Prophecy at St. Michael's Ridgetown October 29, 2000

From Father Sam's Archives

Here is a 10 year old prophecy I came across on the back of another I had published already.  When God speaks a word, it is not about a minute or a day.  His word is eternal, and so this word is as fresh today as on October 29, 2000.

I have seen the prayerful holiness of the people of St. Michael's Parish in Ridgetown.  We have no idea today of how God is using all the rosaries that they pray, all the hours they spend in the presence of His Blessed Sacrament, the many daily masses that they attend.  They are a quiet army of believers who are doing what God has called them to do to bring about his kingdom here on earth.

My children, it was I who called you here together
Like so many times before.
Open your hearts and receive my word;
The world needs you more and more.

No one can stop what I've begun,
And I will be faithful to my words.
My sheep are searching for the truth;
I will bring glory and victory to my Church.

You must pass through many valleys.
Do not lose heart but be very still.
Walk with Jesus my beloved son,
And be obedient to my will.

I will bring growth, hope and conversion.
Persevere my dear ones; do as I ask.
Difficult and winding will be your path,
And even heavier your task.

Celebrate this year of the Great Jubilee,
And bring my joy to a world so dark and cold.
A new heaven and a new earth are upon you;
You will see my plan unfold.

Step out in boldness.
You are the pillars of my Church.
Do not quench my Holy Spirit,
Even though at times it hurts.

I am your God, and I am here with you.
Hear my call for you today.
Oh, how I long to draw you closer,
To receive my love and let me lead the way.

A still, small voice is speaking to you
In the silence of your heart.
I am calling you to holiness, to be reconciled.
You are my chosen ones, a nation set apart.

Go forth with eagerness and deep conviction.
To you I will bring my plan about.
Take heed, my dear ones,to this word, this message;
You have a mission to carry out.

I will set a new fire upon my Church;
Do not destroy, but help me to upbuild.
Shine with the light of Jesus, my Son,
So that others may be Spirit filled.

THOU ART HOLY

2010-02-21 

“Reverential fear of God” is a gift I want you all to have.

It begins with a child honoring his parents who have lovingly taught him.

This overflows quickly as respect for authority, his teacher, priest, law enforcement, and anyone in position over him.

Life progresses quickly and some never learn this true fear of the Lord, even though the Holy Spirit empowers.

When you are full of self, you seek respect but, when you are filled with Me, you give respect, even to those who are not worthy, those who hurt you carelessly.

Always be mindful of My great holiness and do not be casual with your reverence as with mortals.

There are some things you should not even ask Me to explain or to question. Ask your Blessed Mother to guide you in matters that concern you.

Those whom I have blessed must draw near to our friendship without losing the sanctity of the relationship I have established with them.

Always remain in the greatest graces with frequency of the sacraments especially of forgiveness.

I am always eager to receive you, for there is where I find you most humble and contrite.

Ask Me to supply this preparatory grace for your greatest benefit.

You are My friends, you are seated with Me on high.

Act accordingly and do not disappoint the one who loves you and wants you near constantly.

Glory in My name and give praise that is due the Holy and Blessed Trinity.

All that I have done has been for love of you.

This time of sorrow is necessary only to obtain the greatest joy.

Come quickly into joy, I am there waiting for you.

Put behind you all guilt, do not dwell in what is past.

One cannot walk without falling when looking back.

Look towards the light that beckons you to join in the dance of a new and freed life of love with Me, your Savior.

Prophecy for Betty Bassett

Delivered December 29, 1977

Betty Bassett had lost two sons Rick on April 13, 1973, and Jim on October 12, 1977.  Parents are not supposed to outlive their children, so the deaths of two sons was particularly hard for this woman of faith.  This particular prophecy was delivered just 2 1/2 months after the death of her second son, and speaks of God's wisdom that far exceeds the earthly kind we have.

Feel my kindness and compassion,
I share this loss, this grief with you;
I saw the souls of your own in danger,
Rest peacefully in all I do.

Again and again I spoke in a small voice
But still we drifted further apart;
Only now it is possible for Me to reach them,
Let me console your broken heart.

Slowly you will see the progress,
My ways and purposes are to you unknown,
But this cross, My child, holds many blessings
In little signs already shown.

Don't fear or doubt your difficulties,
Have faith in Me, your glorious might,
Now you are walking in clouds of darkness,
But behind them awaits a ray of light.

Put your burdens at the foot of the Cross now
And look at Christ, at what He has done,
Compare your suffering with His Mother
Witnessing the death of her only Son.

I am Love, I am Infinite Wisdom,
Trust in your God and you will see
The tremendous power of this loss
Will re-unite your whole family.

God sees the BIG picture; us not so much.  If we try to take a big picture to this prophecy from 32 years ago, what would we see today, as the fruit of Betty Bassett's faith in Her Lord and Saviour?

