The response to the last "Vortex" has no words that would adequately describe it. Incredible, over the top , doesn't matter how it's expressed; it would all sound cliché.
I'll say! Quite a boost for you, Ga(r)y! Your hardliner stance against the evil Francis critics is all but forgotten!
I want to express my deep abiding gratitude for the show of support, kindness and compassion. Thousands of comments, emails and texts have brought me much solace, as well as the staff and close friends of the apostolate. It has been, in a word, overwhelming.
Hey another fake self-made apostolate. There's a lot of that going around...
If not all, I have read a huge number of the messages pouring in, and if you would allow me a small reflection on the many beautiful responses.
It seems to me that beyond the specific point of that "Vortex," many people have recognized in it their own stories, albeit with all kinds of different circuмstances, for the most part. They have read, seen and shared or at the very least contemplated either their own story of how merciful God has been, or worked up the fortitude to now reach out to Our Heavenly Father for His mercy. Not such a bad thing in the Year of Mercy.
Oh mercy, mercy me! Another preplanned event for Francis' YOM!
Even after forgiveness, there is still the fallen human nature tendency to forget or let the awareness of it fade from our conscious minds. Understandable, again, given the fallenness of our human condition, even in a state of grace. But however understandable, gratitude is a virtue we must always strive to stir up inside ourselves. From gratitude comes joy, because gratitude always keeps the mercy of God before our eyes. All of this fits together.
From gαyness comes forgiveness, from forgiveness comes gratitude, from gratitude comes joy! I bet you Gary Michael remembers the joy of being gαy!
Just as sin has consequences that have a knock-on effect, so too does being granted mercy and being brought back to the embrace of our Father. The cup is in a constant state of either being filled up, or drained dry, because the life of the soul is dynamic, always in motion. Sometimes it's obvious to us, other times not, but the soul is either drawing closer to God or moving away.
Hearing others' experiences gives the listener a rallying point and something to join his own mind to. If it's bad news, the hearer's mind identifies in that way. If it's good news, then the hearer tends to reflect on good, looking for a way to make the story more of their own. This is a good thing. It's how the "good" news is spread.
On a strictly human level, it's a dim reflection of the Communion of Saints, all of us tapping into that news that is good and then applying it in our own individual circuмstances. Then there is another dynamic at work here which is always present in our work and that of other apostolates that work for the Faith.
It's a fair assessment we can say that many of you tune in to Church Militant because you sense correctly a love of the Catholic Church, which is to say, a love of Our Blessed Lord in His Sacred Bride. This is the primary concern of your lives, as it is ours, that this Church and Her teachings be spread to the farthest regions of the world — but closer to home, that it be spread to the farthest regions of our world, my world — my children(LOL), my parents, my siblings, my loved ones, my close friends.
While we objectively want all (proddy language alert!) saved , whom we most want saved are those we know and love and are dearest to us. In that we need encouragement and reinforcement. There's nothing wrong with that and nothing wrong with admitting it. It's the truth.
We are weak and can easily become discouraged and concerned and angst-ridden. That's what happens in a fallen world, and nothing's going to change that. What we collectively recognize in personal accounts of changed lives is that the Holy Catholic Church is God's means of providing grace to get through life.
This life is filled with woes. How apt is the term "valley of tears." We can succuмb to the tears — which is very easy to do and in fact our natural response — or we can start the fight (which never ends until we die) and fight through it. There is a reason it's called the Church Militant. This life is a battle, and everyone likes to see the good guys win. Stories of souls being brought back from the dead are just that: victories that give hope. And the source of that hope is Almighty God's Holy Catholic Church.
Did Archbishop Dolan or Fr. Paul Nicholson write that one for you? Overlong, meandering and meaningless.
So good stories inspire because they are examples of not limiting God. While the thousands of comments of support are wonderful, as we said earlier, beyond words, there is another dynamic at work underneath the surface. We must always act in a way in which we are not limiting God.
Would it be "limiting God" to say he has no time for fake penitents?
Oh but now all Voris' critics are Satan's minions! Wait for it...
Satan did not want that "Vortex" being aired because, with his angelic intelligence, he recognized the potential for souls to (proddy language alert!) reconnect, the potential for people to revel in their own gratitude for God's mercy. And we should always revel in that.
When any of us, no matter who and no matter for what, turn back to God, we set off an uproarious party in Heaven — in human terms, of course. In heavenly terms, it's even greater. As we hear in the story of the Prodigal Son, we become the guest of honor. We are given back our baptismal dignity, a fine robe, rings on our fingers, a tremendous feast of the fatted calf, an enormous party, noisemakers, fireworks, great music, a huge celebration.
Satan hates that — and too bad for him. He does his work in the shadows of our deep wounds, always keeping them open, always seeping, never beginning to heal. All of this, all that has happened in response to this past "Vortex," is what's going on here. While so many have expressed such support, all of this is what's in the background, going on just off-stage. And isn't that something to be thankful for? Not limiting God and His goodness.
A minimum of 23 years of ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖity under his belt and he was healed a year before he even stopped doing it! Wow! Well I for one wouldn't even dream of limiting God to strictly using chaste straight men and women to carry on his message when there are a bunch of lying fαɢɢօts just waiting to be put to good use!
George Michael Voris has the faith, the faith, the faith!