Do you ever ask yourself,as a lay person, "what exactly can I do when the situation in the Church seems so dire?" I ask myself this all the time and I am tempted to despair.
Yet-we are still called to be Saints! "Walk with your feet on earth. But your heart be in Heaven." -St. John Bosco

Here are some practical ideas to give us hope:

1. Be in the state of sanctifying grace! This is probably the most important as we are responsible for our own souls. If you are not in the state of grace, please make an examination of conscience and go to the Sacrament of Penance.
In the future resolve to:
a. Avoid the occasions of sin, especially mortal
b. Make a daily examination of conscience
c. Pray to Our Blessed Mother to keep you from sin and to protect you
d. Visit the Sacrament of Penance frequently. Preferably once a month, and ideally once a week
e. Pray for the grace of final perseverance, a good death, to receive the last Sacraments
f. Keep before your eyes the 4 Last Things- Death, Judgement, Heaven, Hell
"For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?" -Mark 8:36

2. Know that there will be a Church Restoration! Our Lady promised us this in Quito, Ecuador and she promised us this in Fatima, Portugal. "In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph!" Our Lady always keeps her promises.
How can we help with the restoration?
a. Pray all 15 decades of the Rosary
b. Wear your brown scapular daily (remember to be enrolled)
c. Do the First 5 Saturdays requested at Fatima
d. Tell others about Our Lady of Good Success!
da. Video: https://youtu.be/0ENyIipwTOs
db. https://www.traditioninaction.org/OLGS/olgshome.htm
dc. https://www.ourladyofgoodsuccess.com/pages/history

3. Continue to Learn about the Faith
a. Lots of great catechisms online:
aa. Baltimore Catechism (1941): https://www.catholicity.com/baltimore-catechism/
ab. Catechism of St. Pius X: https://sensusfidelium.com/bible-catechesis/catechism-of-saint-pius-x/
ac. A Brief Catechism for Adults: https://www.olrl.org/Lessons/
ad. Catechism of the Council of Trent: http://www.catholicapologetics.info/thechurch/catechism/trentc.htm

b. Read edifying stories about the Saints, especially Saints you can relate to
ba. https://www.catholic.org/saints/
bb. The Life and Miracles of St. Philomena, Virgin and Martyr https://archive.org/details/lifemiraclesofsa00newy
bc. Butler's Lives of the Saints: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmYgBTj9OwCKe5e6HoY7u1A

c. Learn Church History
ca. General Knowledge: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/
cb. The History of Heresies and Their Refutation/The Triumph of the Church by St. Alphonsus Ligouri: https://sensusfidelium.com/apologetics/history-of-heresies-their-refutation-st-alphonsus/
cc. Church Councils: https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils
cd. Church Fathers: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/

e. Read the Bible
ea. In a month: http://kevinbasil.com/bible-month/
eb. Bible in a Year*: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7o7WjQc3as&list=PLeXS0cAkuTPqFMtZQ379qdEmcfxO1SvXc
[*Note, he uses Ascension Bible, and I recommend Douay-Rheims http://www.drbo.org/ ]


4. Fight with the Church Militant (Church on Earth)
"For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."-Matthew 18:20
a. Connect with other Catholics in real life and/or on social media.
(There are lots of edifying telegram and instagram accounts)
b. Pray together - especially the Rosary!
ba. Join a 54 Day Rosary Novena Group
bb. Phone call/video call/zoom with family and friends and pray together
bc. Organize and/or join a prayer rally
c. Pray for each other!
ca. Add your brothers and sisters in Christs' intentions to your intentions
d. Follow the 10 Commandments
e. Obey your lawful superiors

Watch Church Militant Evening News 7pm ET at churchmilitant.com

'Protestants' in the pews:

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend
us in battle.
Be our protection
against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke
him, we humbly pray;
And do thou,
O Prince of the
Heavenly Host,
by the power
of God, thrust into
hell Satan and all evil
spirits who wander
through the world
for the ruin of souls.
Amen.

My brothers in Christ I will never get enough fun out of mogging atheists

God bless you all - Jesus loves you, even if you don't believe in Him!