An amazing sight to see is a "house-cat" in the field stalking its prey. It will play all sorts of games with the prey (most of which I do not understand, but I'm sure there is a rhyme and reason to it all). An interesting game that is actually quite creative comes just before the pounce. The cat will slink up to its victim in almost perfect silence. Then it will often raise its tail straight up in the air and twitch it ever so slightly (I believe this occurs when the prey sees the cat but does not run). The victim is then mesmerized by the tail; watching it as though the tail itself is the enemy. Then when the prey has lost focus on the more dangerous parts of the cat (teeth and claws), "zing," the cat springs and in the blink of an eye the once free mouse (or other victim) finds itself in the clutches of the cat.
So why the lesson in feline stalking techniques? We seem to be the mouse, and many of us are currently staring at the cat's tail. When distressing news comes our way, the strength of our faith, depth of our hope, and liveliness of our love will be displayed. When we encourage one another in hope we help to drive away the dreaded "fretting" that weakens our spirits, but when we throw up our hands and begin to despair we show that our hope is not focused in the One Who is Hope itself, but rather in our circumstances. The Evil one would like nothing more than for us to despair whenever a piece of sad news shows up. Despair will always lead to over-exaggerating what we hear and see ("he who flees, always doubles the count of his enemies"), and that will inevitably distract us from our true responsibilities. Distraction is an oft-used technique of the Devil to get us away from what we are called to do. He wants our eyes on the tail so that we do not see the teeth and claws that will destroy us, when all along our eyes should be completely elsewhere.
The goal that Jesus puts before us (at every moment of every day) is to serve him with joyful faithfulness. Whether we are in the hospital in pain, at work in boredom, or at home reading about some frustrating piece of news (or worse, a frustrating piece of gossip), we are supposed to live like the gospel is true. If the Evil one can throw some strife into our lives (especially at times like this when we are awaiting a piece of good news) then he is successful in distracting us from the goal at hand: displaying for the world that we can "rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil 4:4). Later in this same passage, the Apostle tells us to focus on the things that are "true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report", and that are "virtuous and praiseworthy" (4:8), because when we focus on things that are miserable and depressing, we become miserable and depressing.
Strife always leads to "confusion and every evil work" (James 3:16) and the Devil is aiming at this very thing. If the Ordinariates are as godly as Pope Benedict thinks they are, then we should expect the Devil to do everything possible to derail them. One of his most effective tactics is to throw something in our way that does not appear to be for our destruction (like the cat's tail). The difficulty in Canada, or any slowness here in America with the establishment of the Ordinariates is not our real enemy. These things are merely the hurdles to jump over to get to the goal. As a cartoon strip once said: "We have met the enemy and he are us." Our own strife and fear is the enemy that will distract us from the teeth and claws and make us stumble and get caught in a trap. The result is that we miss the blessings that God has for us.
This does not mean we are supposed to cover our ears and sing "la-la" so that we fail to hear sad news. It means that if we fixate on the bad, we take our eyes off of the Lord Who is enthroned in Heaven and that always makes us lose hope. Then, when we show to the world our strife, "our enemies laugh among themselves" (Psalm 80:6). Is this the face that we want to show to the world? Bad news comes and we run around like chicken little screaming, "the sky is falling"? Bad news should be the occasion to "shine as lights in the world" (Phil 2:15) but instead we so easily slip into responding with "murmurings" (contrary to Phil 2:14). This is not what we are called to, for as the Psalmist said, "In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid [of] what man can do unto me." (Ps 56:11).
What Satan is doing is to try to divide our house against itself. He knows the principle (Matt 12:25), and he really does not care what we disagree over. It does not matter what we are fussing about, as long as we continue to fuss. Keeping our eyes off the absolute authority of the Lord Christ will keep us from receiving His "inestimable benefit" that is freely given to each of His people. Do not get distracted by the "tail". Once it starts to dance in front of your eyes, look down and remember that it is attached to teeth and claws. Turn away from it and turn instead to the One Who has promised to grant us all that we need in every experience of life.
We are told in the book of Acts that Paul and Barnabas once went to their new converts wanting to encourage them about what was ahead in the Christian life. It says that they were "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). My brethren in Christ: whether we hear good news or bad news; whether our Ordinariate is established tomorrow, next week, or years from now; whether we have it easy or hard, we are always called to rejoice in Christ. He is still seated on His throne and nothing can topple Him. No one can say to Him "what doest thou?" Whatever comes our way, if our hope is resting in our Blessed Lord we will never despair and will always be able to face the world with confident faith, hope, and love. To God be the glory.
Related posts:
Watching Father Chris Phillips on EWTNWatching Fr. Phillips on The Journey HomeOvercoming Obstacles to CommunionSad News from OttawaSalt Lands
I am a priest in the Anglican Church in America (TAC). I have served as pastor in various Protestant congregations, and have pretty much "seen it all". I was born into a family of lapsed Catholics. They had me baptized, but before long they gave up the whole thing altogether and ended up trying out the "new age" movement. When I got to my teen years I stumbled around in various evangelical circles for a while, but when I finally went to seminary (my early twenties), I was a "hard as nails" Baptist. After one pastor got me to start reading the Church Fathers (the best "mistake" a Baptist can ever make), I began to realize that I couldn't find my own personal theology in the Early Church. That really bothered me, because I believed that we should agree with the Church Fathers. I got married to my wonderful wife back in 1990 when we were both Baptists, and she has followed me through this long journey with beautiful patience and love. We currently have five children and homeschool all of them. I've been through a wide section of Protestantism. From Baptist, to reformed Baptist, to Presbyterian, to reformed Presbyterian, to high Church puritan, to Presbyterianglican, to evangelical Anglican, and finally to Anglo-Catholic. I've pastored Baptist churches, Presbyterian churches, and a parish in the Reformed Episcopal Church, and have fifteen years experience in all the best (and worst) of Protestant church life. After all this, I now find it quite ironic that the Lord is calling me back to the faith from which I was "kidnapped" as a child. Back then I did not know what it meant to be Catholic, because I was never taught; but now that I do know, I am committed to returning. I am deeply thankful for the beauties of Anglican spirituality, for it was through it that I found my way back home. 
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