The stone was rolled into place, closing the tomb, well-guarded by two soldiers, while the apostles went into hiding, incredulous and trembling. (...) Didn’t we ourselves take the road to Emmaus a little too hastily? Isn’t it time to return to Our Lady and learn from her, so that our choices are not determined any more by appearances, and that only the theological virtues lead our steps?
Dear Friends and Benefactors,
The stone was rolled into place, closing the tomb, well-guarded by two soldiers, while the apostles went into hiding, incredulous and trembling. Faith and hope, dead in their hearts, sank under the repeated blows which had rained down on Christ on a day that gravely tested the fidelity of the Twelve. The holy women themselves moved away, defeated by the Sabbath law that reduced them to impotence, stifling any form of charity. Night fell down on Jerusalem, burdening souls with an apprehension too heavy to bear: faith, hope and charity did not enlighten them anymore. Disillusioned, the disciples leaving Jerusalem will have no other thought besides leaving, like those who, sad and defeated, will take the road to Emmaus.
In the centuries to follow, in His body which is the Church, Christ renews His passion inviting thus His disciples, mysteriously and mercifully, to the wedding of the Lamb.
And under our disbelieving eyes, the original events suddenly seem to be repeated. Again, the stone has been rolled: Vatican II blocks the channels of healthy doctrine. From now on, two other guards, John XXIII and John Paul II, are officially appointed so that nobody may dare to question the sanctity of the last Council. In the eyes of those who have thus appointed them by name, they incarnate the summit of the spirit of that Council.
We cannot fail to note that the blindness of the modern high priests completes the resemblance of the passion of the Church to that of Christ and underlines the extent of the betrayal. Are these two Popes presented as the authentic witnesses of the spirit of the Council? We can only agree: they are fully, exactly, those two guards who keep watch over the stone that closes the tomb in which the wealth of Catholic doctrine lies. How to deny it?
Where are the bishops who should be rising to strongly proclaim the unassailable rights of true doctrine, principle of life for souls? We live in a time of mute dogs, in dark days during which the apostles, in their successors, are in hiding, curiously absent and quiet, as if – again – faith and hope were lacking in them.
From now on everything is measured with the yardstick of the last Council and souls, subservient to this new legalism, are reduced to impotence. And thus, the charity of many has cooled down and vocations are drying up, souls wither and die for lack of help.
The night that has descended upon Rome, enveloping it, blinds the souls of the faithful who, confused, leave the holy Church, seeking for some light for their worried souls. The great demonstrations staged with a lot of publicity are only empty fireworks and cannot hide the disaffection of the faithful which is the reality and a disaster without precedent. In the empty churches a small red light wavers, alone.
The hours are renewed, the facts are repeated, or rather, they perpetuate themselves. Doesn’t our time resemble the evening of Good Friday? Wearied and discouraged souls begin to think that the defeat is complete and that the power of darkness has won.
On the evening of Good Friday, only the heart of the Virgin-Mother beat with courage. She knew, without the shade of a doubt, that victory had been won by the death of Christ. She waited, firm in hope, for the sudden and luminous dawn of Easter. Her charity had never before reached such a height; she remained standing, upright and strong as an army in battle array.
Didn’t we ourselves take the road to Emmaus a little too hastily? Isn’t it time to return to Our Lady and learn from her, so that our choices are not determined any more by appearances, and that only the theological virtues lead our steps?
With Her, let us remain in hope, certain that in the Holy Church will also be renewed the final victory of Easter morning. Then Christ will laugh at the guards posted before the rolled stone, will leave empty the tomb and will vivify souls with their recovered charity.
In Christo sacerdote et Maria.
Fr. Yves le Roux