(Extract from Book on the Life of the Little Pebble – Volume 3)
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”
“John of the Cross is a man in love with God. He treated familiarly with Him and spoke constantly of Him. He carried God in his heart and on his lips. God was his true treasure, his most real world. Even before opening his mouth to proclaim or sing the Divine Mystery, he is God’s witness. That is why he speaks of Him so passionately and so uncommonly convincingly. ‘They pondered that which they heard, that he thus spoke of the things of God and of the Mysteries of our faith, as if he had seen them with his bodily eyes’. The gift of faith brings alive for the believer what he knows in mystery. It comes to form his real world. The witness proclaims what he has seen and heard, what he has contemplated, after the fashion of the Prophets and Apostles (1 John 1:1-2)”. (John Paul II, Apostolic Letter on Saint John of the Cross, Dec 14, 1990)
I am reminded of William when I read this quotation about Saint John of the Cross. The gift of faith shines so brightly in the soul of a holy person that it enables him to contemplate the Mysteries of God, while at the same time the Mysteries remain Mysteries of Faith. The virtues of faith, hope and charity supernaturally colour his real world so much that everything in life is seen, heard and experienced in the context of God’s Loving Providence. The gift of faith enables William to share his life experiences and his public and Private Revelations with others; this was also true for Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross.
A Spark of Goodness
I would like to bear witness to the truth about my good friend – and future Vicar of Christ – William Kamm, known throughout the world as the ‘Little Pebble’. It is my hope the reader will be able to perceive something of the Glory of God’s Grace, which manifests itself in him. This is particularly evident through his fraternal love for the Church and for all the people he meets. Unless a person has met William personally it is not possible to understand his personality. I will try to present a portrait in these pages that will give the reader a deeper insight into the person. To many people, who only rely on the Media for information, he is in their eyes a “fool” and “senseless”. That is the way the Media has portrayed him, in general, since 1984. This appraisal is not new or original. The same was said of Saint Paul on his missionary journeys recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. However, nothing could be further from the truth. There is in William a “spark of goodness” that portrays his dignity as a human being and his virtue as a Catholic. This is where I wish to begin this testimonial to the Truth. Pope Paul VI, speaking to a journalist in Rome, said these truly significant words: “It is a fact that when, as writers and artists, you are able to reveal in the human condition, however lowly or sad it may be, a spark of goodness, at that very instant a glow of beauty pervades your whole work. We are not asking that you should play the part of moralist, but we are expressing confidence in your mysterious power of opening up the glorious regions of light that lie behind the mystery of human life” (Allocution of May 6, 1967, quoted by Pope John Paul II in his address to policy makers in TV, radio, motion pictures and the print media, Los Angeles, California USA– September 15, 1987).
“A spark of goodness and the glorious regions of light that lie behind the mystery of a human life!” That statement applies to William Kamm. There is a certain joy in William’s heart because of what God has done for him. A great part of this joy has come through his intimate relationship with the Mother of God. By this I mean his definitive consecration of himself to Her Immaculate Heart in the formula of Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort. John Paul II explicitly referred to this Saint and summarised his teaching well (cf. John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, art. 45, 48). William has followed the example of the Pope and entrusted himself fully to Her Maternal care. With the Mother of God, he has come to realise that God – Who is Mighty – has loved him and has done a great thing for him. Our Lady has taught him how to rejoice with Her and in Her – to rejoice in God’s Infinite Love. As a consequence of this, William sees himself as a child of God whose joy and happiness lies in serving God and doing His Will. It is my hope in writing this testimonial that the reader will also be amazed to see a certain glow of beauty in the drama of his life.
I believe William is a good example of Christian virtue. Saint Paul summarises the meaning of what I want to say (cf. Ephesians 4:32-33). I think that William has come to the point of understanding how that verse of Saint Paul is realised in himself. I have observed that he has for a long time tried to imitate Mary’s faith in what God asks of all people of good-will – namely, to believe, to hope to trust and to love God. However, the extraordinary thing about William is that since I have known him he has always tried to live the virtues to an heroic degree. He is not a person to do things in a half-hearted way. Once he perceived what God was asking of him, he set his mind and heart to do God’s Will. In short, he would like to become a Saint; not just an ordinary Saint; rather he wants to go all the way to the extent of heroic sanctity.
In the following pages I will give some of the examples in William’s life that bear witness to his heroic virtue. I will limit myself to the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. I will also address the Cardinal Virtues and an overview of how he lives them: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance. Finally, I will help the reader see him as a member of the Order of Saint Charbel; that he is a good example of the evangelical counsels according to his state as a married man: Poverty, Chastity and Obedience. I have been the Confessor and Spiritual Director of the ‘Little Pebble’ for the past 11 years. I am in a better position than most people to know his personality and what are his moral values. I would like to defend his dignity and credibility as a morally upright, married, Catholic layman.
Mystic and Seer
I have come to realise that God also favours William with extraordinary, Mystical Graces in line with the writings of Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross. Actually, I think there are many Saints who could be compared with William, notably Saint Paul, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Saint John Bosco and Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort. This is especially true of the Saints who were Founders of new Religious Orders or Congregations in the Catholic Church. Besides the many physical and moral sufferings he has gone through since God called him; William has also for many years carried a singular cross – the invisible stigmata of Our Lord’s Passion. Most people do not realise what it means have the stigmata impressed upon your mind and body; to share Our Lord’s Passion. However, I find a striking resemblance between William and Saint John of the Cross. Both suffered very much and both received profound supernatural insights in to the Mystery of God and the spiritual life. Saint John of the Cross was a holy and humble man who suffered very much from the very ones who ought to have loved him. Pope John Paul II rightly appraises the Saint’s depth of personal faith. Like Saint John of the Cross, William is a holy and humble man; like Saint John, William loves God with his whole heart; like Saint John, God is William’s true treasure. I think that William is truly worthy to be God’s witness. From the moment God elected him to be His ‘instrument’, William’s destiny as a future public Seer of the Apparitions and his anointing as the Prophet of the Three-fold Covenant was to begin. Through the slow unfolding of God’s Plan for his life, he was forever set apart for the sake of God’s People. This has turned out to be a very long journey of faith – and his life has not been the same since!
Discernment by the Catholic Church
Discernment of the authenticity of William’s “charism” is entrusted to the competent ecclesiastical authority – the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. It is very important for the reader to understand properly the Line of Grace and authority concerning the Messages of Our Lady and how to act upon them. Our Lady does not divide or fragment Her children through Her many Messages. Her Divine Spouse, the Holy Ghost, is the vital Principal of renewal and reconciliation in the Church and in the world. The Holy Ghost cannot ask Our Lady to say something through Her Seer, William, and also inspire the hierarchy to say the exact opposite! There is no such thing as a “double truth” or, as some would say today, a “second Magisterium” at odds with the Sacred Magisterium of the Church. Consequently, if in the short term – because of various prophetic elements – there is a seeming contradiction, it is only apparent and not real, because God cannot lie! His Holiness, on one occasion, addressed this same practical counsel to the whole Church. (see L’Osservatore Romano, N.26, 1st July, 1992).
It is entirely obvious to those who are close to William as a person that he has never rashly desired the extraordinary favours that God has bestowed upon him. I, as his Spiritual Director, testify to this as true fact. An authentic charism comes about through God’s initiative, not man’s. He desires only to do God’s Will. He has always preached and proposed to all members of the Order – and to all who would listen – that it is only in virtue through the Grace of God that we can expect the fruits of God’s Love to be manifest in our lives and in the Order of Saint Charbel. He has continuously preached that the Church will be looking at us to see the fruits of virtue and good works in our lives.
