Catholic Living

I have occasion to frequent JWR’s survivalblog.com now and again; and for some time, I have considered what it means for a Catholic to prepare for TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it). Fr. Z (wdtprs.com/blog) occasionally reminds his readers that this is a serious topic and that we should consider what we would do in a TEOTWAWKI scenario.  Then he tells his readers to go to confession.  Kudos to Fr. Z.

For clarity, TEOTWAWKI is not necessarily the same thing as TEOTW (the end of the world). TEOTW is the ultimate TEOTWAWI scenario, it will happen one day, and there will be no survivors in the material sense. Whether it happens in our lifetimes is not for us to say.  Let us suffice to say that the antichrist has not yet made his appearance, which we know must occur before the Second Coming of Christ.  Therefore, when speaking of preparing for TEOTWAWKI, I have in mind some penultimate disaster whereby our present way of life becomes impossible or very difficult, at least for a period of time–whether or not that has any relation to the end times.

As an aside, let us not forget that death comes to us all.  We each have, in a sense, our own end time at which we will die.  This world will end for us, and our eternity will depend on whether we have died in the state of sanctifying grace.  Our death is an inevitable end of the world as we know it which, most likely, will not be the final end of the world when Christ returns to judge the living and the dead.

With that background, a guest post at survivalblog.com caught my attention, and I think it would be a good starting point for considering the question of TEOTWAWKI on this blog.  Usually, the posts we see about prepping have something to do with buying gear, learning a new skill, managing risk, and the like.  This one was a bit different.  Here are some excerpts:

You know what the biggest struggle of surviving really is? Doubt. When you start doubting, the world gets a little darker, things stop working in your favor, and the easy everyday tasks becomes insurmountable.

Is this not a great observation for the Catholic prepper?  It is so easy to look at the world in which we live and let our minds fill with so many doubts, if not downright despair.  Whereas the author proposes a “mind over matter” approach to dealing with doubt, the Catholic prepper has a much surer way to transcend doubt.  He has supernatural faith.  He has the examples of Christ, Mary, and the saints.  He has so many means at his disposal, and yet, how often does he, like Simon Peter, observing the waves and wind of the storm, take his eyes off the Lord, and begin to sink?  We must never forget to pray with St. Faustina, “Jesus, I trust in you!”  Indeed, doubt is a most insidious threat.  We must pray with complete confidence.

Prepare for stress by electing to take on difficult challenges occasionally, in order to better know your weakness, and then work on the gaps in your awareness. Those who know the cold and dark do not fear it, rather they embrace its gifts to their advantage. Figure out what triggers you to shut down, then challenge your habit. When the deer takes the same path to water every day, it becomes an easy target. In our fight for survival, the winning mindset will persevere, not a whining mindset of defeat.

As I read this paragraph, I could not help but consider this advise outstanding, albeit in a different way from what the author had in mind.  Surely, without applying one’s self to smaller degrees of difficulty, it is hard to succeed in surviving difficult times in this world, but how much more does this apply to the spiritual life?  With Lent just around the corner, this is a paragraph to take to heart.

Considered in the spiritual life, this paragraph practically shouts the necessity of penance and mortification in overcoming our concupiscence and disordered desires.  If taking on difficulties now is so key to preparing one’s self for the physical survival of hard situations, how much more are penance and mortification paramount to our spiritual survival in the world where there are so many traps laid for the ruin of our souls?  With St. Paul, we have to run the race so as to win it.  Salvation is not a spectator sport.  When the author suggests voluntary difficulty for the training of the mind, the Catholic prepper admonishes himself to voluntary penances for the training of his soul.

Let’s take an end of the world as we know it scenario.  What if a persecution were to erupt in our country?  Perhaps our tendency is to say that could not happen here in the USA.  If so, we are deceived.  Suppose the state passed laws making it impossible for Catholics to be both good Catholics and good citizens?  I can think of at least one law passed recently that has the potential to do just that.  Are we prepared for a persecution?  Are we American Catholics, whose way of life has been arguably as decadent and luxurious as the majority of society, really prepared to face prison or death rather than renounce our Faith when we find even the simplest penances difficult or revolting?  If we are serious preppers, we will make our Lent a profitable one.

For a Catholic, prepping can mean making ready for a day when food and water are scarce, but it must mean making our souls ready for eternity.

I like to think of St. Joseph as the patron saint of those who have to bug out in a hurry.  It was required of him, after all, to take Mary and the Child Jesus and flee from his home into Egypt and from the wrath of King Herod.  Perhaps one day, something similar may be required of us.  St. Joseph, pray for us.

The featured image for this post is in the public domain. (See here.)

Related Posts

Is Catholic Prepping a Contradiction?