The Feature Article, begun in the inaugural issue two years ago, deals with the state of the Church. We continue probing the question that has perplexed the Magisterium and the laity for the past 30 years as the liberal element has left its mark, effecting changes that have seemingly watered down the "Roman Catholic" traditions. Yet, God in His Infinite Wisdom, has allowed this to happen for a specific purpose. He has been preparing us in a special way by sending His very Own Blessed Mother to guide us and remind us of our roots. Through perseverance, prayer and loyalty to Holy Mother Church headed by the Holy Father John Paul II and adhered to by the faithful who will not compromise, the pendulum is beginning to swing back toward the conservative side.
In the one-hundredth installment of this on-going feature series, we continue a short series on what should be our nation's creed - "In God we trust" - but we ask if this is truly a committed belief or mere shallow words. We are now in the season of Lent, a time for manifesting this true trust through obedience to God's Holy Will and in practicing penance, fasting and surrendering our wills for the sake of the Divine Will. It is not easy, but the Church, in her wisdom, provides the perfect platform for us to be "practicing penitents." Unfortunately, too many have become spoiled by the good life and don't want to let go, don't want to live up to the words of trusting totally in God. We must remember the addage, if we are standing still, we're going backwards and the only way to make progress in God's court is to embrace Lent in the true spirit of obedience.
As always this column is meant to alert the reader to what is happening and sound the call to arms, to enlist in Mary's army and take up the battle cry. God said it, we believe it, that settles it! Too many Catholics are going their own way with little regard to what their spiritual shepherd - the Vicar of Christ says. Sin is whitewashed. If we're not careful there will be a tremendous backwash and who among us wants to get caught in the vortex of that swirling whirlpool of Justice? This series is a set blueprint for Catholics everywhere to take up the banner of truth in defending Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church as we prepare for this glorious event - the second coming of Christ and the Reign of the Sacred Heart, the Second Pentecost, the Era of the Eucharistic Presence, the Advent of Peace.
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Installment One Hundred
The Forty-Fourth Clarion: part two
IN GOD WE TRUST
"Children, with what difficulty will they who have riches enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Mark 10: 24-25
As part of Our Lady's army, her "prayer warriors", her apostles of the
last days, her little remnant...we have been entrusted with a greater
responsibility, a greater trust from God than other of His children. Why?
Only God knows the reason. But we do know it is not our worthiness. Most
likely, it is our willingness.
We must trust God enough that whatever He sends our way we will praise
Him. Just as the Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph and all of the angels and
saints, throughout all ages have done, our response must be an unqualified
"Yes" to whatever we are asked or commanded to do in obedience to the
spiritual direction given to us by those God has sent to guide and help us.
Many times that is one of the major hurdles in trusting. Do we love God
enough to give up our will? Do we love Him enough to forgive everything
that has ever bothered us in our life and go on? Do we love Him enough to
recognize His voice in our spiritual directors, priests, and bishops to
say, "Yes, I will obey" even though we may not fully understand it. That''
one of the toughest commitments --blind obedience.
But in this obedience come great fruits nourished by our "yes". When we
say "yes", we are better able to recognize that the very heart of all that
we're called to be comes from His Sacred Heart, opened by a lance. Our
hearts, too, have to be pierced by that same lance, and that suffering. We
cannot be purified, cannot totally trust, unless we suffer. And we will
suffer. But what is that to us, what is that to each other, what is that
to the world as long as He knows, and it's for Him?
This last week of Lent offers an excellent opportunity to fine-tune that trust.
We must trust Him enough to let Him pierce our hearts of stone the way He
needs to pierce them in order to get through. It's going to be different
with each one of us and God expects each one of us to support each other
with prayer from the heart, with charity that has no limit, knowing that He
is there, dwelling within each one of us. Taking into consideration man's
free will and pension for succumbing to sin, jealousy, and other secular
passions, it is not always easy to trust in our fellow man. Satan works
overtime to thwart that trust.
God knows this. That is why Our Lord
suffered and died on the cross for us. God knows we are struggling. His
Holy Mother knows each one of our struggles and she can see, far more
clearly than we can the root of our struggle. In one of her Medjugorje
Messages, Our Lady said: "Satan wants to create disorder in your hearts and
in your families. Little children do not give in. You must not permit him
to lead you and your life."
Our Lady stresses that "without prayer you
cannot be close to me" and she begs us to pray and through prayer, that
trust will become more natural to us. But it is a virtue that we must work
on and nourish.
Because of our finite minds and weak wills, the root of
that struggle mentioned above is that we do not keep our eyes upon our
Crucified Savior and recognize in Him perfect Love, perfect Mercy. It is
in Him, crucified, that we must have absolute trust; trust that transcends
the human need, the human fallible weaknesses that cause us to doubt, to
question, to wonder if everything is going to work out.
It would seem we
don't have enough confidence in God. We all rely too much upon our finite
selves to address the issues of day-to-day life. When we take our eyes and
hearts off of God and focus them not only on an individual, but also upon
ourselves, it is evident there is no trust in God.
Next installment: Part Three of "IN GOD WE TRUST."
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