No photos...no soft words

Many apologies for no lovely photos. As some know, I am blogging from my cell, and searching for art is just too tedious today. However, I shall be back to the land of laptops tomorrow. One theme which strikes me more and more from the Scriptures is the phrase "The kingdom of God is at hand and the violent are taking it by storm." Matthew's passage was the subject of a phenomenal sermon I heard years ago in the States by a Jesuit. Most commentators take Christ's words as negative. However, as I wrote here before, I think this zealous priest's interpretation as well as my take on it make it a rallying cry for this generation of seminarians. Not since the times of Recusancy in England and Eire have we had such an oppressive culture regarding religion...the True Religion, which is the Catholic Faith. Young men entering seminaries today know they are of the age of the martyrs. They will not be preaching merely by words but by imprisonment and even death. They and lay folks who know the times are doing violence to themselves, allowing God to purify them and make them perfect...allowing purgation to make them new. This time of hatred for the Church involves almost every country under heaven, as the many enemies both within and without the Church conspire against Truth. As the good Jesuit said so many years ago, fast, pray, accept hardship and suffering joyfully...do not choose the easy way and you will take the Kingdom by storm in this world and in the next.