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Before entering into the theme, let us briefly review the Lenten meditations: the spirit of discernment (discretio) urges us to enter consciously into a spiritual battle. Those who follow Christ know this struggle well. There are, however, two particular circumstances that we must always keep in mind, so that we “do not box as one beating the air” (cf. 1 Cor 9:26):

1. The enemy is not only attacking from outside the Church, but also from within, and he has wide areas under his influence.
2. He has penetrated right into the hierarchy, and from the very top he is trying to impose his pernicious course on the whole Church.

With this in mind, let us continue to listen to St Paul’s instructions to be prepared for battle:

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Let us recall the central theme of our Lenten meditations: to become better disciples of the Lord.

In the light of the discernment of spirits (discretio), we have analysed the existential crisis of the Church and pointed out the serious aberrations of the world. Consequently, we have noted that in this “emergency situation” the faithful must assume in a special way their responsibility to follow the Lord and thus to serve the Bride of Christ and her mission. This inevitably leads us into a spiritual battle which does not only concern our personal sphere, but is our contribution to the “battle of the Lamb” in which we are called to take our place in His army under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

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The aim of our Lenten meditations is to become better disciples of the Lord, especially as we contemplate His infinite love, manifested in a unique way in His Passion and Death on the cross for our salvation.  May our hearts yearn ardently for each person to encounter the love of our heavenly Father and thus find the sure path to eternity, where he or she will live forever in union with God and His own, filled with inexpressible joys.

To be better disciples means to adhere more closely to the will of our Lord, to fulfil with fervour the task He has given us and to understand it more deeply in the light of God. Above all, it means growing in love, which is the supreme good and which, as we will come to understand more and more, is capable of conquering everything.

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‘Discretion’ has led us to recognise the present crisis in the Church as a danger to the faithful, to perceive how her witness to the world has been obscured, and to see, beyond the human realm, the “principalities and powers” who plot evil against “the Lord and His anointed”, and who often pull the strings of all that usurps glory from God and harms men.

To get a more comprehensive picture in the sense of discernment of spirits, it is also worthwhile to take a look at the present situation in the world. It is not difficult to see that whole nations are under the dominion of darkness. Even formerly Christian countries have opened the door to great evils by introducing abstruse policies such as abortion, gender ideology and others. As a result, the powers of evil have made these states, with a few exceptions, part of the kingdoms over which Satan rules. If we add to this the wars and the injustices associated with them, we are faced with a sea of horror, full of corruption and impurity.

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In the sense of ‘discretio’ it is inescapable to face the current crisis in the Church, for how else would we draw the right conclusions to face it as disciples of the Lord? If we ignore it, we will continue to behave as if nothing has changed, and we will end up becoming carriers of modernist errors ourselves. If we even agree with such errors, then, without realising it, we are working on the side of those who want to destroy the Church or transform it into a humanitarian institution, as the philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand so aptly described it. If we remain silent when we see errors, we should take to heart the words of Pope Felix III: “Not to oppose error is to approve it; and not to defend truth is to suppress it”.

On the other hand, the realisation that the ecclesiastical hierarchy has embarked on a wrong course should not shake us or confuse us to the point of leading us to resignation or to leave the Church and join another denomination. That would be the wrong conclusion. The Catholic Church remains the Church founded by Christ, even when attacked from within and without.

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