REFLECTION BY MEMBER JUNE 29, 2024

"And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Mt. 26:18)

In the Church's 2000 year history, she has seen many ferocious spiritual battles; she's tattered and weary, but now closer to the fiercest battle she will go through foretold in Book of Revelation - the apocalypse!

As a combat veteran of the Vietnam war, this image of a dirty, tattered, battle hardened Church is one that I can relate to. The black boots issued to me in the beginning were worn down to white raw leather, and my new combat fatigues were so filthy I could pinch the fabric and it left a crack on the dirt and mud that covered it; not to mention the stink of my own sweaty body. The Church today is not pretty, nor smells clean, but it shows all the signs of brutal combat. We need to pray for her -we are that Church - and must rally ourselves in this final battle against the gates of hell that shall not prevail against us!!!