Clinging to Christ

Horror, devastation, anger, repulsion and sorrow.  That partly sums up my reaction over the recent grand jury report and other corresponding news.  My prayers of support and love go out to all who have been involved or impacted in any way by these monsters or by those who did nothing, said nothing or covered up the horrific actions.   
 
To any member of the clergy who is guilty but not yet charged, heed our Lord's promise:
 
"For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light." Luke 8:17
 
Each and every one of these monsters are truly a devil in sheep clothing and deserve every bit of what our Lord promises will happen to those who are evil.  “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." Matthew 18:6
 
And also....
 
"He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.  Just as weeds are collected and burned [up] with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.  They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear." Matthew 13:37-43
 
Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s prophetic warning came in 1948 when he said, “[Satan] will set up a counterchurch which will be the ape of the [Catholic] Church … It will have all the notes and characteristics of the Church, but in reverse and emptied of its divine content.”
 
What can I do?  What can we do?
 
I kept repeating that to myself as I read more and more of the horrific reports. What can I do? How can I help?
 
“Who is going to save our Church? Do not look to the priests. Do not look to the bishops. It’s up to you, the laity, to remind our priests to be priests and our bishops to be bishops.”  Another prophetic piece of advice from Archbishop Sheen.
 
Looking to the Saints and especially the Blessed Virgin Mary, the answer, for me right at this moment at least, is clear. Prayer (especially the Rosary), Eucharist and adoration.
 
There is nothing more than the evil one wants right now than for people to turn their backs on the Catholic Church- the ONLY TRUE CHURCH FOUNDED BY JESUS CHRIST.  The evil one wants you to be completely sickened by the actions of these monsters disguised as Catholic clergy that you say “I can’t be Catholic anymore,” or “I am going to stop going to Church,” or “what will prayer do?” or any variation of the above.
 
No!

The Catholic Church is the Church that Jesus Christ started, loved and is with to this very moment.
 
Don’t let the devil win.

Cling to Jesus.

Continue to pray, go to Mass, receive the Eucharist, attend adoration and pray the Rosary each day.
 
There is a reason why great saints like St. Maximillian Kolbe, St. Louis de Montfort and St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina loved the Rosary so much.   St. Padre Pio called the Rosary beads a weapon of extraordinary power against Satan.  
 
On October 7th 1571, the Christian “Holy League”, of which the main powers were the Venetian Empire and the Spanish Empire were triumphant against a fleet of the Islamic Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto.  Pope Pius V ordered the churches of Rome to be open for prayer both day and night and encouraged the faithful to petition the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary by praying the Rosary. Despite being outnumbered by the Ottoman Empire, the Holy League possessed “superior firepower” and won the battle.  Pope Pius V then added a new feast day to the Roman Liturgical Calendar for October 7th: the feast of Our Lady of Victory which would be later changed to the feast of the Holy Rosary by Pope Gregory XIII.
 
If you aren't already praying the Rosary each day, please do.   (Learn how to pray the Rosary, here.)

To join a new Holy League, become a part of the U.S. Rosary Coast to Coast movement.  Learn more:  http://rosarycoasttocoast.com
 
Another prayer to add to the end of your Rosary is this powerful prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel:
 
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen..
 
Need more tips on how to combat the evil which has not only infiltrated the Church but our entire world? 
 
Rev. Fr. Edwin Palka, Pastor of Epiphany of Our Lord Catholic Church in Tampa, Florida advises the following weaponry for spiritual battle:
 
“Pray and fast. Make Holy Hours. Daily Mass. Daily Rosary. First Fridays and First Saturdays. Go to confession frequently. Offer up all aches and pains and sufferings. Wear your Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, your miraculous medal and your St. Benedict medal. Pray the blessing before and grace after meals. Recite the Angelus. You know, just be Catholic!”
 
Remember, we are in this together, with Jesus Christ as our leader and our strength.   God bless you always and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always.
 
 
SOURCES:
 
Our Lady of the Rosary and the Battle of Lepanto.” Word On Fire, 6 Oct. 2017, www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/our-lady-of-the-rosary-and-the-battle-of-lepanto/1220/.
 
Heilman, Fr. Richard “Things Accelerate Toward The End- Prophecy of Archbishop Fulton Sheen.”  Roman Catholic Man, April 13, 2016, https://www.romancatholicman.com/things-accelerate-toward-the-end-prophecy-of-archbishop-fulton-sheen/
 
The Catholic Bible: the New American Bible, by Jean Marie Hiesberger, Oxford University Press, 2011.
 
Palka, Fr. Edwin, "One Proposed Solution." Epiphany of Our Lord Catholic Church, August 19, 2018. , https://epiphanytampa.weebly.com/pastors-bulletin-article/one-proposed-solution