It is said that this guy’s species is vulnerable, not quite endangered, but getting there. Near the hermitage, Box Turtles are everywhere to be seen. Like the turtle pictured above, they eat snails, raw. I guess you would have to call that poisonous Sushi or badly prepared Escargot.
If he’s eating a vulnerable snail, I wonder… if it went to DOJ prosecutors as handed over by SWAT teams from the deep-state EPA, which one would be protected more, the turtle or the snail. You’d have to kill the turtle to get the snail, which is already mortally wounded… So… Let’s spend billions of dollars on litigation while the whole rest of the world is going to hell and both the turtle and the snail die anyway! All so very absurd. I’m sure you can make analogies…
Meanwhile, in the Church, regardless of whatever improvements in policy are being made or not in regard to the abuse crisis over decades of more of the same abuse of authority, the ONE WHO IS IMPORTANT, JESUS, IS STILL NOT MENTIONED FOR MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS. How has that worked out? How’s the Church doing with that?
ARISE! LET US BE GOING! 
Your questions are thought provoking, Father, and I’ll have a go at answering.
“How has that worked out?” Many Catholics – ordained and lay – have become enslaved to a worldly rather than a Christ-like way of thinking.
“How’s the Church doing with that?” The flock is confused, many are being led astray and the Church is haemorrhaging members; but the shock of it all is also purifying the Church.
I have read that the period we are living through – Father Holzhauser’s “5th Age of the Church”, which corresponds to secular history’s “Modern Times” – is similar to the “5th Age of the World before Christ” (from the 1st Temple to the Babylonian Captivity) in that both are periods of particular affliction and purification.
The Israelites were in a good position in the days of Solomon when the Temple was built but disatisfaction grew and the tribes split into two kingdoms: Israel (9 land-holding tribes) and Judah (3 land-holding tribes). The Kingdom of Israel, which severed its ties with the Royal House of David, soon apostatised and was carried into exile by the Assyrians (8th century BC); the Kingdom of Judah (the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Simeon), which had remained loyal to the House of David, later fell into apostasy and were carried into exile by the Babylonians (6th century BC).
The Babylonian captivity purified what remained of Judah (then only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, Simeon having disappeared from the historical record as had the 9 tribes of Israel). Having repented of their sins and returned to God, God had the Persians return that 2-tribe remnant of the Israelites to their homeland to rebuild and prepare for the coming of the Messiah / Christ.
The Reformation 500 years ago divided Europe. The Protestant heresies, which ended in schism, gave rise to the large scale apostasy of the last 2 centuries.
The shock of what had been lost (God’s protection and thus the Temple, their homeland and the power and glory that was theirs under Kings David and Solomon) brought a remnant of the Israelites back to faithfulness and the seeming catastrophe of loss will do the same for us. All the scandals are causing the Church to lose her influential standing in the world and that loss will, I think, turn everything around in preparation for Christ’s 2nd coming. I don’t think the end is very near – first the Immaculate Heart of Mary must triumph and that will be a wonderful time for the Church: a time of peace. That seems to correspond with Father Holzhauser’s “6th Age of the Church”, a period he refers to as one of consolation – a good time to be alive – when the whole world is led by a holy Pope and a strong Catholic ruler.
I don’t know if Father Holzhauser was correct but he was a holy priest who lived in the 17th century and has been declared “venerable” by the Church.
Father George, your analogy is spot on! Aussie Mom’s comments are encouraging and thought provoking.
I have wondered about the absence of reference and reverence to Jesus in these times. When I asked some priests friends about this, I was told, “who do you think you are? Catherine of Siena?”
(I had to look her up to figure out the snarky remark – but when I did I felt flattered – Ha! – I’ve got a new patron saint! )
So I try to remember Divine Mercy and Jesus’ simple but powerful and comforting prayer – JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!
And, Father George, if you have any influence with our Holy Father Francis could you encourage him to consecrate Russia to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart – as she requested at Fatima more than 100 years ago? Which she said will usher in her triumph! Because, I suspect she is getting tired of waiting.