Episode 3283: The Age of Apostasy: St. Paul’s Warning for Our Time

November 5, 2025
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Book Recommendation of the Day
St. Robert Bellarmine De Controversiis: On the Roman Pontiff (Book III, Chapters 12–19)
Topic: The identity, nature, and signs of the Antichrist
Why it’s essential:
St. Robert Bellarmine (Doctor of the Church, 1542–1621) gives the most systematic, theological treatment of the Antichrist ever written by a saint. He analyzes all major scriptural references especially 2 Thessalonians 2 and the Apocalypse and draws upon the Church Fathers (St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Irenaeus).
He describes how apostasy will begin within the Church, how the Antichrist will imitate Christ to deceive souls, and how the faithful must cling to Tradition to endure.
“The Antichrist shall not be a demon, but a man possessed by Satan, opposing Christ under the pretext of restoring peace and unity.” — St. Robert Bellarmine
So we awake to discover for the first time our country openly elects a communist mayor in the largest city in our country. Many say oh well. This is exactly what our blessed mother said would happen at Fatima, you know the apparition our church prelates who are actually hidden communists are trying to erase. She said unless man heeds her warnings communism will spread it heirs through out the world. We see a political party that has embraced the diabolical from abortion to homosexuality to every other ungodly belief. So what does this tell us? We have a church laying waste to its doctrines and most recently attacking our blessed mother and still others say oh well. This indifferentism is at an all time high. Nothing is held sacred and nothing defended by a significant portion of the country. Whats this tell us? What do we say about the aggressive rise of Zionist that even professed Christians support out of fear of being labeled or attached or cancelled. Well many say I have no time for any of this I am too busy. That leads us to reflect on St Pauls Warning of our time. Are we the age of apostasy?
Podcast Title: The Age of Apostasy: St. Paul’s Warning for Our Time
From a Traditional Catholic Perspective
We gather not in fear, but in vigilance. For the words of St. Paul in his Second Letter to the Thessalonians echo across the centuries with unsettling clarity:
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.”
—2 Thessalonians 2:3
St. Paul’s warning of a “falling away” an apostasy from the true faith was not a mere historical caution. It was a prophetic vision of a time when many who once professed Christ would turn from His doctrine, preferring the lies of the world to the hard truths of the Gospel. As we look at our own age, it is difficult not to see the shadow of that prophecy looming before us.
Segment 1: Understanding the Apostasy
The Greek word for “apostasy” literally means a rebellion or defection. In the theological sense, it signifies a deliberate abandonment of divine truth. St. Paul, guided by the Holy Ghost, foresaw that before the coming of Christ in glory, there would be a great spiritual rebellion a time when error would be embraced as virtue and truth would be despised as intolerance.
The Church Fathers St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Thomas Aquinas each interpreted this “falling away” as a corruption of faith from within. St. Thomas wrote that the greatest trial of the Church would not come from external persecution but from internal betrayal.
In our day, we witness doctrines of demons clothed in the language of compassion: sins justified in the name of inclusion, truth silenced for the sake of “dialogue,” and the sacred liturgy replaced by banal human-centered celebrations. The result is a generation of Catholics who no longer know their faith, no longer fear God, and no longer recognize sin.
Segment 2: The Spirit of Lawlessness
St. Paul continues:
“For the mystery of iniquity already worketh.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7)
Even in his own time, St. Paul saw the seeds of rebellion at work. But he also foretold that these seeds would one day blossom into a full revolt against divine order a “mystery of iniquity” hidden within society and even within the Church.
This “lawlessness” is not only the moral decay we see in the world abortion, perversion, corruption, and blasphemy but also a theological disorder. When men place their conscience above God’s commandments, when Church leaders place social causes above salvation, and when shepherds refuse to teach the hard truths of Christ, the spirit of lawlessness reigns.
Many modern Catholics have been deceived into believing that mercy means permissiveness and that unity can be built on compromise rather than conversion. But as St. Paul reminds us, “What fellowship hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
Segment 3: Signs of Our Time
Our age bears every mark of the apostasy St. Paul warned about.
