I want to recommend to all my readers an interview that Michael Voris did with a Catholic lay man, Mark Byerly, on his pilgrimage of prayer and reparation. First, to introduce Mr. Byerly, this is from an article that LifeSiteNews wrote on him:
TEXAS, January 7, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – It can be a temptation living in these dark times to simply throw up one’s hands in despair as the world descends from one blackness into another. But accepting defeat has never been an option for Mark Byerly.
Instead of standing idly by witnessing western civilization become more and more corroded through abortion, the breakdown of marriage and family, and the loss of a sense of sin, the 49-year-old decided on a radical course of action: He would embark on a journey across America on foot, praying for the spiritual needs of his countrymen.
“Ultimately, I just couldn’t stand around and watch this happen anymore,” Byerly told LifeSiteNews.com by phone during his brief stop in Odessa, Texas for Christmas.
Byerly’s journey would be a pilgrimage of penance, prayer, and sacrifice to make amends for his own crimes and the crimes of others committed against God and neighbor.
Michael Voris’s full interview of Mark Byerly can be watched below, but if you don’t have the 22 minutes needed, a shorter video of excerpts of the interview (12 min 20 sec) can be watched HERE:
And now, the complete interview. I urge you to watch this, because I hear much in this man that echoes the same message, with the same urgency, that I hear in prayer. I believe that our situation in the West, in this country, is a very dangerous one. We are near a tipping point, and many still sleep. Perhaps the Lord is speaking to you in this time, calling you to Himself and to a new obedience to Him, for the good of the Church and of the world, for the good of souls who are now lost, who need Christ Jesus, who need His saving grace. We all must do our part, in His plan.
This program is from ChurchMilitant.TV
As always, I’d be grateful for your comments and thoughts. And especially in this time, let’s please pray with one heart and mind for the Church: may God raise up many saints in this time, clergy and laity, to help awaken His people, that His Church might live her vocation, and might bring His light into the darkness of our present culture.
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Dear Thomas,
Thanks for posting this video. When I watched the short version, I immediately wanted to see the complete interview. Mark Byerly shares sincerely and simply — and I agree especially with his conviction that as dark as our times are, God is raising saints among us! We were created to be one with God in the perfection of Charity, each in a unique way. Each of us needs to listen for His call deep within and respond as our Mother Mary did with our own whole-hearted “Yes” to Him.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your Faithful. Kindle in us the Fire of Your Love. Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us. Jesus we trust in You!
By: Deborah on September 20, 2014
at 7:52 pm
Thanks for posting that video, Thomas. Do you know of any books written by anyone regarding a similar undertaking?
See you all tomorrow. .
By: Rod McDonald on September 20, 2014
at 10:24 pm
Thank you for your comment. I’ll think a bit more about possible books, Rod. I did a search on Amazon for “pilgrimage” in books, and some possibilities came up, but none that I could recommend personally. The movie “The Way” is in video, and probably available for rent locally – that movie I do recommend, although it is not exactly what you may be looking for. But it is worth viewing.
We can talk more about it later…
By: Thomas Richard on September 21, 2014
at 6:00 am
Thanks Thomas for posting this. I am amazed and certainly touched by this gentleman’s faith and genuine concern for these dark times. There are many conversations about the state of the world but how many of us have the courage to step out in faith as this gentlemen. Certainly much food for thought and pondering on what is truly important.
By: Linda Priest on September 22, 2014
at 6:04 am
Hello Linda,
Yes, I too am impressed by the clear call he expressed for courage – both verbally, in his exhortations to the Church, and with his personal life-response. We need, and depend on, the gifts of the Spirit including fortitude, or courage – and prudence. And the Church needs us to respond, personally, to that which is given us by the Lord. If we will do our part – each of us – then God’s work through us can proceed.
But do we – speaking of all of us – do we even hear what the Lord is calling us to do? Do we offer Him listening ears, and times of quietness, and willing hearts, taking the risk of listening so as to hear? God help us.
By: Thomas Richard on September 22, 2014
at 6:24 am
[…] in 9/20/2014 I wrote a blog entry on a man on pilgrimage – Mark Byerly – called, “A Pilgrimage of Penance, Prayer and Sacrifice.” I recently heard again from Mark, to let me know he is now moving into a desert […]
By: Update on a Call to Desert Hermitage… Mark Byerly | Renew The Church Blog on February 13, 2015
at 10:00 am
[…] a strong and definitive way. You may remember hearing of Mark Byerly, if you read my blog post A Pilgrimage of Penance, Prayer and Sacrifice, and saw the video on that page (the video produced by Michael Voris). I wrote again on Mark and […]
By: Reparation: Freely Suffering for the Good of Another | Renew The Church Blog on May 16, 2015
at 7:47 am