Theological Foundations new file

126 Theological Foundations have the necessary gifts are permitted to support the pastors in their work. But he wanted it to be a humble service. The priests should obtain authorization from their superiors and ordinaries. The Venerable Servant of God points out that while the Marians are an eremitical community, their contemplative lifestyle does not bind them to such a degree that they would be forbidden to get involved in apostolic work. 35 *** When Father Matulaitis-Matulewicz renovated the Congregation of Marians, he gave it a highly apostolic character from the very start. His entire reformatory work was guided by the idea of service for the Church. Since many perfidious people and God’s enemies fight against Christ’s Church and religion with hatred, trying to eradicate it from our lives, the Marians, animated by the love of God, should all the more undertake any works, make sacrifices and overcome dangers and obsta- cles in order to best serve the Church. Blessed George was affirmed in such an attitude by the words of Pius X, who called upon the loving sons of Mother Church to become zealous and brave warriors, bringing her consolation at the time when the hostile and wicked sons sadden her. 36 The loving sons should keep in mind that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. They should always remember the countless works undertaken by the Apostles for the salvation of souls, in particular, the constant vigils, concerns, prayers, travels, sufferings, efforts and mag- nificent battles of St. Paul. 37 The situation of the Church and the world at that time awakened in Blessed George the spirit of a soldier fighting to defend God’s Kingdom on earth. His inspiration in this fight were the words of St. Paul directed to Timothy: “This charge I commit to you, Timothy, my son, in accor- dance with the prophetic utterances which pointed to you, that inspired by them you may wage the good warfare” (1 Tim 1, 18). Father Matulaitis-Matulewicz understood his service to the Church as bonam militiam. He was impelled to assume such an attitude by the threats which began to emerge at the beginning of our century. One of them was