Spiritual Considerations from my Trappist Retreat

The chapel at the Abbey of the Genesee

Dear Parishioners,

Having recently returned from my retreat with the Trappist monks, I certainly had much time to think and pray.  My stay at the monastery was a type of desert experience, withdrawing from the world and primarily praying the Liturgy of the Hours and concelebrating daily Mass with the monks.

Coming back to my parish routine, I realize just how noisy our world is.  We seem to be controlled and dominated by the internet, the television, the radio, our cell phones, etc.  These factors make it very difficult to listen to God.  Silence is very necessary to our daily lives if we want to have a serious spiritual life.

What did God say to me in the silence?  Please bear with me as I try briefly to summarize my thoughts here.  I will attempt to elaborate on these reflections on my blog (More Thoughts and Writings) subsequently.

We are in a period of intense spiritual warfare and confusion in the world.  If we just ignore the signs of the time and go on with our routines, at some point—perhaps at a time of sickness or death—we will have a serious spiritual awakening.  We need to pay close attention to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and to the over 2000 years of rich tradition faithfully handed down to us in the Catholic Church.

Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.  (1 Peter 5: 8-9)

Satan is very real.  As God is the essence of love, the devil, in contrast, is pure evil.  He hates humanity.  He tries to destroy it, debase it, confuse it, cause it to abandon the true God and serve false gods.

• The destruction of humanity.  Think of the destruction of our preborn children by the millions.  Consider the continual violence, war and terrorism throughout the world.         
• The debasement of humanity.  Pornography reduces the human person to base animal acts rather than life-giving love. Artificial contraception and abortion throw human fertility back in the face of God claiming a type of absolute control of our “reproductive rights.” The rampant addictive behavior (drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, etc.) of so many illustrates a loss of control within human nature.
• The confusion of humanity.  We are facing many scandals in the Church, the undermining of the moral credibility of the church hierarchy, the questioning of traditional institutions such as marriage and family, etc.
• The abandonment of the true God.  Consider the outright denial of God, the apostasy in the Church, the lukewarm or abandoned practice of the faith by the majority, etc.
• Serving false gods.  Materialism, secularism, the “sports” god, hedonism, the “sex” god, etc. have all taken the place of the true God for far too many.

Humanity, as a whole, is not in a good place in its relationship to God.  Yes, there are some (a faithful remnant) who take the message of the Gospel seriously and repent.  However, for far too many there is indifference, apathy, ignorance, or outright opposition to God.

During this month of October, the month of the Holy Rosary, may I recommend that we pick up our rosaries and seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  

We, no doubt, need supernatural help in this battle!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The chapel from outside

Our Lady of the Genesee