It's a Small World

Met an Acquaintance of Father Sam

As readers may know, My Dear Wife and I are currently in Tucson Arizona, about 2,200 miles away from Southern Ontario.  We are in an over 55 RV park on the west side of the city.  I have been attending daily mass at Our Lady of Fatima, a few minutes away from where we are, and met a man from our area. I actually met him last year, but today we got to talking about some things in common.

When I mentioned Father Sam Johnston and this blog, Norm Sutherland, the man I met, said that he had been a parishioner of Father Sam in Petrolia, Ontario, and further to that, had been a classmate of his at St. Peter's Seminary when Norm was trying to discern a vocation to the priesthood, many years ago.

The Disneyland song "It's a Small World after all" comes to mind.

Humbly Before The Lord

2010-02-12 

My children, you must love one another, humbly acknowledging your nothingness before Me and others.

Even as you see that you are wiser, more gifted, more holy than your brother or sister, see to it that you yourself compare oneself only to Me your God and therefore see you are nothing.

Look up to all as if you were their servant, this pleases Me always.

Peace grows in the heart of My lowly ones and I dwell there within them in rest.

The riches of this world must not occupy what is most important to you.

Give away anything more than what is necessity as this will count against you.

You must accumulate in this life graces for the next, as it will soon be too late for a change of heart, an awakening.

Cleanse the mind, the heart, the conscience and walk freely with Me in the newness of the life I am about to show you My beloved of My Heart.

All that I have ever done and allowed in your existence, has been to further you in holiness and virtue.

Thanksgiving, adoration and praise will be evidence of growth which will continue into eternity.

I need your holiness in order to further My church on earth.

One by one come to Me for transformation.

I seek a personal relationship with each of you.

Do not allow fear or failure to cause distance to come between us.

Every good inspiration and thought originates from Me; give the glory to your creator, your Redeemer and Lord.

Seek Me often especially when attacked in moments of uncertainty and despair.

Wounded pride, often rears its ugly face as anger but you must remain silent, calm.

Remember, you cannot do anything without Me, why are you surprised when you fail?

How is it that courage fails you, except when you sin against Me?

I never will condemn you but declare only love and pity to those who refuse My graces.

 

Marino Restrepo - A Friend of Father Sam's from Columbia

He Found his Faith in a Jungle of Terror

The following is reproduced from a May 11, 2001 article in the Chatham-Kent Citizen, written by Randy Coote.

For six months he was dragged through the jungles of Columbia - a kidnapped victim who was told it was just a metter of time before he was to be murdered.

Marino Restrepo is not bitter.  He has no resentment towards his guerilla captors who sentenced him to death and threw him into financial ruin.  Restrepo found his hatih and a personal relationship with God.

The Columbian native travels throughout the world to talk about his experience and how God is ther in any situation.  Restrepo has been in Ridgetown this past week conducting a mission at St. Michael's Catholic Church.

It was Christmas Day, 1997. Restrepo had been living in Hollywod, California for 25 years.  He had been making a living acting in TV programmes and movies and writing songs.

Restrepo has family living in Columbia and he was visiting for the first time in 12 years.  He was walking into the entrance of his uncle's ranch in Ansuema in the Andes mountains when he was grabbed.

"They take people.  They kidnap people for ransoms.  They took me by surprise .  I had been out of the country for 12 years."

"You don't see the rebels in the towns.  They pay criminals to track down information on people and kidnap them."

Restrepo said he was told he was going to be killed, but he had to raise a half million dollars US or his four sisters would be murdered.  They would be killed one at a time and Restrepo would be shown something from each that would prove it.

Kidnapping is all too common in Columbia, Restrepo said.  Local criminals will check out a person who may have money or can raise it.  They then grab the person and sell them to the guerillas who keep them until money is raised.

Restrepo said the victim is killed because the local criminals don't want them coming back to identify them when they are released.

His kidnappers dragged him through the jungle, avoiding army patrols and Contras (people hired by communities to protect them from guerrillas.)  He not only had to contend with knowing he was going to be killed by his captors, but he could be shot during gun fights with the army or the Contras.

"It is a constant war (in Columbia).  It was horrible.  They are cold blooded."

Restrepo said he was tied, gagged and had his head covered for 15 days he say in a cave as the criminals waited for the guerrillas to arrive.  "The rebels came and sentenced me (to death).  They said 'we have to kill you so there is no trace.' "

It was that night that Restrepo said his life changed in a way that has continued to grow since.

"Back in the cave that night I had what you might call a revelation."

Restrepo said he was shown his life and the sins he had committed.  He said it lasted none hours and he knows that because he had glanced at one of his captors' watch who was checking him and it said 8:30 pm. 

