Tuesday, March 07, 2017

The Sad State of Christianity

I read the following beginning of a prayer in the Magnificat magazine's meditation for today by Blessed Margaret Ebner, a 14th century German Dominican nun.
By the grace of your presence may we feel no lack of you because of the sad state of Christianity, and on that account may we never harm by evil the pure Truth, which is you yourself, O God, in whom all truth is seen.
Reading this made me think of those who are worried about various problems in the Church today, not to mention the denominational divisions that have only continued to increase over the centuries. Blessed Margaret lived long before our current situation, but she was well aware of the problems of her day. She wisely desired to not let these things distract her from seeking God's presence and holding onto the truth, despite what those around her were doing and saying.

This is a good example for us today. We must remember that God is not surprised or daunted by the problems in the Church. Jesus predicted there would be weeds among the wheat, and St. Paul warned about wolves among the sheep. Therefore, when we encounter problems and opposition we must not despair, but respond to the challenges with truth and love.