Month: <span>August 2021</span>

I have been thinking what ought to be said about the terrible and unnecessary loss of life in Afghanistan and the great grief of those who grieve the loss of a child, spouse, or dad. I have found great consolation from this quote in my own travails with ALS. I think if we change heart to world, it would be a good meditation on what has happened.

“The heart [world] itself is but a small vessel, yet there also are dragons and there are lions; there are poisonous beasts and all the treasures of evil. And there are rough and uneven roads; there are precipices. But there is also God, also the angels, the life and the kingdom, the light and the Apostles, the treasures of grace—there are all things. – St. Marcarius

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

I, like you are deeply troubled by what is happening in Afghanistan. We are rightly distressed that our own government would let our allies and Christians to a most certain violent death, for the Taliban are not known for their kindness, but for their cruelty. They are barbarians, in the true sense of the word. They are enemies of these United States of America, and of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. They would love to see their flag flying both over the Vatican and the Capitol of these United States of America. So, we must beware. These are cruel people who wouldn’t think twice about removing your head from your neck, or carry out massive terror attacks. Be prudent, but fearless.

And the president of the United States takes full responsibility for this magnitudinous blunder when all his advisers warned against it. He should surely resign.

Our Blessed Lord Jesus tells us in chapter five of the gospel of St. Matthew, that we love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We have all seen the video of the Taliban. They hate us. They persecute us. But as our Lord explains, they are loved by Him. The Lord loves them, and seeks their conversion and that they receive the Sacraments, so that they may be saved. This is the plan of the God of mercy. Therefore, we must pray that God, in the tenderness of his heart to convert their hearts in a miraculous way.

We also need to pray for the Catholics, Christians, women and children, who will be tortured and abused in terrible ways. May Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Terror of Demons, to comfort them in their terror of their lives.

I can’t imagine the terror of being in a country where the barbarians in charge want to kill you, rape you, or publicly whip you. Let us pray for the miraculous intervention of St. Joseph, Terror of Demons, to convert the Taliban, and for the miraculous comfort of their victims.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy.

Our Lady of Fatima, enclose them in your Immaculate Heart.

St. Joseph, Terror of Demons, convert them.

There is a saying that time speeds up toward the end. The most familiar example would be that as our lives come to an end, things speed up. The days seem to get shorter, the hours shorter yet, and we find ourselves saying “where has all the time Gone?”

This happens to me too. I find my days seem shorter, but as Fr. Z. has pointed out on his most excellent blog, the same is true in the spiritual realm. Things speed up near the end.

Have you noticed that in the spiritual realm, which plays out in large part in our physical word speeding up? I have.

There seems to be a speeding up in the actions of the evil one in particular. We see a new administration in these here United States of America, and with it an uptick in pro abortion legislation, no less. Surely the work of the devil. We see our borders are crumbling, as drugs enough to literally kill a horse with a tiny amount. We see cartels flood over, as well as human traffickers, adding to the already big problem of pornography and sex trafficking. Are things speeding up?

We see on the church front, within a very short span the betrayal of faithful Chinese Catholics, because the Vatican saw an opportunity to gain cash. We saw the Pachamama idol worshiped in the Vatican and in St. Peter’s Basilica. We have seen pope Francis issue Motu Proprio, an assault on the Traditional Latin Mass. An unlawful, and unjust document that was and is a slap in the face to those of us who love traditional forms of worship. Truly, this is the work of the devil, because it strikes at the very heart of the church, the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as it has been offered throughout the ages. We see scandal after scandal and faithful priests being canceled, while unfaithful priests like Fr. James Martin, SJ, is left to do great damage to the faithful. All this in a rather short time. Are things speeding up?

Then, on the world stage, the once free Afghanistan, or so our political leaders told us, falls in a matter of days to the Taliban, who will usher in sharia law, which would have you and I beheaded for being Christian. IN A MATTER OF DAYS! Are things speeding up?

I hate to see what comes next when China has a highway to Iran, all our common enemies, more than happy to wipe us off the face of the earth. Again, are things speeding up?

All this could cause us to have great fear, but that is not the way of Catholic Christians. It is no coincidence that Afghanistan fell on the Solemnity of the Assumption, or as our Orthodox brothers call it, the Dormition. It is a sure sign that Our Lady is with us.

So, take up you’re your rosary and wield what that great St. Padre Pio called the weapon of our times. Pray it daily. And take up the armament of the Brown Scapular and St. Benedict medals. (I get mine here ~ Tell them I sent you.). And most of all, GO TO CONFESSION, AND HOLY MASS, especially the Traditional Latin Mass. This these are the most sure means of protection in these days.

We have no need to fear, even if the world around us crumble and fall into the sea, which mind you, is happening at a uptick never known before. We have Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph, Terror of Demons on our side, and they will not fail us. So, no fear, it is unbecoming of a soldier in the army of Our Lady.