When it was over the sun was rising and the birds were singing.

There were spiders and insects in that cave and his body was swollen from bites.  "I was poisined (by the bites) and I thought it was a hallucination at first.  But I began to realize it was mre than that.  It was a vision that lasted nine hours."

Restrepo said he received a spiritualization that night and his life has changed.  But his ordeal as a kidnapped victim being trudged through the jungles of Columbia would go on for another five-and-a-half months.

The guerrillas used a cell phone to contact a lawyer who was collecting the ransom money Restrepo could gather.  Restrepo said he dind't have $500,000.

He sold his house, arranged bank loans, received noney from the actors' union and called on friends and family.  All he could gather was $365,000 and now he faced his sentence to death.

But it didn't happen.  For whatever reason, Restrepo was taken to a roadside and left.  Over six months he had been wearing the same clothes, had not batherd and had grown a beard down to his chest.

"We had always been running from the army and the Contras.  When they let me go it was a total surprise.  I was waiting for 45 days for the order to be killed."

"When someone went by with a new rope I thought I was going to be hanged.  When someone was cleaning a gun I thought I was gong to be shot.  When someone was sharpening a knife I thought I was going to be stabbed.  God was with me all this time."

Following his vision, Restrepo said he spent his days praying.  He prayed for forgiveness and he prayed for his captors.  He didn't hate the people holding him hostage and threatening to kill his family.

"They are puppets of evil.  They thought they were in control.  They were not in control."

During his days in the jungle Restrepo said he was in the hands of 65 to 100 guerrillas.  "They are very violent.  They even kill each other sometimes.  They kill farmers who help them, who can identify them."

Restrepo was someone who could identify them, but he has let go.  "I became  apiritually strong.  I think the Lord helped (him survive).  The rebels make promises to the Lord.  They have a crooked spirituality.  They use anything (to make money).  They assault towns, kidnap, sell drugs, run guns, rob banks."

Restrepo was alive and so were his family members.  But his life continued to change as he left the jungle behind him.  He was financially runied and had to begin paying back monies lent to him for the ransom.

For two years Restrepo didn't speak about his experience and the change in his spirituality.  "I thought it was private, between the Lord and me."

But he came to the realization that the Lord wanted him to give testimony about the experience.

"I lived a comfortable life in the entertainment business.  I had pleasure, fame and money.  The lesson this taught me is God is alive.  This type of thing goes on in the world."

"I think the Lord helped me.  He urged me to talk about my Columbian testimony.  I want to tell people to be with Him and not to worry about those who may destroy your physical life, but those who can take your soul."

Last year Restrepo returned to Columbia without any fear of what might happen to him.  He said he appeared on television and radio programs and gave testimony to a number of groups.

He said he didn't talk against the rebels and those who kidnapped him.  He told of the experience and talked about "Christ the Lord."

He said he was never approached by any rebels and he didn't encounter any problems as he moved freely to give his testimony.

"He gave me a second change.  I try to get people to be more aware about God.

Restrepo said he met 16 Canadians, including Father Martin Johnston of St. Michael's, while in Columbia.  That prompted his visit to Ridgetown to share his testimony in Canada.

"Many people don't think about God.  It's hard for many people here (in Canada) because they live comfortably and are not strong in the belief they need God."

Restrepo said such thinking is dangerous.  People have to think about more than their physical existence.  It's eternal life people have to prepare for.  "Your soul becomes weak if you don't feed it."

Restrepo is back in Hollywood and taking work to pay off his debts.  He said he has two more years of monthly payments to clear up money owed for his ransom.

In the past, Restrepo has taken parts in such television shows as the Equalizer, ER, Dallas and Pacific Blue.  Today he only looks at parts that will not contravene his faith.

He is up for a part in a new television series being created along the lines of Touched By An Angel.

"It's not like it used to be.  If I see something that is against my faith I won't do it., even if I'm in debt."

"I lead a simple life.  I do acting to pay the bills.  I realize all your money can go at once.  Life is an illusion.  It can all disappear."

Restrepo said sharing his experience can help others.  Seeing someone who has gone through horrible experiences can show how strong faith can be.

He said he is not bitter over his kidnapping experience because he has gained much more than he ever had before.  "I pray for them (his captors) and I love them."

Mr. Restrepo has his own web site here.

God Loves the Poor; He is With the Poor

An Article By Fr. Sam on March 11, 1998 in the Ridgetown Independent News

 While at St. Michael's Parish in Ridgetown, Ontario, Father Sam wrote from time to time an article for the local newspaper.  In this one, he shares about his trips to Columbia, and being with the poor.  Unfortunately, I was unable to reproduce the pictures that form part of the article, as what I have is a photocopy.  Father Sam describes them somewhat in what follows, and they are graphic images of poverty.

