God Is At Work In You!: The Foxhole, the Battle, the Souls, and the Devotion

Blessed Mother comes and takes us to the rim of a foxhole somewhere in Europe during World War II. What on earth do the soldiers in the foxhole and the battle they fought have to do with you and me?

The events in this true and profoundly Catholic story began this morning, and it is being shared to encourage you to both grow in holiness and to pray for the salvation of souls, in particular by incorporating the powerful Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus into your days and nights.

Late this morning I was getting ready to begin the day when all of a sudden, I found myself standing at the rim of a foxhole during the Second World War. There were men in the foxhole; they were American soldiers. It was not revealed exactly how many there were, nor were any details shared about any of the men, exactly where they were or when the battle was fought.

I also knew that it was Blessed Mother who took me there. She was interceding for them as their Most Loving Mother. They were good men, but they were in mortal and spiritual peril, and their souls were not prepared to meet the Lord.

Blessed Mother requested prayers for the men in the foxhole.

I began praying for them, and then offered the entire day’s efforts and all suffering to the Lord for their sake. I also offered up my Holy Communion, which was to be received later at the 4:00 p.m. Saturday Holy Mass. This afternoon was the Commitment Holy Mass for those preparing to be Confirmed in the spring, including Alyssa, my youngest child.

This weekend the Church celebrates the Baptism of our Lord, who not only Redeemed us all but also showed us how to believe and also how to serve God as profound Catholics. How interesting, and significant, that Blessed Mother would choose that very Holy Mass as the one offered up for the intentions of the men during the war.

So at Blessed Mother’s request, I prepared my heart before Holy Mass by first greeting the Lord and then speaking to Him intimately through prayer. Then, I assisted at Holy Mass in place of the men in the foxhole. Through Divine inspiration, I prayed and sang as reverently and lovingly as I could throughout for their sake. I also shed a few tears for us all.

During the Responsorial Psalm, I sang on our behalf, "O Bless the Lord my soul!”

I listened to the Readings for us all, and accepted God’s love for us through His Living Word.

This was the Second Reading.

Beloved: The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good.

When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life (Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7).

I sang “Alleluia!” with all of our voices.

As the gates of heaven stood open before us, with the entire congregation of the filled-to-capacity church facing the Throne of God and the occupants of heaven, I listened to the Gospel Reading through not only my ears but through the ears of all the men in the foxhole, processed it with all of our intellects, and believed for us all:

The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased (Luke 3:25-16, 21-22).

At the conclusion of the Gospel Reading, I exclaimed with affection, “Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ!” while bowing reverently and gratefully for us all at the mention of His great Name.

During Father Ben’s beautiful homily, I accepted the love of God streaming through His devout shepherd as It filled the entire church and was absorbed by everyone present and by everyone included in our prayer intentions.

Throughout the Profession of Faith, I prayed through the mouths of the soldiers in the foxhole. Perhaps they never knew God, lacked faith, had fallen away, or were lukewarm. How much they have in common with us.

During the Prayers of the Faithful, as the congregation worshipped and praised God from our places in church, standing before the opened gates of heaven, I found myself once again standing at the rim of the foxhole and a fierce battle raged on before my very eyes.

Now, even more mindful of the welfare of the men, I sang in their place as the gifts were brought to the altar during the Offeratory, and presented us all to the Lord so that His most perfect will would be accomplished.

All through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, I presented myself to the Lord to be used as a channel of grace, making sure there were no obstructions by completely surrendering my will.

I asked that God pour His love and grace upon the men, in superabundant measure, through every single moment of every single event throughout the entire Holy Mass.

At the same time, I offered everything we are/were along with all we are/were not so that we all would receive every spiritual benefit possible.

During this mutual exchange of gifts with the Divine, I stood before God and welcomed Him into my life in their place.

One can only imagine their thoughts in the foxhole that day.

At that moment I was inspired to pray that every member of their families through all time benefit also from the graces extended to humanity throughout that Holy Mass.

Just before the Consecration, the Lord explained that I was witnessing two separate battles at once.

He also said those battles are one in the same.

The battle I was taken to at the foxhole is a metaphor for the battle against evil that we must fight in our time, in church, by receiving the Sacraments frequently.

The men in the foxhole represent every precious, immortal soul in need of grace.

Truly, everyone through all time faced/faces/will face the battle between good versus evil, and in our time, we are being reminded of the Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus as a powerful weapon we are to use to fight this war for immortal souls.

I received Holy Communion very reverently on my tongue while kneeling, in place of the men in the foxhole, and in light of the Lord's revelation, received Him also for every single soul deceased, living, and yet to be born.

As the Sacred Body and Blood of our Lord dissolved into so many pieces on my tongue, inspired by the unfathomable love and mercy of Jesus, I asked Him to place a particle of the Sacred Host in a monstrance and then place the monstrance in middle of the foxhole.

Then, I asked the Lord to put more pieces of the Sacred Host into more monstrances, and place them inside every foxhole there ever was, is, or will be.

Finally, I asked the Lord to fill even more monstrances with more particles of the dissolving Host reposing on my tongue, and place them onto every battlefield through all time, meaning every place where people were, are, and will be.

As Holy Mass concluded, I exclaimed "Thanks be to God!!” to our most loving and merciful Creator on behalf of all of humanity.

So many people have no knowledge of the Devotion (of Reparation) to the Holy Face of Jesus, or underestimate the power of this Devotion given to us by our Lord to help us grow in sanctity and as a means of petitioning the Lord for the intentions of others.

Please make use of this powerful devotion, and petition the Lord for the salvation of every single soul through all time. Pray for the conversion of sinners, assistance for the dying, and for the suffering souls in purgatory.

Our Lord requested that this devotion to be practiced, and also spread throughout the world, as a means of making reparation to God for the offenses against Him and to obtain graces for ourselves and for others.

To learn more, visit: http://www.holyfacedevotion.com/

A wonderful book to get you started is The Golden Arrow: The Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus by Sr. Mary of St. Peter.

And don't ever just be Catholic. Be PROFOUNDLY Catholic!! God is at work in you!