I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14
I don’t think it takes a prophet to see that the world is already in a state of tribulation. Many of you are suffering, wondering when will God intervene.
I read an article this morning where even church prelates are speaking of tribulation. It is enough sometimes to make faithful Catholics feel despair.
I often hear Catholics wondering when the Warning will take place. They speak of refuges where people will be safe.
While I read about and think of these things as possible, I want to address a few things in the here and now.
God is allowing this suffering. He is allowing it, not because He wills us to suffer, but because, in the end, suffering leaves us two choices; we can surrender all we are to Him and His providence, or we can doubt His love and fall into apostacy. If we surrender all we are, then the suffering is a purifying fire of love. If we fall into apostacy then the suffering ends in the fires of hell.
I believe the church is entering a time period where she will look dead. Where doctrine will be nailed to a tree and the church, as the Mystical Body, will take the sins of the world on, the way that Christ took them on, and then let them die in His humanity. Oh that the sin in the bride would die; then the bride would be glorious.
If we follow that pattern, that Passion of the church;
CCC 675 Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the “mystery of iniquity” in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.
Then we should expect these things must come. The evil must be made transparent before it can be cleared out. And the evil will look like death. The church will look dead. The remnant must remain faithful in love and will be walking blind, but with spiritual eyes that trust. We shouldn’t be waiting for a warning or a refuge to live the faith now. We shouldn’t be anxious or fearful, and if we are, we need to be talking to God in prayer about that every chance we get. We should see the signs of the times happening and try to become as pure as we possibly can in our humanity through virtue, and then rely totally on God to finish the work in us with His Divinity. We need to start acting like Saints who did not doubt the goodness of God, nor did they doubt his love.
People who don’t doubt God’s love for them do amazing things.
We need to worry more about getting to heaven than the things of this world. So what does this look like?
If you’re sick, it means loving God when your sick. You can be physically throwing up and love God while you’re doing it.
If you’re jobless, it means loving God in your joblessness.
If your children are away from the faith, it means loving God and trusting that He loves them more than you do.
If you’re not sure where your next meal is coming from, it means loving God anyway and uniting your hunger to His cross.
If a person is persecuting you, it means loving God so much that you can forgive them.
This is what we’re called to do here and now. It looks like this;
Mary and John at the Foot of the Cross in Mel Gibson’s Passion of Christ
Not many faithful people made it to the Cross with Christ. Most ran away, but even for them, His mercy covered them. But, if you can stand and be a light in the darkness, and believe God’s promises are true, then you can truly Love. And love really does conquer all things. Set aside your expectations of what God will do, and trust and love him in the middle of the madness of this storm.
Veil of Veronica 
Thank you for your marvellous words of encouragement. You are a light for many. Thank you for carrying out His mission for you.
Thank you. May God’s light shine upon you.
So true…it’s the time of purifying fire.
I have seen the word…Glorious ..a few times in last few days…including this article.
It reminds me of my new favourite song
Glorious…David Archuleta
beautiful!!! Have a look on YouTube. Music and lyrics are wonderful
God bless you for the light and clarity you give us through your writing!
Personally, I struggle with the thought of a future where the Church will appear to be dead. I have frequently heard that we are to be faithful to the “true Magisterium” in the coming confusion and persecution but it sounds like we are to anticipate a time without Sacraments, leadership, community… thus “walking blind.” While I can grasp the idea of trusting that God has a plan in this chaos, how will we know what we are being called to during such a time? Already we hear contradictory assertions from priests and faithful laity who each had seemed to be faithful to the teachings of the Church before…it’s already hard to know which voices are right now that they differ while we had been able to trust these same voices in the past. If I had a “pure heart” I guess I could trust my discernment, but that’s something I continue to struggle for and seem far from achieving…how do we not go astray with all that is to come? To “remain faithful in love” – is that to try to focus on loving in each future encounter – whether it be in our day to day life or in perhaps life and death situations- without having the Church and Sacraments for support?
Have you ever heard the song, “Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary?” We’re called to be tabernacles of God, the way Mary is. Plenty of Saints in the past had no access to the Sacraments. St. Mark Ji Tianxiang comes to mind. The reception of the Sacraments that we have, it is a gift meant to purify us and make us a living sanctuary. We become like little Christ’s who are light in the darkness. Whether the church looks dead, as I have stated, isn’t really the issue, we should be moving towards this union with the will of God regardless of where on the timeline of history we are. You asked, “is that to try to focus on loving in each future encounter?” The answer is yes. But it is also a praying without ceasing to love right now with every breath you take. Love God when your driving. Love God when you do the dishes. Love God when you eat food. The teaching of the Magisterium guides us to what is ACTUALLY true love. But at the end of the day, the union with God is an infused gift FROM HIM. It isn’t something we do. We grow in virtue, we choose love, we choose truth – and we surrender to Him so He can complete the work in us. Trust that because you love Him all things will work for your good. And that good may be different than the construct you have in your head about what that looks like. As finite people, we cannot truly know the infinite in this life. But we can trust the teaching and tradition of the church, and we can surrender to the Holy Spirit, and we can praise and thank God every time we receive the gift of the sacraments. You can know your own heart isn’t pure – are you willing to hand it completely to God to purify it? If so, you will become a Sanctuary.
I know that the answers and guidance I’m seeking lie in your reply to me. I will take this to prayer- desiring to love with every breath and to surrender in trust … may Our Lady intercede for me and all of us so that we can be the living sanctuaries that you speak of.
I’m so grateful – May God bless you, and your family
God Bless you too.
Can I add that it would be very, very beneficial to read and learn the Scriptures right now. I don’t know how many times I’ve been in a Catholic Church for Mass in numerous states and during the homily I hear their words and my spirit says “that is not the gospel”. If we have no Mass, Jesus is the Word made flesh so we will still have the Word if even in our home. It will help you discern what is true. My family has been through a very painful, difficult purification over the course of 14 years. We have learned and been humbled. Certainly not pure, but closer to the Lord and more trusting. One other suggestion, praising God and learning His attributes as Father. I printed out “100 Praise verses” I found online. I use it when I pray the rosary, reciting one or two or ten each decade. It has taught me to love and respect God so much more. To see Him as my Father, no matter what. I add more as I find them in the Psalms. I also pray for the grace to love God more. It’s all grace.
You will be Ok. When the light is needed it will come. Anticipating what you will do in the future doesn’t work because you’re not there yet. 😊
Amen!! Read Scripture!!! Praise God!!!
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