We have the eyes to see and the heart to know that things have gone terribly wrong in our world today. Terribly, terribly, wrong. I would be a fool if I ignored what is staring me right in the face. On the one hand, God would consider me worst than foolish if I deliberately ignored the signs around me. On the other hand, the world would consider me a fool for believing and writing about the dangerous times we live in.
Given the choice, I choose to be a fool in the eyes of the world and to step out in faith and warn people that the time for mercy is now and that we would do well to use it wisely.
This is not about apparitions, false apparitions, seers, prophets, false prophets...though many of these are out there. This is about seeing what is right in front of us and acknowledging the truth of it before God. He has been warning us in many ways for at least a century now. While many may be able to overlook what people say about our times, can we really ignore what's clear as a bell and right before our very own eyes?
I'm going to say something that won't make me very popular:
Those who are ignoring these signs are the foolish ones.
Here are words of warning from a very wise man who clearly saw what was going on:
"We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of the American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel and the anti-Gospel. This confrontation lies within the plans of divine providence. It is a trial which the whole Church . . . must take up."
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II didn't speak these words simply to hear the sound of his own voice, he understood the terrible gravity of our times.
And so should we.
Because, seriously folks, I think it's going to get worse before it gets better.
Mary you are right. Sadly.
ReplyDeleteThe world is in a terrible place and no one seems to care or listen.
What will it take before they listen? Should I dress in clothes made of camel hair, eat locusts and wild honey and wander through the desert?
It seems to me that the love of materialism has blinded people, including some so-called Christians, to the realities of eternal life.
Thanx for writing about this subject.
God bless you.
Pope John Paul II was very right to say this. But I hold onto this for those of us with faith...DO NOT BE AFRAID!
ReplyDeleteDo not be afraid to say that something is wrong when it is wrong.
Do not be afraid to say NO to your children if you know that what they are asking for or seeking is not in line with the teachings of the faith.
Do not be afraid to stand alone when the crowd beckons you to join in their gossip, their drunkenness,
their misguided thinking.
Do not be afraid to stand by the Gospel and the moral teachings of the Church.
Father, I believe, help my unbelief.
Another great post Mary!
I like Daily Grace's "Do Not Be Afraid's. These are truly some of the things we as Christians must not fear if we are to fight this spiritual combat that is before us.
ReplyDeleteSociety in general will not and perhaps cannot see the terrible state of the world, at least not on a spiritual level, but what what makes me scratch my head in wonder is the large number of Catholics who refuse to see what is going on in front of them. It is almost like if they ignore it, it will go away.
As you said Mary, the time for calling upon mercy is now. Our Lord wants to give it; we need to know we need it and beg for it.
Thanks for having the courage to write about this.
Hi Mary, It's Bonnie again :-) Another good conversation today. I too believe it will get worse before it gets better. No, I don't have a blog. I don't facebook or twitter either, really behind the times huh :-) But I get most of my news on-line at good Catholic websites. Papers and TV news are too awful and distorted for me. Then this past year I have stumbled onto websites like Thesestonewalls.com Please vote on his website, for his website if you would. I would love to see him get "Best Catholic Website for 2013" Take care Mary and God Bless.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of my Christian journey, I remember being very blind, Mary. I thought we were so lucky to live in civilised times - I didn't see even the obvious persecutions in our world.
ReplyDeleteWhen God opened my eyes, I felt very uncomfortable because it made me cry in public! Now, I accept the overwhelming sadness with hope because I think the devil is getting very careless. His works are so blatant that he's becoming transparent and it seems we're coming to a point where the time for mercy will end and the wolves will be separated from the lambs.
My mind is so full of tumbling thoughts about this - I'm not sure what I've written sounds quite right:-)
God bless, Mary :-)
Mary, I am crying out: "amen." And to all of the comments above so far, I make the same cry. Amen, and may God help us. Amen.
ReplyDeleteHi Victor,
ReplyDeleteI agree that materialism may be part of the problem today. When we are overly focused on things it's hard to keep our minds on heaven. Thanks for commenting!
Hi DG,
ReplyDeleteLove your "do not be afraid" comment! And we shouldn't be - God is always with us and gives us the grace to speak up and speak out about the wrongs in our society. Thanks!
