A GRIPPING VISION (received by a charismatic Catholic priest)

In the margins of the International Catholic Charismatic Congress in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Whitsuntide 1975.

The most momentous aspects of this narration:

…Peculiar. I had expected to be overawed or happy at the sight of the Pope and, in this grand Basilica among the mass of people, to be swept along by the applause, shouts and choruses of joy; to be deeply touched even by the prophetic pictures announcing disruptions and persecutions. For it seemed to me quite normal that such would have to be said. But now I was plainly and simply happy to be able so wonderfully to feel the living and glowing presence of the Holy Spirit – nothing more. Within me was deepest peace whilst, fully capable of remaining impartial, I was completely indifferent towards this immense demonstration of the masses. I was suffused by a bliss that I could not categorise, as if everything were self-evident and the extraordinary were non-existent. I saw and felt that only the natural was genuine and everything extraordinary is artificial.
In the evening we travelled back by train and continued to pray in brotherly joy. Our compartments were connected through loudspeakers…

I felt myself drawn upwards as if I were about to leave this earth and rise into the air. This feeling of being uplifted came from a steady, living movement that continued for about three hours. I again saw the masses of people: from the most insignificant unknown to the priests, the bishops, the cardinals and the Pope. I saw the Pope, his surroundings and everything that is organised around his person – this entire ceremonial. Then my field of vision widened over far-extended parts of the earth and I saw the human organisation of the world church. I had the impression that the church had formed as a religion, like a human society, which impedes the entrance to a godly life. The entanglement through the many personal thoughts and the countless theatrical and artificial attitudes – which seemed more like a farce – I saw as the cause of this impediment; it was suddenly before my eyes that Jesus could never have lived in this way and could never have intended things to be like this. It was as if the life of Jesus and of what was expected of us had been too simple, although Jesus had already opened the gates for us and given us the possibility to enter the Kingdom of God, into a completely enveloping light-flood of Divine Love. I saw that it would actually suffice to be conscious of the existence of this unique One, Whom after all we seek with our entire soul – because in reality we have been created for Him; and that we should open our hearts to Him in deepest honesty, by turning away from all the rest, so that He might fill us and bring us to live constantly and naturally with Him.

The spirit showed me that everything that had been erected artificially in the world and in the church, and which at present is used as a social, political, economical, human, ecclesiastical or religious support, would suddenly collapse and disappear like smoke. Only the natural and self-evident life in God will continue to exist. I saw the Pope, together with today’s face of the church, of society and of the world, disappear. The entire old world was dissolved with amazing speed.
A void opened up – as if something were being ignored. That impression arose in the wake of a short but very painful time, of which, however, I perceived nothing. As if the earth had gone through a gigantic sieve, had been rattled and shaken, as if it had suffered through huge, hitherto unknown cramps and convulsions, in this way painfully seeking the Kingdom of God, which it had finally also found after the most severe sorrows. As if a purifying release had taken place, which alone made God’s reign possible and presented human beings with a life supported only by God.

The world appeared to me as if renewed from the ground up. How much had changed on earth! I took in the newly arisen and harmonious Nature that was filled with an unbelievable peace. There was no longer an imbalance among the elements. The flora was beautiful and permeated by bustling life, finally freed from every disturbance that had earlier thrown it out of balance and devastated it. Plants, earth, forests, clouds and heaven were wedded together in an indescribable harmony. The animals were no longer wild, and took their nourishment from the grasses. The air was pure and good to breathe, the atmosphere enveloping the earth clear and transparent. It was at the same time a spiritual layer. Nature was permeated and pervaded by the overflowing spirit of God as if with a gentle warmth. The Holy Spirit glowed through everything; His active presence was perceivable as a tender, pleasant streaming of life and love pulsing through everything. Constant bliss and never-ending, deepest experiencing. Truly, a new heaven and a new earth.

