George Matulaitis Journal

to insure his life against all misfortune and hardship is not a suitable can- didate for us. Each member of our Congregation must be prepared for the even- tuality that sooner or later the authorities will find and punish him, that he may have to spend time in prison or be exiled. The postulant must be prepared for this even before he enters the novitiate and afterward he must remind himself of this possibility so that falling into the clutches of the government will not be an unexpected event. That is why each member should learn to provide himself with the necessities of life: he should be able to earn his living either by manual work or some professional skill so that, no matter where he is sent, he can stand on his own two feet and manage by himself until some of the brothers can reach him and come to his aid. Of course, we must be prudent and, as far as possible, be careful to protect ourselves against such a calamity, but with moderation, lest we become panic- stricken and negligent in our work for the glory of God and the good of the Church. A person may find himself in a worse prison or exile when he has become paralyzed with fear like a worm retreats into its hole, not doing any- thing at all. He is afraid that someone else will shut him up in prison or exile him, not realizing that he has already created a worse prison for himself—a prison of inactivity, apathy, and darkness that will eventually ruin and corrupt him. He has imprisoned himself because he has cut himself off from the ranks of the genuine, active workers in the Church. What good is such a life? Is it not much better to be exiled and imprisoned for Christ than shamefully to drag around the chains that you have fashioned with your own hands, those chains with which your own fear has imprisoned you? And what is even sadder is that a person living in such a prison for any time will be ruined because he will be living there without God and often against God’s will. While, on the other hand, if you should be imprisoned or exiled because of the work that you are doing for the glory of God, the good of the Church, and the salvation of souls, you will have the joy and conso- lation that our Lord God is there with you. If you are imprisoned for God and because of God, will not your cell become a haven of rest and your exile—a paradise? And after all, why should we be so afraid of the civil authorities? We mean them no harm. We have no intention of overthrowing the government; we have no wish to join any national or political party or 40