Our Lord gave a good answer to the Pharisees on this point (John 5:36-37). William can very well answer in the same way all critics who accuse him of being sent by the devil (John 10:31-39). At least believe in the Works of God! “The knowledge of what is true is given by the fervour of love” (John Paul II, address commemorating Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Aeterni Patris 1979, referring to Saint Thomas Aquinas). This should be a working principle! Then the gift of faith would be given to those of good will, which would enable them to believe that William is TRULY sent by God. I can and will testify along with so many others throughout the world that William is truly doing God’s works through the Grace given to him.
Good Catholic
He attends daily Mass and frequently comes to Confession. He edifies our little Community of the Order of Saint Charbel by his simple piety. In my opinion he is a humble man who always has time for the members of our Community as well as the many pilgrims who come on the Atonement Days. He is not lazy; rather he is a hard worker for the Mission of Our Lady. He has many friends here and around the world. He does not try to hide his faults. He is loyal to his friends and never refuses to forgive, nor does he harbour a grudge. He sees Jesus and Mary daily in visions and locutions wherein he receives direction on more important matters. He does not divulge all the many insights and understandings of the mystery of our Faith unless it will edify and is appropriate to speak. He tries to live the things he has come to understand over these years without references to himself (which would centre people’s attention on himself). He is not over scrupulous, neither is he legalistic. He has a lot of common sense and always relies on this first in solving a problem. In matters of injustice he is not over-awed by persons of title.
Family Man
He strongly believes in the role of the family in Christian life. He believes that no family should ever lack the essential goods of life: spiritual and temporal (proper housing, food, clothing, education, health care and hygiene) to flourish. He brings these ideals into the spirit and charism of the Order of Saint Charbel. What he desires for himself and his family he also desires for each and every family of the Order. In this way he has always actively promoted the common good of the Community and the Order as a whole. The fruits of his labours and the sharing of his personal assets prove this abundantly.
Outgoing and Friendly
He lives a full Community life as envisioned in the Rule and Constitution of the Order of Saint Charbel. He balances his day with time for work, prayer and play. Our Community has regular recreation times and team sports. He has always been active in sports for most of his life. William always enjoys himself in our games and everyone likes to be on his side! He knows how to laugh at himself and enjoys the happiness of others. He knows how to have fun with his children and frequently involves himself in their activities. William is competitive and not afraid to take on a challenge. He fosters a team spirit in all his projects. William genuinely likes to be with people. He enjoys working together on common projects. He knows how to co-operate with the creativity of others. In this way he is a good example of the evangelical counsel of poverty – which, for Third Branch (families) means detachment from one’s possessions. Even though he is the Moderator of the Order, he always enters into dialogue with others involved in the solution of a problem.
Many times I have seen him go against his better judgment in order to allow another person’s creative thinking to proceed. He strongly believes in personal freedom and promotes this in the life of the Order. Everyone always has the right, at all times, to freely choose their own acts. He respects the delegated authority he himself has appointed in the Community. He is a good example of the evangelical counsel of obedience. He likes people to take the initiative in matters under their control. He always works within the protocols he establishes in the daily life of our Community unless there is important reasons for dispensing with them. For instance, Our Lady has imposed a dress code for the Order of Saint Charbel. William is a good example of the evangelical counsel of chastity. He is very respectful and modest in his outward appearance. He respects the privacy of others and teaches everyone to do the same. He promotes chaste living conditions to uphold the common good of all members and will not allow any unbecoming or unvirtuous behaviour to be a cause of disturbance for souls. He spends most of his time in the office, on a daily basis. Because the Apparition has such a strong following overseas he is involved in counselling souls who telephone, fax or correspond with him via mail. He is in contact with private and public Seers, Mystics, and Privileged Souls daily. He is fairly well informed about most of the current Apparition Sites in the world.
Insight with Common Sense
God has given him the ability to deal with a complexity of human problems all at the same time without losing patience or peace of mind. God has also given him the gift of reading souls when God Wills it. He also has the gift of healing, as God desires. He has the gift of discernment concerning the supernatural experiences of others seeking counsel, because the Angels tell him what he needs to know to edify souls when God desires this. He also has a lot of experiential knowledge regarding visions, locutions, and other mystical realities and illusions. He suffers for others without complaining or rebellion. God has placed into his heart a certain “pastoral care” for the flock entrusted to him. He carries a very heavy burden on his shoulders because he often has to “push” or “pull” people who are resisting following the Will of God. Because of this he does a lot of penance. He is very docile and charitable in accepting God’s Will.
Our Lord allows him to suffer certain aspects of His Passion, often on a daily basis, and especially during the many sleepless nights. Our Lord often advises him that such penance is necessary for God’s purpose. Because William is so docile to God’s Will, God has infused into his soul more and more love. He has a tremendous amount of genuine love for souls, and in my opinion he radiates something of the love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to those he spiritually assists in their various problems.
This very remarkable thing must be seen to be appreciated! One can observe the singular place of the Mother of God in William’s life. There is a real beauty and charm here that is truly wonderful to behold. The Mother of God’s Personality and Pure Love for him really shines through the many moments of Her Visitations to him in his need. The reader cannot miss it – you will gradually see develop a portrait of William’s personality and his child-like faith – he is Mary’s little son who looks to Her for everything and in every need. Every problem and every solution he encounters has Her Maternal influence stamped upon it.
Virtue of Faith
A Good Definition of Faith
What is faith? In order to understand William’s faith we have to understand what faith is in its authentic Catholic sense. Faith is the virtue by which we assent with our intellect to everything that God has revealed, not because we understand but because of the authority of God revealing, Who can neither deceive nor be deceived. Pope John Paul II gives us more insights into what faith really is:
“To believe means‘to abandon oneself’ to the truth of the word of the living God, knowing and humbly recognising ‘how unsearchable are His Judgments and how inscrutable His ways’ (Romans 11:33). Mary, Who by the Eternal Will of the Most High stands, one may say, at the very centre of those ‘inscrutable ways’ and ‘unsearchable Judgments’ of God, conforms Herself to them in the dim light of faith, accepting fully and with a ready heart everything that is decreed in the Divine Plan.” (John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, article 14).
The Mother of God is the model of faith for all souls. William identified himself with Mary’s faith from the moment he said “Yes” to the Revelation asking him to abandon himself to the Truth of the Word of the Living God. In this way he also resembles Saint Joseph, because the Revelations given to William concern the mysteries surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus and the role of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is important for the reader to understand that what has happened to William is, in principle, the same that happened to Saint Joseph. The revelations given to William with their associated events “touch the very essence of faith” (cf. John Paul II, Redemptoris Custos, article 4). Needless to say, what happened to Saint Joseph was a private revelation via an Angel and in a dream. The principle sins against faith are: voluntary doubt, unbelief, apostasy, heresy, and schism.
