Stillness
The Jewish people anticipate a great messianic return. Elijah tore off to Heaven on a chariot of fire, and he was merely a prophet! In ancient Israel, under the yoke of Roman occupation, the entire Jewish nation pined for the freedom the Messiah would bring and for the promise of the Covenant fulfilled.
Despite the anticipation, from the moment and manner of His birth, Christ sought to conform our wills to His. No triumphant return, but a common birth to a family with no title or land, all from a backwater town long forgotten by even the shadow Jewish government. Can anything good come from Nazareth? He was born in an anonymous cave, long forgotten by history, and welcomed by a few dirty shepherds.
There were no royal messengers dispatched to the four corners of the kingdom announcing the birth of the new king, no festival organized for days of celebration. There was only the total stillness of a dark winter’s night deep in the country.
It was the opening salvo in a ministry that sought to reorganize the world from top to bottom. A violent global population that only focused on survival and expanding temporal power was challenged by the message of Jesus. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself.
The message is simple. Though our hearts may yearn to be known, respected, desired, honored, praised and consulted, the slave is not greater than his master. We are called to live simple, quiet lives, fulfilling the high duty of our vocation, loving those around us, and walking in Christ’s footsteps, from the hill country of Bethlehem to the rock of Golgotha.
Counterfeit Sacrament
It’s been quite the comedown from the moral clarity of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict. John Paul stood up to the evils of the communist system and ignited a rediscovery of the beauty and holiness of the human body. Benedict, both as a bishop and then as pope, wielded the sword of truth and the intellectual strength of the Church to destroy the falsehoods that press in on us. They weren’t perfect, and they made many mistakes. Still, they endeavored to ensure that their every word and action was used for the edification of the Church and the salvation of souls.
Then, there’s Francis.
Centuries ago, St. Francis heard the voice of God and rebuilt by hand the Church of San Damiano. Then, he formed a religious institution that began a much-needed renewal of the Church. Today, Pope Francis works ardently to undo his namesake’s good work.
In the 1960s, medical technology openly began to falsely promise that it could provide reliable contraception. The World gave an inch, and libertine society took a mile. Contraception promised that you could control your creative powers with no effort, no thought, no discipline, and no self-control. It promised freedom, control, and bliss; what we got was absolute misery and total dysfunction. Contraceptives are the only application of medicine wherein the sole intent is to disable an otherwise healthy and functioning system. The society of selfishness, hatred, and violence that contraceptives built was predicted by Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae, to a point.
The libertine society returned soon thereafter to open a new front on marriage. Two decades ago, they promised that they just wanted legal protections for irregular relationships. The World gave an inch, another mile was taken. Marriage, to the common man, now means nothing. Marriages are entered and exited with little thought, discernment, or seriousness. This is a dangerous development because the family is the basic unit of society; without the family, society collapses.
Today, in the midst of the smoke, fog, and confusion around marriage comes Francis, shrouded in the authority of his office, wearing the distinctive white robe of the papacy, to place a bomb right in the middle of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
The Church has many expressions of faith, but only seven sacraments. These are outward signs, instituted by Christ, to give grace. Six of the Sacraments are celebrated by an ordained priest or deacon. Holy Matrimony is the only one in which the laity are the celebrants. When a man and woman come together at the altar to make their mutual promises and seal their covenant, they confer the sacrament on one another; the priest’s role is solely to witness and bless the marriage.
The Catholic Church recognizes the human person as God’s greatest creation. Intrinsically included in that recognition is the beauty and sanctity of the human body. God granted us a share in His creative powers through our ability to procreate. It’s from this understanding that the Church can recognize when use of our creative powers is good and holy, and when it is wrong. Human sexuality is an essential good inside of marriage because it binds the couple together and, when physiological circumstances are correct, leads to the loving creation of new life. Our creative powers can be studied, observed, and mastered. Indeed, we’re called to be stewards of our creative powers, exercising them judiciously for the greater good.
Sexual activity outside of marriage is always wrong because it contradicts the design and intent of our creative powers. When used outside of marriage, it’s no longer an authentic loving and giving expression, but rather it seeks to serve only itself.
