Non Praevalebunt

Every now and then, I am tempted to despair. Naturally optimistic by nature, I look around and it sometimes seems too much:

The CES Scandals, taking the Catholic out of Catholic Education, and promoting the culture of death;
The various CAFOD Scandals, including but not limited to condomania and bankrolling dissent
The Soho Masses Scandal
The Vaughan School Scandal
The Birmingham Oratory crisis
Connexions in Catholic Schools facilitating abortions for our children,
The widespread capitulation on contraception
The closure of seminaries, religious houses, parishes
The lack of the most rudimentary education and formation in the Faith in so many areas
The inability or worse of the bishops to address these and other issues effectively

...and so on.

And then I look in the mirror: at my own inadequacies in addressing any of these issues, or even addressing the basic obligations of my state of life; my habits of sin and reluctance to go to confession, ... and so on.

At such times all I can do is throw myself back on the promises of Our Lord, in particular those in the Tu es Petrus:

Et portae inferi non praevalebunt adversus eam.

And the gates of Hell shall not prevail against her (The Church).