Like Saint Paul, William is God’s spokesman. It is God’s responsibility to authenticate His own Prophet! Saint Thomas explains well that faith comes through hearing yet requires confirmation through signs. This, he maintains, is because the things of faith are not evident to human reason. Thus, through the Apostles and Prophets, God did such wonderful things as to heal the sick; Prophetically announce future events; and worked miracles through them which only God could do (cf. Mark 16:20; Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles, Book 3, Chapter 154, paras 7,8). Our Lord has indeed upheld William in this way. William himself is well aware that he has not SENT himself! He has never sought personal honour for himself. Our Lord Himself was accused in this same way (cf. John 7:16-19). I happily testify to the truth about William and about his sincerity and the fact that he is by no means an impostor! William is well aware that the Messages are God’s Word to us through Our Lady or directly from Jesus Himself. It is clear that God used the Angel Gabriel to bring His Word to the Mother of God. It is equally clear that Our Lady and Saint Joseph were not putting their faith in the Angel because the Angel was representing himself!
Prophet of the Three-fold Covenant – July 3, 1993
We come now to the most important element in William’s life. God has anointed him as a Prophet and made a Covenant with him (cf. Message 395 and Message 512). This Covenant has a three-fold aspect referring to William as he (a) who is the “Little Abraham”; (b) who suffers the stigmata; (c) and who is “Little Peter”, the future Vicar of Christ – Pope Peter II. The essential mark of any Covenant of God is that it must bear witness to Christ the Priest, Prophet and King. In fact all Covenants in the Old Testament Scripture bear this mark – they prefigure the new and eternal Covenant in the Blood of Christ who purchased our redemption. A good example is Abraham. Jesus said: “Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day: he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56). There is no reason why God cannot or should not make a Covenant with His children at this time in the world’s troubled history. William is this Prophet of God entrusted with a new expression of God’s Covenant for the people as a whole. In the order of Grace, there is in William this same three-fold resemblance to Christ in his Priestly, Prophetic and Kingly office (cf. John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis, art. 18). This is William’s vocation in a unique way. However, this resemblance is true of all the Baptised, (cf. Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium, art 31–36). Regarding the ministerial Priesthood, the fullness of this resemblance is only through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Perfect Certitude
Most people do not realise how God reveals Mysteries to a Seer – and yet how can the Seer be so sure that what he receives is from God? William has a lot of experience in this area because he has dealt with Seers and Privileged Souls for twenty years. Consequently, he has observed at first hand the problematic situations and evil influences that often confuse the issue and cause disunity and, sometimes, scandal. However, Our Lord chose William to unite the Seers around the world and to counsel them on the right path of Truth. There are many Saints whose writings abound on this subject. There is a rich tradition of authentic Catholic Teaching on the subject of discernment of Spirits (cf. Saint Ignatius Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises; Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles, Book 3, Chapter 154, para. 4). William, like Saint Joseph, has perfect certitude about what God has revealed to him. This is because William’s Mission is to offer these Messages to others with assurance that they come from God so people will believe in them.
The good fruits themselves bear witness to the fact that God is the Author. Most of the Messages given to William are Prophetic in nature – referring to future dramatic events (eg. the Second Coming of Jesus, the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the New Era, great chastisements, etc) on a world scale. With still more clarity, Saint Thomas helps us understand William’s perfect certitude in faith (cf. Saint Thomas, Summa Contra Gentiles, Book 3, Chapter 154, para 11). It is clear that God cannot lie. This is so even when He gives a Prophecy about a future event which seems not to happen, or seems impossible, or seems like it would be a violation of God’s own Law! It is absurd to imagine that God would Command His Seer to do something that is not supernaturally meritorious for His Own Seer! This is an error because God is Infinitely Perfect, Infinite Love, Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Goodness!
Saint Thomas again explains that God cannot Command His Prophet to do something contrary to virtue as such an action would not perfect His creature – which would be a contradiction of God’s Own Divine attributes (cf. Saint Thomas, Summa Theologica Part II-II Q.104 article 4 reply obj. 2) In summary, the certitude that God places in the soul of his Prophet is undeniable because it is an efficacious Grace which convinces the person of the Truth, while allowing the Mysteries of God to remain mysterious. William has this type of certitude in faith.
Prophecy Does Not Fail
Authentic Prophecy does not fail because God infallibly knows in advance what He is going to do – and He has the Power to do it. The Media always like to point out the so-called “failed” Prophecies. These journalists always jump on this bandwagon in order to try to discredit William. They attempt to name all of the Prophecies attributed to William that they say have failed. Of course, the Media do not subscribe to the Teachings of the Catholic Church – especially Saint Thomas – or they would never try to use this tactic. Saint Thomas clearly distinguishes how to understand these seeming “failures” of Prophecy (Summa Contra Gentiles, Book 3, Chapter 154, para. 12). He gives two examples: the case of the King, Hezekiah. The Prophet, Isaiah, was told by God to tell him that he was going to die shortly (Isaiah 38:1). Saint Thomas explains further (Summa Contra Gentiles, Book 3, Chapter 154, para. 13) that, shortly thereafter, the Prophet Isaiah received another revelation for the King, wherein God said that He was granting fifteen more years to his life!
The other example is the Prophet, Jonah, who was told by God to tell the Ninevites that in forty days Nineveh was to be destroyed. In both these cases, God did not do what He said He would do through His Prophet. Did God lie? Was it from the Devil? No! Saint Thomas’s explains that God did not tell these two Prophets the whole picture! They only saw part of the puzzle; they only saw the future event as God gave them it – in terms of its causality or in terms of a partial perspective. These causes were conditional. This was not perceived by the Prophet because God Willed it so. In reality there was no failure at all! There was only a modification of the original Prophecy based upon a conditional cause that God foresaw in His Divine Providence – but did not advise His Prophet of this possibility in advance. This is also because the Word of God is always a test of obedience. It is especially the case for the Prophet, Jonah, who initially tried to run away from God in order to avoid going to Nineveh!
William’s Mystical Marriage to Our Lady
I first met William on May 12, 1987 in Fort Myers Florida. My whole life changed that week. I realised that God was calling me. I was called by Our Lady to listen to the ‘Little Pebble’, because She said to me: God would advise me through him about what God was revealing to the world. A little more than a week later I joined him for a Retreat that was scheduled in Canada for the members of Brother Joseph Francis’ Community in the City of Saint John, New Brunswick. Brother Joseph Francis founded this Community which was also the Mother House, and they were named: the Pillars and Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On May 21, 1987 during the Retreat, William was Mystically married to Our Lady. I officiated at the wedding ceremony in the Mother House. Almost a year before, William had a Vision of a “golden cord” being tied around his hands which was symbolic of the event. It is remarkable the way this came about. The previous year, October, 1986, the Seer, Brother Joseph Francis, came to Australia with his Spiritual Director, Father Belanger, to visit the ‘Little Pebble’. While in Australia, through a Message given to Brother Joseph Francis, Our Lord asked that William Mystically marry Our Lady. He described and explained the symbol of the “golden cord”. It symbolised William’s betrothal to Mary and it represented Her Immaculate Heart.
Our Lord revealed that within one year this Wedding would take place. Others would feel the Love that Our Lady would share with William. Father Belanger approved and counselled this to be done. Our Lord further requested that William abstain from sexual relations with his wife, Anne for nine months as part of the betrothal period and as a sacrifice; an offering to God. William and Anne agreed to this request and were faithful to it, in obedience. In May 1987, when William arrived in New Brunswick, Our Lady came to him holding an “egg”. Our Lady opened this little “egg”, showed William a little girl and told him her name – it was to be “Cecilia”. Our Lady explained that this child was a gift from Her Immaculate Heart to him for the occasion of their Mystical Wedding. When William returned to Australia, a short time later Anne conceived and had a little girl, and together they agreed to name her “Cecilia”, the name Our Lady had given her. This Grace and Gift to William was accepted in faith and obedience to what God revealed through Brother Joseph Francis.