Francis’ new guidelines are a logical fallacy. Though he claims to do them out of pastoral concern, he focuses only on blessing the relationships of same-sex couples. What about cohabitating couples? What about polyamorous relationships? What about polygamous relationships? What about sexual relationships between adults and children? After all, these relationships may too, to quote Cardinal Fernandez in Francis’ guidelines, “desire to entrust themselves to the Lord and his mercy, to invoke his help, and to be guided to a greater understanding of his plan of love and of truth.” Not so pastoral after all.
The truth is, what Francis and his band of tinkerers have done is institute a blessing that cannot be given. They’ve created a counterfeit sacrament. It looks like a marriage, it sounds like a marriage, but it isn’t one. They offer to the world what they cannot give; they promise what they cannot fulfill.
Although they stress the blessings of irregular relationships can only be granted if it’s clear that it’s not a marriage blessing, this is a true distinction without a difference. Francis is not oblivious to the lack of moral, logical, and philosophical education in the world today. He knows precisely how this will be received and interpreted by the vast majority of Catholics who can barely rouse themselves to make it to Mass twice a year. Worse still, how those who have not had the benefit of a Catholic education will receive this news.
In the face of reality, Francis presses forward with his intellectual pogrom. Any bishop or cardinal who dares speak out against this falseness is dismissed from their office and evicted from their home.
The Church exists to ensure the salvation of souls; that is its mission. It stores up grace, guarantees apostolic succession, provides the faithful with validly ordained priests, and assures access to the Sacraments. Its unwavering positions on faith and morals are not some obstinate adhesion to an outmoded and outdated way of thinking. Rather, it’s the culmination of 2,000 years of deeply thinking about and clarifying a basic set of principles. For those of us on earth, the Church is the lighthouse guiding us away from the cliffs and into the safe harbor.
What Francis proposes, as he willfully continues on his campaign of moral confusion, is to set the lighthouse adrift, where it can blink and float wherever the current takes it. The problem is that a lighthouse afloat helps no one. Many, many will be lost to the cliffs as a direct result of the words and actions of this papacy.
Yet, each time Francis pulls out his sledgehammer to destroy another cleric or another part of the Magisterium, irony abounds. This latest pronouncement comes near the end of Advent. A great star has risen. The people who walk, and live, in darkness have seen a great light. A savior is born, the great I AM, the king of kings, and He is the way, the truth, and the life. While we await the arrival of the bridegroom, we must continue to speak with the moral clarity that even the pope himself cannot seem to find.
This is wrong.
Some Greater Glory
Hopelessness is poison for the soul. With nothing to look forward to in the future, man starts to unravel. Slowly, we give up on reality, sinking into ourselves, captives to boredom. We lose the will to impose any sort of discipline on ourselves or self-control.
We live in a world that our ancestors could’ve never imagined. Every single fact is accessible to us from a single website, carried on a super computer in our pocket. We have years worth of entertainment options to choose from on our televisions, yet we usually just end up scrolling for hours instead. Food is plentiful and easily summoned to our front doors with a press of a button.
There’s nothing wrong with comfort or advancement, we’ve conquered many of the natural foes that killed our ancestors before they reached the age of 30. But we’ve lost our desire to achieve some greater glory.
Glory in ancient times was often found in battle. Seeking it, men marched to foreign lands, though a large number died of communicable diseases before taking the field. They braved harsh weather, rough terrain, scant food, and the great unknown, all to achieve glory for their name and their family. They endured all trials because they knew they had a purpose.
The softness and laziness of the modern era has sedated us, making us unwilling to pursue any objective or destiny. The path to sainthood is hard, so why start?
We need that higher purpose to call us on, to fulfill our true purpose, and to grasp that glory. We need to wake up.
Just War
As advanced as we all like to think we are, even in this post-modern era, still struggle with the same essential flaws. Though we long for peace, and the social and economic prosperity that it brings, conflict is a central theme in the human story. Wherever there are two or more people, there will be differences of opinion and, thus, conflict.
