From a reader…
QUAERITUR:
I have been engaged in a deep theological and spiritual crisis for 10 years now, struggling to remain Catholic or finally cross the Bosphorus and convert to Orthodoxy. [pffffft] It seems that with every passing day, Modern Catholicism continues its precipitous decline. How do we reverse it all? What outreach is being performed to open the closed minds of modern conservative Catholics?
Here is the point of my question: when do traditional Catholics throw in the towel? When is there a moment of realization that the Roman Church will never return to traditional worship, praxis, and teaching?
When is there a realization that no matter what they do, traditional Catholics wil not turn the tide?
I am fearful, anxious, and confused. Thank you and God bless.
Throw. In. The. TOWEL?!?
NEVER!
NEH-VER!
Christ, God Man, Second Person of the Trinity, Eternal Word, Truth, Love and Light Itself founded the Catholic Church. Why would you want to belong to any other?
Is there dysfunction? Sure. Do you think there isn’t dysfunction among the Orthodox? Don’t make me laugh. I’ll take our dysfunction any day.
Hell attacks the Church – the CATHOLIC Church -that GOD FOUNDED with all its relentless fury and the Devil is very good at what he does. The very fact that Hell attacks the Church so furiously is a demonstration of WHO and WHAT the Church is.
Today in the Traditional Form of the Roman Rite we heard St. Peter warn us that the Devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he might devour. It is the sole desire of the Enemy to steal souls from heaven so that God will have just that much less glory, that there will be just that much less joy. Therefore, the Enemy targets the Church that Christ founded, through whose mediation every soul is saved.
“But Father! But Father!, some trads whimper. “Things are – *sniffle* – going so wr-wr-wrong now! I need a s-s-safe space and hug.” And the Libs, agents of the Enemy that they are chortle back “HA HA FATHER! You and your stupid Zed Heads hate VATICAN II! And we know what the spirit of Vatican II wants. Enough with sin and guilt! Enough with verticality! Enough with oppressive patriarchalism! Enough with claims of ‘truth’! Aren’t all faiths the same? We are all grown up now and don’t need any controls. In the spirit of Vatican II go ahead and leave. Make our job of tearing everything down that much easier.”
B as in B, S as in S. Toughen up and RESIST what they are do to our Church. Such enemies of God have always been in the Church. If there are enemy armies occupying our fatherland then be the maquis! To conscript the language of the Left we need to form our own base communities and resistance bands and fight back.
If we see someone wounded, we run fast to help. We open our veins to give blood in times of emergency. When we see people who are on fire or being attacked, we run towards the gunfire, towards the blaze.
Prepare for battle!
Some of you are in the front lines where the clash is. Some will be in the supporting ranks, where the binding of wounds takes place. Some will be on supply lines. Some will provide QRF. Some will be on oversight. Some will provide command and control. We all have to step up and own who we are as Catholics and own our vocations.
We must own our missions and our roles.
If we focus on our individual pain – boo hoo hoo! – we won’t serve our cause well and we’ll let our brother beside us down..
So, put aside some food and fast. Set aside some money for almsgiving. Turn off some program, dig that Rosary out of your pocket and PRAY – its a mighty weapon. GO TO CONFESSION!
Let us be warriors together, not worriers separated.
With delight I report that my good friend, His Hermeueticalness, Fr. Tim Finigan has taken up his electronic pen more regularly than before his heart problems knocked him down… slacker.