Virtue of Hope
Hope is the virtue that makes us desire God as our highest good and expect – with a firm confidence – eternal happiness and the means of attaining it, because of God’s Goodness and Power. The principle sins against hope are despair and presumption.
William has always had a great awareness that God can do everything – and that God is so infinitely good that He Wills to do good to him. I know that William has been in some extremely perplexing moral dilemmas. Yet through the experience of being faithful to God’s Will while being pushed to the limit of resistance to temptation, he has always been wonderfully rewarded by God’s Protection of his state of grace and his dignity. He has never despaired of God. Secondly, William has always believed that God Loved him with a Love of predilection. However, he has never presumed upon God’s Goodness. Through some rather difficult experiences in his life he realised that God’s Fidelity to His own goodness was worthy of trust. The following is an example of what I want to say.
Community Life and Human Weakness
Since February, 1988, the Community of Gethsemane of the Order of Saint Charbel began to take shape near Nowra. For William, this would slowly become one trial after another as people joined the Community. The hardest thing for William to bear was the fact that the members could not seem to get along with each other. On so many occasions William was called to mediate a solution to the conflicts. This would last momentarily. William designed rosters for work, recreation, meals etc. He assigned individual members to particular responsibilities. However, sooner or later various members would be at each other again – lack of charity and intolerance! This lack of charity and intolerance was the main reason why members would not work well together. William manifested a great hope and trust in God to accomplish His purposes with the members in spite of these problems. He never gave up hope, even when it looked increasingly impossible for certain members to overcome their personal faults. He always pointed to the positive side of things – of progress and development of the property. Ten years later, in 1998, the Community has developed significantly in the spiritual and temporal domains. The Rule and Constitutions have gone through seven revisions. These revisions are the fruit of trial and error. The lived experience of the charism of the Order has determined how we have developed. William was always a good example of hope to everyone.
Disunity among the Seers
I think that the disunity among the Seers around the world has caused William a great suffering. Human frailty is always the cause of most problems. William has always been the mediator of disputes. His Mission to unite the Seers in the world was given to William by Our Lord and Our Lady. It was revealed to Sister Guadalupe as far back as 1983 that all Seers had to unite with the ‘Little Pebble’. Through the years the call for unity increased as more and more Seers started to unite with William; however, because of problematic human errors, coupled with pride, many subsequently fell out of unity as soon as William corrected them on some important matter which could not be passed over. In some cases it was a situation of heresy or of immorality, which would be a cause of scandal. William never despaired of ever achieving this unity because he realised that only God could cause such unity by revealing His Will to these Seers in a profound way. God permitted the disunity. Nevertheless, apart from the need for restitution, William always valued the dignity of each Seer. Pope John Paul II expressed well what William has always tried to do:
“In analysing the Parable of the Prodigal Son, we have already called attention to the fact that he who forgives and he who is forgiven encounter one another at an essential point, namely the dignity or essential value of the person, a point which cannot be lost and the affirmation of which, or its rediscovery, is a source of the greatest joy.” (cf. John Paul II, Dives in Misericordia, 14).
William has always helped those Seers who apologised for their error and humbly requested to return to unity. He helped them to make restitution to God and to the Truth – upholding their dignity and publicly announcing that all should accept their newfound unity.
Lack of Financial Assistance
From the beginning William was forced to rely on donations. He did not have such large assets to be able to own all properties and housing in the Community. Through the generosity of certain souls who were financially stable William was able to sustain an initial foundation of a Community of the Order. In 1986, the original Community was formed in Gilgandra, New South Wales. The property of 6,000 acres of farmland sustained the families of the Order who were to live there. As it happened, a few years later, the owner of the property lost faith in William, and thus wanted to disassociate with him. This caused William many problems because he was forced into making arrangements to relocate certain families who wanted to remain united with him. They did not have the financial means to do this themselves. He had to move them onto the property near Nowra. This was a financial burden because he then had to redirect the small, useable, funds into housing to salvage a serious problem for some families. In these often-recurring situations, of one kind or another, William always gave generously of his personal finance in order to help those in need. There were several families, that will remain anonymous, whom he significantly helped to overcome their financial burden by making it possible for them to come into our Community. He also did this for a few overseas families wanting to join our Order. He never asked for any compensation for his charity.
Through wonderful generosity of many pilgrims and from many supporters from quite a few countries overseas William received the donations to build a Chapel. In 1992-93 he was able to finance the project. This Chapel is known as the “Chapel of All Apparitions”. It is a tribute to the devotion and virtue of so many good people who wanted to help William to build it for Our Lady. William has always upheld these generous persons as an example for us – how we have benefited from the charity of their gift offered to God! For me personally, he paid for the costs of a solicitor – for seven years – in order for me to appeal my application for Permanent Residency in Australia. I actually won the case in Federal Court and was granted the request – and, later, I became an Australian Citizen.
On his journeys overseas he often saw specific needs of the people in the poorer countries. For instance, in India, William has helped a number of Catholic Priests to finance the building of their own Chapels. William personally donated from his own supply of funds to help the poorer parishes. He always hoped in God to provide for all his needs and the needs of the Communities. This is detailed elsewhere.
Our Lord asked William to purchase several small supermarkets in order to safeguard the Communities growth towards self-sufficiency. William did not have the assets to purchase these outright. So he had to rely on the generosity of certain members to go in with him for a joint purchase. This was a tremendously expensive venture. William never lost hope in God to see this through. He was always rewarded. Yet, God always asked more and more of him – especially the overseas journeys, which were a tremendous expense. However, he always trusted that God would provide the necessary funds either before the journey or after. God never failed to provide what was needed.
Journey Overseas
He has often been in situations overseas where either a war started (eg. Rwanda) or the flights were cancelled, or his luggage was lost! He always suffers air-sickness on his overseas journeys, yet he never loses hope that God will help him with the strength necessary to accomplish His Will. In 1995 I had the privilege of travelling with William for six weeks. The flights were difficult and William was air-sick on most of them. Our Lady gave the name of a certain Angel to help us on these aircraft – and William often prayed to this Angel for a smooth flight. Many times he saw the Angel supporting the aircraft during stormy weather so the plane would not bounce around too much.
We went to Poland on this particular journey. During the days before, William suffered food poisoning. Nevertheless, he had to keep his schedule of meetings, which had been already arranged, in Poland. Having just got off the flight in Poland, we boarded two cars for a two hour trip. While travelling by car, William and James were in the car ahead of us and Vito and myself were in the car behind. William was very ill at this moment. He had to ask the driver to stop fairly often in order to visit the toilet. I felt very sorry for him because this was a big penance, yet he always bore it patiently. On this same journey, while we were travelling home on Singapore Airlines, William became very ill again. I asked one of the stewardesses to please assist him. This very nice woman, named “Grace”, went out of her way to help him to be comfortable for the long journey back to Australia. I wrote a letter of commendation to Singapore Airlines on behalf of William for her outstanding care. William was always an edification to me by his patience with all sorts of penances. What struck me the most was his trust that God would provide for him. He had this undiminished hope that God would give him the strength to carry out his meetings with the people in the various countries.
