“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
Indeed.
If you are reading this, you are alive, this is your time; no matter your age, your occupation, your circumstances.
You are a member of the Church Militant, and have duties to perform within your own sphere of living. Do not let the (apparent) smallness of such duties lead you to believe that they are inconsequential.
They are not.
Move forward.
Stay with us all as we march towards the eternal Kingdom prepared for us by Our King, Christ Jesus.
Stay faithful.
I say this, today, as I said in a post from September 11 of 2018: carry on.
I frequently meet Roman Catholics who are carrying on: mothers changing a seemingly endless stream of diapers; fathers going out to work despite a dislike for their job; priests who ascend the altar, and bravely speak the Truth from the pulpit; single women, bravely facing days of work and toil without the consolation of a family; single men, trying to decide where they land in this world.
This might sound strange, but I am proud of them.
When I see them in action, it is like seeing a fellow soldier on the battlefield.
Let us offer encouragement to each other as we walk this land. It is often sorely lacking; and a word of hope and positive affirmation is often enough to boost a fellow Catholic forward. A supportive relationship is often all one needs to carry on. We see such relationships in the work of the Catholic writer, J.R.R. Tolkien; as in, the relationship between Sam and Frodo. When one is down, he lifts the other up; and vice versa. Let us do that for one another.
Carry on, fellow Catholics, children of Mary.
May you have a good day.
~SCF
~Today is the feast of St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. It is said of him:
“Gabriel Possenti (1838-62), the son of a distinguished Italian lawyer, entered the novitiate of the Passionist Fathers, receiving in religion the name of Brother Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. The story of the remaining six years of this young saint’s life is largely a record of an extraordinary effort to attain spiritual perfection in small things, but his devotion to Mary was exceptional. Pope Leo XIII said of him: ‘Because of his filial love for Mary at the foot of the cross, he deserves to take his place by St. John, the beloved disciple, to whom Jesus in His dying hour commended His Mother.'” (source)
St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows said the following:
“Love Mary! She is loveable, faithful, constant. She will never let herself be outdone in love, but will ever remain supreme. If you are in danger, she will hasten to free you. If you are troubled, she will console you. If you are sick, she will bring you relief. If you are in need, she will help you. She does not look to see what kind of person you have been. She simply comes to a heart that wants to love her. She comes quickly and opens her merciful heart to you, embraces you and consoles and serves you. She will even be at hand to accompany you on the trip to eternity.”
More on St. Gabriel, here.
