Before we experience a springtime in the Catholic Church we will need to endure winter. I don’t have a copy of the Catholic Farmers Almanac (if there was such a thing) but my guess is that it’s predicting a very cold, harsh, long and unrelenting winter and very much needed. The upcoming season will separate the lukewarm in faith from the strong who are perhaps reeling in the revelation of the sins being committed by our shepherds that cry out to heaven for vengeance.
The lukewarm may see this winter as a chance to leave their ancestral home for a hospitable climate in order to escape the trials and inconvenience of winter while the strong, the tough will stay, endure saying “Where else would we go? This is our home.” It’s going to get tough so lets prepare to shovel snow, chip the ice, stock the pantry and keep our souls warm despite the gloomy weather that is coming.
So, over and over again we hear that we need to do three things during times like these. Actually we should always do these things, especially during Lent, but it becomes more urgent when we face a spiritual winter either alone or as a group. They are to pray, to fast and to give alms.
Prayer
Here are two prayers you need to pray daily that get to the heart of the crisis in our Church. The Prayer for Priests and the Prayer to St. Michael.
Prayer for Priests. Priests are under constant attack by Satan. They are the only way we can receive the Eucharist our spiritual food necessary for the journey. (John 6:51-58).
“O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests, for Your unfaithful and tepid priests, for Your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields, for your tempted priests, for Your lonely and desolate priests, for Your young priests, for Your dying priests, for the souls of Your priests in purgatory. But above all I recommend You the priests dearest to me: the priest who baptized me, the priest who absolved me of my sins, the priest at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion, the priests who taught and instructed me, all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way. Jesus keep them close to Your Sacred Heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.” Call out clergy by name who you are praying for and for all priests around the world.
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. This is especially important to pray as the enemy is no longer at the gates but already on the inside in our midst, among our clergy. They are a cancer trying to kill the Catholic Church from the inside. Healing will require sustained strength of the faithful clergy and laity who are in the fight.
“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”
Fasting
Oddly many manuscripts have removed the word “fasting” which is a shame. Fasting has the power to defeat evil, strengthen our prayers and draw us closer to God. When we fast, we follow the example of Jesus who fasted before he began his public ministry. Contemplate that a moment. When we fast we emulate Jesus, the second person in the Trinity, who knew the power of fasting. How powerful is fasting? The disciples couldn’t understand why they weren’t able to drive out a demon from a young boy but Jesus could. Jesus responded that “This kind (a mute evil spirit) can only come out through prayer and fasting.” Note your Bible may have removed fasting. Makes you wonder why a single word was removed from the original texts after being faithfully transcribed for centuries over and over again by monks. I digress!
Fasting Prayer – This Prayer Comes from “Live the Fast” a non-profit that also sells “Fasting Bread” to help you through your fasting.
“Father, today I resolve to fast. I choose to fast because your prophets fasted, because our Son, Jesus Christ, fasted, as did His apostles and disciples. I decide to fast because your servant, Mother Mary also fasted. I fast today as a disciple of your Son and I ask for the intercession of the saints and my guardian angel.
Father, I present this day of fasting to you for the ability to discover your Word more and discover what is essential and non-essential in this life. I present this fast to you for Peace —for peace in my heart, peace with my family, peace with my neighbors, peace in my town/city, state and my country. I fast for peace in the world, for all troubled spots in the world.
I remember those who are hungry and impoverished. I fast today for (your intentions). Through this fast cleanse me of all bad habits and calm down my passions and let your virtues increase in me. Let the depth of my soul open to your grace through this fast, so that it may totally affect and cleanse me. Father, please help me fast with my heart. Mary, you were free in your heart and bound to nothing except the Father’s will. Please obtain by prayer the grace of a joyful fast for me today.
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be. Amen”
Alms Giving
It’s more than just writing a check. Alms comes from a rough translation of the Greek word elenmosyne, which means mercy. So, in the simplistic terms, to give alms means to be merciful. Mercy is rooted in the character of God himself. God is merciful, and we must be too. We have been shown endless mercy by Our Lord, and likewise we must show mercy to others if we are to be obedient to the Gospel. Doing so will deepen our relationship with Christ and give us the strength to persevere through life’s storms.
The Tough Get Going…
The weak and the lukewarm will find this call to prayer, fasting and alms giving silly acts that result in nothing. The strong will engage in daily prayer, weekly fasting and alms giving, if they haven’t already, knowing it has the power to change the course of history. Are you tough enough to survive the winter? Let’s get going.