Virtue of Charity
God’s Witness
Charity is the virtue which causes us to love God above all things, for His Own Sake – in the way in which God Loves Himself – and to love our neighbour for God’s sake. The principal sins against charity are indifference, ingratitude, tepidity, spiritual sloth and hatred of God. One of the most remarkable things about William above all other qualities of his personality is his love for God and neighbour; It is extraordinary! Having travelled with William overseas for long journeys I have noticed that everyone he meets expresses the same sentiments. Every person of good-will who has ever met William has liked him as a person or, at the very least, considered him to be a fair minded individual who could be trusted. The many tradesmen and other business persons with whom he deals also prove this point. All who come to be his friends feel the same way. William also has a good credit rating and always pays his debts on time. Secondly, he is not a jealous or envious of any man. He has more than any man could ever want. Most of all, he considers that God is his real treasure.
A holy person is seldom recognised as such while he lives. In fact, history is full of examples of holy men and women who passed for “fools” in the eyes of the world. Many of these holy people were later canonised by the Church and upheld for the world to see as outstanding examples of Christian virtue. The unspiritual man is unable to recognise true virtue even when it stares him in the face. This is because we tend to judge others as we see ourselves. A great Carmelite Saint who only a year ago was declared a Doctor of the Church – Saint Thérèse of Lisieux – made this very true summary of what I want to say: “What a joy to suffer for Him who loves us unto folly and to pass as fools in the eyes of the world. We judge others as we judge ourselves, and since the world is senseless, it naturally thinks we are the ones who are senseless” (LT 169 – to Celine, August 19, 1894). William’s deep love for God has been fostered over the years through deep, mystical, prayer and the experience of God’s Beauty and Love. This same love overflows out of him into his relations with the people around him and those whom he meets.
William could never be characterised as “indifferent”. Since God has made him a public Seer, he has always been involved with thousands of persons around the world who are in contact with him by letter, telephone or by fax. On an average, the amount of paper passing through William’s two fax machines would be about one thousand pages per month! He has made more than fifty-five major journeys around the world promoting the Apparitions and Mission of Our Lady. He is not an “ungrateful” person. God has blessed him in extraordinary ways – and he has always shared his experiences with others. In this way he has always acknowledged God as the Author of the Graces given to him. Whenever anyone was cured or healed in any way, William always expressed his gratitude to God and advised others that their cure was from God, not from him.
William is not “tepid”, or lacking in conviction. He has never been afraid to promote what is right or to denounce what is wrong. He has always upheld what is true and fraternally corrected those promoting what is false. There are many examples of this in this book. However, one notable example I will cite is when Sister Guadalupe and her Promoter, Ronel, insisted that Sister Guadalupe was the “Woman of the Apocalypse”. Furthermore, they both insisted in 1989 that William should take over the leadership from Pope John Paul II, whose authority in the Church, they maintained, was severely diminished.
The reason for this, they asserted was because William was already mystically leading the Church! William, categorically, corrected both of them on these matters. He informed them that it was a heresy to claim that Sister Guadalupe was the Mother of God. Secondly, he corrected their “understanding” about the Pope. William clearly made them see that he – William – was not the Pope; that all authority was vested in Pope John Paul II and that all must obey the Pope.
This is merely one example of hundreds where misguided people tried to push William into their fantasy world. There were also occasions where William was offered bribes, or was pressured into denouncing persons unfairly, all of which he resisted strongly. He was deceived and “set-up” to fall into a trap through a hidden conspiracy of Seers in Japan, in 1994. In all of these occasions, and more, William was never intimidated by such behaviour. He has courageously and humbly defended the Truth and defended the good name of other persons. He has made many public declarations in defence of the Truth and for the good of the faithful.
He has known hard work ever since his early youth while working on a farm with his parents. He is not spiritually slothful. He has always worked hard each day and even in the night hours, but he never neglected his duties to his wife and children; he has always made time for both. In order to live at this level of intensity he had to order his life and daily routine in order to keep the balance. He has always lived an orderly and balanced life. He believes firmly in good health and proper hygiene, which is so necessary in a Community atmosphere.
Promoted the Messages of Other Seers
It is very important for the reader to understand something fundamental about the charity that William possesses. In most of the important events of his life – wherein Our Lord or Our Lady asked something of him; or Commanded him to do something – these directions came to him through the Private Revelations given to other Seers. In some cases William did not initially receive the Message about a given subject or Command from God. However, Our Lord or Our Lady always revealed directly to him God’s Will. Yet, William always kept his personal certitude to himself; he always relied upon the Messages of the other Seers in his association with the events concerned. In this way he showed that he was just like everyone else, when it comes to obedience to the Messages, relying on God’s Love for himself and realising that God deeply Loved these Seers and Privileged Souls too. William has always been a good example for the Seers and other simple souls, showing how to believe and trust in God.
Sharing the Reward God Gives to the Prophet
“He that receiveth you, receiveth me: and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive the reward of a Prophet: and he that receiveth a just man in the name of a just man shall receive the reward of a just man. And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, amen, I say to you he shall not lose his reward” (Matthew 10:41-42). It is through personal involvement with the Mission that souls have been edified to realise that God Loves them and is ready to forgive them. They receive the reward of those who receive a Prophet in the Name of God. Such persons are always led to perceive their need for reconciliation in relation to Christ’s Death and Resurrection. Many are like the “Prodigal Son” in the Gospels.
William has always wanted the best for other persons, especially the members of the Order of Saint Charbel. He has always wanted to help other Seers and Privileged Souls. He was well aware that many such persons do not know what is happening to them. They are unable to understand what God is doing with them. The files of correspondence are full of letters and faxes from many such souls; some were even possessed by the Devil. I have noticed on so many occasions that such persons always felt comforted through meeting William. They often felt so relieved – as though a burden had been lifted from them. William has a great insight into human nature and a real compassion for those who suffer. On many occasions I have witnessed the inner smile of peace and joy on the face of those who were simply enjoyed being in conversation with William. One such lovely soul was Bertha Hacker, whom I met in Munich when she came to see William at the home of Mr Franz and Mrs. Ursula Krinner. This was an unforgettable experience for me. It was such a delight for me to witness her conversation with William. This woman – who was aged in her late 70’s – was a wonderful example of what I am trying to express. Her simple faith and love for God shone so brightly as she recounted unbelievably great tests of her faith! God had allowed her to go through some very difficult trials in her parish. Her faith in William as God’s Prophet and future Vicar of Christ was wonderful to see. Through William these souls came into contact with the Love of God and they received the reward of their faith. She felt so wonderfully understood!
In this regard, William is likened to Saint John the Baptist, in that he is the “spokesman” of the Mother of God, enabling souls to have contact with Her Voice – the “Voice of one who cries out in the wilderness” of this world, “to make a straight way for the Lord”. Saint John the Baptist, was a tremendous edification to the people surrounding the Jordan district. They flocked to him because they could see in his way of life that he was God’s Prophet.
The Prophet, Elijah, during the great famine, brought the Word of God to the woman whose jug of oil had run dry – she recognised God’s Word and His Prophet, thus she received the Miracle through the Prophet as the reward of those who believe in the Prophet (3 Kings 17:8-16). It was the same for the Prophet, Elisha, when there were many lepers in Israel, yet none were cured except Naaman the Syrian, because he recognised and accepted the Word of God through the Prophet, Elisha, and was cured of his leprosy (4 Kings 5:1-17). In William, this good example also radiates to others as Christian virtue. Some-times, the Grace of a Miracle is granted to these souls.
