Catholic during the Great Apostasy

Will I bear the weight of the cross?
Will I set an example—if only for myself?
Will I rescue my soul from the sea of lies?

There are so many questions,
but only two answers:
Yes or No.

It is God who allows us to raise the sword.
It is God who calls us to fight.
The Mother of God—and our Mother—
is our shield.
She protects us,
but also stirs us to battle.

Who is our greatest enemy?
Satan?
No—we ourselves:
our weaknesses and desires.

Deny yourself,
and you will be united with God.
So simple—
and yet so hard.

“Leave your family and follow Me.”
So simple—
and yet so hard.

On earth, we believe this is all we have.
But it is not so.
All is God—
and the rest is dust we foolishly adore.

So hard—
and yet even harder.

The soul must be freed
from all human feelings and cravings,
and in perfect purity
must find God.
It must unite with Him
through the strength of suffering,
born from rejecting the world.

You do not need to walk physically
behind Christ like the apostles.
Now it happens within souls.

So many think this is easier—
because they do not have to stand
with penitent faces
in the front pews,
showing how often they pray,
how much they give.

But they were never the first.
They have never truly mattered.

Truth and the soul are joined in intention.
Lies and buildings collapse into dust.

People love the dust.
But You, Lord, love the light of pure intent.

Dust contains everything,
sparkling with the gold of this world.
That is why You gave us
the Most Holy Mother—
so we might see the beauty of purity,
and leave behind
the glittering trinkets
from the trash heap of life.

She always helps,
always so close—
if only you desire to walk
toward her Son.
If your soul truly longs for Him.

Arkadiusz Niewolski