Episode 3125: Between the Columns: The Only Safe Harbor for the Church - Morning Episode

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Speak Lord for your Servant is Listening
Book Recommendation of the Day
The Luminous Eye: The Spiritual World Vision of Saint Ephrem
• Author: Sebastian Brock
• Publisher: Cistercian Publications
• Summary: A scholarly but accessible study of St. Ephrem’s spirituality, symbols, and poetic theology. Highly recommended for understanding his method and worldview.
If your spiritual life increasing in a significant way, especially if you work your day for Christ there is one sure thing you will experience from the devil in his attacks and it is your past. The devil does this in two ways. He gets people close to you to bring up your past in their attempts to take from you what they do not have which is a spiritual life. They must remind you of your failure and sins and the next way he does it is by putting things in your mind you have long forgotten about in order to make you reflect on them over Christ. The saints warned about this and the sure fire way to get rid of those those thoughts, the people who remind you and the devil himself is to take the great advice of the saints.
Advice from the Saints ✠
1. St. Padre Pio
“When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.”
Padre Pio was constantly harassed by demons. His advice was to resist by turning to Christ with confidence and rejecting discouragement.
2. St. Francis de Sales
“Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them.”
He reminds us not to dwell in guilt, but to move forward in grace.
3. St. Teresa of Ávila
“The devil fears hearts on fire with love of God.”
She taught that a firm and consistent prayer life is a fortress. A soul in union with God is untouchable.
4. St. Ignatius of Loyola
In his Rules for the Discernment of Spirits, he writes:
“In time of desolation, never make a change.”
Despair and discouragement are signs of spiritual attack. His advice is to cling to prior consolations, and to redouble prayer, penance, and examination of conscience.
5. St. Alphonsus Liguori
“He who prays is certainly saved; he who does not pray is certainly damned.”
St. Alphonsus taught that prayer drives away the devil, who flees from a soul that invokes God and Mary.
✠ Powerful Prayers to Combat the Devil's Accusations ✠

1. Prayer of St. Anthony of Padua (against temptations)
Behold the Cross of the Lord!
Flee, ye hostile powers!
The Lion of the tribe of Judah,
The Root of David, has conquered.
Alleluia!

2. St. Michael the Archangel Prayer
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
By the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
Who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
3. Prayer of Deliverance by St. Alphonsus
My Jesus, by the merits of Thy sorrowful passion, deliver me from every evil spirit and from all temptation to sin. I cling to Thy Cross; cover me with Thy precious Blood. I am Thine, O Lord—save me, through the intercession of Mary, Thy Immaculate Mother. Amen.
4. Psalm 25 (A cry for mercy and trust)
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions:
according to thy mercy remember thou me, for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.
(Psalm 25:7)
✠ Practical Actions from the Saints ✠
1. Make frequent confessions – St. John Vianney said confession "heals, cleanses, and renews."
2. Wear sacramentals – scapular, St. Benedict medal, or a crucifix.
3. Invoke the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary – the devil flees at their names.
4. Foster devotion to Our Lady – “The rosary is the weapon for these times,” said St. Padre Pio.
5. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – demons flee from the presence of the Eucharistic Lord.
Final Encouragement ✠
“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion” (Philippians 1:6).
Do not let the devil deceive you into thinking that your past defines you. Once sins are confessed and absolved, they are erased by the Blood of Christ. The Lord desires your sanctity and joy not your bondage to past wounds.

Introduction:
“Don Bosco’s Greatest Vision — A Warning for Our Times.”
In the 19th century, St. John Bosco a priest, prophet, and spiritual father to countless souls was given a series of extraordinary dreams. One of the most powerful is known as The Vision of the Two Columns, a mystical dream in which the Church, under violent attack, is saved by anchoring herself to two immovable pillars: the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In a time of synodal storms, doctrinal collapse, and spiritual apathy, we must ask: Are we living through the very storm Don Bosco foresaw?
Let’s take a closer look.
Segment 1: Don Bosco’s Vision of the Two Columns Explained
St. John Bosco—Don Bosco—was more than a founder of schools and a spiritual mentor to youth. He was a mystic, graced by God with prophetic dreams.
On the night of May 30, 1862, Don Bosco described a vision so symbolic, yet so startling in clarity, that it continues to speak to us today.