Saint Paul himself, inspired by the Holy Ghost, wrote about this same “spark of goodness” which is the glorious Grace of God we receive in Baptism (Ephesians 1:1-8). This same spark of goodness is capable of lighting (so to speak) a forest fire! It is capable of lighting the hearts of men and changing their lives. This is what I have witnessed in William’s life in the past eleven years.
Virtue of Prudence
The virtue of prudence inclines our intellect to choose in every instance the best means for attaining our true good by making our choice according to God’s Law. Prudence counsels, judges and commands us to act after we have made a mature deliberation, and a wise choice. It helps us make a right execution of the action. In community life, there are many opportunities for the practice of prudence. It is through prudence that the judgment of conscience actually comes about.
There are several qualities which help a person to become prudent. I have noticed these same qualities in William. The first is docility, which is to be well disposed to the truth. For William, I can testify that he is very docile because he always goes along with a problematic situation as long as he can unless there develops a proximate occasion to sin. Saint Thomas More was the same in the way in dealing with the evils of his day. Cleverness is the ability to discover, rapidly, various causes and effects in problematic issues. William never moves quickly in any matter. However, I have been amazed at how quickly he perceives what the crux of a problem is – then he proceeds to deal with it. Foresight is the ability to perceive distant things by human providence and to direct the present activity in the right direction. I have noticed that William realises, quite quickly, the succession of causes and their consequences when a certain course of action is presented or forced upon him. Circumspection is the ability to perceive the circumstances surrounding an action and how they can change the goodness or otherwise of the act. William always manifests this insight because he is continually aware of how circumstances surrounding a proposed action can have an adverse effect upon the Mission. Caution is the insight into situations that are dangerous. It is necessary because evil is often mixed with good, or evil can appear to be good and good be hindered by evil. Thus caution helps one to do good and to avoid evil. William is very sensitive to the techniques of evil to undermine everything that is good. He is very careful not to invite evil into situations that are already problematic. He does not allow others to invite evil into the Community or situation. In these ways William is very prudent.
Not Afraid to Tackle a Problem Directly
From the time I first met William I noticed that he had a very secure sense of his personal dignity. I also noticed on many occasions that those who abuse their positions of power or authority did not easily intimidate him. I have never seen him afraid to express his mind on any subject or to any person. Yet, he is never rude or sarcastic. However, what really impressed me, as a Catholic Priest, was his prudence and diplomacy in dealing with certain kinds of people. William will never com-promise the truth and I have never seen him do this even when in difficult situations with much at stake. Even when he knows that the consequences will turn out badly for the unity between souls – he is not afraid to say or do the right thing. It has truly amazed me to see how many times these same souls who break the unity of friendship always fall right on their face – and guess who is the one who always picks them up again? At some point in time these wounded souls always come back to William in sorrow and tears to apologise for their error. Who is the true friend to put them back on their path again? It is William! I have witnessed this on so many occasions that I never cease to be edified by the love and loyalty that William has for his friends.
Convincing the World of Sin
His Holiness, John Paul II, wrote about the Holy Ghost Who always convinces the world about every individual wrong concerning Jesus. In his encyclical Dominum et Vivificantem, (art. 27) he writes: “And when He comes, He will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:7). Yet, for myself and for many persons, the remarkable realisation is that this “convincing” has occurred through personal contact with the Apparitions of the Mother of God and Her Messages given to William. This is truly a sign for many people: is a sure sign of the fruits of the Holy Ghost’s activity through the Messages.
There are so many distortions about God in this world. I have come to understand God’s Love and Mercy through my involvement with the Messages of Our Lady given to William. I have seen how William lives the Messages himself. I have also come to understand the leniency of God towards persons of goodwill. As long as a person is sincerely trying to approach the truth about God or about themselves – God is very lenient with them. However, if a person is stubborn – insisting on doing his own will while having sufficient knowledge of what is right, and freedom to choose otherwise – then God allows them to suffer the effects of choosing a wrong, particular, path. I have seen William exercise great prudence in helping souls to do the right thing. Oftentimes, he has been directed by Jesus or Mary to fraternally correct a person who is in the wrong. He does not crush them or intimidate a person who is sincerely ignorant. However, he never compromises the truth, even though he will take great measures to accommodate himself to the personality and needs of that person in order to help that soul come into the light in order to know God’s Will. He also realises that not every soul is capable to the same degree in handling the same knowledge of certain Mysteries of faith. Every person has to be led by God, gently, upon his or her own path. In my opinion William has the virtues of a good shepherd of souls.
Virtue of Justice
The virtue of justice inclines our will to give to others at all times what is strictly due to them. Social justice requires that the individual person give to society what he owes to the common good. Likewise, those who govern society must give to the individual person what is their due through a fair distribution of the social advantages and social burdens according to the capacity of each person and in view of his dignity. These same principles govern the Order of Saint Charbel in the various relationships among members and regarding the common good.
Defender of Justice
He has always had a deep sense of justice and human rights. He has often publicly defended those who have been crushed down by the “rich” and “powerful” – and often has shared with me his disappointment that some people in authority “lord” it over the more defenceless members of society. Such has been the case for the Marian Work of Atonement Society Limited; and also for the Order of Saint Charbel. Various Media presentations have prejudiced various persons of authority influencing their opinions about William in a negative way. For example, William has been refused legitimate representation by certain Solicitors because of the calumny and detraction in the Media. He has been refused banking privileges, even though he has an excellent credit rating with several banking institutions. There are, of course, many incidents of these type of things – all because of the Media! Had William had the necessary funds to pursue certain law suits he would have long ago initiated these in the appropriate forum.
However, William has often been put into situations where injustices are perpetrated by Christian souls, which have often been justified in the name of virtue. I have personally witnessed innumerable occasions when these sorts of problems are brought to him to solve. Sometimes people force him to solve problems that are pushed upon him through the imprudence of others. Some problems come to him via fax, letter, phone or in person. Many times these situations have occurred overseas and it is not always possible to get all of the facts easily. Sometimes matters are brought to his attention by Seers around the world because of their disunity; or other privileged souls who are involved in conflicts with the clergy, family members, relatives, or workmates. All of this is because of their belief in William. Sometimes it is certain members of the Order of Saint Charbel who, finding it difficult to be tolerant, cannot deal with their neighbour in a virtuous way.
All of these types of situations and persons want William to solve their problems. William has always had a keen sense of justice and the right to present your case. He is always very fair and very good at diplomacy. When things are confused or hidden he knows how to be patient allowing time for persons to take their action, thus following through with their intentions. He has always believed that a “good tree” will bear good fruit and a “bad tree” will bear bad fruit.
There are so many examples. On one occasion William trusted his partners in a handshake agreement regarding the purchase of property for a proposed Community. He trusted them to live by basic Christian virtue. He has always trusted people to be true to their own word. However, these same persons turned against William because of a crisis of faith that they went through. They then proceeded to take William to court over the question of property ownership. It is this family who were unjust! Consequently, William has had to adjust his relations with people so that they comply with legal standards for simple business agreements. Anyone wanting to help Our Lady’s Mission must fit into this standard. Now he does everything with the aid of Solicitors in order to protect the assets of Our Lady’s Works.
