Faustina prophecy of cross in the sky found to link to miracle found in fourth century
A famous Catholic prophecy that the sky will turn dark and there will materialize a great luminous cross appears connected with a hidden event that occurred in the fourth century.
The prophecy by Saint Faustina of Poland, recorded in her diary, conveyed these alleged words from Jesus in the 1930s: "Before I come as a just judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy. Before the day of justice arrives, there will be given to people a sign in the heavens of this sort: All light in the heavens will be extinguished, and there will be great darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the openings where the hands of feet of the Savior were nailed will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of time. This will take place shortly before the last day."
That prophecy connects with an event recorded over Jerusalem in the fourth century by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, a doctor of the Church. In a letter to the Emperor Constantius, he wrote, "On the nones of May, about the third hour, a great luminous cross appeared in the heavens, just over Golgotha, reaching as far as the holy mount of Olivet, seen, not by one or two persons, but clearly and evidently by the whole city. This was not, as might be thought, a fancy-bred and transient appearance: but it continued several hours together, visible to our eyes and brighter than the sun. The whole city, penetrated alike with awe and with joy at this portent, ran immediately to the church, all with one voice giving praise to our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God."
The "nones" would be May 7 and when related to hours of the day in the ancient Church meant the fifth of seven canonical hours and came at the ninth hour of the day or at about 3 p.m. -- which Saint Faustina was to proclaim as the "hour of mercy" almost 1,600 years later!