January 2001
Dear
Faithful,
First
I want to thank all of you for your kind cards, prayers
and generous gifts during the holiday season. May Our
Lady and Her Divine Son reward you a hundredfold. I
hope all of you have had a happy and blessed Christmas
and that the New Year has begun well for you. On behalf
of our community and myself personally receive our best
wishes for you for a happy and holy New Year 2001. God
alone knows what it has in store for us. Let us leave
it to Him to unfold it as He knows best.
As
a new year begins I think it is important to reset our
sights and remember that we are not fighting against
flesh and blood but "against the spirits of wickedness
in the high places" (Eph 6,12); remember the fight
is essentially supernatural and we should always keep
it supernatural.
Indeed
it seems to me that the real crux of the crisis in the
Church is the destruction of the supernatural life.
Indeed the present crisis is more than just a question
of the Mass or of denying this or that dogma. This is
what seems to have escaped conservative groups. The
crisis centers around the attack, the confusion, the
distortion, indeed the denial of the difference between
the natural and supernatural life. From this comes the
infatuation with the dignity of the human person and
the false extension of the rights of man without any
regard to his duties, least of all his duties towards
God. This is why for the Modernists all religions are
good and lead to God, this is why all men are saved
whether they know it or not, want it or not. It is nothing
else than naturalism and the total destruction of the
only supernatural order established by Our Lord Jesus
Christ for the salvation of mankind even if the exteriors
remain: bells and smells.
This
is why we so much need your prayers and sacrifices.
These are the instruments Our Lady will use to crush
the devil's proud head. Don't fall into the devil's
trap. What is needed is not political agitation. On
this turf we will lose the battle, it is the devil's
playing field. We do not have to fight with the sword
or guns: `for all that take the sword (or guns) shall
perish with the sword." (Matt 26,52) What then?
Simply resist the plotters and suffer patiently whatever
may be said or done against us.[1]
Only prayers and sacrifices and ultimately martyrdom;
"for you have not yet resisted unto blood"(Heb
12,4), but it will come since "without the shedding
of blood there is no remission" (Heb 9,22). This
is how Our Lord and His true disciples have overcome
the world the flesh and the devil. But don't panic!
The graces will be given when needed.
A
good instrument in the fight is the Holy Rosary. Say
your Rosary every day. I know many do but may there
always be more of you. Join the Rosary Crusade. Shortly
we hope to publish a Rosary Crusade newsletter.
Another
good antidote to naturalism: the Spiritual Exercises
of St Ignatius which plunge us into the supernatural
environment: creation, the purpose of life, sin, death
& judgment, hell, the calling of Christ the King
to all men to enter His service and what this service
is. This is our true life, our only life, and the only
one that matters. Many of you have followed these spiritual
Exercises and I hope more of you will. It is so important
because of the world we live in. Our fidelity to Our
Lord and His Church may depend on it. It will certainly
be a great help. Plan to attend a retreat this year.
You will find the dates for the Shawinigan retreats
on the back of this letter.
Someone
mentioned to me that I had not put in an application
form for the Apostolate of Prayers for Priests. Maybe
this a reason why we did not get many responses. Please
find one at the end of this letter.
Be
assured of our daily prayers for your continued fidelity
for which we thank you. The monthly Mass for Friends
and Benefactors as always is offered on the last Sunday
of the month. An Irish blessing: "May your troubles
last as long as your New Year's resolutions"
With
my blessing
Father
Jean Violette
[1]
The Liturgical Year by Dom Gu6ranger, Vol. 2, Christmas,
St Thomas of Canterbury.
Please
enroll me in the Apostolate of Prayers for Priests
(Please return to Father Violette in Toronto. Thank
you)
(Please
print)
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