Soldier dead in one hour after warning from St. Joan of Arc: One day St. Joan was riding up to the castle. A rough soldier spotted her and said, “So that’s the maid , is it? Well, by God, let me have her for a night and she won’t be a maid any longer!”” St. Joan heard his remark, stopped her horse and gazed at him a moment, then said, “Why do you take God’s Name in vain like that, when you have such a short time to live?” Then rode on. An hour later, the soldier slipped in the river and drowned. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for he shall not be unpunished that taketh his name upon a vain thing.” Deuteronomy 5:11.
Son killed at 16: In our own time, there was a man who used to take God’s Name in vain a lot. His son was killed in a car accident at 16. ‘’ A man that sweareth much, shall be filled with iniquity, and a scourge shall not depart from his house.’’ Ecclus. 23:12. One morning he flew into a rage, and took Our Lord’s Holy Name in vain. Before the morning was up, he ripped his hand badly, and had to go to the doctor to get stitches. “He that hath no guard over his speech, shall meet with evils.” Proverbs 13:3.
Daughter dies at 12. Another man was in the habit of taking God’s Name in vain. His daughter died at 12. “A scourge shall not depart from his house.’’ How many families curse their children by telling God to damn this and to damn that, accompanied by all kinds of vulgar profanity. “For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap.” Gal. 6:8. He who sows curses shall reap curses; he who sows blessings shall reap blessings. You sow corn, you get corn. You sow potatoes, you get potatoes, and so on. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for he shall not be unpunished that taketh his name upon a vain thing.” Deuteronomy 5:11. This includes all kinds of mention of God, including saying the Holy Name of Jesus as an expression, and not out of reverence. “My God!” or “Jesus!” for example. Not only cursing, but using it in a vain way, uselessly. When we hear someone take the Name of God in vain, we should say, “Admirable is the Name of God,” in a spirit of reparation. This prayer was given to Sr. St. Pierre in the 1840’s by Our Lord. And the sinner should be corrected about his fault. A Pope once said, “I have more to fear from the indifference of Catholics, than the open rebellion to the Church’s enemies.” Because when there is no resistance, evil increases. If you want to stop a river, you have to build a dam. Many men complain of what a bad day they’re having, blaming everyone else, when in reality, their own tongues have brought evils upon them. “He that would love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile (falsehoods).” 1 Peter 3:10.
That Night The King Was Killed: God’s sanctity is tremendous! God’s Name is holy and should be used only in prayer for drawing down God’s mercy. “Holy is his name. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.” St. Luke 1:49,50. As it says, “His mercy is upon those who fear him,” but the following story shows the king did not fear God. Holy things are not to be profaned. When King Belshazzar took the sacred vessels from the temple to party with, suddenly they saw a hand appear writing on the wall. The king suddenly sobered up. His face turned white, he was terrified, his hip joints shook, and his knees knocked. And the writing on the wall said, “Mene, Tekel, and Peres, which means: Mene – God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. Tekel – You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; Peres – Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. THAT SAME NIGHT, THE KING WAS KILLED! Daniel, chapter 5.
Oaz Struck Dead: Another example, in the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was forbidden by God to be touched, except by the priests, yet Oza touched the Ark, and God struck him dead for it! Only the priests were allowed to touch it, as with Holy Communion in our day. Only consecrated hands are to touch the Blessed Sacrament, out of reverence, said St. Thomas Acquinas. “When you shall see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests of the race of Levi carrying it, rise you up also, and follow them as they go before:” Josue (Joshua) 3:3. The clergy, for the most part, except the traditionalists, have no problem with letting the laity touch the Host, when not necessary.
Extraordinary Minister Struck Down Terribly Who Desecrated The Blessed Sacrament; I was a witness to this sacrilege with my own eyes. As people were going up for Holy Communion, the Extraordinary minister flicked a Host out on the floor, and didn’t bother to pick it up. One of the congregation walked up on the altar and informed the priest before the final blessing, so it could be picked up before the congregation trampled Our Lord underfoot on the way out. Soon after, this man in apparently good health, was struck down terribly by God with some malady, and had to resign from his work, and never did recover fully.
Another story of a lady, whose name I will not mention, was a very devout Catholic. However, she had been persuaded to be an Extraordinary minister. One day, her husband and herself took a trip to the Holy Land. While there, a priest unknown to her came up and asked her, “Did you have a dream where you were in a coffin, and your hands were black?” And she answered that she had indeed had such a dream, and wondered how the priest could have known about it. Then he asked her, “Are you an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist?” and she replied that she was. He then told her, “That’s why your hands were black, because every time you distribute Communion, it is as if you were punching Our Lord in the face!” Needless to say, when she returned home, she no longer took part in that. Now some will object, “The Church has given permission for Extraordinary ministers,” but the truth of the matter is, only when there is a real necessity. It’s in the encyclical, Inaestimabile Donum, by Pope John Paul II, 1980. Read it! What is a sacrilege? A Sacrilege is the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object, site or person. This can take the form of irreverence to sacred persons, places, and things. St. Thomas Acquinas taught that nothing touches the Host except that which is consecrated, or in case of a real necessity. To touch the Body of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion with unconsecrated hands, is a violation of a sacred person, namely Jesus Christ himself, as was the example above of Oza touching the Ark. It is a sacrilege.
