Let's take a moment here for prophecy -- and no, not the Mayan kind.

It has nothing to do with this coming Friday (December 21).

It has to do with last Friday -- at that place called Sandy Hook Elementary.

No longer is "prophecy" so "far out" and "fringe." A recent poll showed that more than a third of Americans (thirty-six percent) believe we are approaching the end times.

We haven't gone that far yet -- but we do believe, whatever the final label on it is, that we face truly major events (and transformation).

In this regard it recently came to our attention that on August 14 when seer Ivan Dragicevic of the reputed site of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Hercegovina (currently under Vatican study) was interviewed by the broadcaster Father Livio Fangaza on Radio Maria, Italy, a major Catholic media outlet, the visionary, in response to a question, said:

"When the prophetic secrets of the Blessed Mother are revealed in Medjugorje, the Catholic Church will find itself in a great ordeal, as much for the world as for the faithful, and a little of this suffering has already started.

"Satan is stronger than ever today, and he particularly wants to destroy the family and the youth, because they are the foundation of a new world. Presidents and leaders have their power from God; too many of them are using it for their own interests. The result is a disordered society. Without God, the world has no future, this is why the Gospa [Our Lady] invites us to return to God and turn to the future with God, in order to maintain peace and harmony. A government without God is anarchy. It is a deceiving government. It is therefore necessary that God be present in the government, and in the first place. Since the lack of God is prevalent in a lot of places, peace is constantly threatened. The most terrible war is the one waging in the human heart. The emptiness of God gives Satan a space bigger than ever."

These are strong words. He asked the audience to pray for the realization of Mary's plans. We will wait on the Church to rule on the final disposition of the apparition (and will abide by the ruling). But we are currently allowed to discuss the messages. Thus let us note:

Ivan said the Church has a very rough time ahead but that what is coming -- the "ordeal" -- will also afflict the world at large and that a little of the suffering already have been experienced. It has started. (We think many are starting to see that.)

The word "ordeal" means "a primitive means used to determine guilt or innocence by submitting the accused to dangerous or painful tests believed to be under supernatural control," according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, or "a painful or horrific experience, esp. a protracted one. An ancient test of guilt or innocence by subjection of the accused to severe pain, survival of which was taken as divine proof of innocence." Does this mean more scandal or persecution, greater defamation, dissension from within, more falling away of faithful?

Meanwhile, societal perturbations are joining natural disasters (quakes and superstorms like "Sandy"), the most recent such the horror in Connecticut.

Sandy Hook was preceded by shootings in Colorado, Arizona (remember Congresswoman Giffords?), and Oregon, while, looking at the world at large, a slasher injured twenty-two children in China the same day as Sandy Hook and right after Sandy Hook an assailant had to be shot to death by police in Alabama. On Sunday (12/16/12) a man in California was arrested after firing fifty shots at a mall parking lot.

The list continues to expand. What does it portend? What would such mayhem look like on a larger scale? And "protracted"?

It is worth meditating on how some derivations of the name "Sandy" come from "Alessandra" which in etymology means "unheeded prophetess." Besides the storm, we now have "Sandy Hook."

Note that the visionary said, "presidents and leaders have their power from God; too many of them are using it for their own interests. The result is a disordered society," followed by "anarchy" -- as we saw disorder and anarchy in Newtown; also, in the wake of gas shortages after "Sandy." It perhaps might be noted that natural disasters during the past year have closed both the Washington Monument and the Statue of Liberty.

Problems continue to slash at the Northeast.

A year ago, it was Hurricane Irene. There was also a quake around the same time.

New York, so severely struck by "Sandy," is a place of billboards [left].

Note also "presidents" is in plural. It is a global problem ("world"). The Godlessness has been going on for many years (Columbine was in the 1990s) and we might add: if a prayer was said each morning at schools (once upon a time, some schools even said the Lord's Prayer) it would afford a degree of protection (and better education, in this educational system that is completely distorted, overpriced, dysfunctional, and broken -- as well as Godless; you can't even sing Christmas carols).

And then we wonder why God allows evil?

We are the ones who allow evil.

And as the seer said, the devil is not weakening; he is gaining momentum. Our armor is the Rosary (as one Connecticut teacher we know said Sunday.)

[see also: the 1990 prophecy]

[Also: Most likely Vatican ruling: no definitive proof of supernatural  and Poll: more than a third in U.S. believe world is approaching 'end times']

[Print article]

[resources: Tower of Light and Michael Brown pilgrimage, Medjugorje, Special Michael Brown retreats: Florida, January 27, Announcing a retreat in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Retreat in Houston]