Despair

Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: What If I’m Scared That the End Is Coming?”

Q: With all that is going on in the world today, I hear more from those around me that the Book of Revelation is open and the end times are here. I know that we need to be ready at all times for the arrival of Christ, but this also is very depressing. I feel like I haven’t reached the level I need to be saved and now there isn’t enough time. I’m even having a hard time making decisions for the future because it would appear that it doesn’t matter. Should I be preparing by not sending my children to college and sort of retreating from society to a safe haven? I am an avid Mass attender and a father of six children and still I am scared of the end. Is it a sin to be scared of Christ’s arrival? It is getting harder and harder to answer these questions from my children and I don’t know where to turn. – M.D.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: It sounds as though you need a dose of hope.

Perhaps the pandemic has taken its toll and worn you down. The world isn’t a paradise, but we Christians should be people of hope and trust in God’s providence.

No one knows when the end is coming, and there is no obvious reason to think it will arrive soon.

The COVID pandemic shouldn’t be read as an end-times indicator. Difficult as it has been, it pales in comparison with the Black Death of the 14th century, when a third to half of the population of Europe perished.

Big calamities can trigger talk of the end times. Such talk shouldn’t paralyze you. It will only cause needless anxiety and distract you from the good that you can do each day.

So, that would be the first piece of advice: Let God worry about the end times, and turn your attention to the things that will give him glory and help others, including prayer and a rich sacramental life and acts of charity.

As Christians we are called to evangelize those around us. It’s prudent to keep a healthy distance from the world, but to try to withdraw totally from it is unrealistic and counterproductive.

Part of our mission as Christians is to bring the Gospel message to the public square. If we don’t do that, others will fill the vacuum, possibly with unsavory substitutes.

So, the better strategy is to prepare your children to push back in the world. Prepare them for a battle, not a bunker.

A separate issue is whether they should go to college and, if so, which college. Given the expense and the academic and moral decay on many campuses, one might want to consider options. Learning a trade such as plumbing or electrical work might make more sense for young people looking for a way to support a family.

You mention that you are an avid Mass attender, which makes it puzzling that you are so scared of the end. And having six children, while no small responsibility, should ideally give you evidence of hope, for they will be the ones helping to shape the future.

A life of prayer and the sacraments should help give us the confidence to meet Our Lord.

Could it be that you are exposing yourself to too much bad news and doom-and-gloom YouTube videos? If so, it might be good to leave them on the side and focus more on prayer. A helpful read could be Benedict XVI’s encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi.

It might be good to speak with someone in case you think depression might be a problem. A bit of counseling might be helpful. Count on my prayers.

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Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: Am I Beyond Hope?”

Q: I have despaired toward God and feel that he has given up on me and has already decided that I will not make it to heaven. I am very concerned that I am now beyond hope, by fearing that I am guilty of having committed the unpardonable sin. Please let me know whether or not I am beyond hope. As with all my sins, I am sincerely sorry for this despair and I do repent of this sin and dearly love God with all my heart. -D.L.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: First, it is good to remember that you are a beloved son of God. He only wants the best for you, and that means your holiness and happiness. Any thought that he has given up on you is not coming from God – it is coming from the devil.

The only unpardonable sin is when someone stubbornly rejects God’s mercy. The Catechism in No. 1864 says: “’Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.’ There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss.”

My guess is that you haven’t committed an unpardonable sin. You might have doubts about the extent of God’s mercy, but that is a different matter.

If you are Catholic, then you might consider just going to confession and leave all your sins in God’s hands. That is what the sacrament of confession is all about: It gives us a tremendous sense of peace to know that our sins have been absolved and that we can move on. Jesus certainly doesn’t want us to spend all our energy lamenting the past. If we need to confess something, we should confess it and move on.

It might help you to simply spend time contemplating God’s goodness and love. This kind of meditative prayer can be hard to get into, but it is essential for our spiritual growth. You might want to explore the retreat guides that we offer here at RCSpirituality.org. These are designed to help people engage in the kind of prayer that not only instructs us about our faith, but also promotes an environment in which the truths of our faith can penetrate our souls more deeply. For example, you may want to look at “Troubled Hearts” and “Trouble with Trust“.

For further reading on the topic of hope, you might consider Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Spe Salvi. For further reading on God’s mercy, see Pope St. John Paul II’s encyclical Dives in Misericordia.

I hope some of this helps. Count on being included in one of my Mass intentions.

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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!