• The loss of faith: Surveys show that many baptized Catholics no longer believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
• The rejection of authority: The very words of Scripture and Tradition are questioned or reinterpreted to suit modern sensibilities.
• The exaltation of man: Where Christ once reigned from the altar, now the cult of self dominates the “religion of humanity,” as Pope St. Pius X called it.
• The confusion of shepherds: Bishops and priests contradict each other on moral teachings, leaving the faithful disoriented and divided.
Pope Pius X, in Pascendi Dominici Gregis, identified this as the heresy of Modernism the synthesis of all heresies where truth becomes subjective and revelation is treated as mere personal experience. He warned that such thinking would lead to the collapse of faith itself.
And indeed, we see today the tragic fulfillment of his warning: a Church more concerned with environmental slogans and political approval than with saving souls.
Segment 4: The Man of Sin
St. Paul also speaks of the “man of sin,” the “son of perdition.” While theologians differ on whether this refers to a single individual the Antichrist or a system opposed to God, what matters most is the pattern: humanity placing itself in the place of God.
This rebellion began in Eden and continues wherever man dethrones Christ the King. When societies reject Christ’s kingship, they enthrone the false gods of comfort, materialism, and self-worship. In our own time, technology and ideology have merged into a new Tower of Babel a world that says, “We will build our paradise without God.”
But no kingdom built on rebellion can stand. Just as Lucifer fell through pride, so too will the modern world collapse under the weight of its defiance.

Segment 5: Holding Fast to Tradition
Yet St. Paul does not leave us in despair. He commands:
“Therefore, brethren, stand fast: and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word or by our epistle.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
This is our duty in an age of apostasy: to hold fast to cling with all our strength to the unchanging faith of the Fathers. That means fidelity to the Traditional Latin Mass, to sound doctrine, to the Rosary, to devotion to Our Lady and the Sacred Heart.
It means forming holy families, teaching our children the Catechism, supporting faithful priests, and refusing to compromise with the spirit of the age. As Archbishop Lefebvre once said, “We must cling with all our heart to what has been believed everywhere, always, and by all.”
Even in the darkness, the remnant remains the small but faithful band of Catholics who refuse to bow before the idols of modernity. And from this remnant, God will rebuild His Church.

Dear listeners, the times are grave, but grace is greater. God has chosen us to live in these days not as victims, but as witnesses. If this is the age of apostasy, then it is also the age of heroic fidelity.
“Hold fast to tradition, for through it the Church shall stand even as the world falls away.”
So after reflecting on St. Paul’s prophecy of the Great Apostasy and how it may be unfolding before our very eyes. But today, we turn from warning to warfare from awareness to action.
The Lord, in His mercy, has not left us defenseless. Just as He sent prophets to Israel and saints to the Church in every age of crisis, He now calls upon us to be faithful soldiers under the banner of Christ the King. Though darkness covers much of the earth, God’s grace shines brighter in those who refuse to compromise with error.
This episode is titled “Resisting Apostasy: Standing Firm in the Faith.” We will draw strength from Scripture, from the saints, and from the treasures of Tradition so that we might endure, persevere, and even thrive in the time of testing.
Segment 1: The Call to Fidelity
St. Paul wrote to St. Timothy:
“Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season; reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine.”
2 Timothy 4:2
Fidelity begins with constancy. In a world that demands compromise, the Catholic soul must remain immovable. The saints remind us that fidelity is not mere sentiment it is obedience to God even when it costs us everything.
- St. Athanasius, exiled five times for defending the divinity of Christ, stood firm when nearly the entire Church succumbed to Arianism. His motto could have been: “They have the churches, but we have the faith.”
- St. Pius X, in his encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis, condemned Modernism as “the synthesis of all heresies,” warning that false teachers would arise from within the Church itself. His remedy? Hold fast to the Catechism, the Rosary, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

In our own time, fidelity means clinging to the Deposit of Faith without alteration refusing to exchange the Cross for comfort or the Creed for compromise.
