Saints' Discussion Forums

Yes, I think that is so. . .

I was thinking a chart showing the abandonment of Christianity by the nations would also be thought provoking.

"Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer."

Very true.  

Yes, hmm.. It ties in well with the impression I have gotten from Catholic prophecy.. First the gentiles embrace Christianity.. then over time, they will fall away from it.. This is the sign of the very end.. and of course, at last there's all the climactic apostasy, restoration, apostasy, and Antichrist.

It definitely seems that affluence and love of God are mutually exclusive things.  As our society's ability to care for the temporal lives of people improves, it's ability to foster spiritual wellbeing heads in the opposite direction.

Shin, just out of curiosity, does prophecy suggest any kind of restoration coming in the next 50 years?  

That is so true. It's all part of the Deuteronomic Cycle; the people follow God, He blesses them for it, they get rich, they forget about Him and fall into sin, He takes away the blessings as punishment, they repent, and then the cycle starts over again.

After a chastisement there should naturally be some sort of restoration. And then the cycle will begin again.

Yes as you said we have to willingly choose poverty.. yet how many will? It's what's best for us..

It makes me think all the more how important it is that children not be raised with too much technological entertainment, or in fact any. The habit of being constantly stimulated this way, is hard to break. I truly love when I hear about people involved in the homesteading movement, or the Plain Catholics.

A Plain Catholic first and foremost, seeks conversion of the heart and soul. The Plain Catholic heart is humble, obedient, and seeks continual conversion to become more like Christ.

1. Go to Mass daily if you can, Sunday and Holy Days most certainly. Go to the Sacrament of Penance often. Most importantly, Pray! Keep a regular daily prayer time regardless of the time of day. Developing excellent prayer habits is essential to your walk as a Catholic.

Recommended prayers:

Daily Lectio Divina (prayerful reading of Scripture)
Daily pray The Liturgy of the Hours in some form be it the simple one volume or the full 4 volume
One or all of the following: The Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet or other devotion officially approved by the Roman Catholic Church.

2. Look closely at your Schedule of Activities. Make note of how much time you spend in watching television; talking on the phone; computer time; video games, etc. Ask yourself if these activities take time away from your family. If the answer is yes, take concrete steps to reduce or eliminate these activities altogether.

3. Your Clothing: Do you have excess clothing? Is that clothing modest? If you have immodest clothing can it be modified to be more modest? If not donate it to the local thrift store. Or better yet, cut it up and create a lovely quilt out of it.

4. Your Home: Take a critical and Catholic look at your music, books, movies, etc. Do these items show a healthy faith life or do they focus upon the unhealthy attitudes of today’s secular and immodest culture?

5. Your Free time: How do you spend your free time? Do you prefer to be with family and friends? Volunteering? Seek out activities that edify your faith and your family. Avoid those activities that encourage an unhealthy dependency upon materialism, immodesty, vices, and especially the seven deadly sins of

•    Lust (Latin, luxuria)
•    Gluttony (Latin, gula)
•    Greed (Latin, avaritia)
•    Sloth (Latin, acedia)
•    Wrath (Latin, ira)
•    Envy (Latin, invidia)
•    Pride (Latin, superbia)

In all areas of your life, find ways to implement the virtues which oppose the deadly sins;

•    (Cardinal) Prudence: judge between actions with regard to appropriate actions at a given time
•    (Cardinal) Justice: proper moderation between the self-interest and the rights and needs of others
•    (Cardinal) Restraint or Temperance: practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation
•    (Cardinal)  Courage or Fortitude: forbearance, endurance, and ability to confront fear and uncertainty, or intimidation
•    (Theological) Faith: steadfastness in belief
•    (Theological) Hope:  expectation of and desire of receiving; refraining from despair
•    (Theological) Love or Charity: selfless, unconditional, and voluntary loving-kindness

Study the Catechism of the Catholic Church, particularly the "Life in Christ" section. Endeavor to actively implement this teaching in your own life so that your life will be a living witness to Christ. Live quietly and be ready to answer any questions about your faith but do so gently without anger nor argument according to 1 Peter 3: 15-16.

Divest yourself of unnecessary spending habits and examine how you can do with fewer material items. Replace these things with prayer, Scripture study and activities that promote a simpler life such as gardening. Be open to learning new skills that will help you pursue a simpler life. Seek out other like-minded Catholics who also wish to separate themselves from the secular world in their lives in order to pursue Jesus in simplicity.

How do we know there is another cycle? Maybe the Antichrist will be the chastisement,

Still, I did find something we can all use:

Interesting. What would you recommend for someone who would like to get into Catholic prophecy?

What you say about going to the source material first makes a lot of sense. People can't seem to agree on what a person "really" meant by what he said. This has been my frustration with history. So much of it only serves as a tool to promote one agenda or another.