Protection of the Church
The Shield of Faith
“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16)
St. Paul encourages the Ephesians to take up “the shield of faith,” and he does so for a very specific reason –to extinguish the flaming darts of the evil one. This is important.
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What are the “flaming darts of the evil one” that can be extinguished by faith? What does the enemy throw at us that can essentially be disabled by faith? They are Church errors.
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The enemy has an arsenal of untruths, lies, and heresies that he shoots at believers. He tries to inflame us with the very fires of hell—the errors that arouse in us many passions, desires, and emotions that are not of God. The enemy bombards us with these delusions in hopes that we will abandon the will of God and start living according to the flesh.
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“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace… Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:6, 8)
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“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24)
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Having a strong faith, therefore, is like having a shield that does not allow the devil’s lies to penetrate our hearts. But what does “strong faith” really mean?
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It means the “tradition of faith.”
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The “tradition of faith” is the faith that began with Jesus, that has been handed down through the centuries from one apostle to another and one successor of Peter to another. It is the faith that goes beyond just the Words of Christ but also includes his way of life.
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According to the Second Vatican Council, tradition “was done by the apostles who handed on, by the spoken word of their preaching, by the example they gave, by the institutions they established, what they themselves had received--whether from the lips of Christ, from His way of life and His works, or whether they had learned it by the prompting of the Holy Spirit" (Constitution on Divine Revelation, II, 7).
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This is the practice of the faith, which includes the liturgy and the sacraments. It is not just the belief in Jesus which is represented by the mind and the Helmet of Salvation. The shield of faith protects the body, the Church. It is living, moving, active.
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It is this active participation in the tradition of the faith that makes us impenetrable to the enemy’s attacks. But when we abandon various traditions of the faith, we are more at risk for falling into heresy, sacrilege, and schism. When we stop going to mass or to confession, it is that much easier for the devil’s darts to enflame the passions of our flesh.
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We see this nowadays as some of the most abominable sins are now tolerated, practiced, supported, and condoned among believers. And because these flaming darts have penetrated the body of Christ, they are destroying it from within. But it is those who still practice the tradition of faith (albeit a remnant) that will protect the Church from extinction.
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“So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.” (2 Thess. 2:15)
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Tradition Under JPII
“This is the most basic meaning of Catholic Tradition: it is the true Faith itself, given to the Apostles by Christ and faithfully transmitted to each new generation.” (Catechism, 77-78)
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“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you….” (1 Cor 11:23)
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“For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received….” (1 Cor 15:3)
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The problem is, if error enters the body of Christ and is then passed on, how will the remnant know what is the true tradition of the faith?
On March 21, 1993, the Virgin Mary appeared to Maureen Kyle and explained this. “You must be careful to remain faithful to Church Tradition as it stands now under John Paul II. The ensuing confusion will bring bishop against bishop, parent against child, husband against wife. Some Masses will not be valid under Church law, and many will be deceived. You will need to be strong.”
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Later that same year, she said, “To My dear priest sons: I ask that they always keep their eyes on My Son, for His Will for them is the true dogma of faith. If their foot slips from the path to the left, they find the weeds of apostasy; to the right, the thorns of disbelief and many rocks which represent popular opinion. But I am calling them to support the true dogma of faith as it stands under Church Tradition as handed down through John Paul II. Anything else is from Satan." (December 2, 1993)
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On May 12, 1995, the Virgin Mary explained even further, “As the Season of Tribulation draws to a close, and during the reign of the antichrist which will be in hearts and in the world, certain and ordained cosmic events will occur. These will mark the onset of the great purification. Some heavenly bodies will lose their light. Others will fall to earth, relinquishing their place in the heavens. When these things begin to occur, people will clamor for admittance to My Heart, just as they clamored to get into the Ark when the flood began. But I will not admit those who do not love...If hearts choose darkness, the world will be plunged into darkness. Holy Love is the measure by which you choose. Stay close to My dear Pope, John Paul II, - his teachings and encyclicals. Follow the new catechism. What stands contrary to any of these is contrary to Holy Love and Heaven."
