You know it’s good practice to get to Confession during Advent and certainly before Christmas Day. But with this news and Zelensky in DC today speaking to Congress and Biden giving him Patriot missiles, I’d say confession very needed. Clearly the risk of conflict including nuclear is higher than it has imo since the Cuban crisis. Only my son and DIL went to confession this week… none of my other kids. Yes, I worry about all the physical impacts Taft may come, but more for their immortal souls.
Yes. I am desperate to get to confession but between weather and sciatica I have been unable. I am surrendering this to Jesus. I am helpless.
Amazed to read this as I am so experiencing this moment of darkness. I need to focus on his second part… I’m in a time of grace. I must be honest, it’s a struggle.
When St Catherine Laboure received the Miraculous Medal from Our Lady, she was told that so many souls did not ask for graces. So in this time of darkness, let’s ask Our Lady to shower us with graces! But, be aware that often answers to our prayers can come in the form of the Cross. I forget that!
So true! I was talking to a priest about this recently…. Saying I want to be a better Christian but that then means lije Christ not just begrudgingly carry the cross but be happy with it b/c through our cross is resurrection. Not easy for me lately (probably longer than that tbh) to have this attitude.
I think you are succeeding. You know no one is perfect. The fact that you are giving this so much effort and attention means to me that you are succeeding. I know you offer your sufferings to the Lord.
A FURTHER ESCALATION - At a press conference today, Putin referred to the conflict with Ukraine as a 'war' for the first time. Using that word in relation to the conflict was decreed to be a criminal offence at its start punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment (presumably Putin is above the law). If officially decreed to be a war, which is presumably why he suddenly decided to use the word, universal conscription of every able bodied Russian man becomes available to him as does the right to send conscripts to the front (which they have been doing illegally since the start) and may well be the real reason for this change of description.
There does not seem to be anyone not sharing some guilt in all that is happening in the War out there, guilt more for some than for others.. I don't really doubt, given all we are told in Catholic Prophecy that things are going to end very,very badly indeed. It cheered me up to hear Pope Francis talk recently about how bad things are going to wind up. Perhaps he will Consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in conjunction with all the Bishops in the World as he was asked to. Our Lady said it would happen but at the very last minute. It is not just about War that the Mother of God has lifted the Future Veil. Spoke about swings in the weather, she has spoken very specifically about increasing seismic events. She has spoken about new plagues. In fact she has been speaking really about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. War, Famine, Plague and Death. When we look at the present weather bomb in North America, there cannot really be any doubt that it is connected with Prophecy. Because times are so so severe and terrible and the Darkness and Apostasy deepens all around us I try to look for stars in the Dark to cheer me up. One thing I have noticed recently has very considerably cheered me up and it is this: God does not wish that we should worry, He wishes that we Trust. Worrying is in a real way an insult to God as it is a Sign we Doubt His Providence. By worrying we are taking God out of the Equation. It is a real slap in the Face to Him. Well recently I have been worrying a lot especially about the War In Ukraine. But recently I have come to understand that God grants us the Grace of Occasion. In other words He does not send us the Graces we need until we really need them. So He will not send Graces just because we worry. He will however send the needed Graces at the time and place they really are needed, not just because we imagine they are. SO as we draw closer to the times of times the climax of events I find this is so. A greater and greater peace and confidence steals over my soul as events grow darker and darker. I am sure you have found this in the past in your own lives; that in times of Great Darkness and Trial Jesus and His Blessed Mother become more real and apparent than ever they do when things are cool. I pray and Trust that Jesus and Mary may take you and yours up in their arms like little babies and carry you, together with me through the Grave Storms and Darkness to come. Let us me very little and trusting that God may carry us close to His Most Sacred Heart. May the Most Holy Will of God be Done Forever and Ever. Amen.
Yes, we must live in the present moment. One spiritual writer called it “the Sacrament of the Present Moment” because it’s in the preset moment that God grants us Grace. We can’t worry about the past. Confess any sins and leave the rest in His hands. It does no good to worry about the future. As you said so well, we don’t have the Grace in the present moment to handle what the future brings. Besides, 99.9% of our fears and imaginings about our future never materialize. The devil wants to trip us up by making us dwell on past faults or hurts, or worry about a future that may never materialize. He doesn’t want us to live the Sacrament of the present moment. So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. (MT 6:31-34)
agree. Thank you for these great posts and reminders on this Christmas Eve morning here on the cold east coast of US. The Light is overshadowing the darkness. Alleluia.
Same here. Thank you. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God” was one of my first guideposts when I was a baby in Christ.
These times remind me of when I was a very, very little child and used to hold onto my mother's hand when we went outside. She never had to ask me, I just did. I knew I needed to; so I just did. Time to reach out and grab the Heavenly Mother's Hand and hold on tight.