He saw a vast sea, stormy and violent, filled with enemy ships. These ships launched attacks on a majestic vessel—the Church commanded by the Pope. But these attacks were not just military. They came in the form of books, fiery ideologies, and blasphemous rhetoric.
Amidst the storm rose two towering columns:
• One, crowned with a statue of Our Lady, bore the inscription: Auxilium Christianorum — Help of Christians.
• The other, taller and brighter, upheld a great Eucharistic Host with the words: Salus Credentium — Salvation of the Faithful.
The Pope struggled to steer the ship between these two columns, all while under assault. He falls once—wounded. He rises. Then he is struck down again and dies.
A new Pope rises, docile to the Holy Ghost. Under his command, the Church anchors to the two pillars and the enemy is defeated. Peace returns.
Don Bosco concluded:
“There remain only two means to save ourselves in the midst of so much danger: devotion to Mary Immaculate and frequent Communion.”
Segment 2: The Fulfillment Unfolding Before Our Eyes
Is this vision unfolding before us?
Think of the modern world as the sea: chaotic, violent, and ideologically hostile to Christ and His Church. The enemy’s weapons today are not cannons, but books, movements, digital platforms, and philosophies that undermine doctrine, morality, and sacred tradition.
We have seen the Pope—figuratively and spiritually—fall. Since Vatican II, doctrinal clarity has been replaced with ambiguity, reverent liturgy replaced with experimentation, and Marian devotion quietly sidelined in favor of vague interreligious dialogue.
This first fall, then, may represent the post-conciliar crisis: popes choosing diplomacy over discipline, novelty over orthodoxy.
The second fall? Perhaps what we see now—a time of unprecedented confusion. When the faithful hear contradictory messages from Rome, when the Deposit of Faith is seemingly up for debate, and when the Pope’s own words are weaponized by enemies of Tradition.
But the dream does not end in defeat.
A new pope arises—perhaps not yet visible—who will restore the Church by anchoring her once more to the Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Until then, it is the remnant—those faithful to Tradition—who must endure the storm and prepare the way.
Segment 3: Anchoring Ourselves to the Pillars — The Path of the Remnant
This vision was not only a prophecy for popes. It is a call to each one of us.
So how do we, as ordinary Catholics, anchor ourselves to the two pillars?
1. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Pray the Rosary daily. It is the chain that binds demons.
• Consecrate yourself to Mary. Follow St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion.
• Teach your children about Fatima, Lourdes, La Salette. Let Our Lady’s voice echo in your home.
2. Fidelity to the Holy Eucharist
• Attend the Traditional Latin Mass if possible, where reverence and sacrifice remain intact.
• Receive Communion in a state of grace. Frequent Confession is the gateway to fruitful reception.
• Kneel before the Lord in Adoration even five minutes daily will shape your soul.
3. Endure with Hope
Don Bosco didn’t promise an easy road but he showed us the way to victory.
The storm may rage. The Pope may fall. The Church may be mocked. But she will survive. Not through compromise—but through the strength of the Eucharist and the mantle of the Queen of Heaven.
Reflection on Today’s Scriptures
Ecclesiasticus 39:6–14 tells us that the just man will seek the Lord early and “pour forth wisdom as showers.” It is not in fame or prestige that renewal comes but in hidden faithfulness, prayer, and truth.
Like St. Ephrem the Syrian, whose feast we celebrate today, we are called to be salt and light not showy, but sanctified.
Matthew 5:13–19 reminds us: if the salt loses its savor, it is useless. And a light under a bushel cannot save.
We must not soften truth. We must not dim reverence. We must not abandon the fight.
Saint of the Day – St. Ephrem the Syrian
St. Ephrem, known as the Harp of the Holy Ghost, was a deacon who fought heresy not by debate, but through poetry and hymnody. He reminds us that the beauty of holiness is a weapon against the ugliness of error.
Let us follow his example: to be doctrinally strong, liturgically faithful, and spiritually creative in our defense of the Faith.
Salt, Light, and the Hidden Wisdom of God"
When the Salt Has Lost Its Savor
In a world where the Church often seems dimmed by confusion and diluted by compromise, the words of our Lord pierce through with painful clarity: “If the salt lose its savor… it is good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden underfoot by men.” These are not simply poetic phrases; they are prophetic warnings. The Church, once luminous and bold in doctrine and worship, has in many places lost its potency. Where once the world trembled at her clarity, today she is ignored or worse, pitied.
