The signs of the times are what people have seen before, and the Christians in Rome faced similar serious difficulties. Too many Catholics are living in cloud-cuckoo-land. Many Catholics are not facing the signs of the times.
Everything is not alright and things are not going to get better. If you are still living in denial, let me warn you that you must stop hiding from reality.
The only way to deal with very difficult times, such as war or displacement, is to become a saint. St. Benedicta of the Cross did not become a saint overnight. She prepared through prayer and sacrifice for her ultimate sacrifice-martyrdom for her people.
Most of us are not making holiness a priority. How will you react when things get rough? Those saints who have gone before us learned to become mentally and spiritually tough. Such men and women at St. Margaret Ward, St. Edmund Campion, St. Oliver Plunkett were unfairly judged, tortured and put to death.
To face this and the death of dear family members, just as SS. Felicity and Perpetua had to watch those in their community and finally die together, one must allow God to do three things.
One, replace hatred, anger, sloth, and all the deadly sins with love and the other virtues. Without living a life of virtue, you and I shall not remain faithful to the end.
Second, teach your children and help older family members see the need for true holiness now and not wait. Help others prioritize their faith through prayers, adoration, Mass, frequent confession. Time is short for having the capacity to find and enjoy the sacraments locally.
Three, learn to hear the Voice of God and not other voices. God speaks through the truths of the Catholic Church, but you can also learn to hear His Still Small Voice and respond quickly.
If you knew there was going to be a hurricane, like Katrina, in your area, you would prepare.
So, why are you not preparing now?
Parents, why are you acting as though the future of your children will be the same as your lives have been. Why are you pretending that they can be raised like you were raised? Why are you not forming saints now? You are responsible for the souls of your children.
Since the summer of 2008, when it was becoming clear that we did not have much time, I have been trying to learn how to cooperate with grace more and more. I have tried to teach and to write the Truth of the Church and of Christ.
Even in 2008, I did not think we had this much time to prepare-five years.
A European perspective has shown me that things will not limp along into a semi-stage of loweriing standards of living.
No. We shall soon see chaos in the West. God has given us a time of mercy as told to us by Saint Faustiina.
Those who preach good times are false prophets. If you have not changed your easy lifestyle, do it now. Tomorrow, at the Feast of Duns Scotus, we shall see this mysterious reading from the Gospel about being prepared. Many of us do not understand what Christ is saying here.
Let me help unravel this. It seems as though Christ is referring to business and money deals.
He is not. He is speaking of our souls and our sinful states before God. The steward had charges brought against him. He did not feel sorry for himself, nor did he defend himself.
These charges may have been true or false. Those facts do not matter. But, if we see ourselves as the steward, we see that we are always guilty sin and, therefore, deserving punishment.
What do we do when faced with our sins? We go to the saints, we go to the Church, we go to the sacraments, and prepare for death, for judgement.
We do not waste time. Survival for us is eternal life in heaven with God.
All these survival videos and deals are temporary measures in a crisis. These are good and fathers can discern in families and in communities how to use these. But, the real survival video would be about the Gospel of Christ and the way of perfection.
Luke 16: 1 - 8
This is a passage on using your gifts and those of the Church, to be prepared for the near future.
1 He also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.2 And he called him and said to him, `What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'3 And the steward said to himself, `What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.4 I have decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.'5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, `How much do you owe my master?'6 He said, `A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, `Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'7 Then he said to another, `And how much do you owe?' He said, `A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, `Take your bill, and write eighty.'8 The master commended the dishonest steward for his shrewdness; for the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
The shrewdness to which Christ is referring is spiritual shrewdness. This steward made his survival a priority, using his wits and connections to live. We must do the same in the spiritual life.
Our connections are grace, the Church, the saints, the orthodox Catholic community.
Stop wasting time with football on television, or soccer games, or re-decorating the house yet again, or anything else which is material.
Stop.
Do not pretend you have much time to become a saint, and to help your family members become saints.
Stop pretending.
Why is it that other people besides Noah and his family did not hear God?
Why is it that they perished in their sins?
Because these people were not listening. People laughed at Noah. They will laugh at you and your family.
Listen. I know many people who are listening. Are you one of them?
Matthew 24:36-51
36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
ET asked me to do a short exegesis today. This is it for him and for you.
