O vaifofo ia Anetikeriso

 

MEA o le vaifofo ea a le Atua i le vaaiga a Anetikeriso i o tatou aso? O le a le “fofo” a le Alii e puipuia ai Lona nuu, le Barque o Lana Ekalesia, i vai sousou i luma atu? O fesili taua na, aemaise lava i le malamalama o le fesili loloto a Keriso lava ia:

A sau le Ataliʻi o le Tagata, e maua e ia le faʻatuatua i le lalolagi? (Luka 18: 8)

 

The Necessity of Prayer

The context of the Lord’s statement above is key; it was “about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.” [1]Luka 18: 1 And that becomes the first part of our answer: we must fight against the great temptation in O la tatou Ketesemane to be lulled asleep by the evil in our times — into either the slumber of sin po o le coma of apathy

When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt 26:40-41)

But how do we pray when we feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or mentally exhausted by it all? Well, by “pray” I do not mean to fill your moments with a mountain of mere words. Consider what Our Lady allegedly said to Pedro Regis recently:

Courage, dear children! Do not be discouraged. My Lord is by your side, although you do not see Him. - Fepuari 9th, 2023

Jesus is not only “up there” in Heaven or “over there” in the Tabernacle or “only there” with the people you consider to be holier than yourself. He is soʻo se mea, and most especially, beside those who are struggling.[2]ff. Le Great Refuge and Safe Harbor So let prayer become moni. Tuu ia mata Let it be honest. Let it come from the heart in all vulnerability. In this light of Jesus’s nearness to you, prayer should simply become…

“…a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” Contemplative prayer seeks him “whom my soul loves.” It is Jesus, and in him, the Father. We seek him, because to desire him is always the beginning of love, and we seek him in that pure faith which causes us to be born of him and to live in him.  -Catechism o le Katoliko Ekalesia, l. 2709

Lately, I have struggled with immense dryness and distractions during my morning prayer. And yet, it is precisely in this struggle of “pure faith” where love is borne and exchanged: I love you Jesus, not because I see or feel You, but because I trust your Word that You are here and will never leave me. And should even the powers of darkness surround me, You will never abandon me. You are always by my side; Lord Jesus, help me to be by Yours. And so, I will spend this time in prayer, in your Word, in your Presence so that we may silently love each other, even in this season of drought…

 

The Necessity of Courage

When Our Blessed Mother says “Courage!”, this is not a call to emotion but taga. It really takes courage to accept the Lord’s love, especially when we have fallen. It really takes courage to believe that God is going to take care of us when all the foretold events completely unfold. Even more, it takes courage to truly liliu. When we know we are attached to something, the interior struggle to break from that attachment can be fierce… as though something is being torn from within us that will leave a gaping hole (as opposed to fa'ateleina our hearts, which is what conversion does). It takes courage to say, “I renounce this sin and salamo o lea. I will have nothing to do with you anymore, darkness!” Be courageous. Courage is not contemplating the Cross — it is laying upon it. And where does that courage and strength come from? Prayer — in imitation of Our Lord in the moments before His Passion.

…not my will but yours be done. (Luke 22:42) 

I can do all things in him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

If these are the times of Antichrist, will God care for my family and me? Will there be enough food? Will I be imprisoned and how will I endure that? Will I be martyred and can I handle the pain? I’m just asking the questions that everyone pretends they don’t have. The answer to all of them is to have courageright now, that God will care for His own pe a oo mai le taimi. Or is Matthew Chapter 6 a lie? St. Paul did not boast that, in Christ, He would not suffer. Rather, Jesus says to him, and to us:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. (2 Cor 12:9)

So God’s power comes precisely when we need it. Power for what? Power to have faith when food is scarce. Power to pray when fear is pervasive. Power to praise when all seems lost. Power to believe when others lose faith. Power to endure when our persecutors are stronger. This is the same power that enabled Paul to run the race to the end — to the chopping block, where he took his last breath — before setting his eyes forever upon the Savior. 

It is the same power that will be extended to Christ’s Bride in her hour of need. You can count on it.

 

The Necessity for Action

When St. Paul spoke of the appearance of the “lawless one”, he ended his discourse with the antidote to the Antichrist’s deception:

God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth… Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. (2 Thess 2:13, 15)

Jesus said, “I am the Truth” and Upu Moni is under full assault today as never before. When governments are beginning to call the castration of little boys or mastectomy of growing girls “gender-affirming care”, that’s when you know that we are navigating raw evil. 

