This issue of the Regina Coeli Report covers an important topic, that of perseverance. We know that only those who persevere to the end of their life will be saved.
Dear Friends,
This issue of the Regina Coeli Report covers an important topic, that of perseverance. We know that only those who persevere to the end of their life will be saved. Meanwhile, saving our souls is the “one thing necessary” for us to accomplish (Lk. 10:42). But today’s world presents obstacles to perseverance in the faith that make it more difficult than it has been in the past.
The first obstacle is today’s instability. Instability is an enemy to the constancy needed to persevere. Our society seems to be in a state of continual upheaval and the timeless wisdom of the past has been set aside to such a degree that, today, anything goes. The nuclear family that used to be the bedrock of society has been replaced by the ideal of a life that makes no commitments and never settles down to a routine. The atmosphere of change for change’s sake in which we live makes it more difficult to remain fixed in one’s purposes.
A second obstacle to perseverance today is the excess of information that is available. The virtue of hope is needed to be constant in pursuing a goal. But so many people today consume time reading about evils that do not concern them and about which they can do nothing. The regular intake of bad news discourages them and leads them to believe that their own goals cannot be achieved or that disaster will soon overtake them. Pushed into discouragement or even depression by the dark views communicated by the Internet world, such persons slowly give up their spiritual practices.
It is our hope that our Society of Saint Pius X communities provide families with the remedies they need to these obstacles and make perseverance in the faith both attainable and normal. It is good for families to be actively involved in the many events that take place at their chapels and schools: meetings of confraternities, serving and sacristy work, cleaning and maintenance, school academics and sports, social gatherings and fundraising drives. When we have a community in which to live out our faith on a day-to-day basis, we are able to enter into a rhythm that carries us from one year to the next. The practice of our faith makes up the fabric of our lives. In short, we persevere.
- Rev. Fr. John Fullerton
US District Superior
Also in this Issue:
- Perseverance and the Crisis of Modernity
- Perseverance in Practice
- 50 Years of Tradition in Idaho
- St. Joseph's Altars
- Final Engagement of Sr. Anne Marie
