Lenten Prayer and Fasting for Holy Leadership in the Church, by Mark Henry

As I went up to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday this year, I reflected on the meaning of Lenten sacrifice and the power of offering up fasting for a worthy cause. With all the turmoil in our beloved Church in mind, I sought a meaningful intention to unite my prayers and fasting with the needs of the Church.

The trials facing the Church today are daunting. A recent Pew study, cited in Eric Sammon’s recent article “Catholics Are Rapidly Losing Ground,” paints a sobering picture: for every 100 people who enter the Church, 840 leave. Priestly retirements far outpace new ordinations. The Church has increasingly aligned with globalist agendas, including climate change activism and promotion of illegal immigration, with timeless Catholic moral teachings kicked to the curb. Many Catholic institutions have become secularized and detached from core Catholic beliefs. Catechesis is weak, leaving many Catholics poorly formed in the Faith. Meanwhile, certain Church leaders seem singularly focused on political issues while neglecting the Church’s deeper spiritual and salvific mission. The challenges are immense, but we must remember that where sin and struggle abound, grace abounds all the more. …

Continue reading >>>>>>>>>