By Sr. Sasagawa is not a publicity hound. She does not write letters to the pope. She does not give interviews. After the conclusion of her apparitions and the related investigation (the local Bishop approved them as genuine and Rome declined to render any further approval or judgement) she did what a Religious is supposed to do: pray. She did not bring any attention to herself.
Until Oct 6, 2019.
Only a few Catholics (and even fewer non-Catholics) know of the prophecies of Our Lady of Akita but the prophetic message, like that of Fatima, is a specific warning of worldwide chastisement. The chastisement threatened is truly terrible – far worse than the possibility of annihilation of several nations prophesied at Fatima. Akita is absolutely consistent with prophecies of Scripture.
The first message received by Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa on June 6, 1973, was a call for prayer and sacrifice for the glory of the Father and salvation of souls. The second message, August 3, 1973, was for prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices to soften the Father’s anger.
The third message on October 13, 1973, the actual anniversary of the final visions and miracle of Fatima is as follows: “As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by my Son. Each day, recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and the priests. The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, and bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their Confreres. The Church and altars will be vandalized. The Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.
“The demon will rage especially against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will no longer be pardon for them.”
Sr. Sasagawa had a miraculous healing of health ailments, a statue emoted tears/blood and it was filmed on television with no explanation by the person who originally carved it and the local Bishop had no choice but to declare it genuine.
Our Lady of Akita told Sr. Sasagawa to offer sacrifices for the outrages occurring in the world. She told her that the Heavenly Father was angered and that this was the only way to soften His justice from moving harshly throughout the earth, through reparations of mercy. This was not the first time Heaven has asked for reparations of Mercy, nor would it be the last. Our Lady told Sr. Sasagawa that unless humanity changes its ways “fire would fall from the sky” and that the result would be so bad that “the living would envy the dead.”
Our Lady said that after this chastisement the only “arms available” for the world would be the Rosary and the Sign left by her Son. The lack of mention about the Eucharist is extremely troubling to many.
This mention of a “sign” is echoed in St. Matthew 24:30 where Our Lord tells us that “The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven.” That’s the good news. The bad news is this occurs after Jesus tells us to run for the high ground (literally) and not even to turn back if you forgot basic necessities.
The dove-tailing of Matthew 24:30 with Akita is significant. There are also similar mentions of the same in the prophetic Messages from Medjugorje (which we’ve written about extensively) and in other Catholic prophecy by mystics and saints that I am not familiar enough with to write about (yet).
The new message, occurring near the start of the Amazon synod, after 46 years of silence, tells us to “put ashes on” (much like the warning of the prophet Jonah to the inhabitants of the sinful city Ninevah) and to pray a “penitential rosary.” Unlike the initial Akita apparitions it does not tell us that by doing so we could stop the coming chastisement, but the prophetic message is consistent with Our Lady’s messages from Medjugorje (and elsewhere), which so often remind us that prayer and fasting can help to convert souls from eternal death into everlasting life.
The people of Nineveh were warned by Jonah the prophet that unless they all repent that the Kingdom would be overthrown in 40 days. The King believed God and ordered the Kingdom to repent and by doing so they all saved themselves.
I do not believe we are going to be destroyed 40 days from Oct 6. But I do believe that 46 years after the miraculous apparitions, clearly of supernatural origin with a definite message, having awakened from its slumber is extraordinarily significant.
Two of the greatest rules of biblical interpretation are context and scripture interpret scripture. The context here is the second coming:
Matthew 24:27 “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
The parallel passage (scripture interprets scripture) to this in Luke adds more to help us understand. Again Jesus is speaking of his coming:
Luke 17:34-35 “I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” The disciples then jump in and ask:
Luke 17:37 “Where, Lord?” They ask Jesus for further clarity. The disciples ask where Lord, where will they be taken. Jesus says to them:
Luke 17:37 “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” Those who will be taken will go to where corpses rot and the vultures gather to feast upon their carrion, their dead, rotting flesh. This is a picture of Judgment. This is that last day when Jesus will come and destroy all of His enemies. The ones taken when Jesus returns will be taken to judgment. Those that remain will be with the Lord forever.
There is another picture of this event given to us in Revelation:
Revelation 19:17-18 17 “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” And then down to the last verse in the chapter:
Revelation 19:21 “And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.