It was noticeable that only very few people still lived on earth. The great conurbations and industrial centres had disappeared, people massing together and materialism had passed; they no longer had any right to be. Human beings lived close to God and Nature. Their very being perceived the Presence of God and they breathed His proximity. Their breathing was a continual prayer. By inhaling the oxygen-giving air they received their being from God. By exhaling they gratefully gave back to Him from their being. Joy and a constant quiet and blissful gratitude filled them. They were familiar with the Holy Spirit. Their abilities absorbed of Him and were permeated by Him. Their spiritual, intellectual and physical qualities flourished and were perfectly balanced, without the slightest unevenness. Their spirit was constantly and effortlessly engrossed in God: this state was relaxing for them; nothing could still darken or dampen their intelligence. In striding onwards they received little by little an understanding of all things, meeting their needs of the moment … their intelligence was lively, quick, thorough and mobile, it swung in harmonious accord with the Will of God. They mastered everything in the right way.

Their inter-human relations were borne by an unchanging love. This love was the streaming through of the Holy Spirit flooding them, which they passed on from one to the other. Every gesture, every glance, every word passed on something of this stream of love. The one became the other’s living sacrament. The waves of this love were visibly and noticeably streaming out of them. It presented spiritual joy to those for whom it was meant, because it vibrated through their entire being. They kept nothing back, everything was returned to God.

I could for instance see some of them at table. They then spoke very little, although great joy erupted at times. Their mealtimes were like true Eucharists; an end had been put to heathen mealtimes. It was beautiful and simple! In the families the love was noticeably great. The children were happy and the people lived in a heartfelt attachment through this stream that enlivened everyone, which again unified them with each other. They trusted each other. They lived from the work of their hands and in the fields. It was astonishing to see them work. No longer any racing after profit. They worked much on the soil without tiring from it. This work filled them with purest joy. When they ploughed a field they did not do one hand’s turn too much, nor too little. Their whole thinking and being was turned towards God also during their work, activated in this spirit-filled atmosphere, breathing of God’s Spirit. In the practice of their profession and in the harmonious discharge of their duties their natural talents were able to unfold to the highest blossoming, and that gave them joy, to the honour of God. When sowing they were never worried about the harvest or the vagaries of the weather, because they always quickly received far beyond their expectations. Nature was extremely fruitful. They kept no stores but nourished themselves only from what the soil gave them. They were good-looking and strong. The consumer society no longer existed, they also no longer produced for other, unknown people. It was the same with building. They built only for themselves, and their houses fitted well into Nature, as if they had risen from the soil. The dwellings combined into small villages, separated from each other.

There was no longer any disease and also no suffering – because the people bowed to the Holy Spirit, virtually bathing therein. They became very old. I saw nobody die, but had the clear impression, based on this way of living, that death was no longer something arduous, but rather a joyful and uplifting, hope-filled transformation … like the development of a caterpillar perhaps, that becomes a pupa, eventually to unfold itself as a butterfly.

The people lived naturally in simplicity, peace and harmony … and in accord with God. Through His help and through their personal commitment they had been forgiven their injustice. They had convalesced in holiness. The Kingdom of Jesus was tangible. The Holy Spirit could freely unfold the talents of the people in favour of this joining together, thereby leading Creation to its actual destination and to its final and glorious unfolding. Evil powers and spirits, who had once besieged the atmosphere with Satan, had been expelled from this spiritual realm. They no longer had any influence – because the people were swinging with Nature in the Will of God.

Deeply impressive was the joy of these people, to be allowed to live on earth while looking up to God. Their entire being was so filled that they could no longer think of the past. They would not have been in any position to do so. The memories of their past, the wounds of their recollections, had completely healed. The godless intention of a life spent building a world without regard to His Will, and the entire history of the earthly past, as well as the old face of the church, had wholly and fully disappeared. Not even a memory of it was there any longer – because the people lived for the present, furthering Creation and turned to God … For them there was no past. They also planned no more for the future, which was no longer there, because they were certain to be striding towards God’s eternal and perfect Kingdom, which would spread throughout the entire Creation. They lived most intensely in the present. They lived it in striding onwards. It was also no present time as we understand it, it was a blissful existence which developed and unfolded in the Spirit of God.

Such is the end of all times: quite easy to describe, once one has seen and experienced it. For it was not just seen but most deeply experienced, I was no longer aware of the past, because it was as if during this vision it had disappeared. To formulate plans was likewise impossible in this state, because I became so submerged in the joy of a nearness to God, saw the Kingdom of God roll out now at last and saw His Will being fulfilled in heaven as well as on earth.

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