Some years back, 19 March 2013 to be exact, I published here a manifesto entitled “Dear Traditionalists” to which I return from time to time. I still adhere to it.
In that piece I featured a photo of aspiring Navy SEALs during BUD/S working and suffering together as teams to control heavy logs.
Now in my email and elsewhere I see defeatist grizzling about what might happen… boo hoo. People are listening to the enemy and taking it to heart, which is what the enemy wants. They want you to freak out and then watch your heads explode.
I say, we must never give up.
After all, when it comes to working and fighting and praying and sacrificing for what we need to get to heaven, the only easy day was yesterday.
Today I visited the US Navy Seal Museum in Ft. Pierce, FL.
It was a great visit. All through the place there were reminders of the SEAL ethos. At the core of that ethos is
I WILL NEVER QUIT. I WILL NOT FAIL.
During the hell and sifting that is BUD/S, when men have had enough and decide to quit, they can “ring out”. All they have to do is ring the bell that is out in an open visible place, and they are out. No problem. Ring = Quit. Unless… you get through and graduate. Then all the successful aspirants can ring the bell as they leave.
Which are YOU going to be?
Are you quitters?
Are you satisfied with failure?
When are YOU going to ring that bell?
¡Hagan lío!
From my manifesto…
Dear Traditionalists:
[…]
Those of you who want the older form of the liturgy, and all that comes with it, should…
1) Work with sweat and money to make it happen. If you thought you worked hard before? Been at this a long time? HAH! Get to work! “Oooo! It’s tooo haaard!” BOO HOO!
2) Get involved with all the works of charity that your parishes or groups sponsor. Make a strong showing. Make your presence known. If Pope Francis wants a Church for the poor, then we respond, “OORAH!!” [aka HOOYAH] The “traditionalists” will be second-to-none in getting involved. “Dear Father… you can count on the ‘Stable Group of TLM Petitioners-For-By-Now-Several-Months” to help with the collection of clothing for the poor! Tell us what you need!”
3) Pray and fast and give alms. Think you have been doing that? HAH! Think again. If you love, you can do more.
4) Form up and get organized. You can do this. Find like minded people and get that request for the implementation of Summorum Pontificum together, how you will raise the money to help buy the stuff the parish will need and DO IT. Make a plan. Find people. Execute!
5) Get your ego and your own petty little personal interpretations and preferences of how Father ought to wiggle his pinky at the third word out of the way. It is team-work time. If we don’t sacrifice individually, we will stay divided and we won’t achieve our objectives.
At the midway point of SEAL training, BUD/S, there is a “Hell Week” to see how much you want it to keep going.
Do you want this? Do you? Or, when you don’t get what you want handed to you, are you going to whine about it and then blame others?
The legislation is in place. The young priests and seminarians are dying to get into this stuff. Give them something to do.
And to those of you will you blurt out “But Father! But Father!… I don’t like your militaristic imagery”… in order to derail the entry, here’s a new image from your own back yard.
Pope Benedict gave you, boys and girls, over the course of his 8 years, a beautiful new bicycle! He gave you a direction, some encouragement, a snow cone, and a running push. Now, take off the training wheels and RIDE THE DAMN BIKE!
Fathers, lay people.
Read this. I’ve been recommending it to priest friends for a while now:
Let’s not sit back and relax. SEALs want to win because they always want another mission.
We must be the same. We want another mission.
