I recently received an inbox message from a TCF reader and seeing as the questions/concerns raised in the message are what I receive regularly from other people, I thought I’d share this reader’s message.

I hope that I might be able to have a moment of your time? I have recently found Traditional Catholic’s here on twitter, and have felt a peace ever since. A welcoming, a people I feel most at home around so to speak. The problem I have found though is most seem scattered around and I’m not sure what is the best way to approach other like minded people in this regard. Are there any defined places online that are safe, and friendly and welcoming? Some sites I have looked at seem to be scams as far as the reviews go, and I’m at a loss. I would just like to meet some likeminded people and be friends and perhaps anything else God wills. I thank you for the work you are doing and message you are conveying by the actions of your life. May you be blessed in all that you do. I hope I found you well today, and I hope you are preparing well for the birth of Our Savior. Thank you for your time.

Now, this message seems to be directed towards meeting people in a romantic and platonic sense, but in all honesty, this can also apply to every other aspect of life.

For example, I hear horror stories of people going through RCIA or Confirmation preparation classes and their parishes or catechists are teaching erroneous teachings such as Mary was a sinner and so on.

It is so easy to believe that once you enter the Catholic Church or even a Traditional Catholic circle, that you are finally safe.

I would be doing you a huge disservice if I teach this to you.

Those of us who are parents understand that as we raise our children and prepare them for adulthood, we can not offer them any guarantees that adult life will be easy, safe or secure.  To do so is to stunt the child severely and when reality eventually bites, the adult child can spiral down the path of depression and self-destruction.

The best thing we parents can do is not to molly-coddle our children, but to teach them to have a strong spirit of discernment and to listen to their intuition.

Your intuition or gut feeling is a gift from God.

It is said that 90% of communication is non-verbal and this means that our body is picking up on a lot of unspoken messages around.

Modern society has had us so disconnected from our own internal compass.

Every other living being and animal in the animal kingdom rely on their intuition to avoid danger and to survive.

What makes you think that as humans, we are the exception?

The gut reactions, instincts and intuition are a gift from God, and we need them in order to survive, whether it is surviving in the wild or simply surviving the daily challenges of the urban jungle in modern times.

Just like in the wild, predators also exist in the urban jungle, and it is only by connecting with our inner compass, our gut feelings, that inner prompting from the Holy Spirit, that we can keep ourselves safe from danger, false prophets, toxic people, users, abusers and problematic people.

Below is the response that I gave to the above message from a TCF reader:

Thank you for your message

I have both good news and bad news.

The bad news is that there are absolutely no safe spaces – whether online or offline.

Predators, heretics and pathologically toxic people make it their duty to infiltrate and infect everything good. A tactic as old as time, used by the Evil One. since the time of Adam.

Remember: even the Garden of Eden was not a safe space and this was BEFORE the Fall.

And now the good news!

God has given everyone the potential for discernment, which is why it is always important to discern well and this is much easier to do when you maintain a state of grace.

Whether you interact online or offline, always discern well and listen to your gut feeling.

If something or someone feels off, it’s usually because they are problematic.

Listen and respond to the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Hope this helps.

PS – I’ll use your message and my respond in a post to my readers, as I get so many questions on this same issue.

All your details would be kept strictly confidential.  Have a blessed day.

Pax Christi!

So, dear TCF readers, I hope that this gives you courage, hope and something to think about.

The Bible tells us to test EVERY SPIRIT.  It doesn’t say “only test the spirits that are not Catholic”.

It says: TEST EVERY SPIRIT

Regular application of the following can do wonders to strengthen your intuition and discernment skills:

• Confession
• Latin Mass
• Adoration
• Rosary
• Being very mindful of the company and the media (news, literature, music, visuals etc) that you consume.

I also recommend reading THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, and THIS.

In all honesty, the only safe space that exists for us is in Heaven and let us make it our duty to make it there.

I pray for you all to receive the grace of wisdom and discernment, to test every spirit, to be in tune with your gut feelings and your inner compass, to observe the fruits of others, and to pay attention to people’s actions over their words.

Maria, Sedes Sapientiae, ora pro nobis.

Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us.

 

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 ad Jesum per Mariam

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