Cancer of the Tongue: Another man who often blasphemed died of cancer of the tongue. “By what things a man sinneth, by the same also is he tormented.” Wisdom 11:17. Before he died, he went to Fr. Paul of Moll, who was renowned for miracles. Fr. Paul told him, “You can be cured if you cease to blaspheme.” He improved for a while, but fell again into his previous habit. The cancer worsened and he died! God’s Name is holy. Holy things are to be treated in a holy manner. His Name does not belong to us to abuse. Think about it. If someone took your car or truck and abused it, put all kinds of dents in it, and tore it up, would they not be in trouble with you? What kind of blindness is it that makes us think we can abuse God’s Holy Name and get away with it? “Their own malice blinded them.” Wisdom 2:21. One man who was in the habit of taking the Holy Name in vain was warned. He didn’t think it was a big deal. Not long afterward, he cut his leg with a chainsaw. Another man was warned about it. He soon thereafter crippled his arm.
Tongue rotted – Consumed by Worms: St. Alphonsus relates the story about Nestorious the heretic. Heretics are those who deny the true faith, or even only parts of it, and heretics very often speak evil against the faith with their tongues, trying to justify themselves, as Jesus said. “Nestorious,” St. Alphonsus tells us, “died of a cancer which rotted the tongue, which was consumed with worms engendered by the disease – a fit punishment for that tongue which hath uttered so many blasphemies against Jesus Christ and His Holy Mother.’’ How often have we seen protestants blaspheme the Eucharist and say it’s only symbolic, when Jesus Christ himself said, “I am the living bread come down from heaven… and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world.’’ St. John 6:51,52. Jesus said, ‘’living bread,’’ not ‘’symbolic bread,’’ and this bread he said very plainly ‘’is my flesh.’’ And when it comes to the Blessed Mother, many protestants have not a good word to say about this most blessed among women, (St. Luke 1:42), who consented to bring Jesus in the world so they could be saved. No mother ever had to watch her son suffer and die as Mary did. She sacrificed her Son for our salvation, and we don’t have a good word to say about her? How can they have contempt for one that God himself has chosen, of all women ever born, to be the mother of His Son? As one man said one time, “If God had chosen your mother to be the mother of His Son, would you not expect people to honor her in a special way?” If protestants were only as good at avoiding sin as they are of avoiding Mary.
“His mouth full of cursing.” Judas, Psalm 108:18: “And he loved cursing, and it shall come unto him: and he would not have blessing, and it shall be far from him. And he put on cursing, like a garment: and it went in like water into his entrails, and like oil in his bones.” ‘’ Their throat is an open sepulchre: with their tongues they acted deceitfully; the poison of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and unhappiness in their ways: and the way of peace they have not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.” Psalms 13:3. “No fear of God before their eyes.” Remem- ber the end of King Belshazzar. Woe to those who profane the Holy Name of God! Woe to those who speak foul language! Woe to those who blaspheme against the true faith, like Nestorious. Shall the Lord say in the Day of Judgement, to those who speak the language of hell in their lifetime, “Well done, good and faithful servant…or, “Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire.” St. Matthew , chapter 25. You be the judge, but if you are a Christian who has this habit, you must begin to act and speak like one, after Christ, “But according to him that hath called you, who is holy, be ye in all manner of conversation holy.” 1 St. Peter 1:15. Otherwise, you will suffer the consequences, and your children, in this life, and possibly eternal fire in the next. Remember, God’s mercy is upon them that fear him, and act accordingly. “Holy is his name. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.” St. Luke 1:49,50.
Bridle on the tongue: Moreover, if you say you are a Christian and a follower of Christ, yet use profane and filthy speech, not bridling your tongue, don’t expect to save your soul if you don’t amend, because St. James says such a man’s religion is worthless. “If any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” 1:26. As the Book of Proverbs says, if we want to keep our soul and save it, we must guard our tongue. “He that keepeth his mouth, keepeth his soul: but he that hath no guard on his speech shall meet with evils.” [Proverbs 13:3]. It is high time we put away with that four letter word that the whole world now seems to be saying even in public, even around little children: “But now put you also all away: anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy, filthy speech out of your mouth.” [Colossians 3:8]. They even use the beautiful name of ‘mother’ with it. Perhaps they would prefer to have a great millstone around their neck, and drowned in the sea, Matthew 18:6.
“In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin.” Ecclus. 7:40. Remember that one day you will die, and for some it will be sooner than they think. At death, you will be judged. Remember death, remember judgement, remember heaven, and remember hell. St. Jerome said, “One should think often on hell, in order to avoid going there hereafter.” St. Alphonsus said, “The greater part of men choose to be damned.” Which group are you in? “Many shall find the broad way to death…few shall find the narrow way to life.” St. Matthew 7:13-14. “The number of fools is infinite.” Eccles. 1:15. If someone asked you today if you believed most souls were saved, or lost, what would you answer?