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Later, in 2002, Jesus appeared to Maureen and told her, “I wish to describe to you the Remnant Faithful. The true member of the Remnant Faithful is not defined by the time period in which the person lives. Rather, the Remnant is comprised of the ones who tenaciously persevere in the Tradition of Faith handed down through John Paul II…The conscience of the Remnant Faithful is formed in the dogma of faith of the Church. Such a conscience does not oppose the Church teachings, holding his own opinion in supremacy over the Magisterium. So you see, the Remnant Faithful are defined by what they hold in their hearts. Make it known." (September 13, 2002)
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Doctrine and Catechesis from St. Pope John Paul II
From 1978 to 2005, Pope John Paul II wrote many apostolic letters and teachings on various subjects. To better familiarize yourself with the tradition of faith under JPII, you can view his writings here on this website.​
Protectress of the Faith
In a 2006 interview, Maureen Kyle told Stacy Mal, “Our Lady gave me the title ‘Mary Protectress of the Faith’ in 1986 with a small prayer. She wanted the title to have Church approval so that it could spread throughout the country…So I took it to a priest who seemed very devoted to the Blessed Mother and he sent it to [the Bishop’s] office, along with a lot of other messages.”
“…They wouldn’t approve the title,” Maureen added. “They said that there were already too many devotions to the Blessed Mother and the saints, and that She didn’t need that title.”
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“So, we went to someone in the Marionite order…” Maureen said. “We wanted to see if he could give us a NIHL OBSTAT, a Church approval. And he did. But later, he wrote a letter saying he had to withdraw it…”
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The Blessed Mother did not give up, though. In 1998, She appeared to 16-year-old Patricia Talbot (in Cuenca, Ecuador). Our Lady told Patricia that She was the “Guardian of the Faith.” This title was approved by Patricia’s Bishop.
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So, on October 27, 2002, the Virgin Mary appeared again to Maureen with this message: “Had your country abandoned itself to Me under this most powerful title [Mary, Protectress of the Faith], whole segments of her populace would have been saved and faith upheld. As it is, error has scattered the true Tradition of Faith to the four winds… But I have returned to you under this title of ‘Protectress of the Faith,’ and I ask that you begin once again to propagate it. Essentially, it is approved by another Bishop in another country. I am inviting you not to await approvals from high places at this time. The trials are too profound and numerous against the Faith. My little ones are overwhelmed with controversy.”
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At the time, the controversies were many, and even included unorthodox changes to the liturgy.
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Our Lady told Maureen, “As Mother, and Protectress of the Remnant Church, I cannot allow the true Tradition of Faith to fall prey to Satan’s lies. Certain practices are being presented to you, My children, as favorable—even Vatican approved. The time after you receive the Sacred Eucharist is the special time between you and the Lord. Remember, in Holy Love we must love God above all else. This means He must be first. After My Son comes into your heart, it is a time for union with Divine Love. The Holy Father never asked you to stand and sing and be united with each other at this special moment of grace. These are all distractions. Do not be tricked into thinking otherwise. Do not relinquish this most cherished time with My Jesus to some avant-garde practice.” (October 31, 2005)
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At this time, scandals were also being revealed in Maureen’s diocese as well as in other parts of the country. The Blessed Mother spoke to Maureen about this, too.
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“Dear children, with docility, understand what I am here to tell you... A wound needs to be exposed to the air to finally heal. [She smiles and motions towards the scratch on Maureen’s arm.] So it is with the bride. Her spouse allows her wounds to come into the light so that a healing can take place from the inside out. Some, in astonishment, say, `Look at the depth of the woundedness.’ Remember, My Son is the Divine Physician, and can heal all wounds. He even has sent His own Mother to you as `Protectress of the Faith', a title which is healing in itself. So much does He love you and desire that you have only the truth, for He is the Truth.” (September 15, 2006)
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From these messages we see that God designated the Blessed Virgin Mary a special protectress for the times of tribulation when the true faith will be challenged by error and heresy (flaming darts).
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On March 21, 1997 the Blessed Mother dictated the following prayer to Maureen Kyle.
"Mary, Protectress of the Faith, shelter my faith in Your Immaculate Heart, Refuge of Holy Love. In the Refuge of Your Heart and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Your Son, protect my faith from all evil. Amen."
For more information about the apparitions to Maureen Sweeney-Kyle, visit the Holy Love Ministries website.