In 1972 Don and Bonnie Stucklees, missionaries in Columbia SA., although I had never met them before, invited me to visit with them in Bogota.  Reluctantly, I accepted.  Bonnie's mother and three others made that first pilgrimage to the poor, an experience I shall never forget.  It has led to other visits for myself and about 200 others.  On March 16th, two others and myself will leave for my 19th journey south.  Through the Stucklees family I met Padre Fernando Umana, a friend of Don and Bonnie.  Fernando has established a retreat centre outside Zipaquira, 8,500 feet above sea level on the plateau of the mountain.  To describe Fernando and the work of God through him would require pages that are not possible within this column of the Independent News.  I am thankful, for these weekly articles from the Ridgetown and District Ministerial Association.

Someone once asked me it I would like to travel to the Holy Land.  My reply was, "Not really.  I would rather go to where Jesus is rather than where He once was."  GOD IS WITH THE POOR in a very special way, and He wants us to be with them as well.   The accompanying pictures are tow of my favourite snaps from former visits to Columbia.  Notice that the little girl's shoes are too small.  The child in the box is resting in the median of a four-lane highway in Bogota.  At the retreat centre Fernando is housing 26 orphan girls.  They live in the school, which he wants to use for education.  Group homes for them were started, but no work has been doen to finish them for lack of funds.  Hopefully, many from St. Michael's will respond to my urgent requests for help.  We won't refuse help from anyone.  Our God loves the poor, and he loves us too.  He has special blessings for those who minister to them.  It should be no wonder then that we find so much fulfillment and joy because of our journey south.

In Matthew's gospel, chapter 25, Jesus said, "Whatever you do to the least of my brethren you to unto me."  May God be with us as we heed these words and take care of everyone at our home here on Planet Earth.

Father Sam is on his way there again shortly, not for the 19th time, but for about the 38th, I believe.  God Bless You, Father Sam.

Prophecy Spoken in Ridgetown Oct. 14, 2001

A Prophecy for This Millennium

My Children, I have come to bring you joy and laughter;
I will take your burdens and your pains.
I will wrap you in my love and in my deep compassion;
I will comfort you again and again.

Try to share my love with others,
To those you meet, who know me not.
Be a channel of my mighty power,
And lead my loved ones back to God.

Learn from me and trust me completely
In the darkest moments of fear and doubt.
I will give you my grace, my light.
Help me to bring my plan about.

I must prepare you for what is to come,
My new millennium and the second Pentecost.
I will send a blazing fire, a mighty wind
And gather those who still are lost.

My children, my chosen ones,
To you I will change the face of the earth.
Bind together and be united;
Prepare your brothers for this new birth.

I will take a heart of stone, give them a heart of flesh.
I will make my people one.
Get ready for this painful hour,
For I have only just begun.

Consecrate your family to me today;
Protect them from violence, hatred and impurity.
I will wipe out the evil one
And draw the children back to me.

Help me to sanctify this world,
Not by preaching, but by giving.
Hear me, touch me, and love and serve me.
Be obedient and start giving.

Soon you will see with different eyes;
Go forth without fear and trepidation.
I am weeping for my human race.
Lead your lost ones to salvation.

A Time For JOY

2010-02-04 

As the time for Lent approaches, gather around you every means of coming closer to Me.
If meditation is that vehicle of drawing near to the depth of self, Where you will find I am, progress from

where you have already come.

Quiet and still the many clamoring thoughts that are vying for this precious time I desire alone with you.

Some will prefer to be among the poor.

My gifts to you are varied and well suited to your temperament.

I will not ask you to do what you think you can do, because of the humility that, I want for you, not pride.

If in trust, you proceed in what you are being lead to do, you will sense My power flowing through your

work, your every effort.

Do not think of this time, these forty days, a time of sorrow and guilt.

You are to live the resurrected life of light not darkness; I make all things new.

If you would prepare for Me a gift of yourself, full of joy in receiving what I have given to free you.

Live in praise and thanksgiving, rejecting the desire to be affirmed in order to be happy.

Find in the rejection that you receive, from those that fail to love you, only a means to identify with the suffering I endured for you.

Ask Me to help you in finding a unique way, this Lent, to grow in love and holiness that never before would you have considered.

Let forgiveness be at the forefront of all that you do but first, forgive yourself.

Many are not aware of what is causing them difficulty in relationships and contentment.

Enjoy Me, maybe for the first time in your life, you smile to Me as you see Me smile with acceptance of you.

Yes I love you! Depend on grace to carry you from height to height with a greater surety in the uncertain future that lies ahead for My children, My Church.

Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings, His gentle ways, His whispers and tender touches which for all will be a refuge, an entrance into My Heart.