Are You Truly Dedicated to Christ?
The Smoke of Satan
Photo By: Flickr/Alexandre -smoke screen 03
Sometimes truth, fact and real life is crazier and stranger than fiction! Why wouldn't the effort and conspiracy to infiltrate and destroy the Church from within be any exception? The story of salvation is absolutely incredible and mind blowing if you take the time and effort to learn it. Which is precisely why the efforts to destroy the Church from within, which has been at work for the last few centuries and is finally reaping rewards, has dumbed the faithful down so effectively. It is a subversion that has been so subtle and effective that we haven't even noticed or realized it's happened.
It is apparent that we don't know the faith and this is demonstrated by our lack of knowledge and belief in the Eucharist. This happened as our churches turned to social events as their main focus instead of educating the laity, and the faithful shifted to social action and social community efforts as being the priority. We've turned our heads to proper knowledge, reverence and acknowledgement of the Sacraments, does the term "Eucharistic Minister" ring a bell? We see this all the time. People use gestures at Mass that are not prescribed or even understood, the Orans or hand holding position during the Our Father? Parishes and pastors seem to think that by engaging people in social activity, they will return to the faith. This notion has even infiltrated the Mass! How often to people run down the aisle to shake hands or hug someone on the other side of Church during the Sign of Peace, or pat everyone on the aisle as they approach our Eucharistic Lord! I contend that these social efforts will not bring our fallen away brothers and sisters back to the Faith. More of the Faithful will just become more engaged in the secular and superficial. I know parishioners who are very engaged in these kinds of parish social events that don't attend Mass and promote the idea that you can love Jesus without going to Church on Sunday. They don't seem to understand their obligations as Catholics to God, but they have no problem keeping obligations to work Lenten Friday Fish Frys. It is truly tragic, and sad. I'm not sure what is sadder though, the pride that is embedded in such ideas that lead to not only a life of superficiality in this world, but could possibly lead to an eternal emptiness to come. Ignorance and a lack of devoutness to and of the Faith when we have the means and ability to learn and know it, is indifference, which is a bigger sin than any other.
The subtleness of Satan cannot be overstated. The world and all it's empty promisees have lulled many into a false sense of security that is more menacing and dangerous than obvious vices, because it is precisely the obvious vices that have become obscured and transformed into what appears as goodness, but is anything but. So, the mission to destroy the Church continues, but at least now it has come to light and been uncovered. Is anyone heeding the warnings? We have priest after priest falling to horrendous crimes of sexual abuse and misconduct, and still see clergy covering it up and not responding to the issues. Worse yet, our Church leaders are making excuses for it, watering down the problems by justifying bad actions, with the comments that the Church has always been corrupt and there is nothing that can really be done about that.
Well, yes there is, teach the Faith and hold clergy and the faithful alike accountable to it! ! It is very apparent what is important to a parish by just referencing the calendar, what is the focus, Faith or fun? It is no coincidence that Mass attendance dropped during the destructive years that I went through Catholic school and was robbed of a true and deep education of the faith, and so it continues. Anyone who truly knows and understands the depths and beauty of our faith would never leave, unless they are being duped by Satan. Our Faith is not a feel good, nice philosophy of life or a hobby or club. Our Catholic Faith promotes and screams the basic Truths necessary for life - temporal and eternal! There are disciples of Satan now among us and have been, they are the people pleasers and the tolerant, they are the clergy that don't challenge us to goodness, but let us wallow in our indifference, because that is so much easier and free from the scorn that the Truth will always yield. We the laity are guilty of this as well, and held to the same responsibility of correct action and instruction! Are we going to rise up and fight, or let the complacent revel in their heresy and blasphemy focusing on fun, entertain, what feels good and what is easy rather than faith, sacrifice, challenge and discipline?
What is your passion? Is it really Jesus? Because you can hide and justify the image of being faithful, by submerging time and efforts in superficial activities that may not only deny a stronger and deeper relationship with Christ, but also detract and lead away from that effort, the only effort in life that matters. We must all constantly re-evaluate and be diligent, the Truth is always available to be sought, if we don't get too caught up and too busy with all the trivial.
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About the Author
I am a wife and mother of two grown sons. Although I am Cradle Catholic, I experienced a profound reversion to the True faith several years ago that motivated and inspired me to dive more deeply into an understanding of the Church and Her teachings, and why She has these teachings and where they come from. Surprisingly, for me, the more I read and discovered, the deeper my love of the Catholic Church and her teachings became. This certainly is a journey that doesn't end, and so as I uncover more amazing facts about our Faith and Church, I just can't help but want to share what I'm learning. So, I began writing for Catholic 365.
I have recently served for a year and a half as the Executive Director of a very active and busy Crisis Pregnancy Center on the West side of Cincinnati. God is so good and does answers prayers, even though He knows at times, we have no idea what we are asking for. The pro life cause is paramount to our times, I am so honored and humbled to have had the experience and opportunity to serve women and the unborn in this capacity! I am also very grateful to God, for allowing me to see for myself, that perhaps such a calling was not His long term plan for me. We go where God seeminly calls us, and for me, that was a return to corporate America. I currently work as a recruiter and sales onboarding specialist where I am helping a Franchising company open and support small businesses that serve seniors and the elderly, giving them opportunities to age in place and live thier final chapters with dignity. It is the other end of the pro life spectrum and such an amazing endeavor!
I love being able to share this great faith of ours and use this platform as a way to express my deep love and devotion to our Lord. We need each other, and this effort has truly become a wonderful way to connect with all of you- my brothers and sisters in Christ!
