Thursday evening musings...

I'm home here, alone (except for Gertie the cat) and in the silence of this big house my mind will tend to wander, thankfully usually about spiritual things, but often lately concerning my relationship with my family. Now when I say 'Family' I don't mean my wife or son or daughter, or even my son-in-law. We are all pretty much on the same page (more or less, room for improvement.) What I mean is my mother, brother, sister and all of their family members. This relationship is on rocky ground at all times. I consider myself a Catholic, a Roman Catholic. Perhaps I could add that I only go to the Latin Mass, but I really don't like the words 'Trad Rad' or Traditional Catholic, or any of those other monikers that people use. I'm Catholic, period. Now in my opinion, most people who go to the Novus Order Mass are not Catholic 100% anymore. Unless they go to a parish that has a very 'spiritual' and tradition-minded priest, they are mostly protestant in their thinking, never mind the modernist and liberal mindset. This is everywhere, we all know it, and I'm not going to go any further with this. What brought me to write this post is that in finishing up my Divine Office, which is used by the Franciscans, for today, Vespers, the intention was 'For the necessity of Relatives' and for Compline it was 'For necessity of Friends'. To me, so very apropos for todays' world. We so very much need both of these people, relatives and friends, in our lives. It is so very unfortunate that all of our relatives can't be on the same page concerning our religious beliefs. I pray earnestly every day for the conversion of my brother, sister and mother and all of their family members to the true interpretation of the Church, but really don't think it will happen. This is Gods chastisement to both them and me. I'm 64 now. How many more weddings will we have to say no to, on account of the ceremony taking place in a barn, or a field or a (shudder) protestant church? It is a sad time when family is fading, in a way into the background and like-minded friends are the only ones outside of the immediate family that one can speak and pray with. Are the end times coming? It sure seems that way. The way the 98% of the world thinks is truly frightening, and we, as, lets say, working Catholics, are left in sadness and complete disarray.
I'll end with asking, not to pray for this or that, but to pray that our prayers, our sincere prayers, may be answered.