Tom Wheat, then Slinger knows you don't do fund raising. You didn't approach Slinger for money, did you?"

"Of course not! You know we never do that kind of thing. Saint Maximilian treated rich and poor alike, and never coddled the rich for donations. Father Chet, I'm
surprised you would ask such a thing!" Joe's tone had a touch of hurt in it, and Joe had actually raised it above his usual whisper.

"Don't get so touchy, Shoeless, I know all that. What I mean is, if you didn't approach Slinger for money, then you didn't fund raise for it. Get with the program, Joe!

"If Slinger has been inspired by God to give you money, then go for it. Who are you to turn him
down, especially when the materials you make in that foundation of yours can save souls through Slinger's generosity?

"You may be bright, Shoeless, but you ain't brilliant. When an old lady on social security gives you five bucks and has to skip a meal as a result, your foundation is an avenue of grace into her life. It's good for her to tithe and sacrifice. It joins her to the cross in the Mystical
Body. If it's good for her, it's good for Karl Slinger. The amount of money doesn't really matter."

Joe nodded, and paused to think that one over.

It's starting to sink in,
Chet thought.
In some ways, he's like a kid.

Like many people from the East Coast, Father Chet thought anyone who grew up outside of the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area was naïve and lacked a certain toughness–even an
ex-professional football player like Joe. It was one of Chet's few faults.

"Joe, are you afraid that you can't handle so much so fast at the Kolbe Foundation? What happened to Mr. Big Thinker with his big plans to reach the whole country before the Tribulations shut us all down?" Chet was goading Joe. From experience, he knew that sharp questions often got the gears going inside Jackson's head.
Jackson hesitated before speaking.

"Are you using sarcastic Yankee psychology on me again, Padre?" Joe's southern drawl was a bit thicker than usual.

He's not so naïve after all!
Chet thought, and smiled, as if a smile would get him leniency. He held up his hands, then took another drag off his smoke.

"Chet, listen. I've already got pretty detailed plans ready to spend Slinger's or anybody else's
millions. I mean, after thinking about it a lot over the past couple of years, I figured she might send me somebody like Slinger after a while. I figured I owed it to her to be ready." The
she
whom Joe spoke about was the Blessed Mother.

It's like Mary's a personal friend of his or something,
Chet thought.
I guess she is. They used to accuse Kolbe of speaking too fraternally about Mary way back
when. You have so much to learn, Father Stupid Idiot.

Then Joe, having maneuvered the wily Irishman into a position like a receiver setting up a defensive back on the football field, burned Father Chet for a touchdown.

Here goes,
Joe thought.