Modern technology has made war more precise. Laser guided weapons, GPS satellites, and a professionalized military allow for the brunt of the force to be focused on the intended target. Collateral damage, when desired, can largely be avoided.
Although armed conflict should always be a last resort, it’s a lawful tool for the defense of a nation. There are circumstances when, for the defense of innocents and the survival of a nation, war must be prosecuted.
When that point is reached, when ethical and moral justifications are present, there is no point to a restrained or proportional response. Instead, the only true choice is to eliminate the threat through a precise, targeted, and intensive military action.
The terrorist attack on Israel earlier this year, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, are the two latest examples of a just war. Israel and Ukraine did not start the fight, but they have the unequivocal right and moral justification to end it, with extreme prejudice.
Aslan’s Roar
The Chronicles of Narnia are legendary in their own right, a series of books worthy of sparking the imagination of any young reader. As noted before on this blog, they also make for a profound spiritual experience reading them as educated adults.
CS Lewis masterfully translated the genius and mystery of God into a story that is so relatable and comprehensible. It’s a story filled with beautiful imagery, like Aslan strolling across the vast darkness, singing the world into existence through beautiful melody.
Throughout the series, we see Aslan close at hand and seemingly far off. The forces of good and evil are in a constant struggle, at various times each gaining the upper hand. When the children are drawn back to Narnia in Prince Caspian after just one year away in England, they stumble into the ruins of their ancient castle. The story of their existence disputed as fanciful nursery tales.
Whenever the forces of evil are on the march, and victory in their grasp, Aslan always returns in great glory. With a single roar, he marks a return to reality as the force of his voice destroys all who oppose him.
Lewis took the time, in each story, to explore the different dynamics of Christology, from Genesis to Revelation. We see him creating the world and, in his absolute power, crushing evil. The truth in this power is that, though we see evil on the march in our time, and injustice abound, Christ is never far off, ready to herald in a return to reality, the world in which He has already conquered death and reigns supreme.
It’s an honor and a privilege to be counted among Christ’s followers, a side that, though always purportedly on the verge of total defeat, instead exists in the reality in which total victory is already achieved.
Moment of Conversion
Life is a series of checkpoints, moments along the path that lead us to our final destination. In our Christian life, many of these checkpoints are moments of conversion. The culmination of perseverance and hard work, winter breaks, and you experience that fresh, new spring.
These moments are profound times of spiritual insight. We get a taste of the reality we were designed to exist in. Our understanding of our faith, and the wisdom of loving God’s law, is crystal clear. Temptation bounces off us, and an effervescence permeates all aspects of our day.
Those they may be fleeting, grabbing hold of these turning points is critical. We are large ships, and turning is never easy. Incremental progress is the tried and true way to success. Although we may get down the path and lose sight of these lampposts, they remain touchpoints that we always return to. For in these moments, these short periods of time, we live as who we were made to be.
Breaking Faith
It’s challenging to remember the feelings we experienced at the election of Pope Francis. A total wild card, a true Vatican outsider, swept onto the world stage and took the Chair of St. Peter by storm. It was, in some ways, a bit refreshing. Pope Benedict XVI was deeply intellectual, providing the theological underpinnings that we need to sustain the faith. Still, we longed for the charismatic and energetic days of Pope John Paul II.
In those early days, Francis lamented the parochial clericalism. He dispensed with bestowing the rank of Monsignor on priests as a sign of gratitude for their good works. He asked us to go out and make a mess in our dioceses. Indeed, in this regard, he’s truly practiced what he’s preached.
Over the last decade, under the influence of living at the Curia, Francis has become a creature of the Vatican. He’s become exactly who he asked us to reject. He wields administrative law against his opponents, and uses the media as a tool of his decidedly ideological agenda.
The first few off-the-cuff remarks to the press that caused a stir could be understood. As a local bishop in Argentina, his media profile was a fraction of the attention that the pope receives. Now, ten years on, it’s his preferred method of stirring the pot. He knows the weight of papal words, even in casual settings, and has used them to move the ball down the field.
