Ordering creation for good? Serving others for goodness' sake.

ARBITER01 said:

Within Pentecostal/Charismatic circles there are folks that have a belief that there will be a great revival prior to the rapture. I've never been enamored by such talk, especially when the words of Jesus spell things out in the opposite way.

There is certainly hope in the body of Christ, but outside of us, things will only get worse according to The Lord.

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Fair enough, I’ve heard that view too—about a big revival before the rapture. And I get why some folks find it stirring. But I think we’ve got to be careful not to pit hope against realism, or grace against the grit of the world.

Jesus did speak of trials and falling away, no doubt. But He also spoke of the Kingdom as yeast in the dough, seeds in the soil—quiet, persistent, and often overlooked. As a Catholic, I don’t see the Church as just a lifeboat waiting for rescue, but as a sign and instrument of God’s ongoing work in the world. Not perfect, but graced.

So while I don’t buy into triumphalist hype either, I also don’t think we’re just circling the drain till the end. Even in dark times, grace doesn’t clock off. The Spirit still moves, often in small, stubborn ways. And we’re called to be part of that—not to save the world on our own, but to witness to the One who already has.

Hope’s not naive—it’s just anchored deeper than the headlines.

Fervent said:

Whoever it is, I hope it's not me. I can't handle that kind of responsibility.

Do you want us to nominate candidates, or do you have something in mind?

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Okay, I hear you. That kind of responsibility sounds crushing—like trying to carry the Cross on your shoulders. But here’s the thing: from a Catholic point of view, it’s never really about whether we’re up to the task. It’s about whether we’re willing to say yes, like Mary did. She didn’t have a five-point plan or a campaign slogan. She just said, “Be it done unto me according to thy word.” And through that yes, the world changed.

I’m not saying you or I are meant to be the next David or Mandela. But I do believe we’re each called to be a light in the dark, even if it’s just a flicker. Christ didn’t ask Peter if he was ready to lead the Church—He just said, “Follow me.” And Peter, flawed and fumbling as he was, did. That’s the Catholic way: grace doesn’t wait for us to feel worthy. It meets us in our weakness and does something miraculous.

So no, I’m not nominating candidates. I think the real answer isn’t a name—it’s a person already at work in the world: Jesus Christ. He’s the one who moves humanity, who heals the broken, who carries the cross we can’t. But He does it through us—through ordinary people who dare to love when it’s hard, forgive when it hurts, and hope when it seems foolish.

You don’t have to be the hero. Just be the one who says yes. That’s how saints are made.