Why are you sleeping?

Sleeping Apostles - Boticelli

"We must be prepared to undergo great trials in the not-too-distant future; trials that will require us to be ready to give up even our lives, and a total gift of self to Christ and for Christ. Through your prayers and mine, it is possible to alleviate this tribulation, but it is no longer possible to avert it, because it is only in this way that the Church can be effectively renewed. How many times, indeed, has the renewal of the Church been effected in blood? This time, again, it will not be otherwise. We must be strong, we must prepare ourselves, we must entrust ourselves to Christ and to His Mother, and we must be attentive, very attentive, to the prayer of the Rosary." —POPE JOHN PAUL II, interview with Catholics at Fulda, Germany, Nov. 1980

"Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test." (Luke 22:46)
We must pray much and pray often for our Holy Father. Before the sheep of his church (us) are scattered the Shepherd (the Pope) will be struck - just as in Gethsemane Jesus was struck and His sheep - the Apostles, were scattered. I pray this will happen in later times, but in looking around at what is occurring in the world, it appears we are in these times. This is the time that God ordained for us to live and so we must make the best of it.

Lord have mercy upon us and grant us the grace to perservere until the end without faltering. Amen+

Well Deserved Chastisement

All should read this and shiver -

"Now I beg those who read this book not to be disheartened by these misfortunes, but to consider that these chastisements were meant not for the ruin but for the correction of our nation. It is, in fact, a sign of great kindness to punish sinners promptly instead of letting them go for long. Thus, in dealing with other nations, the Lord patiently waits until they reach the full measure of their sins before he punishes them; but with us he has decided to deal differently, in order that he may not have to punish us more severely later, when our sins have reached their fullness. He never withdraws his mercy from us. Although he disciplines us with misfortunes, he does not abandon his own people." ~2 Maccabees 6:12-16