AFTER Mass this morning, my heart was burdened again with the grief of the Lord.
MY LOST SHEEP!
Speaking about the shepherds of the Church last week, the Lord began to impress words on my heart, this time, about the sheep.
THE TIME OF THE GENTIlLES
AFTER Mass several weeks ago, I was meditating on the deep sense I’ve had the past few years that God is gathering souls to himself, one by one… one here, one there, whoever will hear His urgent plea to receive the gift of His Son’s life… as though we evangelists are fishing with hooks now, rather than nets.
Suddenly, the words popped into my mind:
The number of Gentiles is nearly filled.
Exiles of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans
FIRST published September 7th, 2006, this word has grown in strength in my heart just recently. The call is to prepare both physically and spiritually for exile. Since I wrote this last year, we have witnessed the exodus of millions of people, particularly in Asia and Africa, due to natural disasters and war. The main message is one of exhortation: Christ reminding us that we are citizens of Heaven, pilgrims on our way home, and that our spiritual and natural environment around us should reflect that.
EXILE
The word "exile" keeps swimming through my mind, as well as this:
New Orleans was a microcosm of what is to come… you are now in the calm before the storm.
When Hurricane Katrina struck, many residents found themselves in exile. It did not matter if you were rich or poor, white or black, clergy or layman—if you were in its path, you had to move now. There is a global "shake up" coming, and it will produce in certain regions exiles.
I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry. (Jer 4:19)
I can no longer hold in the "word" which has been welling within me for a week. The weight of it has moved me to tears several times. However, the readings from the Mass this morning were a powerful confirmation—"a go ahead", so to speak.
Set the trumpet to your lips,
for a vulture is over the house of the Lord. (Hosea 8:1)
PARTICULARLY for my new readers, this writing gives a very broad picture of what I feel the Spirit is saying to the Church today. I am filled with great hope, because this present storm will not last. At the same time, I feel the Lord continually urging me on (despite my protests) to prepare us for the realities which we face. It is not a time for fear, but for strengthening; not a time for despair, but preparation for a victorious battle.
But a battle nonetheless!
The Christian attitude is twofold: one that recognizes and discerns the struggle, but always hopes in the victory attained through faith, even in suffering. That is not fluffy optimism, but the fruit of those who live as priests, prophets, and kings, participating in the life, passion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For Christians, the moment has arrived to free themselves from a false inferiority complex… to be valiant witnesses of Christ. —Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, LifeSiteNews.com, Nov. 20th, 2008
I have updated the following writing: