"You should be happy to remain hidden, like the straw under My Son's Head, doing what God created you for. The straw does not want a different role. It just exists to make My Son happy. Let it be so for each one of you."
Some contrast here..During the World Youth Day in Rio de Janerio in July 2013, Pope Francis said, “What is it that I expect as a consequence of World Youth Day? I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses! … I want to see the Church get closer to the people. I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures. Because these need to get out!”
I don't think we were ever told to hide...the apostles were hiding up until the coming of the Holy Spirit. Then they were sent to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord. They could have easily stayed in hiding. Seems the ones in hiding are those followers of the "created one". May Gods Will be Done
"Seems the ones in hiding are those followers of the "created one"." I don't think they're hiding anymore. They're "out of the closet", waving their proud flags, gyrating on stages for the youth, performing at the Super Bowl in front of millions of viewers, singing on all the radio stations, walking around naked in San francisco in daylight. Oh no, they are not hiding.
No reason to hide ,'Who are we to judge ' is catching on. St. Patrick’s parade council allows gay group http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...outh-boston/y8V3tHscLW4mulMer1qMHM/story.html
From the writings of St. Louis Marie de Montfort: “Because Mary remained hidden during her life, she is called by the Holy Spirit and the Church, Alma Mater, Mother hidden and unknown. So great was her humility that she desired nothing more upon earth than to remain unknown to herself and to others, and to be known only to God.” John 15:4-5 [4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me. [5] I am the vine: you the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. “You seek perfection to come closer to Me. You have there a practical path to reach it. The pure and recollected soul lives in Me and I in it, not confusion and pride, but in interior solitude and in the sacrifice of contempt of self.” Ven. Conchita de Armida
Mac, you know the old saying "there is a time for every season under heaven", well I think we are in a time where our battle fronts are readjusting for the big war. I am as competitive as the next guy (maybe more so then most), but I have found the battles I have tried to fight in the past 30 years or more were for little or not. Answer this yourself, has any of the Catholic positions you have stood and fought for in the last decade or two changed anything or anyone's positions? If you are like me, you have changed few if any in living a holier life. Not for lack of effort, rather it has been the 'time of season' of spiritual darkness for the enemy of God. This is hard to accept for those of us who are competitors. But like a good general, our Blessed Mother has been re-aligning her army for the biggest battle of them all. In doing so, we have had to put on new armour (for me the brown scapular) and renew the sword of choice (the rosary) and the shroud of virtue (humility) for the battle ahead. Perhaps we were not to win over souls in 'right morals and sound faith' in the past few decades, rather we were supposed to be arming up for what lies ahead. Guess what I am saying Mac, is that I spend little time now in fighting what we cannot change. Judging wrong doing, like gay lifestyle, is a battle long lost, just as abortion has been for the past 50 years. If we have been praying the rosary to end this evil, then we will see our victories soon coming. But it will be the army of our Lady that leads us to victory, not in the small battles that we have tried to fight, seemingly on our own, even without church support. The real battle of all battles lies in the very near forseeable future. Let's pray that we can stand with the victor in the war of all wars, the one where satan is defeated by the foot of Mary, the one where the anti-christ, false prophet and anti-pope of the near future raise their ugly heads, until the final victory of the second coming of Christ, which ushers in the 100o year era of peace.
I agree with most of what you say Fatima. It is a losing battle to cry out 'HEY ,you Homos cant join our parade'. But I'll cry it out anyway. The old saying comes to mind 'When good men do nothing...' Or the words of Our Lady 'When those who should speak ,will fall silent' The real answer as you say is prayer, for sure .The Rosary and Scapular are our weapons. Well New Zealand is way ahead of most countries timezones. Im taking my 4 older daughters to Midnight Mass in 7 hours from the time I post this. So wishing you Fatima ,and all members a Blessed Christmas.
I can tell you this: it took an all-out screaming match between my sister and I for her to leave her "Christian Reformed" church of bulls*it. We were talking about our Holy Mother and my sis was bagging on her and I flipped. The words that came out of my mouth I give due credit to the Holy Spirit and I was in my sister's face at top volume declaring the Truths of our faith about the BVM. After about 10 minutes my sister fell silent, started crying, and left my house. A couple hours later she called sobbing and thanking me for standing with our Mother. She and her husband (who was present) made full conversions after that night (reversion for my sis). My sister later told me it was like a spell was broken that night, that the Truth set her free from. I don't take credit for the words that came out of my mouth but for the fact that in the face of the danger of losing my sister to the world- i would not back down. So in this case, declaring the Truth boldly (and loudly) worked. She now has 5 Catholic children. Mark one up for the good guys.
Little Me, sisters, gotta love them ~ =] Fallen Saint, heehee, thanks for the good belly laugh, Will bring a smile for days! But oh, far from. Love and Humility is a goal (One that Is very hard with all that is happening around us, and in the world.) That bar has been set very high =] but we have the Best Role models available to teach and lead us! hallelujah! its not out of reach. Merry Christmas to all of you!
They are hiding in the viel of humanism and agnosticism...they might as well come out in the open and say they are against Our Lord Jesus Christ and for the "created one". Brother al
I too have been in the fight camp on these social issues that go against our core believes, but I too have same sense as Fatima now. I've long ago stopped going to the big city parade - instead opting fir the smaller, but much more family and Catholic oriented local one. This year, I will also make sure I get to Mass to pray for St. Patrick's intercession. Maybe this is why God allows this to go on? Maybe we gave not "given up" the fight but as Fatima notes, the battle field has moved to a more spiritual plain?
I am so sure God has a sense of humour. God has more than one string to His bow ; that is for sure. I am just getting ready to go up to see Siobhain my sister, the Yoga teacher who is dying of cancer and who is somehow organising her Christmas get together. I have had a few talks with her in hospital and to be honest my lasting impression is that she is a much better person than I am. Certainly at any rate she has done much, much more for people than I could ever dream of. She has a Yoga centre for instance where she ministers to women who suffer domestic abuse and helps give them an out. I think to myself when was the last time I gave anyone a big help out this way? ..and I have to be quite honest and say , 'Never'. So if anyone was going to do any shouting I guess it would be her, quite rightly shouting at me. Nevertheless I believe with all my heart that Jesus really is the Risen Lord and the Holy Spirit gives me an opening I will throw in my two cents worth, I hope. I just wish I were at a place in my pilgrimage where people could look at me and long to stand there with me. But God can use golden tools, silver tools for His work so I hope He can use a rickety old wooden tool like me to do some work in the heart of men. God is full of surprises. Dear God dear fire of the Holy Spirit use me, send down fire, make this poor wooden old spade capable of doing a little digging. I heard Fr Barron during the week give the most remarkable teaching on the Holy Spirit. I am going to listen to it over and over again till it is just engraved on my heart.
