Why is it that people simply follow the leader? Archbishop Lefebvre commented that the “Superior informs the inferior.” When I was working with gangs in East Los Angeles and Richmond, California – the strategy was to identify the leader and conquer his heart and the rest would follow. Our Lord made it quite clear: “I am the Good Shepherd and I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” Fr. Richard Voigt, S.D.B.
In all areas the greatest personality will dominate. Truth dominates over error. Leaders dominate over followers. Good fruit is welcomed over rotten fruit. So what does the Good Shepherd do that leads us to follow Him rather than the mercenary or the wolf? The Good Shepherd proves His Love by laying down His life on a Cross of love in order to convince us that heaven is of such a value that whatever we may suffer in this world will be simply forgotten if we achieve the sanctity that God wills for our souls.
The Good Shepherd is the door by which all enter into the divine life. The thief steals in over the fence while the hireling flees the flock when some danger approaches. Today we have the dominance of the thief and the hireling doing their best to take advantage of the flock and lead them into the pit of apostasy. The thief is actively spreading the error of naturalism throughout society and through the shambles of the once firm Catholic doctrine. Now the eternal is simply “pie in the sky.” Only the sensations of the five senses have any credibility and hence the thief steals soul after soul with the pleasures that allure us in this world.
What about all the hirelings out there that accuse their brothers of everything under the sun while they draw the sheep to themselves for the purpose of self serving popularity. Hirelings work for the advantages that they can receive from the flock. How the SSPX in its new approach to Modernist and heretical Rome have become hirelings when once they were the good shepherds leading the fight for the true faith. Now the resistance becomes infested with the desire to control the sheep but imposing personality demands instead of fostering the true sacrifice from those who continue to battle for the Good Shepherd.
How then is the flock to know who is united with the Good Shepherd? As a tree is known by its fruit so a leader is known by the fruit of his words and work. Christ is the sign of the divine presence and He is known by His words and His works, the miracles testify to His divine nature. Now then the first test of the apostles for today would be the test of the demonic. Listen to the words of the preacher and ask “Do they accuse or do they advocate?” The accuser of our brothers is well known to all as Satan. A priest who does not advocate for the spiritual growth in the souls of his sheep is demonic. Yes, I say again: he is demonic.
Is his doctrine good? The Scribes and Pharisees were also the teachers of the people but Our Lord said “Do not follow their actions.” They lay up burdens that no man can carry. It is not doctrine alone but doctrine which bears the fruit of charity. Even when correcting our brother priests there must be charity in the manner in which it is done. I refer to Fr. Carlos Ortiz’s method in correcting the Boston resistance group. Father Carlos advocated for their personal apology for their inappropriate actions and if they were to apologize and return to the humble service of the flock all would be well.
Hirelings want to possess instead of humbly being possessed for the good of the flock. Christ laid down His life in humility. Pride claims that this flock is “mine”. Today the true Shepherd humbles himself in all kinds of situations in order to be of service to the souls seeking holiness. In the end that is the fruit that separates the wheat from the chaff – humble holiness. The Good Shepherd must lead His flock to goodness, to charity. Shepherd and sheep must learn that the way of the Master is Humility. Humble thyself in this sin infested world and thou shalt be exalted in the kingdom of God.
Humility is the touchstone today of the Good Shepherd and it is the door that is expressed by grasping onto the Cross of Modernism and carrying that Cross in order to pay the price for the souls deceived by the thief, that crafty old devil. He roars about like a lion and priests that roar in that manner indicate their true father, Satan, and must be corrected, prayed for and accepted when they return to their spiritual common sense.
Plead, my brothers and sisters in the faith, that we might pay the price of the souls of so many priests deceived by the wiles of the demonic into a naturalism that defies the meaning of the Cross of Christ. If only they return, then the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary can be accomplished flock by flock, parish by parish, diocese by diocese. Please O Good Shepherd lead in the royal way of the Cross.
In the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Fr. Richard Voigt
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