All are Free
Since 1984 the TV and Print Media have made it their trademark in their brand of journalism to say that the members of the “Inner Circle” of the Marian Work of Atonement and the members of the Order of Saint Charbel are allegedly not free to come or go as they please! They have attempted to fuel this fire by their insistence in alleging William is a ‘cult’ leader – that we are a dangerous ‘sect’ and a menace to society. This is such outrageous and unethical journalism that it defies description! It is degrading and insults the dignity of William as a person! They have continued this same theme for years! Nothing could be further from the truth. William has continuously made it clear in many talks and written memoranda that everyone remains free to embrace the rules and regulations that identify our Catholic identity as a “New Form of Consecrated Life”. He has also accommodated every person and family to be able live according to the Rule and Constitutions. He has always allowed for the needs of certain persons to adjust themselves slowly. For those members who have left the Order they have done so freely and without hindrance from anyone. These are the facts, which are also documented in our files. Because of the Media’s misrepresentation William has always been aware of the necessity of publicly demonstrating the fact that all are free to come or go in this way. William has always promoted the fact that the law of a licensed Caravan Park governs us with its various requirements for tenants. This licensing category was necessary from the beginning because the Church has not approved us yet.
Rash Judgment
William has on many occasions in the past also experienced, first-hand, such rash judgment of his person by the Church Hierarchy as to hinder him at every level of appeal. Until just recently, in September, 1998, it had been impossible to gain a fair hearing of his cause. Clergymen in high authority – who rashly judged William – caused this with opinions based solely on suspicions. The spokes-persons in some Dioceses have terribly misrepresented the truth on many occasions. There are many examples here. Most of William’s problems – at every level – stem from the Church hierarchy not upholding him through a legitimate canonical investigation. This mode of judging William is not limited to the Clergy. It has also happened to certain Seers who were tempted by suspicion and fell into confusion. They, also, rashly judged William. A good example is the Seer known as the ‘Trumpeter’. He and Father Yves-Marie Blais have caused great insult and damage to that reputation. This requires restitution. Most of this could have been avoided long ago if the competent authority had accepted the responsibility to conduct an ecclesiastical investigation.
Restitution
William feels strongly – and rightly so – that a person who gravely destroys another person’s good name must make restitution to the same degree by which they destroyed it. I have already referred to several examples. This is traditional Catholic morality. I would like to quote a text of Pope John Paul II speaking about Saint Peter’s question to Jesus, asking how many times he should forgive his neighbour? In its full beauty the Pope answers clearly about the nature of forgiveness and restitution: “It is obvious that such a generous requirement of forgiveness does not cancel out the objective requirements of justice. Properly understood, justice constitutes, so to speak, the goal of forgiveness. In no passage of the Gospel message does forgiveness, or mercy as its source, mean indulgence towards evil, towards scandal, towards injury or insult. In any case, reparation for evil and scandal, compensation for injury, and satisfaction for insult are conditions for forgiveness” (cf. John Paul II, Dives in Misericordia, 14). The reader can see from this text that restitution – which is a part of justice – is the goal to which forgiveness looks. Those who are in authority ought to ensure that restitution is made so that the conditions for forgiveness are realised. The conditions referred to by the Pope are reparation for evil and scandal, compensation for injury, and satisfaction for insult. This is also dealt with in the 1983 Code of Canon Law. In this way true love can reveal its own nature in he who is forgiven and he who forgives. Although the other side of this coin is Mercy; nevertheless, the fulfilment of the conditions of justice is indispensable.
The Pope continues: “Forgiveness, in fact, shows that, over and above the process of ‘compensation’ and ‘truce’ which is specific to justice, love is necessary, so that man may affirm himself as man. Fulfilment of the conditions of justice is especially indispensable in order that love may reveal its own nature.” (cf. John Paul II, Dives in Misericordia, 14).
Unfortunately, most of the problems stemming from human intolerance are rooted in suspicion, which leads to rash judgments. This scenario is also true for other Seers from around the world. It becomes practically impossible for many of these privileged and simple souls to discern what God is asking of them. Some clergy have fallen into this trap and become instrumental in hindering the authentic Privileged Souls from fulfilling what God asks of them. As with the Pharisees of Old, many in high places have created huge obstacles in the way of William. He cannot address his canonical rights as a Catholic faithful because most times every door is shut. This is also one of the reasons that God has appointed William to the mission of uniting all of the Seers around the world. He has often expressed his indignation towards the injustice of those who perpetrate unjust acts upon the innocent and has always felt compassion for those who are victimised in this way.
Give to God what is God’s
Justice towards God is called the virtue of Religion, which inclines our will to give God the worship that is due Him because of His Infinite Excellence and His Sovereign Dominion over us. This requires true devotion and implies our submission to God through obedience to lawful authority in-so-far-as they are representatives of God. It is truly ironic that William has so definitively and strongly upheld the authentic Teachings of the Magisterium over all these years. Many times, the Seers who abandon their unity with William try to justify themselves according to all sorts of spurious theological claims to the true Teachings of the Church. However, it is always just the opposite. William has had to publicly defend the Deposit of Faith on many occasions even though the unity of the Seers in question would be sacrificed because of their unwillingness to be submissive to the Truth. These are all documented public facts that have been written and promulgated by William around the world. In all cases the faithful were edified by William’s clear explanation of the real causes of disunity! Just five examples would be Sister Guadalupe; the ‘Trumpeter’; Father Yves-Marie Blais; ‘Little Dove’ and Father Georges Miault. There are many other examples too numerous to count.
Virtue of Fortitude
Fortitude is the virtue that helps us overcome our fears. It assures stability and perseverance in doing what is good even, in the face of trials. The virtue of fortitude enables us to resist even the fear of death and to suffer everything in defence of our faith. We are helped by the Promise of Our Lord: “In the world you will face persecution. But take courage, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). It manifests itself in several ways. Magnanimity – is a virtue which enables a person to do great things with great confidence, bringing great honour to themselves. William really shines in this way because he has initiated great things for God and people. This is especially true because he is the Founder of a New Form of Consecrated Life – the Order of Saint Charbel. Magnificence is the virtue enabling a person to make something which is great, but very difficult because of its cost in relation to one’s assets. William has taken on huge responsibilities to mortgage properties and to manage his assets in order to make it possible for development of the Communities.
He also gave financial help to others to make the transition into the Community life easier. Patience enables a person to endure hardship which causes sorrow in the pursuit of good. William is always patient. He has developed the patience to always go slowly in whatever he does. Perseverance enables a person to endure delays in the attainment of good. In this regard William has heroic virtue! He has endured the delays of the Prophetic Word of God, which meant only more sufferings and trials!
The True Measure of a Man is the Cross of Christ
Even though I have touched upon this above, I would like the reader to see that one of the most significant marks that authentically identifies a person as ‘sent by God’ is the virtue he must have to carry the cross. A holy person always comes to realise – sooner or later – that it is only in the cross that he will have the strength to persevere in the Will of God. Every joy and every sorrow contains within it the Kiss of Divine Love. William has for a long time recognised the Cross of Christ for its true value. Many Saints, as well as holy men and women, have been upheld by the Church through the centuries for their heroic virtue and witness to Christ’s Love in the face of great trials – even to the point of martyrdom! Like Saint Paul, everything in his life has also been measured by this standard. When any person of good-will finally comes to understand this reality, he has already reached the starting point for his personal ascent of Calvary. Out of all the many souls I have met in my life as a Priest, I have never met anyone like William.
