Guarding the Sleeping

1 Thes 5:1-28 “... Therefore let us not be asleep like the rest, but awake and sober! Sleepers sleep by night and drunkards drink by night...”

The Church has taken any reference to the plague being a punishment from God out of the readings for the "votive Mass in time of pestilence" since the pandemic began, according to "A Church in Crisis," the book by Ralph Martin. "In response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, the Vatican issued a new Mass for a time of pandemic, which omits texts from the original votive Mass for "times of pestilence" that speak of God's wrath and chastisement for sins." Not surprising from the people pleasing leadership of many in the Church. I would ask them if they had the courage to make themselves available to take questions from the laity, how are we who are blessed with being awake to the truth supposed to remain awake and wake others when our leaders remove any passages that aid in that waking? Is this pastoral? Is it loving to damn people to an eternity of suffering just to bring them temporary comfort now?

“... We who live by day must be alert..” 

How are we to remain alert when our shepherds deprive us of the discomfort of truth that keeps us from sleeping easily when we shouldn't be sleeping easily? 

I once extolled the virtues of marijuana. That brought me comfort. My mom told me she hated marijuana for what it was doing to our family. She didn’t let me rest in my lie. She lovingly, with strong words and tone, made me uncomfortable. This discomfort stayed with me until it had the desired effect, and I got away from weed almost 10 years ago to this day. She didn’t take her words back she didn’t soften them. She let them stand, and they had the desired effect. 

We live in a world of sleepers, and much of the blame lies on the souls of the leaders in our Church who have responsibility for our souls. They have lowered the bar. They’ve taken the bite out of the Hound of Heaven who pursues us through their ministry. They might not have the courage to hold our feet to the fire but I have the courage to respectfully do for them what mom did for me. Wake me up from my sleep and leave me uncomfortable. 

“... We beg you, brothers, respect those among you whose task it is to exercise authority in the Lord and admonish you...”. 

Admonishing seems to have been taken off the list of duties of many in positions of leadership in the Church. Comfort seems to have taken its place in their lives, and so in the lives of us they are to lead. 

“... We exhort you to admonish the unruly; cheer the fainthearted; support the weak; be patient toward all. See that no one returns evil to any other; always seek one another’s good and, for that matter, the good of all....”

And so I admonish the leaders who have become followers. I cheer them on to return to their proper place. I support you in your weakness by offering you my prayers and strong encouragement. I remain patient in hopes that you will see the areas where you have made errors and that you will correct yourselves. I seek your good and that you turn away from evil by not being silent, as many are in a spirit of false compassion and false respect. It is truly compassionate and respectful to make people uncomfortable with the end being the salvation of their souls and the souls they are responsible for. 

Archbishop Sheen-“Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, and the ears to save the church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests your bishops act like bishops. “

Written 2/2/21

Human-Written, AI Spell-checked

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