The Troubles – The Call to Holiness
The troubles in the Church today are troubling, deeply troubling. Clerical abuse – especially sexual abuse of any sort – is an abomination too horrific to contemplate, from men who outwardly profess to be men “of God.” Men indeed who stand in the place of Christ the Head among His people, are consecrated to Him! Men given to celibacy in self-gift to Him, in His service, operating and living in a blatant bold-faced lie to Him and to His people – such a thing ought never to be. It is an abomination of desolation standing in the Holy Place – a desolate emptiness of Truth, of due righteousness, a dishonoring of the One worthy of all praise and honor and glory.
Men of the hierarchy – bishops, cardinals, Pope: “I’m sorry” is not enough. More rules are not enough. If the rules of the past were disregarded, why would new rules work now? Law means nothing to the lawless. Lovers of lawlessness will not be tamed by more laws, they will only be saved by conversion, yes, conversion of mind and heart and whole being, to Christ. To die to self, to live for Christ, this is what we need: a new heart and a right spirit where righteousness dwells.
Clericalists – institutional men, properly educated, men sacramentalized with all boxes checked, all i’s dotted and t’s crossed, clericalists with all requirements of past tradition satisfied, have failed to do and to be what clericalists were never intended to do or be. A man of God is made by God, not by men. And when men not of God rise to the place of gatekeeper in the House of God, then thieves are welcomed in, and walk in through the front door to loot and satisfy themselves with the things set aside for God. Mercenaries and hired men staff the Holy Place, and the House of God becomes a robber’s den. No, “I’m sorry” is not enough.
We need to take the call to holiness seriously. Is that too obvious to bother stating? I’m sad to say that it needs to be proclaimed from our pulpits with tears, from the heart, with every ounce of sincerity and resolve and fervor we can summon within. We need renewal – we need conversion – we need revival – we need to believe what we often so mechanically recite: “I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ….” We don’t need actors, we need holy priests. We don’t need well-scripted ceremonies, we need worship, we need self-offering, we need Christ and His Holy Spirit. We need living, saving, supernatural, holy Faith.
The Ordinary Path to Holiness.
I can’t do much for the Church, but I know we need to grow in the life of prayer – the life of personal supernatural and spiritual communion with God the Holy Trinity. My book The Ordinary Path to Holiness has been revised a bit, now to a 3rd Edition, and now to be offered on Amazon in both paperback and e-book for the Kindle. It should, the Lord willing, be up and for sale on amazon.com in a few days. I believe it can be helpful for persons seeking to grow in the Lord – I pray He will bless it, and use it in His work of sanctification among His people.
If and when it is cleared by Amazon and becomes available, I’ll post again with more of a description of the book. Meanwhile, let us all pray – earnestly pray – for God’s mercy, and forgiveness, for His chosen Church! We have all failed to some degree, in allowing this to happen among us. Let us resolve to stop, here and now, all compromise with sin and darkness: let us be holy! Let us resolve to climb the mountain of the Lord, to be the man or the woman God created us to, to be ready to meet Him when He comes – and it may be soon, and may it be soon! Come Lord Jesus, Maranatha!