Persecution
The experience of suffering always proves the sincerity of any person’s desires. This has often come to William in the form of persecution. For a long time, William has been through tremendous persecution. Over these past eleven years I have personally witnessed many public and private judgments in the form of calumny and detraction against William and against his Mission as the ‘Little Pebble’. As mentioned before, these have occurred through individuals who have taken it upon themselves to attack William’s credibility through newspaper journalism; and through the television media – on a national and sometimes international scale. It is incredible to me that these persons have been so rash and so misinformed as to speak or write against him such malicious things based only upon their suspicions. Our Lord’s Words in the Holy Gospel seem to have little meaning for such persons: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; because the judgements you give are the judgements you will get, and the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given” (Matthew 7:1). Saint Thomas Aquinas rightly maintains that such rash judgments based upon suspicions which lead a person to make accusations labelling a person as gravely evil is a mortal sin (Summa Theologica Part II-II, Question 60, Articles 1 through 6). This sort of labelling has happened on many occasions. It is true, these same persons are ignorant of the real facts – yet their ignorance is not invincible, and they remain responsible for their public words and actions.
Strong Will to Persevere
God has given William a great determination to do the right thing once he perceives what the right thing is and where his duty lies. Obviously, the whole question of the formation of conscience is important. William has always identified himself with his Catholic faith and will not violate God’s Ten Commandments or God’s Truth under any circumstances. He has always tried to inform his conscience according to the demands of Truth itself and the Sacred Magisterium of the Church. When he has found himself in situations of what “seemed” to be a conflict between the revealed Truth of Private Revelation and the contrary requirement of obedience to the local Bishop – he has always prayed and waited for God to solve this problem knowing full well that God cannot contradict Himself. In 1990 – when God Commanded him to get married again while already being married – he did not immediately jump into this situation, even though he was not in doubt about what God was asking him. He did not want to be in a situation that appears, on the surface, to violate God’s own Law! He could see clearly the consequences on a world scale of what people would think about this. He knew that the Mission would suffer from the suspicions of many persons who could not or would not understand why he would do such a thing. He understood that he was under a test from God similar to that which God asked of Abraham: to sacrifice his only son, Isaac – a seeming contradiction of God’s own Word in the Old Testament! William prayed and suspended his judgment for a long time – over many months in fact. He did not reject God’s Command, but he prayed for understanding and strength.
He asked many Seers around the world to ask Our Lord if what he received was true. He asked me to look up the teachings of the Church on the morality of this situation. After taking time to listen to what God was telling many other seers confirming the Command of God William then made his decision to obey that Command. Once he made this decision he resolutely proceeded forward. He is faithful and loyal to any person of good-will as long as that person is also faithful to the Truth. This is because William is, first of all, faithful to God and His Promises.
He is a Patient Man
He has a high tolerance for pain – especially mental pain caused by the many problems he has to deal with on a daily basis in the office. He is not an impulsive person – on the contrary, as indicated before, everyone knows him as a person who always takes time – moving slowly towards his goals. Consequently, setbacks or vacillation in the minds of associates does not easily discourage William in his work. William will take on any problem which interferes with him reaching his goal, even if this means he has to do it all himself. He is very practical and always relies on any common sense appraisal on how to solve a problematic situation.
Virtue of Temperance
Temperance moderates our desires through self-control. It moderates the attraction of pleasure – bodily, emotional, and spiritual. The strongest of these inclinations are eating, drinking, and procreation. The loss of self-control against these strong inclinations ushers in the possibility of disaster, even to the loss of salvation through abandonment of God, whereby a person prefers, rather, the pleasures of the flesh or the world.
According to Saint Thomas, the virtues related to temperance are, firstly, Meekness and Clemency, which moderate the passion of anger. Anger often appears because of the loss of self-control in something we desire ardently. Meekness restrains anger while clemency prevents a man from taking revenge on those who have hurt him. It also restrains cruelty. William is a living example of meekness. I have never seen him lose control of himself through anger. On one occasion a member who is no longer with us struck his own wife in anger, in the presence of myself and William. We were both shocked that any member would do such a thing to his own wife! William remained in complete control as he strongly and definitively told him never to do such a thing again – or he would be out on the street immediately! I have seen William’s clemency in action on an occasion with Father Gebicki after Father betrayed their friendship the first time. William has never had the desire for revenge. He has always known that those who have hurt him will have a much harder time when they answer to God for what they have done. However, there are many examples too numerous to name, beginning with the ‘Trumpeter’ and Father Yves-Marie Blais, of people who have done dramatic and grave damage to Our Lady’s Work and to William’s good name. I have already treated this topic above.
Secondly, Humility which directs a person’s desires for his own excellence and for knowledge through self-control. Regarding knowledge, it moderates the desire of curiosity, which can be very dangerous for our soul. It moderates the desire to want what is unreasonable and beyond a person’s capability. Humility does not makes a person think less of himself, but is based upon an honest estimate of one’s capacities. Through humility a person sees what he cannot do and abstains from trying to do what is impossible. Thus he realises his need for self-control. William is a humble man who has received extraordinary gifts of Grace and Privileges of God to an exemplary degree; he is esteemed all over the world by young and old as well as by Heads of State and ordinary folk. Yet, through it all he is a person who lives in the present moment. He does not live a fantasy world of the future that has not yet arrived. He does not live in the past either, nor does he stand on ceremony, but he does believe strongly in the dignity of the person and modesty of bearing.
In Conclusion
A Voice Crying in the Wilderness
Like Saint John the Baptist, Mary’s Apparitions to the ‘Little Pebble’ are like a ‘voice’ crying out to our generation to make straight the path that leads to God. Her Voice is very motherly, yet the Messages are strong and decisive. Pope Paul VI called Her the “Star of Evangelisation”. Our Lady through Her ‘Little Pebble’, wants to lead all souls of good-will towards the Promised Land to greet Jesus in His Second Coming. In the First Advent it was only the Shepherds and the Wise Men who were given the Grace of God to recognise Jesus in Mary’s Arms. At His Presentation in the Temple it was only Simeon and Anna who were given the Grace that day to recognise the Baby Jesus in the Arms of Mary. In our day it is only the “little souls” who are truly poor in spirit who are capable of recognising that we are at the time of the Second Coming. In this time a “Second Advent” will also precede the Second Coming of Jesus. In these times we shall witness the unfolding of the Prophetic events of the Book of the Apocalypse. It is the time of the “Great Apostasy” foreseen by Saint Paul. However, it is also the time foreseen by Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort, when God will raise up a “Legion of Mary” – the Saints of the “Latter Days”. This should not be too difficult to see in light of the Papal teaching of Pope John Paul II – addressing the signs of our times – in these last twenty years. If the reader can grasp these realities in simplicity and humility he will be able to understand something of the “spark of goodness” in the mystery surrounding the life of William Kamm.
“In this way we distinguish the children of God from the children of the Devil: anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God. This is the message as you heard it from the beginning: that we are to love one another … You must not be surprised, brothers, when the world hates you; we have passed out of death and into life, and of this we can be sure because we love our brothers. … This has taught us love – that He gave up His life for us; and we, too, ought to give up our lives for our brothers … My children, our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active; only by this can we be certain that we are children of the truth …” (1 John 3:10-11,13-14,16,18-19).
May Jesus, Our Saviour, Bless all who read these pages, may Mary caress you tenderly to Her Immaculate Heart.