But Christ does not abandon His Bride. What we are living through is not death, but pruning. As traditional Catholics, we must recover the lost savor the wisdom, courage, and clarity of the saints. We must be salt and light once more, even if only a remnant remains.
Today’s readings from Ecclesiasticus and St. Matthew’s Gospel, paired with the feast of St. Ephrem the Syrian a doctor and poet of the Church—challenge us to rediscover the Church’s richness hidden not in novelty, but in tradition. This theme also resounds powerfully in a recently circulated video titled "Don Bosco’s Greatest Vision — It’s About to Happen!" from Christian Way. Don Bosco’s vision of the Church as a storm-tossed ship, anchored between two pillars—Our Lady and the Holy Eucharist—is perhaps more timely now than ever. Surrounded by waves of doctrinal confusion and moral decay, the Church will only find her stability by anchoring herself once more to these immovable truths.
We are living in the very tempest Don Bosco foresaw. And as this storm rages, the call is clear: stay with the Barque of Peter, cling to the Holy Eucharist, and entrust yourself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Epistle Reflection – Ecclesiasticus 39:6–14
“The just will give his heart to resort early to the Lord… and he will pour forth the words of his wisdom as showers… Many shall praise his wisdom, and it shall never be forgotten.”
This passage describes the true teacher in the Church—not the one acclaimed by popularity or academic prestige, but the one who prays deeply, studies humbly, and speaks the truth with wisdom. The wise man, Ecclesiasticus tells us, “shall glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord,” and his memory shall not pass away.
This is the model of the saints. It is the model of St. Ephrem, who composed hymns to refute heresies, poetry to teach dogma, and prayers to pierce heaven. His sanctity was not in grand acts, but in fidelity to the mysteries of Christ.
In an age of doctrinal decay, the Church must once again form such men—silent, studious, and sanctified. The time of celebrity Catholicism must pass. The age of the Fathers must return.
Gospel Reflection – Matthew 5:13–19
“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world… A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid.”
Our Lord’s words are not merely descriptive—they are prescriptive. We are not to become salt and light—we already are. The only question is whether we will fulfill our identity or deny it.
Salt preserves and flavors. It protects against corruption. Light illuminates and reveals. But if we soften our doctrine to please the world, if we dim the flame of truth to avoid offense, we become tasteless, useless, irrelevant.
Traditional Catholics must resist this with humility and resolve. This does not mean shouting louder, but standing firmer. It means loving the Mass of the Ages. Teaching the catechism in full. Praying the Rosary with zeal. Being what Christ called us to be.
The vision of Don Bosco reminds us that we are in the thick of battle. But he also gives us the solution: the Eucharist and Our Lady. As long as we remain tied to those two pillars, the storm cannot destroy us.
Saint of the Day – St. Ephrem the Syrian
St. Ephrem (c. 306–373), deacon and doctor, is known as the Harp of the Holy Ghost. He defended the Faith against heresies through hymns that inspired piety and preserved orthodoxy. His writings, saturated in Scripture and poetic beauty, remind us that the Church teaches not only through dogma, but through art, prayer, and song.
He remained a deacon his entire life, embracing humility over hierarchy. His sanctity lay in his constancy and clarity. He calls us to be both strong in doctrine and tender in devotion.
Conclusionary Prayer:
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Captain of the Barque of Peter, anchor us to Your Eucharistic Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Do not let us drift in the storm.
Raise up holy leaders, faithful priests, and a courageous laity who will cling to the pillars of salvation. May we endure in truth, persevere in grace, and labor with love until peace returns to Your Bride, the Holy Catholic Church.
Through the intercession of Don Bosco, St. Ephrem, and Our Lady Help of Christians, may we remain firm in the faith, undistracted by novelty, and unshaken by the storm.
Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
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Closing Words:
Thank you for joining me on Catholic Reboot. If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend, leave us a review, and most importantly—live the message. Anchor your life to Our Lady and the Holy Eucharist. That is how we survive the storm. That is how we rebuild the Church.
Until next time hold fast to the faith of our fathers. Stay rooted. Stay reverent. Stay Catholic.
Pax Christi.