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When Jesus comes back, all those that do not know Jesus, all those that hate God, all who are his enemy, will be removed and judged, taken away and feasted upon by flesh eating birds. This is a picture of the last day when the Lord will separate the sheep from the goats. The sheep will go onto eternal bliss and the the goats to eternal punishment (Matthew 25). Matthew 24:28 depicts the great judgment upon those who do not love his coming and they will be taken away for eternity forever away from the presence of the Lord. This is one event for which you want to be Left Behind.
In his pastoral letter approving the events of Akita as supernatural, the Bishop of Niigata said: “After the inquiries conducted up to the present day, one cannot deny the supernatural character of a series of unexplainable events relative to the statue of the Virgin honored at Akita (Diocese of Niigata). Consequently I authorize that all of the diocese entrusted to me venerate the Holy Mother of Akita.”
Concerning the messages, His Excellency said: “As for the content of the messages received, it is no way contrary to Catholic doctrine or to good morals. When one thinks of the actual state of the world, the warning seems to correspond to it in many points.” His Excellency explained that he had taken eight years to give this judgment because of the importance and the responsibility in question. “The Congregation of the Doctrine for the Faith has given me directives in this sense,” the Bishop said, “that only the bishop of the diocese in question has the power to recognize an event of this kind.”
The events of Akita have been confirmed by definite miracles, two of which are cited by the Bishop in his pastoral letter. While the warning given by Our Lady at Akita is terrible, the message, as the Bishop points out, is basically a repetition of the Message of Fatima. Our Lady stressed the importance of praying the Rosary, and above all of accepting from God whatever He may send in the course of each day . . . whatever suffering . . . and to offer it up in reparation for so many sins committed throughout the world at this time. Our Lady begged especially for prayers for bishops, priests, and religious, and for reparation before the Blessed Sacrament. Our Lady said: “I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering to the Father, together with all the victim souls who console Him, the sufferings endured by the Son on the Cross, by His blood and by His very loving Soul. Prayer, penance, and courageous sacrifices can appease the anger of the Father.”
To the little religious community where Our Lady gave the messages, she asked that it “live in poverty, sanctify itself and pray in reparation for the ingratitude and the outrages of so many men.”
The apparitions and events in Akita, Japan, center around a three foot high statue of Our Lady with a Japanese face in the chapel of the Eucharistic Handmaids of the Sacred Heart. These supernatural happenings also involve Sr. Agnes Sasagawa, one of the Sisters in the convent, to whom Our Lady gave Her messages. Sister had been very ill, requiring about 20 operations. When the apparitions began, she was nearly deaf. On June 12, 1973, when she opened the tabernacle for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, a very strong light came from it and filled the entire chapel. This happened for three days. When Sister asked the other Sisters if they had seen anything out of the ordinary, they said no.
This strong light also came from the tabernacle on the feast of Corpus Christi. When Sr. Sasagawa told the Bishop of Akita (who was visiting the convent on the feast) of this, he advised her to keep it in her heart. On the Vigil of the Feast of the Sacred Heart that same year, Sr. Sasagawa’s guardian angel appeared to her and asked her to pray the Fatima decade prayer* after each decade of the Rosary. In 1973 this prayer was not well known in Japan and Sister had trouble understanding it, but the Sisters began to recite the prayer and it has now spread throughout Japan. (* O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have the most need of Thy mercy. Amen.)
On the same occasion as the apparition of her guardian angel, a wound in the form of a cross appeared in the hollow of Sr. Sasagawa’s left hand and began to bleed. The bleeding ended on the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The following Friday, the wound bled and stopped the next day. This continued for a month. Sister’s guardian angel later spoke to her in chapel. Although nearly deaf, she heard the angel saying: “Pray not only for yourself, but for the people of all nations. The world today is wounding the Sacred Heart of Jesus through so much sin and ingratitude.” After hearing this, Sister heard a voice come from the statue in the chapel: “My daughter, you obeyed me very well; you have renounced everything. This deafness is a great suffering for you. Have patience; you will be healed. It is a trial. Pray in reparation for all people. Pray much for the Holy Father, for the bishops and the priests.”