Segment 6: The Armor of God
St. Paul gives us a blueprint for spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:
“Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil.”
This armor is not metaphorical it is a lived reality.
- The Belt of Truth: Study and defend the teachings of the Church. Know your Catechism, read the Fathers, and reject modern errors that masquerade as compassion.
- The Breastplate of Justice: Live in a state of grace. Frequent Confession and the Eucharist are your spiritual armor.
- The Shield of Faith: Resist the fiery darts of doubt and despair by trusting in Divine Providence.
- The Sword of the Spirit: Scripture and Tradition are your weapons — not emotionalism or opinion, but the timeless Word of God.
The modern world has traded spiritual armor for moral softness. But we must rediscover the discipline of soldiers men and women willing to fight the good fight of faith.
Segment 7: The Role of the Remnant
Throughout history, God has always preserved a faithful remnant small, hidden, and despised by the world, yet radiant with grace.
In the age of apostasy, this remnant is rising again. They are the families who drive hours to attend the Traditional Latin Mass. The young priests who rediscover the ancient rites. The laity who educate their children in the faith when schools no longer do.
We may be few, but as St. John Chrysostom said, “One man who is with God is the majority.”
Our task is not to reform the Church from the top down, but to rebuild it from the ground up through holiness, fidelity, and sacrifice.
The restoration will not come through committees or slogans. It will come through sanctity.

Segment 8: The Marian Weapon
Every authentic renewal in the Church has come through Our Lady.
At Fatima, she warned of apostasy and called for prayer, penance, and reparation. At La Salette, she wept over priests who had lost their faith. Yet she also promised: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
The Rosary, the Brown Scapular, and consecration to the Immaculate Heart are not pious accessories they are divine weapons.
- The Rosary is a fortress of doctrine: every Hail Mary confesses the Incarnation; every Mystery recalls Christ’s saving work.
- The Scapular is a shield of protection: those who die wearing it will not suffer eternal fire, Our Lady promised.
- Consecration places our lives entirely in her hands, allowing her to mold us into faithful soldiers of Christ.
St. Louis de Montfort said, “The most faithful servants of the Blessed Virgin are her greatest enemies of the devil.”
To resist apostasy, we must belong entirely to her who crushes the serpent’s head.
Segment 9: Hope in the Triumph
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the darkness of our times the loss of faith, the corruption of morals, and the silence of many shepherds. But remember: no storm lasts forever, and no power on earth can overthrow the Bride of Christ.
Christ has already won the victory. The Passion precedes the Resurrection.
We may be living through the Church’s own Calvary betrayed, scourged, and mocked but the Resurrection will come.
Pope Pius XII once said, “The day the Church ceases to suffer will be the day she ceases to be the Church of Christ.”
Suffering purifies. Fidelity sanctifies. And endurance glorifies God.
Let us then remain steadfast not spectators but soldiers, not victims but victors through grace.
First, the Epistle from Ephesians 6:10-17. In brief: “Finally, brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. …” (verses 10-11) Then St Paul describes the struggle: we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, etc (v 12). He urges putting on the “belt of truth,” the “breastplate of righteousness,” the “shoes of the gospel of peace,” the “shield of faith,” the “helmet of salvation,” and the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (vv 14-17).
Then the Gospel from Matthew 18:23-35: The parable of the unforgiving servant. A king settles accounts with his servants; one servant owes ten thousand talents and cannot pay, begs for patience, the king forgives the debt. That same servant then refuses to forgive his fellow servant a hundred denarii, throws him in prison; when the king finds out he punishes him severely and delivers him to the torturers till he pays all. Jesus concludes: “So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
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Reflection on the Epistle (Ephesians 6:10-17)
From a traditional Catholic perspective, this passage from St Paul is powerfully martial—not in a worldly sense of combat, but in the spiritual warfare sense that the Church has always taught. We are called to put on the whole armour of God. In an age of confusion, liturgical uncertainty, secular pressures, and spiritual laxity, this call is urgent.
