Hello.. Are there a few others who share your concerns ? why not arrange to meet maybe for a coffee and a chat and some prayer and then, if that goes well, make a regular commitment to meet with eachother to pray for your Parish and share a meal occasionally. When we reach out to others and build friendships, amazing things start to happen. You could be the start of revival in your parish, because I'm sure you aren't the only one who is feeling anxious about what is happening. Do it !
It is very easy to be tempted to believe that God has abandoned his people in these times. The shepherds are weak the flock is scattered there is discord and division in the ranks. The smoke of satan has descended upon poor humanity which drinks the bitter cup of rebellion. But our Lady is close and she can and will look after us. In recent times she has been so close to me that I can almost physically see her (and would not be surprised if I did!)
God has not abandoned His people and never will. It is rather us who abandon Him. I like the analogy that we are in a "Saint machine" in the world. It is true. We face a choice like all the Saints have faced. When faced with ridicule, slander, lies, injustice, retraction, rumours, exclusion and unfairness, the Saints such as Saints Bernadette and Faustina kept their eyes on running the race to the end to claim the prize as St Paul fittingly described our earthly pilgrimage. These Saints rightly perceived that these adverse conditions and circumstances were in fact wonderful opportunities to experience what Jesus Himself experienced and thereby opportunities to more closely imitate Him and be conformed to Him. Yes they suffered in earthly terms undoubtedly. They suffered excruciating humiliations but recognised that God never asks of us the impossible or more than we can bear. He gives us the graces necessary to assist us to face and overcome any and all adversity. If only we ask. These opportunities, when the world wilfully misunderstands, ignores, mocks and spits upon and abuses and misrepresents and calumnates all those who look to Jesus Christ as their King, when understood as a training school to fit us to more closely resemble and follow our King are opportunities indeed. We get to follow in Christ's very footsteps. He showed us the way. It is hard, very hard to pardon injuries but Christ Himself did it. He understood that the people did not know what they were doing when they called for the torture and death of their Saviour, the only one who truly loved them. And so it is even until our day. The vast majority of people still don't know. They still don't get it. They fall for the lies, the propaganda, the shrill voices calling for violence and death and for people to do away with anything that would call to conversion. The crowd before Pilate was whipped up and incited by cynical and cunning agents with an agenda. Most were either ignorant, uneducated, comfortable in their lifestyles, or naive and gullible, and blinded by their sins of varying degrees of seriousness. Most were not malicious. They were misguided and used by evil men pulling their strings, manipulating them for their own ends. Behind it all was, as today, Satan and the forces of hell. Satan of course is still extremely active. Many do His work and his bidding although how many are fully aware that it is he who they serve and are happy to be doing so, only God knows. I am sure many of his human agents working today to persecute Christ and His people actually think that they are doing good. Many of those defending and promoting abortion and euthanasia think they are actually doing good. Only a few of the top people, the big players behind the scenes know the real truth of what abortion and euthanasia mean really. They are probably laughing at the foot soldiers promoting these things regarding them as useful idiots. We must therefore feel pity and sorrow for these mostly deluded and deceived people. We must pray for them that their eyes are opened before it is too late. God loves them too and wants their salvation. We live in terrifying and dark times. However these are also times abounding in opportunities for those who love and follow Jesus to become great Saints who can inspire those who come after with their example and witness. We must be ready to embrace even death itself for Jesus for that may well be the price we are asked to pay, with our very blood, for an eternal crown. May Jesus Christ be praised forever.
