“Are these the last times? I don’t know that. Our Lord Himself said that it is for the Father to make these decisions. But it certainly seems that way, and so we need a strong intervention from Our Lord,” wrote Burke in an X post on Thursday as he called upon people to join a 9-month novena to the Blessed Mother.
In a later X post on Monday, Burke called upon his audience to invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary to obtain grace to be “faithful and courageous ‘fellow workers in the truth'” with Christ. He recounted how Our Lord had sent the Blessed Mother through apparitions to bring us back to God through the centuries, such as in 1531, when “human sacrifice” ravaged Mexico and the Protestant revolt was attacking the Catholic Church in Europe. Then, God sent Our Lady of Guadalupe to “bring countless hearts to her Immaculate Heart so that they might rest in His glorious-pierced Heart, finding there the good order of Divine Law and Love.
“Are these the last times? I don’t know that. Our Lord Himself said that it is for the Father to make these decisions. But it certainly seems that way, and so we need a strong intervention from Our Lord; and we’re begging Our Lady to intercede on our behalf.” Join the 9-month… pic.twitter.com/Bvoz4KQN2v
— Cardinal Burke (@cardinalrlburke) September 12, 2024
The cardinal is calling upon “every Catholic in America” and beyond to return to the Blessed Mother and join in a novena to her. Sign up for novena reflections and reminders at his Return to Our Lady website.
On July 13, Burke reconsecrated America to the Immaculate Heart of Mary during a monthly event to commemorate the anniversaries of the Fatima apparitions, joined by around 3,000 faithful Catholics.
.@cardinalrlburke: ‘Are these the last times? … it certainly seems that way’
MORE: https://t.co/s7nu9MHxvi#CatholicTwitter #Catholic #CatholicX #Faith pic.twitter.com/o8kIOkDpu8
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) September 16, 2024
During his homily, Burke called on Catholics to prepare for the possibility of martyrdom for remaining faithful to Christ.
“We must daily turn to Christ and embrace the white martyrdom of indifference, ridicule, and persecution,” he declared, warning that “some of us may even be called to give the ultimate witness of red martyrdom, of death in remaining faithful to Christ and to His plan for our salvation and the salvation of the world.”
“Each of us is called, with Mary Immaculate, to do our part in Christ’s saving work, according to our vocation in life and our distinct gifts,” he explained.
“Each of us is called to pray and do penance for the conversion of Russia, to make the First Saturdays of Reparation, and to pray the Rosary, keeping in our hearts, one with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, all that Our Lord has said and done for our eternal salvation.”
“May we, one in heart with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, keep always in our hearts the Mystery of Faith, so that we, with Mary, may bring Christ and His saving work to the world,” the prelate prayed.