Today’s Reading from the Book of Revelation has what seems to be a clear message to The Church. Rv 1:1-4; 2:1-5
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to show his servants what must happen soon. . . . He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, I heard the Lord saying to me: “To the angel of the Church in Ephesus, write this: The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands says this: ‘I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate the wicked; you have tested those who call themselves Apostles but are not, and discovered that they are impostors. Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary.”
This passage does describe The Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church continues to condemn every kind of wickedness. The Roman Catholic Church compares obedience with Her doctrines, preserved from the Apostles, and knows that imposters pretending to be Apostles abound among the schisms. The Roman Catholic Church has endured. The Roman Catholic Church has suffered. The Roman Catholic Church has not grown weary. St. John continues:
“Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”
Does the word “fallen” apply to the less than perfect obedience shown to The Blessed Mother’s instructions at Fatima? Does the phrase “works you did at first” refer to the complete obedience formerly shown to The Mother of God? It was She Who clearly said that Russia must be consecrated, by name, by The Holy Father and the Bishops. Complete, unquestioning obedience to The Mother of God was not shown in the reluctant, half-hearted attempt to do so.
Russia was not consecrated by name. The Bishops did not do so in their own dioceses. Do the words spoken to The Church at Ephesus apply? “Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first.”