Stand Firm and Persevere

“Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.” (1 Cor 16:13)

“... and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” (Mk 13:13)

What does this mean and why is it important for us? During our preparation for confirmation we were told that confirmation makes us “soldiers for Christ.”

Veterans understand the concepts of mission and perseverance. I don’t mean to disparage others as they, too, may be intimately familiar with these concepts, but in the military, almost without exception, we had to live it. To persevere, we had to hold to our training and keep the mission as our goal.

Our faith life isn’t much different. Our mission is to get ourselves and our families to heaven, our goal. Our religious education is part of our training. There’s lots of on-the-job (OJT) training, too. Participation in parish programs is part of this OJT, such as men’s groups, parish retreat presentations, Cursillo, and so on. These are all part of our task to strengthen our faith.

The point here is that these need to be a continual part of our lives. They don’t interfere with our lives but help us to learn more and to rely on each other. As it says in Proverb 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Helping each other is part of our faith and faith groups are important. (See Men’s Groups are Vital.) Furthermore, we are called to continually grow in our faith. In this way we can properly form our consciences, which helps us to make good decisions.

Our consciences help us to “automatically” do what is good and avoid evil. To do this, however, they must be properly formed. The Catechism notes, “A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. ...” (CCC 1783). It is also a continuous and lifelong process, and a part or our faith formation. (CCC 1784) Conscience formation builds on the virtues (see the Catechism section on the virtues 1805-1809; 1813-1829).

This is important because, as St. Peter warns us, “Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

As Saint Paul told us, we are engaged in spiritual warfare. And therefore we need spiritual armor. We will be tested frequently. The closer we get to God, the bigger a target we become. We are in a war for our souls. Many think it’s just a war for our nation and the principles on which it was founded, but, in reality, our souls are at stake. These trials were foretold by the apostles. “Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.” (Jas 1:12)

The requirement to persevere applies to all who profess the Catholic faith; lay, ordained, and religious. “... and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” (Mt 10:22) The Catechism reaffirms this and tells us, “To live, grow and persevere in the faith to the end we must nourish it with the word of God, ...” (CCC 162) This basis also supports the formation of conscience.

Sadly, not everyone seems to take this advice seriously. Take for example what happened during the COVID “pandemic” when God was seen as non-essential, and the bishops (encouraged by the pope) did not stand up for the Church. Endurance, especially in the face of trials, is part of our conversion process, to which we are called daily (Catechism 2630).

We can be and often are worn down by the world. Jesus knew this and called us out of the world. “I have given them your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (Jn 17:14) He also warned us against taking the easy way, through the wide gate. “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Mt 7:13-14)

Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix had recognized this in 2016 when he wrote his apostolic exhortation to Catholic men, Into the Breach, encouraging Catholic men to come together to help rebuild and strengthen the Church.

Last fall my diocesan newspaper had an article written by an auxiliary bishop of Detroit, Bishop Battersby. He wrote about what had seemed to be a good, practicing, Catholic family that surprised him with the statement one day that they were no longer Catholic. In the example Bishop Battersby mentions, secular society had won out over this family that could not reconcile Catholic teaching with the assault of evil in their lives. They had become lukewarm Catholics, probably “cafeteria” Catholics, and eventually left the Church. They were unable to stand firm in the faith. Perhaps they did not see the evil in the secular world. Hopefully they will recognize that they have made a wrong turn and endeavor to get back on the right path. This is often hard for people because it may require them to make a U-turn and go back on things they may have said and done. Many want to deny that evil exists. Many don’t believe in hell or the devil. (See my post on Hell.)

I went through a period in my own life ignoring the Church, its teaching, and its promise of salvation. I eventually realized that this was an empty life and the only thing that could fill that hole was Jesus. It didn’t come magically – first I had to recognize I was in a hole and that I couldn’t get out on my own – I needed help. I prayed for Jesus to help me and he did.

I highly recommend a recent Catholic book, You Shall Stand Firm: Preserving the Faith in an Age of Apostasy, by Fr. William Casey CPM. Build up your spiritual armor. Your soul and the souls of your families depend on it. Turn your life over to Jesus. He will give you the grace to persevere. “Jesus, I trust in you.”

“The children of our holy mother the Church rightly hope for the grace of final perseverance...” CCC 2016

(Re the Lord’s Prayer) “This petition implores the spirit of discernment and strength; it requests the grace of vigilance and final perseverance.” CCC 2863