I hear so many people say, "Well, if you aren't getting fed at your parish - find another one." or they say, "If your priest distorts the Mass and the sacraments, then go somewhere else." I don't agree with this. If your priest is distorting the Holy Mass or the sacraments, do find a valid mass so that you can be fed, but make sure you come back to the parish where things may not just be "right" and do much prayer and penance for that Priest. Do not abandon him. He is precious to God, and what a great gift is given to God if he is turned back from the darkness! For at his hands how many more are touched and if he is obedient to the Magisterium, his obedience will beget good, faithful Catholics. Pray many Rosaries for him, do penance for him, fast for him, ask God to put it in his heart to take up his Rosary again, for the Holy Rosary demolishes all heresies.
Once I went to Holy Mass (I won't say where) and the Priest was totally dead in the eyes. I can understand the desire to run, I wanted to run from that parish too. But God said, "No, stay." As God gave me an intellect, I began to wonder about this, why does He want me to stay? Then it came to me, my gift is...prayer. I go all out when it comes to asking God for something, and He knows it. My grandmother used to say, "Don't half ass it.", and I don't. I give it all my heart. So as the Priest was celebrating the Holy Mass, a determination came to me, I wanted this Priest, I wanted him back, not because I knew him or loved him, but because I knew God loves him, and because I love God, I wanted Him to have His priest back. So, I asked, begged, and pleaded for that Priest. A couple of weeks later I went to Holy Mass, and the Priest came out and my jaw dropped. His eyes were alive again, and such a wonderful homily!
Abandoning these souls is what the evil one wants you to do. But I say to you that their souls are also precious to God and they are worth fighting for. If you love God, fight for them, because you know that He loves them, and if you truly do love Him you don't want to see God hurt by the loss of their souls. Fight for them! Don't give up on them. We are not only called to be perfect as God is perfect, but as faithful as He is too.
"Be strong and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them, for it is the LORD, your God, who marches with you; he will never fail you or forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6
