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The Day is Now Far Spent

Original price $19.95
Original price $19.95 - Original price $19.95
Original price $19.95
Current price $18.95
$18.95 - $18.95
Current price $18.95
Publisher: Ignatius Press
Publication Date:
Format: Paperback
Pages: 385
Availability: In Stock
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In this powerful book by the acclaimed spiritual leader and best-selling writer, one he calls his "most important", he analyzes the profound spiritual, moral and political crisis in the contemporary world. He says that he "considers that the decadence of our time has all the faces of mortal peril."

"At the root of the collapse of the West, there is a cultural identity crisis. The West no longer knows who it is, because it no longer knows and does not want to know who made it, who established it, as it was and as it is. Many countries today ignore their own history. This self-suffocation naturally leads to a decadence that opens the path to new, barbaric civilizations."

In these words, Cardinal Sarah summarizes the theme of his book. His finding is simple: our world is on the brink of the abyss. Crisis of faith and of the Church, decline of the West, betrayal by its elites, moral relativism, endless globalism, unbridled capitalism, new ideologies, political exhaustion, movements inspired by Islamist totalitarianism.... The time has come for an unflinching diagnosis.

While making clear the gravity of the crisis through which the West has gone, the Cardinal demonstrates that it is possible to avoid the hell of a world without God, a world without man, a world without hope.

After the great international success of his first two books, God or Nothing and The Power of Silence, Cardinal Sarah offers a wide-ranging reflection on the crisis of the contemporary world while teaching many important spiritual lessons.

"Judas is for all eternity the traitor's name, and his shadow hangs over us today. Yes, like him, we have betrayed! We have abandoned prayer. The evil of efficient activism has infiltrated everywhere. We seek to imitate the organization of big businesses. We forget that prayer alone is the blood that can course through the heart of the Church. We say that we have no time to waste. We want to use this time for useful social works. Someone who no longer prays has already betrayed. Already he is willing to make all sorts of compromises with the world. He is walking the path of Judas."

"Given the surge of sins in the ranks of the Church, we are tempted to try to take things into our own hands. We are tempted to try to purify the Church by our own strength. That would be a mistake. What would we do? Form a party? A movement? That is the most serious temptation: the showy disguise of division. Under the pretext of doing good, people become divided, they criticize each other, they tear each other apart. And the devil snickers."

"Today, in these pages, I offer you what is at the heart of my life: faith in God. In a little while I will appear before the eternal Judge. If I do not hand on to you the truth that I received, what will I say to him then? We bishops ought to tremble at the thought of our guilty silences, our complicit silences, our over-indulgent silences in dealing with the world."

"The unity of the Church rests on four columns. Prayer, Catholic doctrine, love for Peter, and mutual charity must become the priorities of our soul and of all our activities."

"Advertising often reduces a woman's body to the level of merchandise used for commercial purposes. They expose it, they display it for everyone to look at. It seems that they find this contempt and humiliation normal. The female body is seen as an object meant to provoke sensual desire."

"One cannot find God by watching a television program. God is a Real Presence hidden in the tabernacle. An image will never replace an intimate encounter... We deceive ourselves when we pretend to believe that we have encountered God and taken part in the Eucharistic Sacrifice by watching a televised broadcast. No one can claim to have been at his mother's funeral by watching the film of the ceremony of her funeral Mass."

"Liberty is another idol. Western man no longer tolerates any constraint. He claims an absolute independence from all moral norms."

Robert Sarah:

Cardinal Robert Sarah is currently the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and was appointed to that position by Pope Francis in 2014. Before that, he also occupied prominent positions during the papacies of Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II.

Cardinal Sarah is known for being particularly outspoken in defending traditional Catholic teaching when it comes to issues such as abortion, sexuality, and Islamic radicalism. He has continuously promoted pre-Vatican II practices, such as having the priest face ad orientem in an effort to bring the focus of the Mass back toward the Eucharist. However, he also also encouraged that proponents of the different liturgies work together to find a middle ground.

Cardinal Sarah is also known for speaking up and being particularly critical of Western culture when most other prelates are silent. He places particular emphasis on the subjection of women, gender ideology, and he has stated that in general life in western society is organized as if God does not exist, which has led to a tremendous "silent apostasy".

Editorial Reviews

"To call this book a tour de force would be an understatement. It’s an astonishing work: clear, simple, visionary—and filled with hope."
— Most Rev. Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia

"Cardinal Sarah is a latter-day Christian prophet, and this book is his most urgent wake-up call yet to a West sleepwalking toward a paganized dystopia."
— Sohrab Ahmari, Author, From Fire, by Water: My Journey to the Catholic Faith

"Cardinal Sarah is a bright, shining light. His faith illuminates the path to authentic Catholic reform."
— George Weigel, Author, The Fragility of Order: Catholic Reflections Turbulent Times

"May Cardinal Sarah's pastoral charity, expressed in an extraordinary manner in this book, lead many souls to 'cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light', to 'put on the Lord Jesus Christ'."
— Raymond Cardinal Burke, Author, Hope for the World: To Unite All Things in Chris

"Especially convincing are the cardinal's reflections on the Church's triumph, which can be achieved only if we follow Christ intellectually, spiritually, and morally, without excusing ourselves from a total self-gift to God."
— Gerhard Cardinal Müller, Author, The Power of Truth: The Challenges to Catholic Doctrine and Morals Today

"Realistic and hope filled, this is essential reading for believers living in a post-Christian world."
— Most Rev. Samuel Aquila, Archbishop of Denver, Colorado

"A riveting account of the issues of our times. Acutely aware of the role of the devil, the cardinal pulls no punches in offering the most cogent analysis of what ails us today."
— Bill Donohue, Author, Common Sense Catholicism: How to Resolve Our Cultural Crisis

"Cardinal Sarah's comprehensive view of the Church and society is as chilling as it is accurate. He offers great consolation to all by reminding us that 'God opens his hand' and gives us the greatest possible remedy: prayer."
— Most Rev. Thomas Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, Arizona

"The message of Cardinal Sarah is as timely as the solutions he proposes are timeless. His voice of wisdom and holiness urgently needs to be heard."
— Most Rev. Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco, California

"No other work, or churchman, addresses with such clarity the profound moral and spiritual crisis engulfing the world today, and the solutions for it. A monumental book that every Catholic, and Christian, needs to read!"
— Raymond ArroyoNew York Times Best-Selling Author, EWTN Host, The World Over

"I particularly urge my brother priests and bishops to read this book, taking to heart its appeal to us for spiritual and ecclesial reform and renewal, which must begin with us."
— Most Rev. Alexander Sample, Archbishop of Portland, Oregon

Customer Reviews

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VincentF
Another breath of fresh air

This book is somewhat similar to Sarah's other book "God or Nothing" in that it is an outspoken jeremiad that is rarely seen from prelates. The purpose of this book is clearly explained by Cardinal Sarah here:

"Today, in these pages, I offer you what is at the heart of my life: faith in God. In a little while I will appear before the eternal Judge. If I do not hand on to you the truth that I received, what will I say to him then? We bishops ought to tremble at the thought of our guilty silences, our complicit silences, our over-indulgent silences in dealing with the world."

I feel that this isn't a must-read, but it's a good book to read if you are looking for leadership and seek understanding from a prelate. If you feel the world in both church and state has gone topsy turvy, and you need a leader who is willing to tell it like it is, then this will be a breath of fresh air for you.