"Jesus said to his disciples:
“Hear the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it,
and the Evil One comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
~ Matthew 13: 18-23
Whew, what a timely Gospel message that is. The first part of this year has indeed been trying times for everyone, all over the world. It has tested resolve, finances, health and in a very real way faith. It's extremely difficult to keep the faith when your job goes up in smoke, your rent or mortgage is falling behind and on top of that you, or your loved ones, get sick. They are all earth-shattering events that rock one's world without the added dark cloud called COVID-19. Difficult times are normally when people turn to God but sadly, I saw more of the opposite happening this year. About a month into the quarantine I started to see many people struggling with their inability to pray due to the closures of their parishes.
“Hear the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it,
and the Evil One comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
~ Matthew 13: 18-23
Whew, what a timely Gospel message that is. The first part of this year has indeed been trying times for everyone, all over the world. It has tested resolve, finances, health and in a very real way faith. It's extremely difficult to keep the faith when your job goes up in smoke, your rent or mortgage is falling behind and on top of that you, or your loved ones, get sick. They are all earth-shattering events that rock one's world without the added dark cloud called COVID-19. Difficult times are normally when people turn to God but sadly, I saw more of the opposite happening this year. About a month into the quarantine I started to see many people struggling with their inability to pray due to the closures of their parishes.
Some truly rose to the occasion. Some of the priests that I follow on twitter and Facebook, took the quarantine as a prime opportunity to reach out to their parishioners via social media. PTL! Personally, I found not only daily Masses being said, from surrounding parishes of mine, but also homilies, celebrations of feast days and Easter. I even found a gorgeous prayer center in St. Maximillian Kolbe parish in Poland that has a live stream for perpetual adoration. Due to my various illnesses over the last dozen years, I had already been using resources such as The Sunday Mass to enrich my prayer life, since I could not attend services in person. My own parish has only resumed limited seating for Masses and the perpetual adoration chapel is still closed. I'm still using the resources that I found beneficial to my spiritual life over the years as doctor's orders dictate I continue to avoid gatherings.
It truly pained me, though, to see how many people were at a loss and suffering from acedia as the quarantine lengthened. Your faith and ability to pray should be as strong as oak regardless if you are sitting in a pew or on your couch. If your prayer life is based on your surroundings, you seriously have to work on it because God is everywhere. He can hear you just as well from your house, than he can when you are sitting in his house.
Acedia definition: Spiritual or mental sloth; apathy. Acedia is normal given the circumstances, but it is something that we should all fight. Even many of the saints had dark periods in their lives and have written about them. Just look at Mother Teresa in what she accomplished and she was often plagued by periods of darkness. Acedia is not of God, though. It's Satan trying to divert your attention away from God. That's why we should all fight it
There is so much discord going on in our country and in our world that this is not the most opportune time to become slothful in your prayer life. If you are a follower of Christ, and consider yourself a disciple of his, YOU are his hands, his heart, his mouth, his voice in this world. There is a specific reason why you are alive at this time in the history of the world and have the gifts that God has given you. Your faith must be steadfast and rock solid and that is only accomplished by living with and in Christ and in dialogues with him daily and often.
Acedia definition: Spiritual or mental sloth; apathy. Acedia is normal given the circumstances, but it is something that we should all fight. Even many of the saints had dark periods in their lives and have written about them. Just look at Mother Teresa in what she accomplished and she was often plagued by periods of darkness. Acedia is not of God, though. It's Satan trying to divert your attention away from God. That's why we should all fight it
There is so much discord going on in our country and in our world that this is not the most opportune time to become slothful in your prayer life. If you are a follower of Christ, and consider yourself a disciple of his, YOU are his hands, his heart, his mouth, his voice in this world. There is a specific reason why you are alive at this time in the history of the world and have the gifts that God has given you. Your faith must be steadfast and rock solid and that is only accomplished by living with and in Christ and in dialogues with him daily and often.
Christ didn't go quietly into the night when faced with his adversaries so why are we allowing others to dictate what we can sell and to whom; who gets to live and who doesn't; when we can and cannot worship and what topics are allowed; and what we can say on social media? Wake up.
We should ALL be putting on our battle gear and keeping God the Father, the son Jesus, the Holy Spirit, St. Michael, St. Benedict, our Guardian Angels and the Blessed Mother front and center in our prayer lives. That is the ONLY way that we will be prepared for the evil forces that are threatening to wipe out all decency and moral standards from the planet. Tighten up your boot straps and stop being luke warm or stagnant in your faith. Christ was brutally tortured and was crucified for our sins. What are you doing to get his message across to the non-believers? Whose life are you changing by sharing and living the Gospels? Whose souls are you praying for that they may have praise on their lips rather than hate? Whose soul are you saving by saying the Chaplet of Divine mercy for them at their time of death, that they may gasp Jesus save me, with their last breath?
Prayer is the most powerful tool we have to strengthen our faith and convert hearts and there are hundreds of thousands of lost souls walking the planet that need it. Say NO to acedia!! Say NO to Satan and his hoard that are out to unsettle you. Pick up your prayer books, your rosaries, your Bibles and be the representative of Jesus that you are supposed to be. It is when you feel the least like praying, that you should do exactly that and pray.
Jesus is relying on YOU to be his voice. Do your job and be the wheat instead of the weed. God bless us all and give us strength to fight his battles.
God be with us,
Mare
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