Saturday, September 28, 2013

The Conversion of America

Dear Reader,
 
You are associated with Saint Benedict Center. You heartily desire the conversion of America. I someone asked you what you were doing toward that end (toward a Catholic America), what would you say?
I am sure you are already doing the first and most essential thing to convert our country, which is, of course, learning and living your Faith. It would be futile, indeed, to want our country to be Catholic, and yet to live as a pagan in your own life or to be ignorant of your Faith! Secondarily, you look for opportunities to share your Faith with people with whom you come in contact in whatever tasks you undertake.But, these are things that every good Catholic should be doing, even if he is not associated with Saint Benedict Center.
So,what is the advantage of being a part of Saint BenedictCenter? Why have you associated yourself with the Center? Well, it is certainly encouraging to bond with like-minded persons who will pray and sacrifice with and for you. Also,you could take advantage of the excellent program ofCatholic studies that is available in our Saint Augustine Institute of Studies (SAI) program. And you can receive helpful publications, such as this
Mancipia , to strengthen and encourage your Faith.
Are these benefits unique to belonging to Saint BenedictCenter? No. They are also available through other traditionalCatholic groups around the world, which profess the whole Faith and preserve the liturgical traditions. And, although convenient and excellent, our SAI program consists in studying things that any Catholic could (albeit with much effort)and outside our program.
So, again, is there any unique advantage of belonging to the Center? Think about it.
According to Wikipedia, the population o the United States is currently 316,298,000. The percentage of Catholics is approximately only 25%. This means that, at least 75%% of our countrymen need to be converted. That is the scope ofour task. It is a pretty big task, as many people have remarked to us over the years. Are we working effectively, or should we change our tactics?
Perhaps you have made your Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary (if you are a Third Order member, you have).On a personal level, this is the most powerful way for you to help our country become Catholic — to make yourself an instrument of the Mediatrix of All Graces, the Queen of Apostles, and the Empress of the Americas. You grow daily in its precious strength and grace. But, again, people who have not even heard of the Center have made this Consecration, so it is not unique to the Center.
Ahh! You are united to vowed religious who pray, work and study for the conversion of America. This makes your prayers and sacrifices more valuable. As they teach children and adults, do missionary work, promote their publications,practice hospitality, and perform all of their daily duties,your prayers and sacrifices help them
effectively to bring souls to Jesus through Mary — and their prayers and works help you to become closer to God and a better instrumentfor bringing souls to Him. Beautiful, indeed! Unique to theCenter? No.
Well, let’s look one more time! These religious make the traditional three vows according to the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. That is nothing unique. But, did you know that they make a fourth vow? A few orders make a fourth vow that is special to their order’s charism, and among these few are the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the religious of Saint Benedict Center.Do you know what this vow is? Before I share that fourth vow with you, dear reader, I want you to know that it is the reason for the very existence of Saint Benedict Center (read the
Loyolas and Cabots if you want to know why). It is the magnifying glass that gives o-cus and burning zeal to all of our prayers, works, and studies.It is the very special and essential aspect of the Center that made our dear Brother Francis say with confidence, “If any-one can tell us something better we could be doing, let him tell us, and we will do it today!” It is a special grace given to the Center, an essential grace for the work of converting America to the one, true Faith.
So, here is our fourth vow: “I promise to make the doctri-nal crusade of Saint Benedict Center the first interest in my life.” This is not merely a vow to believe the dogma —Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus — and profess it. It is not merely “one of the interests” in our life. By this vow, we religious focus all of our prayers, works, and studies, through the three vows and in the hands of Our Blessed Mother, toward the healing and expansion of the Mystical Body throughout the world. Without this crusade and its global interest in the Mystical Body, we may convert individuals, but the conversion of our homeland is not even possible.
Brother Francis never let an article, lecture, or conversation go by without relating it to the crusade. After all, he made that precious vow, too, and was one of the principal leaders of this crusade. Another article (at least!) needs to be written on the crusade specifically in order to do the cause justice. For now, I hope I have whetted your appetite for it.
You, dear friend of the Center, have the advantage of being, to some degree, part of this crusade. To that degree,there is nothing better you could be doing for the conversion of your beloved country.Until our next “meeting,” let us pray for one another to the Mother of God. And may your wholesome curiosity may lead you to look on our website for the Loyolas and Cabots ,and more material on our history and the salvation doctrine.
Email Sister MarieTérèse at convent@catholicism.org
http://www.scribd.com/doc/167491685/Mancipia-Sept-Oct-2013

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