Hi Karin,
ReplyDeleteI like DG's comment too :) This "turning a blind eye" to what's going on has me perplexed too and this is one of the things that makes me realize just how deep sin has sunk its talons into the world. The outrage would have been huge 60 years ago.
Strange. But, as you say, God's mercy is there and I hope people will reach out and grasp it.
Hi Bonnie,
ReplyDeleteWelcome back :) You can be sure that These Stone Walls has my vote! Actually, it already has more than 1 of them because we are allowed to vote once every 24 hours. I'd really like to see him win too. Wouldn't THAT make people stand up and take notice! And he deserves to win - his blog is exceptional.
God bless you too!
Hi Vicky,
ReplyDeleteIt has brought me to tears at times too. Especially while I'm praying and interceding. You make a very good point here - satan IS getting careless. But strangely, not everyone can see how blatant and obvious sin is becoming. Thanks for commenting - I thought it was very insightful.
God bless you too, Vicky :) I'm glad you are back!
Hi Nancy,
ReplyDeleteOh you survived the past few days? Lol! Bet you're exhausted!
We can pray that people will wake up. Prayer is powerful!
Thanks for commenting!
Mary, My head was nodding up and down as I read this post! You are totally right on! It all makes me want to cry.
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteWhile you were here I was reading about the work you are doing on your house :)
I know, it's pretty bad out there. As mothers we want the world to be clean for our kids and it is the opposite instead. We have hope for change though - God is good.
You're right, we're going to hit rock bottom before we surface. And I'm so glad you joined the unpopular table. I was sitting by myself till you came along.
ReplyDeleteHi Anabelle,
ReplyDeleteYes, it looks that way though I'm not sure how much more "rock bottom" things can get (and I don't really want to see it).
The "unpopular table" is a pretty good place to be :)
Mary,
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that the people we are warning will just not listen. People will only see what they want to see. What else can we do? This isn't a rhetorical question. I'm asking for your suggestions. Some years ago, I got totally caught up in making reparation for the sins of the world. Every one of my actions was directed towards this. I have to say I was miserable and it was affecting the happiness of my family. We lost our joy in life as we contemplated the world's problems. Save as many souls as we can was our aim, but I think we needed a balance, and we forgot that there is still much good in the world. Maybe I am rambling and off the point. I'd love to hear your thoughts for some practical ways to make a difference!
God bless!
I have that same feeling in my gut, Mary. I'm worried about where we are headed as a society, and wondering what the spark is going to be that changes it. The trend is in the wrong direction and it is a big ship to turn.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless.
Hi Sue,
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with you that balance is important (very). If we focus TOO much on the negative we forget to pay attention to the good around us. But neither can we pretend that the world isn't in trouble. One of the ways we can help change this is by doing exactly what you are doing - raising our children with strong Christian values and living these values ourselves.
You know what, Sue? This is such a good question that I think I'll try to do a post on it :) Thanks for bringing it up because we CAN overdo things and lose our joy if it is not done in the right way. Reparation can be joyful and peaceful in its proper place.
God bless!
Hi Michael,
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the spark will be to change it too. That there WILL be a spark I don't doubt. Looking at the sin in the world, it seems almost overwhelming to try to change it but God is up to the task. Thanks for commenting!
Hi Colleen,
ReplyDeleteI believe this too :) That's what fills me with hope - that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church. Still, they are wreaking havoc in the meantime. I find myself speaking up more than I use to also. I think stating the truth is important because one of the reasons that our world is in such rough shape right now is from the failure of good people to speak up. In some ways this is like giving one's tacit approval to sin.
God bless!
Pope JP II called it right. At times I am almost overwhelmed with the amount of sin going on 24/7 in this world. It is tempting to just throw my hands up in the air because I feel so helpless. But I know that prayer with love is stronger than all the evil out there, and that just keeping my eyes fixed on God's will is enough. If I fulfill my assignment and put it in His hands, doing my best, it is enough. The rest is up to Him.
ReplyDeleteHi Barb,
ReplyDeleteHe sure did and we should heed his words.
The amount of sin in the world can be overwhelming but you make a good point here about fulfilling your assignment - I believe humbly fulfilling our duties is great in the eyes of God and that satan hates this above all things. When we each focus on our own "piece of the puzzle" great things happen. Great comment, Barb.