We live more and more bombarded with the latest news. And we, as Catholics, have fallen into this trap of paying more attention to what is new than what is truly important, which must be the salvation of our souls. This is also causing us to lose the sense of our faith.
We have forgotten that the Lord brought us the best news when He himself came, in person, to bring us the announcement of the Kingdom of Heaven. We no longer have that smile that should characterize every Christian: we have let the media suggest us, mentally control us and, finally, manage our lives.
If on such a day there are announcements of war, we say or think: “We must seek refuge. Have food stored in barns or in our homes.” Paraphrasing a little, that the words that the Lord says in Luke 12, 18-31 may not be fulfilled:
“Poor man, he doesn't know if tomorrow they will come to steal his food; or if the barn or warehouse will catch fire, or if he will still be alive.” And he did not take better care to accumulate works for heaven, "where the moth cannot gnaw them nor the thief take them away" - Matthew 6, 20.
Or if another day we hear that something like this is happening here or there in the Catholic Church, we recklessly say, and decide: “You shouldn't go to church, they are heretics. I better go elsewhere (another temple or even another “congregation”)». It is hard for us to see that the Lord has not abandoned us.
We know that your Church must be purified. But we must be prudent in our words and actions. Sometimes we ourselves are more divisive than those who seek to destroy it from within. It is the work of the evil one, who wants to sow tares here and there. Because as the Lord says: "A kingdom divided will not triumph."
Or if subjected – as we live at the moment – to the bombardment that “we have to maintain social distancing”, which we are told so much everywhere, then we no longer want to leave our comfort of “meeting” virtually for fear of “catching” , and we extend the same to our activities and “practices” of faith.
I believe that we must recover the meaning of the Church of the first centuries, return to tradition, to the teachings of the Church of all time. Putting aside constantly looking at the latest that came out on such a social network, in such a newscast. And, above all, leave the comfort of "doing apostolate" from home.
I wonder what Saint Damien of Molokai would say if he were among us these days, with the example of his life among lepers. What would he say when seeing so many priests who don't confess, who don't pray for the sick, etc. Both lay missionaries whose apostolate is now only virtual.
Moreover: What would Our Lord say if he came back to earth tomorrow and saw us like this, not doing what we should do for the salvation of souls? I think that he would not say so much: “How far have you distanced yourself from others to preserve your health and that of others”, but he would say, for example: “How many sad people have you hugged? How many places have you taken my Word to?
It is very sad to see how they have left us without our face-to-face prayer groups, in which we are formed, yes; but we are also tested in charity, in patience, in meekness with our neighbor. In a nutshell, we are tested in our behavior as Christians.
This is an invitation to leave the false security of being in our homes supposedly "protected" from the virus, and return to Christianity as we knew it before this "pandemic" time. Resume face-to-face apostolates, prayer groups, missions, visiting the sick, etc.
A hug in Jesús and María.
Comments