“Destroyers and Builders” Part II – by Saint Teresa of the Andes

The storm is more terrible than ever in the 18th century.  

The men of malice appear -- Voltaire and Rousseau; the first with a burlesque smile on his lips and blasphemy in his pen; the second, spreads sophism and confusion of ideas.  Both are corrupt at heart.

The philosophers try to explain everything by reason, to tell the whole world there is no God, to rip Christ from the heart of nobles and commoners -- they even dare to rip Christ from the hearts of children!

Stop you infamous ones! You’ve gone too far, the sanctuary of innocence can not be transgressed for the children belong to Jesus Christ! An apostle stands up for God's children. John Baptist De La Salle starts the Catholic school system, to instill the spark of faith that is dying everywhere in the hearts of poor children.

War on the Pope! This is the cry of the death spreaders.

And in their frenetic enthusiasm they say no one will succeed Pius VI, martyred by the impious. But don’t scream so loud. God said the gates of hell shall not prevail. He has mocked your plans. There is a new Pope, and he is seated and established on the throne.

They move their noble nation against the patrimony of Peter, and then the schismatics unconsciously accomplish their work: they expel the invader and under his victorious arms, appoint a new pilot to the Church: Pius VII!

CONCLUSION

O Church, you can never be destroyed! Darkness covered the face of the universe at the dawn of time and fled defeated at the words “Let there be Light!” Darkness covered the ancient world in idolatry. But the Word dispelled the darkness, because the Word was Light. Today, darkness covers the Christian world, but we have the word of Christ, the eternal truth: “He who follows me and hears my word will not walk in darkness!" (John 8:12).

O, word of life! To Thee, eternal love; To Thee, eternal happiness!"

(Teresa de los Andes - Complete Works, pp. 679 to 684;
Publisher Monte Carmelo, Burgos, 1995).

(The translation is my own. Taken from the website of Family Action | Theme: Religious Festivals – Chile).