1. “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”
o The strength is not our own. It is Christ’s might, given to us by grace. As the old Roman Rite used to emphasise: we fight not by the flesh, but by the Spirit.
o For parishes renewing a traditional liturgy, this means recognising that the battle is not against parishioners or protocols, but against error, indifference, the devil’s tactics.
2. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood.”
o Very often we treat internal parish quarrels, external secular pressures, even liturgical reforms as simple human conflicts. But St Paul reminds us: the ultimate adversary is spiritual.
o Therefore our response must be rooted in prayer, sacramental life, fidelity, humility—not merely strategy or politics.
3. The armour pieces:
o Belt of truth: In a time when liturgical truth is under assault, the habitual wearing of the belt means we centre ourselves in the revealed truth of Christ and the Church—the unchanging Roman Rite, the Catechism, the deposit of faith.
o Breastplate of righteousness: Righteousness is not self-righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and lived out by grace. It protects the heart from mortal sin, from the corrosive effect of compromise.
o Shoes of the gospel of peace: The Christian witness is peaceful—but not passive. It is rooted in the peace Christ gives, so that we can advance the gospel even in hostile terrain.
o Shield of faith: Faith defends. When the storms of doubt, dissent, chaos in the Church arise, our faith shields us.
o Helmet of salvation: The renewal of our minds, the assurance of our salvation, guards our thinking. In the intellectual and spiritual confusion of our age, the helmet protects our mind and memory.
o Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: The only offensive weapon listed. We must know Scripture, tradition, theology—and wield it charitably but firmly.
4. Application for the listener:
o Examine: Are you wearing the armour daily—as in prayer, Mass, confession, doctrinal formation?
o Recognise: The parish life you lead or attend is part of the battle. Is your parish oriented toward spiritual victory or passive accommodation?
o Act: Commit to one of the armour pieces this week—perhaps the belt of truth: start reading a Church Father or revisit the Catechism on liturgy; or shield of faith: practice a devotion that strengthens your faith.
o One further note: Traditional Catholic spirituality emphasises not only the external armour, but the internal preparedness. The old liturgy reminds us of the exorcism prayers and the reality of the invisible battle. So yes, we put on the armour—but we also acknowledge that one part of the battlefield is within us: the struggle with sin, the struggle for purity of intention, the struggle for remembrance of Christ’s kingship and majesty in the liturgy.
Reflection on the Gospel (Matthew 18:23-35)
The Gospel’s parable stands in stark contrast—and in complementary relation—to the Epistle. The first part dealt with putting on armour; the second deals with forgiveness, which some might think of as vulnerability—but actually it is a weapon of mercy.
1. The King’s Mercy:
o The servant owed “ten thousand talents” (a virtually unpayable debt). The king shows mercy, forgives him. This points to the infinite debt of sin each of us owes, and the infinite mercy of God.
o From the traditional Catholic perspective: this is the paschal mystery lived out—the king in Christ forgives our debt by His blood. The liturgy, especially the Mass, is the action of this forgiveness.
o The servant doesn’t deserve mercy—but it is given freely. So too, we live in gratitude. If we forget the magnitude of the mercy given to us, we are in danger.
2. The Servant’s Lack of Mercy:
o The moment the forgiven servant refuses to forgive a smaller debt (one hundred denarii), he reveals his heart. He has forgotten what he received.
o In parish life or individual life: we may be catechised, we may attend the traditional Mass, we may have received great gifts of freedom—but if we do not extend forgiveness, we block our own path.
o Forgiveness here is not optional. Jesus says: “So also My heavenly Father will do to you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (v 35) This is solemn. It is connected to the communion of saints, the unity of the Church, our own heavenly reward.
