Staying Afloat on Peter's Barque


Torch of The Faith News on Thursday 10 April 2014 - 12:12:26 | by admin

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Faithful Catholics are certainly having a rough ride as dark waves of apostasy sweep the decks of Peter's Barque.

Times such as these pose a particular kind of danger to sincere Catholics. The devil can gradually manipulate their perceptions in order to take their focus away from Our Lord Jesus Christ and onto the dark terrors of the storm.

Once disoriented, they become despondent, joyless and even bitter. It is not too far a step from this situation into sin.

In such a state, we are no longer a light of love and evangelization.

Sacred Scripture presents us with instructive events such as the account of the Calming of the Storm and the time when St. Peter walked across the water to Jesus.

In each case, all went well for the disciples when their focus remained on Christ. However, once their primary focus moved to the storm, the shipwreck of fear and despair threatened to overwhelm them.

This is not to say that we should ignore the dangers of the storm. That would be folly. However, it is a case of priorities; the good mariner takes into account the dangers and logistics of a voyage, but keeps his primary focus on reaching the destination.

It is a case of navigation rather than capitulation.

In these days leading into Holy Week, we could each profit from asking ourselves a question. Is my primary focus each day on Jesus Christ or on the problems threatening His Church, or even on my own problems?

It can be so easy - even addictive - to spend our free time reading through all the negative accounts on the internet. The same can be said of thinking about one's own trials. It is often not so easy to spend time receiving from the Word of God.

And yet, this is where the Prince of Peace can be encountered.

As Holy Week approaches, we invite our readers to receive afresh from the Word of God. Not as another burden to add to the duties of the day, but as a real chance to relax in God and to breath in the fresh air He offers.
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Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened,
and I will refresh you (Matthew 11:28).

God wants to speak to us and to nourish us with His Word.

At various times in our lives, we have found the Divine Office - the Liturgy of the Hours - of the Church to be a very helpful source of peace and consolation.

Of course, one does not pray the Office just to get a sense of peace, but to deepen one's union in God. Nevertheless, the Office has great capacity to maintain us in the kind of inner peace necessary to remain in Christ's Love and to reflect this to others.

Whilst priests and religious pray the whole Office as a key part of their calling; lay people are encouraged by the Church to partake in this sacrifice of praise as far as they are able.

As this is the liturgical prayer of the Church, it taps us into the enormous reservoir of grace won for us by Jesus Christ. The recitation of the Psalms plugs us into the rich tradition of the Church and God's chosen people.

Just to give one example of how the Office has helped us, we recently were finding ourselves overburdened by the raised and unopposed voices of dissent occuring in the UK in recent weeks.

Psalm 8 - in Saturday Morning Prayer of Week 4 - announces: 'Your majesty is praised above the heavens; on the lips of children and of babes you have found praise to foil your enemy, to silence the foe and the rebel.'

Being the revealed Word of God, a phrase like this can feed us throughout the day as a constant source of peace. It helps us to recall that grace is paramount. God is always in charge. His little ones praise Him. Their praise of Him will foil and silence His enemies more than any amount of clamour on our part.

Again, this is not to say that we should ignore dissent. But, rather that it should not take us away from the peace of Christ.

Praising Him each day can help us remain close to His love and peace. In this way, we can become the heralds of the Gospel.

As Holy Week approaches, you may find praying part of the Office - say Morning Prayer - to be helpful. Even a few planned minutes each day for silent prayer with the Lord and a passage from the Bible can help us to refocus on Him.

Then we can remember that it is His Church and He is still in charge.

As Psalm 8 also proclaims: 'How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!' 

May the peace of Christ sustain you each day.


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