On July 6, 1973, a bleeding wound appeared on the right hand of the statue of Our Lady in the chapel. On other days, the face of the statue bled. Sister’s guardian angel told her: “This flowing of blood is significant. It will be shed for the conversion of men and in reparation for sins. To the devotion to the Sacred Heart add the devotion to the Precious Blood.” Other messages followed. About a month after seeing the wound in the right hand of Our Lady’s statue, Sr. Sasagawa heard: “My daughter, if you love Our Lord, listen to me. Many people in the world grieve Our Lord. I ask for souls who will console Him, and who will make reparation. The Heavenly Father is preparing a great punishment for the world. Many times I have tried with my Son to soften the anger of the Father. I presented to Him many atoning souls who make reparation by prayers and sacrifices. That is what I ask of you. Honor poverty. Live poorly. You must keep your vows, which are like three nails to nail you to the Cross – the nails of poverty, chastity, and obedience.”
Beginning on September 20, 1973, the statue began to sweat from the face to the feet. Tears began to flow down the face. Also, a very pleasant odor was felt in the chapel. This happened many times in the presence of others, including the Bishop. In all, the statue wept a total of 101 times. On October 13, 1973, Our Lady gave Sister Sasagawa this serious message: “As I said before if mankind does not repent, the Heavenly Father will inflict a very serious punishment on the whole world; a punishment the likes of which has never happened before. Many people will perish. Pray the Rosary often. Only I can prevent the disaster. Whoever entrusts themselves to me will be saved.” The statue continued to weep and other messages followed. Pilgrims came and many received answers to their prayers. Then, in 1981, Theresa Chon, who was suffering from terminal brain cancer, was miraculously healed through the intercession of Our Lady of Akita. This healing was well documented by Fr. Joseph Oh of Seoul, S. Korea.
In his pastoral letter, Bishop Ito said that it would have been difficult to believe in a message from Our Lady that is so terrible, unless there was overwhelming proof that it was indeed from Her. But he points out that the terrible chastisement of which Our Lady speaks is on the condition: “If men do not repent and do not better themselves . . .” The Bishop added it is a serious warning, while at the same time one perceives in it the maternal love of Our Lady. In Her message warning the world of the annihilation of a great part of humanity, She said: “The thought of the loss of numerous souls makes me sad.”
While most scholars agree that prophecy is something that can only be fully interpreted in hindsight, it would seem the collective messages of the Holy Spirit in our current day, through His messengers on earth and in heaven, are all coordinated toward one event. Whether this event occurs in our lifetime or the generations to come, it is clear that we must prepare our souls for that Day and the souls of our children, and even grand-children. And how do we prepare? By following the instructions of Our Blessed Mother to pray, pray, pray: “Today I call you, through prayer and sacrifice, to prepare yourselves for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Little children, this is a time of grace and so, again, I call you to decide for God the Creator. Allow Him to transform and change you. May your heart be prepared to listen to, and live, everything which the Holy Spirit has in His plan for each of you. Little children, allow the Holy Spirit to lead you on the way of truth and salvation towards eternal life.”
While these revelations are technically “private revelations” and we are not bound to believe in them, the message is not much different than any other prophetic message throughout history. God desires that we turn back to him and is ready to receive us.
However, we must make the effort to turn away from our lives of sin, run towards God and bring with us as many people as possible.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings
Our Lady of Akita, pray for us.
The Akita Prayer
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, I consecrate my body and soul to be entirely one with Thy Heart, being sacrificed at every instant on all the altars of the world and giving praise to the Father pleading for the coming of his Kingdom. Please receive this humble offering of myself. Use me as Thou wilt for the glory of the Father and salvation of souls. Most Holy Mother of God, never let me be separated from Thine Divine Son. Please defend and protect me as Thy special child. Amen
Re Our Lady of Akita.
Did anybody think to save some of the tears and perspiration from the statue for DNA testing?
I’m not an expert on Vatican protocol regarding weeping statues, however, I know they get a lot of “reports” that are fake and that they do their due diligence during their investigation, which has included blood and dna testing, but that this particular one did receive sanction by the Holy See. Then Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XIV, was the one who oversaw the investigation. People often laugh at the slowness of the Catholic Church to ratify things but it’s consistently held belief through out the last two millennia is that it is better to err on the side of caution than to approve a work that is of the devil. This is why so many saints and apparitions are not officially approved until long after the event. The Church waits for the Sensus Fidelium (literally, Latin for “sense of the faithful”), the confirmation of the people, to show by devotion and miracles that the event was indeed authentic. If it’s not from God, it tends to disappear from the devotional life of the disciples. This may sound familiar for those who recall Acts 5:39.