I have written “Be The Maquis!” a few times.
Why?
Right now liberals – who misread Pope Francis and shamelessly instrumentalize him – are emboldened. They sense that they have the big mo, and, given the help they receive from the mainstream media, they do.
That means that those of us who pay attention to Catholic Cult, Code and Creed, that is, the documents of the Second Vatican Council, the texts and rubrics of the missal (in either form of the Roman Rite), the content of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or both Codes of Canon Law, are going to take a beating.
There is no creature on earth more oppressive or dictatorial than an emboldened liberal with power.
Therefore, I have been urging those on the Catholic side of issues to be especially attentive to corporal works of mercy and to be warm and inviting when it comes to the practice of the Faith, particularly in regard to fallen away Catholics. We must not retreat.
We have to be read to “Be The Maquis”.
Cult, Code and Creed are clearly spelled out. We will not budge concerning Cult, Code and Creed for the sake of a misinterpretation of Francis’ vision and overarching project for the Church. We don’t have to abandon what is Catholic for the sake of being welcoming or of being involved with those in need.
“But Father! But Father!”, you may be saying, “What brought this on? Did something happen that we don’t know about?”
Yes, but it happened a long time ago.
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I read this morning in Bill Bennett’ email blast from The American Patriot Almanac about a figure from the American Revolutionary War, who was nicknamed “The Swamp Fox”.
The Swamp Fox
On the night of September 29, 1780, militia loyal to King George III were camped on Black Mingo Creek in coastal South Carolina when suddenly a Patriot force materialized out of the steamy darkness with guns blazing. The surprised Tories put up a sharp defense but soon fled across the Santee River, leaving behind their supplies and ammunition. Francis Marion had struck again.
One of the heroes of the American Revolution, Marion was a short, quiet man who wore a sword so seldom drawn it rusted in its scabbard. His men knew the secret paths of the lowcountry swamps, and like phantoms they could appear out of cypress mazes for quick surprise attacks against much larger forces before melting away to the dark recesses of their forest retreats. Most were farmers, fighting without pay. Few had uniforms of any kind. They were always short on guns, ammunition, and food, but they fought with the zeal of true Patriots.
Marion’s guerrilla warfare kept the British in a constant state of confusion and alarm. With grudging respect, the redcoats began to refer to him as the Swamp Fox.
It is said that one day Marion invited a British officer to dinner in his camp under a flag of truce and served a meal of fire-baked potatoes on a slab of bark, with vinegar and water to wash it down. His guest was surprised at how little the Patriots had to eat. “But surely, General,” he inquired, “this can’t be your usual fare?”
“Indeed, sir, it is,” Marion replied, “and we are fortunate on this occasion, entertaining company, to have more than our usual allowance.”
The story goes that the British officer was so overcome by the Americans’ determination and sacrifice that he resigned his commission and sailed back to England.
I think that tonight I’ll re-watch The Patriot, the film by Mel Gibson based somewhat on the life of The Swamp Fox.
Those of you in these USA who have families with children might do well to have a copy of The American Patriot Almanac in the home to share everyday, to give children (and us grown-ups) a sense of continuity with our secular past. For example, I have a copy of the Martyrologium Romanum open on a stand in my quarters, to remind me on a daily basis of my forebears sacrifices and what I may be called to give someday. I also check a couple “this day in history” sites.
We in these USA may one day soon be called upon to be Catholic martyrs and American patriots.
In other American historical news today.
American History Parade
1780 Patriots under General Francis Marion surprise loyalist forces on Black Mingo Creek, South Carolina.
1892 At Mansfield, Pennsylvania, the first nighttime football game is played when Mansfield Teachers College faces Wyoming Seminary beneath twenty electric lights.
1915 In the first transcontinental demonstration of radiotelephone, speech is transmitted from New York City to Honolulu.
1957 Baseball’s New York Giants play their final game at the Polo Grounds, losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates 9–1, before moving to San Francisco the next season.
2009 The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 778 points in one day during one of the worst financial crises since the Great Depression.
Get ready to be Catholic Maquis around Fr. Swamp Fox.
(That should get Fr. Fox‘s attention!)
I also remind you of this car magnet and/or sticker – mugs and stuff too:
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Modern physics has taught us quite a lot about light and how it behaves, but some of what we thought we knew might not be entirely accurate. A team of scientists from MIT and Harvard have been herding photons through a cloud of super-cold atoms in an attempt to get them to do something that was once considered impossible — bind together. According to a new paper, they may have succeeded in creating a new form of matter entirely from photons, which is basically a lightsaber.
