On this 8th day of the Novena, we pray for the strength of perseverance in Faith.
The main reason why I started this blog, and the failed social networks involving Catholic addiction, is that too often in 12 Step meeting rooms (and online gatherings) I’ve seen Catholics leave the Church.
I feel it is my duty to stem the tide. I doubt I’ve been very successful, being only one person, but I shall continue anyway.
Why do they leave? It is my conviction that there is excessive moral relativism in the rooms, as well as the sin of indifferentism. Moral relativism is subjective morality, in that morality is situational and based on feelings and not on objective truth. Objective truth means that morality is fixed in terms of things which are always right or always wrong. Indifferentism means that all religions are the same. “It doesn’t matter which one you belong to, as long as you believe.”
Nonsense, if you are a follower of Christ and believe in the accuracy of Divine Revelation.
The idea of a Higher Power may be fine for non-believers or non-Christians, but for Catholics and other Christians the only real Higher Power is Jesus, God Incarnate. If you make anything other than Jesus your Higher Power, you are engaging in idolatry.
Twelve step groups have increasingly led people astray in their Faith. They develop a watered-down Catholicism or depart for a non-denominational Church. The leave the Church that Jesus, the Divine Physician, established with all the healing Sacraments and Saints.
(((sigh)))
We take the Faith and live it. We don’t trade it in for something else, “as long as I don’t take a drink today, I’m OK. I’ve got my Higher Power!” We take the Faith, apply the Gospel to our daily lives, find healing in the Sacraments, and respond to the Gospel’s message by carrying it to others. In doing “good works” we spread the Gospel by our actions (service and volunteering, acts of charity) or by word (conversing or bearing witness to others).
Now, to the Novena:
Begin the prayer with: O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father…, etc.
By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Archangels may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works in order that we may attain the glory of Heaven. Amen.
[Say one Our Father and three Hail Marys after your intentions for fidelity to the Faith.]
To say the entire Chaplet, click here:
Chaplet of St. Michael
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