Fr. Mark-Mary and Fr. John Anthony Boughton talk about what we can do when it feels like Satan has the upper hand.
It’s no secret that there is a lot of turmoil, nervousness, and fear in the world right now. Fr. John Anthony connects the present day to certain times in history when everything seemed to be falling apart. But he points out that what followed these times were great moments of intercession from the Holy Spirit.
For example, if you look at the days leading up to the abolition movement, you can see an influx of people converting to the faith and being baptized, and wanting to use their faith to help their country. Similar to this was Pope Leo XIII who consecrated the world to the Holy Spirit, causing the following weeks to be filled with substantial waves of faith.
What this shows us is that sometimes God uses bad events and situations in history to show us our need for a Savior, making the world better through our faith. He ignites us with the fire of the Holy Spirit, and it’s with this strength that we can go out and make changes in our world to benefit the common good. This all must start, however, with intense prayer and fasting for the conversion of sinners—especially ourselves.
Meet Fr. Mark-Mary
Father Mark-Mary was ordained as a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal (CFR) in 2018 and lives at a friary in the Bronx.
The mission of the CFRs is to wholeheartedly embrace Jesus through fidelity to the Church and her Sacraments. Paired with their commitment to prayer, contemplation, and study of Sacred Scripture, the CFRs serve those around them, especially the poor, in the footsteps of Christ.
Discover beautiful music from the CFRs and Fr. Mark-Mary’s book Habits for Holiness: Small Steps for Spiritual Progress, both available from Ascension.
