"Stand Firm in Your Faith" Bishop Strickland
by VP
Posted on Saturday September 09, 2023 at 03:36PM in Documents
Holy Mass in bombed St. Paul Cathedral in Münster, 1946 r.(c) Aschendorff Verlag
"Regrettably, it may be that some will label as schismatics those who disagree with the changes being proposed. Be assured, however, that no one who remains firmly upon the plumb line of our Catholic faith is a schismatic. We must remain unabashedly and truly Catholic, regardless of what may be brought forth. We must be aware also that it is not leaving the Church to stand firm against these proposed changes. As St. Peter said "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (Jn. 6:68) Therefore, standing firm does not mean we are seeking to leave the Church. Instead, those who would propose changes to that which cannot be changed seek to commandeer Christ's Church, and they are indeed the true schismatics." Stand Firm in Your Faith, Bishop Strickland, Diocese of Tyler
Prayer for the Holy Church
Lord, God of virtues, turn Thy loving face towards us and save us!
Thou didst banish idolatry from the world, and didst plant the vine of
the Church with so much care, that carefully revealed truth was made
known in all parts of the world. The cross of Jesus Christ has been
everywhere adored, the prophecy has been fulfilled which announced that
one day the true faith should fill the whole world.
But too soon heresy, that wild beast coming forth from the forest of
hell, came to lay waste that vine, so that error is now reigning in many
kingdoms of Europe. And what is still more deplorable is that in
countries that have remained faithful the Faith has now become an object
of persecution on the part of the unbelieving.
Ah, my God! We beg Thee to turn Thy face to us, and behold now Thy vine
has been laid waste. Look on it, visit it, and repair the damage done to
it by its enemies: they have despised and turned into derision Thy
Church, Thy Scriptures, Thy precepts, Thy maxims, in a word, all holy
truths.
Call to mind O Eternal Father, that in order to obey Thee and to
cultivate this vine according to Thy holy will, Thy Son Jesus Christ
made himself the Son of Man; call to mind that He consecrated the sweat
and fatigue of His whole life to planting it.
We pray Thee, then, through Thy love for this divine Son, to hear our
prayer: do Thou vouchsafe to govern and preserve the Holy Church; do
Thou vouchsafe to humble her enemies. We pray Thee, hear us.
St. Alphonsus' Prayer Book (1888)
