The Lord is pointing out in today's gospel that when we constantly seek a sign that is
proof from God, then we lack real deep faith. And so we are to go forward in this world with faith,
praying always and everywhere that God works those miraculous signs, but in context of the faith,
and indeed according to the precepts by which he taught. For he tells us very clearly that
miracles are worked when faith is strong. And so we must constantly pray to have a strong faith
in all times and in all places, and especially in our day and age when so much seems to be
assailing Holy Mother, the Church. Indeed, we must pray for a deep faith, but also we must
fulfill that serious obligation that is incumbent upon all Catholics,
pray for our leaders, that is, for the Holy Father and all bishops in the world united with
him. And indeed, if there are any bishops in this world who are not united with St. Peter,
we must pray constantly that they reunite themselves to the faith of Peter, so that they
may guide the Church through these terrible times, these times of trial and tribulation,
in which it seems the whole world is arrayed against the principles of Christ. That is,
what our Lord taught, the world seems to be a place of prayer.
It seems to tell us what's wrong, and what our Lord did not teach, the world tells us is that
which is right. And so we must not necessarily seek those extraordinary signs, but we must seek
that one sign by which the Lord asks us to live our lives, that is, a strong faith in which we
truly depend upon him, even when it seems his voice is silent, that is, in times when it seems
he does not work those miracles that draw souls to his faith. And so we must constantly pray for
our faith. We must redouble our prayers, and indeed redouble our effort, and redouble our faith,
so that we may constantly be aware that even when the Lord seems to be silent, as the apostles found
out when he was asleep in the boat, he is never silent. He is always there guiding and protecting
Holy Mother Church. And so, let us pray that our faith is protected, and let us especially pray
for our bishops and all leaders within the Church, that their faith is strong,
so that they may truly lead us through these times of trial and tribulation, and that they
may stand up to those who seek to erode the faith of the members of the mystical body by requiring
of them that which they cannot do in conscience. And indeed, we see very clearly a terrible sign
that often when the government seems to legislate contrary to the teachings of Christ,
many Catholics seem to have no problem with it.
And so, we truly, in our day and age, live in a crisis of faith. And so, let us first seek that sign
which is most important, that is, a strong faith within the mystical body that witnesses even unto
death of the truth that Christ gave to Holy Mother Church, those truths that he entrusted to St. Peter
and all the successors of the apostles, the apostles who are united with him, that truth that will go
forth until the end of time.
That is, because it is the saving truth, and it is the very mission that the apostles and their
successors were entrusted with, to witness in season and out of season to the wonders that the Lord has
worked and the wonders he still seeks to work in the world, that is, the wonders of conversion and the
coming of each soul to embrace the one holy Catholic and apostolic Church. And so, let us pray
in this generation in which
there seems to be no signs except, rather, that sign that seems to indicate so much is against the Church,
so much is being contrary to that which she teaches. Let us pray that as members of the mystical body,
our faith is strong so that in persevering through this form of persecution, we may see a greater age
and a greater day of the Christian faith spread throughout the whole world in order to bring
about in the world that which truly the Lord promised, that is, peace. Peace not according to human
standards, but that peace by which we truly believe the Lord will give us all that he has promised us
if we do our part. And so, if we exercise strong faith, hope, and charity in this life, then the Lord
has promised us a better life in the life to come, because while we see him by faith in this world,
in heaven, we will see him by vision. And so, let us strive always and everywhere for that one
kingdom that truly produce for all eternity, and that one kingdom alone, which can bring joy to the
human heart, and let us pray that each kingdom, no matter what form of government it has in this
world, let us pray that each kingdom may come to reflect that strong faith, that that strong faith
that Christ came to gave the whole world so that it may, that it may, that they may be, that they may be the
that they may govern by the principles of Christ and truly bring about in this world
a society, a society whose hallmark is the worship of God first and foremost above all
things, and then all its activities are in accord with the will of God.
And let us truly believe that while it seems impossible that this could occur, let us truly
believe that the influence of Christ can truly spread to all hearts and to all peoples, to
all governments and all forms that government can take.
And so ultimately, we must pray that all accept the kingship of Christ so that they may truly
become that which the Lord has, that which the Lord came to give us.
And so let us strive always and everywhere to see the sacred heart of Jesus enthroned
in the hearts of all men so that they may truly seek to strive to establish that in
that.
In this world, which we know cannot be fully attained, but will become a reflection of
the heavenly life to come.
And so let us again, especially pray for the Pope and for all bishops so that they may
govern and guide us in these times of tribulation so that our faith may not waver because our
leaders are strong and so the body is strong and it witnesses to the world the truth of
Christ.
And let us always remember that amongst those most extraordinary.
Of signs that the mystical body witnesses to the world is that sign by which we truly
are willing to give up our lives rather than to compromise in the least way the teachings
of Jesus Christ.
And so if we do so in this world, we have that complete hope and that complete confidence
that we will attain our Lord in the world to come.
In the next lecture we are going to share some of the historical and trulyOSE
realities of Jesus Christ.
See you next time.
Thank you, and have a great eve.
Bye.