Fr. Dwight Longenecker6. Regarding You and the Church – I’ve heard some Catholics grumble that the church has let them down. But what did you expect of the church in the first place? The church is divine, but she is also human. The church is a work in progress, an ark of wounded warriors, a tribe of troubled pilgrims, a family of lost children looking and longing for home. When you see the church like this, instead of hoping that the church will be the instant answer to all your problems you will be more content. Our role in the church is to be faithful, prayerful, hard working and stable in our love for Christ and his people.
7. Regarding Priorities – The main thing is to stay close to Jesus and Mary. How do you do this? The Catechism says we experience Christ in five specific ways: 1) in the Sacred Scriptures 2) in the person of the priest 3) in the person of the poor 4) in the fellowship of believers 5) in the Eucharist. I can guarantee you, if you make these five things your priorities, then you will have a solid, sure and secure relationship with Jesus Christ. These five meeting places of Christ assume that your life is bathed in prayer and that you have as your main priority being with Jesus and Mary in these ways. If you get this right the other worries fall away.
8. Regarding Prayer Padre Pio endured great hardships and persecution from the church he loved and served. His life was hard and he had many disappointments. His simple advice is “pray and don’t worry”. With much prayer is much power. If you are worried examine your prayer life. Maybe it needs a re-boot, a re-charge and a renewal. How are you going to do that?
9. Regarding Blame When we are disappointed, worried, afraid or angry we almost always seek to blame someone else. Its natural. That’s the way we’re wired. The best way to steer around the disappointment, worry and fear is to stop blaming others and ask what we can do, by God’s grace, to solve the problem. We can usually not do anything about the problems at the national and international level, but we can always do something in our own lives, our own homes, our own parish, our own community. Satan wants us to forget that. So see what you can do and do it.
10. Regarding Faith Finally, last but not least… have faith. God loves this world. He loves his church. He loves all his children. He loves you. He sees the troubles in our world and he sees that we are going through a great transition. Hold on tight. He is always there in the midst of the storm. Faith is required, and it would not be faith if it were not tested from time to time. Remember your faith is meant to be a comfort, but not to make you comfortable. In the midst of the storm Jesus might be calling you to exercise your faith and walk on the waves or he might simply be saying to you, “Be not afraid!” Put your trust in the Divine Mercy. Put yourself into his Sacred Heart. Allow him to calm the storm. Know his peace.
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