This is an open letter to you all. The time for taking a leap is now. What is the leap? There are four areas where one must "leap". The first is that one must believe in the coming persecution of Catholics. No longer can anyone pretend that there will be a Church Triumphant in our lifetimes. Follow this blog on persecution and community tags.
The second leap is to stop pretending that the Catholic Church will be there for your support. God told us through the Church 50 years ago that this is the age of the laity. Why? Because God knew, of course, that the laity would be the main group to carry on the Faith into the next generation. Stop blaming priests and bishops for the weakness in the Church. The weakness in your house and mine is our own fault. We have all the information we need to become orthodox and the only way to become a saint is to begin with orthodoxy.
Stop relying on the clergy and rely on your daily relationship with God.
The third leap is to train your children to be saints and martyrs. Even as early as 2003, I was telling high school students that they were the age of the martyrs. About half believed this. The other half most likely decided not to prepare themselves for a real decision for Christ and for His Church. Part of being a martyr is not only dying for Christ, but for His Church, as did SS. John Fisher, Thomas More, Margaret Clitherow and her baby, and so on. If you are not training your children in the virtues, they will not be able to withstand the coming difficulties. Parents, it is part of your duty to train your children to be saints, now.
The fourth leap is to create community now, and the series I wrote is there for you. I shall not keep writing about these points, as you have enough information with which to work at this juncture. You do not have time to mull over this but need to act now. Do not, again, pretend that you be able to move. You may have restrictions on gasoline, mileage in your cars, or be under curfews.
I write this after four discussions in the past several days. Two with couples who understand and are on board with the real signs of the times, and two who refuse to look at these signs. We are not children. We are adults. And God has given us to grace to withstand these times.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
We are the generation who must persevere in a time of darkness. Even the ancient desert fathers prophesied about our generation. If we persevere, we shall be the greatest generation of all Catholics.
From Palestine, Abba Hilarion went to the mountain to Abba Anthony. Abba Anthony said to him, 'You are welcome, torch which awakens the day.' Abba Hilarion said, 'Peace to you, pillar of light, giving light to the world.' The holy Fathers were making predictions about the last generation. They said 'What have we ourselves done?' One of them, the great abba Ischyrion replied, 'We ourselves have fulfilled the commandments of God.' (and done great works against the devil).
The others replied,
'And those who come after us, what will they do?' He said, 'They will struggle
to achieve half our works.' (but they will spread the Gospel throughout the world) They said, 'And to those who come after them, what will happen?' He said, 'THE MEN OF THAT GENERATION WILL NOT ACCOMPLISH ANY WORKS AT ALL AND TEMPTATION WILL COME UPON THEM; (but they will persevere) AND THOSE WHO WILL BE APPROVED IN THAT DAY WILL BE GREATER THAN EITHER US OR OUR FATHERS.'
Abba Copres said, 'blessed is he who bears affliction with thankfulness.'