At the root of it all, the main problem is that Francis intentionally sows confusion. The Catholic Church is the only organized institution existing today that existed in the same format during the days of the Roman Empire. Why? It’s a ship steered by certain fundamental, immutable principles that keep it on course.
In many ways, Pope Francis is the quintessential theocratic political operative. He grants the Chinese Communist Party the co-authority to appoint bishops, and shrugs when they bypass him anyway. He creates counterfeit sacraments, but admonishes the clergy to only use them if they won’t be confusing. Francis calls an entire conference of bishops who dare question his agenda “backwards” and “reactionary.” He tells the world that our understanding of faith and morals “evolves.” He makes promises that no pope can ever make good on, and then winks when he inevitably cannot deliver.
Throughout Church history, there are many periods when the Church falls into disrepair, and the responsibility to right the ship falls to those outside of the highest echelons of authority. As the ironies pile up, one of the most clear examples is the life of St. Francis himself. Constant reform is the way of the Christian life, and it falls to the vibrant religious communities and the laity to rebuild God’s Church. We find ourselves in need of a new St. Francis to repair the inestimable damage wrought by Pope Francis.
Love the Path
In life, we often have to walk difficult paths to achieve our desired outcomes. Whether at home, at work, spiritually or in our relationships, getting from where we are to the place that we dream about requires an ongoing commitment and thousands of steps. Though it’s easy to be motivated in the beginning, how can we best sustain our good works?
Though the individual steps in our journey may not be desirable or even enjoyable in and of themselves, if we love the path, success is assured. Armed with the knowledge that the path terminates at our objective, we can be confident that by following it, we will reach our desired ends.
Every step of a marathon is not a joy, but crossing the finish line always is.
Foretaste
Although easily forgotten in the midst of this week’s kickoff of the end-of-year holidays, the intent of Halloween, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day is to remind us of our mortality. Nearing the end of the liturgical year, the Sunday readings focus on eschatology, or the end times. Throughout the Bible, and in the ministry of Jesus, the fact that our time on Earth is transitional is never hidden. We are all walking on pilgrimage, with judgement assured when our journey meets its logical end.
Though it may seem foreboding, reaching the end of that journey should be cause for joy and hope. Our lives are filled with difficulties, sadness, and sufferings that God never intended. It was only through the entrance of sin into our world, and our complicity with it, that these sorrows have befallen us. Still, although sin and sadness are real, we can choose even today to live as God intended. We can love God’s commandments and experience a wholesome, fulfilling and joyful life as the saints have shown us.
Though true, this is all a bit academic. Time ticks away slowly, and it’s hard to keep the mind focused on an eternity of peace and exuberance. This is especially true when the kids have been fighting all day, you still have to put together a grocery order, the cars need to be waxed, and you have a major project due in two days. God designed every facet of our bodies with great purpose and intent, and He understands the challenge of focusing the mind in the midst of stress and a to-do list pouring off the page.
It’s one of the reasons we go to Mass every week. Not only do we need the rejuvenation and the break, but we need reminders of our future at regular intervals. Why do we not lie, cheat, and steal as others do? Because this peace, this calm, this celebration is what we were created for. It’s the great foretaste of what is to come, if only we run the race and win.
Life is not easy, and in moments of stress, exhaustion, and temptation, failure is the path of least resistance when we lose sight of where we’re aiming. There’s a forever of calm and peace waiting for us if only we choose it.
A Job Well Done
There are plenty of ways to measure our work. Volume, quality, quantity, we’re never short on metrics. I think the best way to evaluate how you’re doing on the job is by the sense of accomplishment you carry away.
External factors always dominate, but your personal pride is a wonderful barometer. Do you feel like you’ve done a job well done? Have you contributed your best work, your best ideas, and your best efforts to your team’s common goal?
Work is an important component of human dignity. It’s the ability to use your knowledge, skills, and abilities in a diversified economy to improve the lives of others. No matter what your role is in the division of labor, if you’ve done your best work and helped others, then that’s a job well done.