The Few-er - Part Nine (Conclusion)

The most effective, diabolical tools to use against a Remnant Church in a world that is increasingly apathetic to Christianity: Pessimism and fear!

In our exploration of the notion that the Catholic Church is being purified / trimmed by the Lord to exist in the future as a Remnant Church, pessimism and fear about the future are misplaced and useless -- and to be avoided.  


Pope Benedict has summarized the basic convictions which Catholics must have for living with regard to the future -- whether the Church is a Remnant or not. [See Eschatology : the Expectation of the Parousia.]

First: 

• Catholics have the certainty that Jesus is Risen and is with the Father and thus is with us forever. 
• No one is stronger than Christ, for He is with the Father, and He is with us. 
• We are consequently safe, free of fear. 
• This is an essential effect of Christian preaching. (Deacons and Priests: Are you catching this?)
• Christ lives, He has overcome death, He has overcome all the dark powers. 
• We live in this certainty, in this freedom, and in this joy. 

Second: 

• Each Catholic lives with the certainty: "Christ is with me."
• The future world in Christ has already begun; this provides the certainty of hope. 
• The future is not darkness in which no one can find his way. 
• Catholics know that Christ's light is stronger and therefore they live with a hope that is not vague, with a hope that gives them certainty and courage to face the future.

Third: 

• Catholics live with the conviction that Christ, who will return as Judge and Savior, has left us the duty to live in this world in accordance with His way of living. 
• We have a responsibility before Christ for the world, for our fellow human beings.
• He has entrusted His talents to us, and our responsibility is to work so that this world may be open to Christ, that it be renewed. 
• Yet even as we work responsibly we realize that Christ, the true Judge, is good.
• Therefore we can be certain of His goodness and advance with great courage.

COURAGE, SISTERS AND BROTHERS!
REMNANT CHURCH OR NOT, KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON!

And in those moments when the Devil wants to tempt you into fear and anxiety, try reflecting on the following Scriptures -- and really, really pay attention to what the Lord is telling you.

The Book Of Deuteronomy [31:6]
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

The Book Of The Prophet Isaiah [43:1-11]
"But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine.  When you pass through the water, I will be with you; in the rivers you shall not drown. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned; the flames shall not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in return for you.  Because you are precious in my eyes and glorious, and because I love you, I give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life.  

Fear not, for I am with you; from the east I will bring back your descendants, from the west I will gather you.  I will say to the north: Give them up! and to the south: Hold not back! Bring back my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth:  Everyone who is named as mine, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.   Lead out the people who are blind though they have eyes, who are deaf though they have ears.  Let all the nations gather together, let the peoples assemble! Who among them could have revealed this, or foretold to us the earlier things? Let them produce witnesses to prove themselves right, that one may hear and say, "It is true!"  You are my witnesses, says the LORD, my servants whom I have chosen To know and believe in me and understand that it is I. Before me no god was formed, and after me there shall be none.   It is I, I the LORD; there is no savior but me."

The Book Of The Prophet Jeremiah [42:17-19]
"If you remain quietly in this land, I will build you up, and not tear you down; I will plant you, not uproot you; ... Do not fear ... says the LORD, for I am with you to save you, to rescue you ... I will grant you mercy ... It is the LORD who has spoken to you, remnant of Judah... ."

The Gospel According To Saint Matthew [10:16b-33]

"Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.   But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues,  and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.   When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say.   For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.   You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.   When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.   No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master.   It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!

"Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.  What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.   And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.  Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.  Even all the hairs of your head are counted.  So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.   Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.   But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.

The Gospel According To Saint Luke [12:32]

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom."

The Gospel According To Saint John [14:27]
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Saint Paul's Letter To the Romans [8:15-39]

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, Father!"   The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.  For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God;  for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope  that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.

We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;  and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees?

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.

In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.

And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will.

We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?

Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones? It is God who acquits us.

Who will condemn? It is Christ (Jesus) who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.

What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?

As it is written: "For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Saint Paul's First Letter To The Corinthians [16:13-14]

Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong.

Your every act should be done with love.

Saint Paul's Second Letter To The Corinthians [4:7-11]

For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of (Jesus) Christ.

But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.   We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair;   persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed;  always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.

For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  So death is at work in us, but life in you.   Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed, therefore I spoke," we too believe and therefore speak,  knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence.   Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.   For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.

Saint Paul's Letter To The Philippians [1:12-14]

I want you to know, brothers, that my situation has turned out rather to advance the gospel,  so that my imprisonment has become well known in Christ throughout the whole praetorium and to all the rest,  and so that the majority of the brothers, having taken encouragement in the Lord from my imprisonment, dare more than ever to proclaim the word fearlessly.

Saint Paul's Second Letter To Timothy [1:7]

For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.

Saint Paul's Letter To The Hebrews [13:1-8]

Let mutual love continue.  Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.  Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the ill-treated as of yourselves, for you also are in the body.  Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.  Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never forsake you or abandon you."  Thus we may say with confidence: "The Lord is my helper, (and) I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"  Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The First Letter Of Saint Peter [3:8-18]

Finally, all of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble.  Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing.

For: "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep the tongue from evil and the lips from speaking deceit,  must turn from evil and do good, seek peace and follow after it.  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears turned to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against evildoers."

Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good?  But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them,  but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,  but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered 5 for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit.

The First Letter Of Saint John [4:8-19]

Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.

In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.

In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.

No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit.

Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.

Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.

We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.

In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

We love because he first loved us.

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Some fine articles to examine would include the following, on the following sites:

Catholic Exchange - Does God Want Us To Worry? by Gary Zimak

Catholicism Anew - Do Not Fear!!!!!! by Father Robert J. Carr

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This Concludes The Series