How to behave in these end times

St. John the Evangelist’s Vision of Heaven by Alonso Cano
(Wikimedia Commons). No matter what times we live in,
our basic duty as Christians remains the same.

Another friend on Facebook this weekend was bemoaning all the struggles in the world right now. I say another, because this happens often. Something is wrong with the world and many of us sense it.

The other night I watched an interview with the journalist who introduced Edward Snowdon to the world. When she spoke of how the government was watching her every move, trying to force her to reveal her sources, I was eerily reminded of the fight for religious liberty. Priests are being subpoenaed to break the seal of Confession. Pastors in Houston have had their sermons subpoenaed. The Bill of Rights is crumbling.

Isis is beheading Christians in the Middle East. The last week saw terrorist attacks in the US and Canada. There’s an Ebola epidemic, great moral decay, and the scandal over the relatio from the Synod on the Family.

Are we living in the end times?

Are these the end times?

This answer is unequivocally yes.

Since the Ascension God’s plan has entered into its fulfillment. We are already at ‘the last hour.’ ‘Already the final age of the world is with us, and the renewal of the world is irrevocably under way; it is even now anticipated in a certain real way, for the Church on earth is endowed already with a sanctity that is real but imperfect.'” (CCC 670)

The end times began 2000 years ago.

Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

Dust Into Flames

By Cynthia Scodova

In ancient times God spoke to us
Through prophets, and in varied ways,
But now he speaks through Christ his Son, 
His radiance through eternal days.

To God the Father of the world,
His Son through whom he made all things,
And Holy Spirit, bond of love
All glad creation glory sings.

                           Universalis Hymn Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal

                                                                                                               Google Images 



                                                     You cannot be grasped.
                                                     You enter all facets of closing
                                                     The myriad doors hinge.

                                                     You brush by 
                                                     Trailing
                                                     Your blinding 
                                                     Brilliance                                                                                                                                                                                                     Through the moors 
                                                     Of our exile:
                                                     Our hearts’ vast dark.

                                                     You are 
                                                     The bristling presence                                                                                                                                                                                Illuminating all forms 
                                                     You sustain
                                                     In your love
                                                     Stooping down

                                                     Stirring this dust
                                                     Into flames.


Cynthia blogs at The Mad-Eyed Monk.

How do the righteous live?

 By Michael Incorvia

The Prophet Habakkuk (photo: Wikimedia Commons).

The Old and New Testaments teach that the righteous person lives by faith, freely committing their entire self to God, seeking only to know and do God’s will.

God’s reply to the plea of the Old Testament Prophet Habakkuk is, “the righteous shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4b).   And, in the New Testament the author of Hebrews teaches that God states, “my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38).

It is through a total surrendering of self to God, desiring only to know and do His will that a righteous life is lived.   Righteousness is not achieved in a singular act of surrendering to the Lord.  Rather, righteous is achieved through series of daily actions of surrendering self to God, to know and do God’s will.  The righteous entrust their state in life, each event in the life, their entire being to the Lord.  Eternal salvation is achieved through a life lived in faith.


Michael blogs at To Love and Truth.