3. Connection to the Epistle’s Armour:
o Notice: we put on armour, we stand firm—but that armour includes mercy. Why? Because mercy becomes a component of truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace. Without mercy, truth becomes rigid legalism; righteousness becomes self-righteousness; the gospel of peace becomes a false peace.
o In other words: spiritual warfare is not merely defense against the devil—it is the defense of love, forgiveness, reconciliation. The biggest enemy is not outside—it is within a hardened heart that refuses mercy.
4. Concrete Steps for the Listener:
o Reflect: Have I recognized the debt Christ forgave me? Do I live in a spirit of gratitude?
o Examine relationships: Who have I refused to forgive? Who have I held in prison of bitterness or resentment?
o Act: This week, resolve to forgive (or ask forgiveness). Make an act of contrition for any lingering unforgiveness. Approach the Sacrament of Penance with this gospel in mind.
o In parish renewal: Are we a community of forgiveness? Is reconciliation fostered? Or do we harbour grudges, divisions, hidden resentments? A truly Catholic parish must be a school of mercy—not just uniformity.
Bridging Both Readings & Parish Implications
Bringing both readings together: The Christian life and the life of a Traditional Catholic parish is at once armed and merciful. It is not one or the other. If we only armour and fight without mercy, we become harsh, un-Catholic. If we only talk of mercy without the armour, we become lax, unprepared. The Church’s tradition holds both.
From a parish-renewal perspective:
• The armour reminds us of the discipline needed: catechesis, liturgical fidelity, sacramental life, prayer, formation.
• The forgiveness reminder ensures ecclesial charity: among parishioners, between clergy and laity, in dealing with wounds from liturgical changes, generational divides, cultural differences.
• When a parish embraces both, it becomes a place of spiritual formation and spiritual hospitality. It becomes credible in a secular age precisely because it is rooted in truth and love.
In this very era of confusion and chaos in the Church and in society, the call is urgent. The devil does not need you to fail in the big things—he needs you to fail in the small: neglect prayer, harbour resentment, compromise truth for convenience. But we are warned by St Paul and by Our Lord that these are not small. They are the battlefield for souls and for parishes.
Conclusionary Prayer
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father,
we give You deepest thanks for the mercy You have shown us in Christ our Lord a mercy beyond calculation, a debt forgiven though we could not pay. Grant that we may never forget that great gift.
Endow us with the strength of Your might, that we may put on the whole armour of God: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the sword of Your Word. Guard our hearts, our minds, our parish communities against the wiles of the enemy, the distractions of the world, and the weakness of our flesh.
Lord Jesus, You taught us that the same king who showed mercy expects us to forgive our brother from our heart. Grant us a spirit of true forgiveness. Heal every wound, dissolve every bitterness, reconcile what is divided. In our parishes make us witnesses to the ancient and apostolic truth of the Roman rite, and witnesses to the love that binds us one to another in You.
Holy Spirit, renew in us the life of prayer, deepen our fidelity to the Tradition handed down through the ages, and ignite in us the zeal for souls, the love for liturgy, the joy of the cross. May your Church stand forth as a shining city on a hill in this darkened world.
Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Angels and of the Church, patroness of the spiritual warfare of the faithful, defend us with your mantle, intercede for us that we may persevere to the end, and bring many souls into the merciful presence of your Son, our Redeemer.
We ask all this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Closing
Thank you for joining us this week on “Tradition in the Liturgy.” May your parish, your family, your heart be strengthened in the Lord, and may forgiveness flow freely in your life.

Until next time, may we stand firm in the armour of God, walk in the peace of the gospel, and live in the mercy of Christ our King. God bless you and keep you in His unfailing love.

Let us end with a prayer to Our Lady, who crushes all heresies and protects the faithful remnant:
Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima
O Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of the Rosary and Mother of the Church,
look with mercy upon your children wandering in confusion.
Intercede for us, that we may remain steadfast in the faith,
unyielding in charity, and faithful to your Divine Son,
even amidst the great falling away.
Preserve in us the light of truth,
that through the triumph of your Immaculate Heart,
Christ may once again reign as King of all nations and all hearts.
Amen.