Ona o se tulaga faigata tele, ua tatou manaʻomia ai nei ia sili atu nai lo se isi lava taimi muamua ia maua le lototele e vaʻai ai le mea moni i mata ma taʻu mea i o latou igoa saʻo, e aunoa ma le gauaʻi i fetuutuunaʻi fetuʻunaʻi poʻo le faʻaosoosoga o le faʻasesēina o oe lava. I lenei itu, o le faalumaina o le Perofeta e matua tuusao lava: "Oi talofa ia i latou oe taʻua le leaga o le lelei ma le lelei leaga, oe fai le pouliuli ma malamalama ma malamalama ma pouliuli" ( Is 5:20 ). —POPE IOANE PAULO II, Evangelium Vitae, "O Le Talalelei o le Ola", n. 58

Do you see now why I warned how faasaʻoga faaupufai is tied to the Great Apostasy?[3]ff. Faʻamaoni Faʻapolokiki ma le Liliuese Tele Political correctness is nothing other than psychological warfare to make otherwise good men afraid to call evil what is passed for good, and good what is framed as evil. As St. John Bosco once said, “The power of evil men lives on the cowardice of the good.” Hold fast to the truth that has been handed on to us; for you will be holding on to He, who is Truth! If it costs you your reputation, your job, your life — then blessed are you. Blessed are you!

‘Amu‘ia ‘outou pe a ‘ino‘ino tagata ‘iā te ‘outou, pe a tu‘ulafoa‘iina ma ‘upuleagaina fo‘i ‘outou, ma ta‘uleagaina lo ‘outou igoa ‘ona o le Atali‘i o le Tagata. Ia olioli ma osooso i lena aso! Faauta, e tele lo outou taui i le lagi. ( Luka 6:22-23 ).

And dear friends, reject the sophistries presented now, even by bishops and cardinals,[4]eg. “Cdl. McElroy’s pro-LGBT heterodoxy ignores Catholic teaching and the physical harms of sodomy”, lifesitenews.com lena…

… Dogma mafai ona fetuʻunaʻi e tusa ma le mea e foliga mai e sili atu ma sili atu ona fetaui i le aganuʻu o tausaga taʻitasi; ae, o le aʻoaʻoga tumau ma le le masuia na folafolaina e le au aposetolo mai le amataga atonu e le talitonuina e ese mai, atonu e le malamalama i seisi lava auala. —POPE PIUS X, Le Tautoga Faʻasaga i Modernism, Setema 1st, 1910; papalencyclical

The cost of defending the truth today is becoming very, very real, even in North America.[5]eg. “Catholic School Boy Who Was Kicked Out of School for Saying There Are Only Two Genders Is Arrested”, February 5th, 2023; cf. gatewaypundit.com Which is why we need to tatalo in order to have the lototele galue.

In the end, Truth will prevail over the Antichrist. Truth will be his sentence. Truth will be vindicated.[6]ff. Faʻamaoniga ma le Mamalu ma O Le Faʻamaonia o le Poto

For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who [indeed] is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:3-5) 

Still, if the Antichrist is going to reign for ‘three and a half years’, according to Scripture and Tradition, how will the Church ever survive without being martyred out of existence? According to the Bible, God will faaletino preserve His Church. That, in the next reflection…

 

Faʻatau Fesootai

Le Aneti-Alofa Mutimutivale

Le Great Refuge and Safe Harbor

Ia I Latou i le Oti Faitino…

Le Itula o le Amioleaga

Anetikeriso io Tatou Taimi

Faʻamaoni: O Le Liliuese Tele

O le Vaifofo Sili

 

 

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i Nihil Obstat

 

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Faamatalaga Faʻamatalaga

Faamatalaga Faʻamatalaga
1 Luka 18: 1
2 ff. Le Great Refuge and Safe Harbor
3 ff. Faʻamaoni Faʻapolokiki ma le Liliuese Tele
4 eg. “Cdl. McElroy’s pro-LGBT heterodoxy ignores Catholic teaching and the physical harms of sodomy”, lifesitenews.com
5 eg. “Catholic School Boy Who Was Kicked Out of School for Saying There Are Only Two Genders Is Arrested”, February 5th, 2023; cf. gatewaypundit.com
6 ff. Faʻamaoniga ma le Mamalu ma O Le Faʻamaonia o le Poto
lafoina i AIGA, O TAFAI SILI ma pōpō , , , , .