Laity, you must change. This is the age of the laity as the priest shortage becomes more and more acute. Even though vocations are up, they are not, in many countries, at replacement level. In my home diocese, in 2015, there will be 15 active priests under the age of retirement for 100,000 Catholics.
This is a pattern repeated in England, Wales, Scotland, Eire, Canada, France etc.
With the lack of priests and the spiritual decadence of the active orders of nuns, it is our age. The welfare of our soul and the welfare of the souls we meet are our responsibility.
God has given us this time and we must seize it. It will not last. We have tremendous graces, with Adoration, daily Mass, confession weekly in some places, which is a blessing. Even the nuns in the convent only had confessions once every two weeks.
So, if the evangelization has fallen into our hands, what must we do?
One, get serious about daily Mass, hours of prayer, Adoration, daily rosary.
Two, free your life from mortal and venial sin. Reach out for purification and perfection. Read my posts.
Three, get beyond your own problems and reach out daily to those who will perish without your evangelization.
Four, sacrifice, more than usual, and accept suffering as Christ entering into your lives.
Five, realize that your baptismal vows demand that you evangelize.
Six, absolutely be a sign of contradiction in the world-think about what that means.
Seven, be responsible for your children, because you are.....
Eight, pray daily with your spouse, you lucky person, as many of us singles pray on our own.
Nine, singles, find out who is in your area to create a small support group. This is essential.
Ten, singles, be contemplatives in the world. You have more time, so give it to God.
Eleven, be absolutely faithful to the Teaching Magisterium and if you are not, get there by being humble and submitting through Faith.
Twelve, be martyrs for the Church. What does this mean? In all places, at all times, stand up for the teaching of Christ as communicated through His Church. Always and everywhere be ready to defend the Church.
