It was just after 3am this morning, and I was having trouble sleeping. I wrote these words in my prayer journal that I thought I would share.

I worry about the world my grandchildren will grow up in. They are going to be told so many things that are contrary to the word of God and true love. They are going to be told that everything everyone does is ok and simply a choice that each person makes as they go along. That God is love, so if you disagree with anybody, you must not love them. Everything is a choice, such as who one chooses to have sexual relations with and when, whether or not life should continue whether that be an unplanned pregnancy, a pre-born child deemed imperfect or a grown person who chooses to end their life on their own terms. Even our God-given gender is no longer sacred. It is also a choice. Parents who don’t go along with the changing whims of their children who haven’t even developed reasoning skills and a sense of self have to worry that school officials and “medical professionals” may decide they are “unfit” parents and try to interfere and even take away their children. God help us! We have gotten so off track in the guise of “tolerance”. We can’t forget that we will all die one day and our souls will go to heaven or hell. Contrary to what we want to believe and whatever image we want to make of God, we can’t fall into the trap of doing things our way! Jesus said “if you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) He knew it wouldn’t be easy. He didn’t say pick up some flowers and skip along. He said “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) All of us have our crosses, but that doesn’t mean we get rid of them by denying they are crosses and denying that we have sin in our life. For each of us that sin may be different. It may be gossip or pride, excessive social media, lust, over-eating, pornography, or other sexual impurities such as homosexuality or fornication (sex outside of marriage). These things go against our culture. People will accuse us of being haters, but no, we hate the sin and love the sinner. We all have our own struggles with sin that we need to help each other with but not to deny that they (the sins) exist. Jesus knew that many would struggle with his teachings. That is why he said “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matt 7:13-14) He went on to say to his followers, “Behold, I am sending you out as a sheep in the midst of wolves…” (Matt 10:16) The time is coming when true Christians will be more and more persecuted for not following the world agenda. I can only hope that I have taught my children and grandchildren to understand that Christ’s gift to us is worth standing up for no matter the cost and true love is not holding someone’s hand and walking with them to hell but rather being honest enough with them to tell them the truth and encouraging them to turn around and go the other way. That is what repentance is. And as Cardinal Sarah says, “Don’t deceive people with the word “mercy”. God forgives sins only if we repent of them.” We will only repent if we are convicted in our hearts that we have sinned and need the mercy of God. And then most importantly, we resolve not to repeat the sins by the grace of God. Lord, I pray for my family, my country and our world that we may repent of our sin, and I beg for your mercy. Show us your truths and your peace, so that we may one day join your heavenly banquet.

Amen

Here is a quote that I think sums it up pretty well. We can’t compromise our ideals and what we work with God to achieve in ourselves and our lives.

“I think it needs to be pointed out with utmost charity that the religion of compromise is self-deception and that there exist today only two absolutely irreconcilable alternatives for man: faith in the world and the religion of self, whose fruit is death: and the faith in Christ the Son of God, in whom alone is eternal life.”

Fr. Seraphim Rose