Listening to Bad News

There is a man (let us call him "Archie") who struck his wife. He hit her so hard that it broke three of her ribs and put her in the hospital with multiple bruises and internal injuries. In addition, he broke one of his own fingers in the process. A police investigation was done, but it was closed based on "insufficient evidence" to charge him with abuse. Now, hearing that, what do you think of Archie? Do you think he is a kind man? Do you suspect he may have some trouble controlling his temper? Maybe he drinks excessively as well? You may even be thinking about the importance of getting his wife and children some protection. I would guess that your opinion of Archie would be very negative and you would not likely be willing to trust him to work as a catechist with little children at your parish; right?

Now, how about if I throw another piece into the puzzle? There is another factor that must be considered. What if I told you that Archie "struck" his wife when he tripped on a child's toy while coming down the stairs and his wife was coming up the same stairs toward him? Would that change your perspective? The "hit" was not intentional, and no, there was no animosity between the two at all. The police investigation happened as a matter of course, even though Archie's wife said clearly that it was an accident. Both Archie and his wife recovered just fine, and they even were able to have a laugh about it afterward.

Yet, what if all you heard was what I said in the first paragraph? That would definitely skew your view of Archie and make you have an opinion of him that was based on a radically misrepresented view of the "truth". Just because someone tells the truth, does not mean that it is the "whole truth" and "nothing but the truth". It is often the case that getting only a few details is more confusing than no details at all. The question, of course, is: "which" details are being given? We all know that it is possible to represent a story in such a way as to make it appear to be something completely different from reality. Since the intent is to deceive, the "truth" that is spoken is essentially a lie, and it causes others to have an opinion based on a lie (because it is a twisting of the actual story).

This is what is most often the basis of rumors. Someone hears a rumor about something, fails to investigate fully, and thus ends up with a final opinion about the situation that is not actually based on the full truth. If all you tell someone about Jesus is that He died on the cross and do not mention the Resurrection, then you have not given them the full truth. To compromise the truth by hiding certain aspects of it is not genuine honesty. To participate in such dishonesty is tantamount to being the instigator of the "lie" in the first place. Yet, many participate in the dishonesty, not out of a desire to deceive, but just because they have been drawn in to the cycle of sadness.

What do you do with rumors? How do you respond when someone gives a detail or two about something that could easily have multiple explanations? Are you one who tends to jump to conclusions about others, always presuming the worst? Or maybe you are like those who will not actually "believe" the lie, but will still entertain feelings of doubt and suspicion towards others? I have said it many times (and will continue to point it out) because it is so important for us to get this point. The technological advancements of the modern age that enable us to communicate quickly are both a blessing and a curse. They can be used to help us (like with the ability to call 911 from almost anywhere) or they can be used to hurt us (like with reports released before they have the whole story).

How many times have you seen someone recant a piece of gossip that he or she spread around (has it ever happened?)? How frequent are acknowledgements of error in the news media? The old term for someone who went around telling stories to others for the sake of getting attention was "talebearer"; someone who carried a story from place to place without genuine concern for the well being of others. This term was used long before modern news outlets, and it helps us to see the importance of truth; the whole truth. If you do not know the whole truth to some situation (and you rarely do) then you should be terribly careful in what you spread abroad. Whether it is about our president in these United States, some celebrity, or the guy down the street, talking about others behind their back is not spiritually healthy. It makes us become people who doubt others constantly, and then find it hard to maintain trust in the Lord Himself.

Guard your heart. Guard it against doubt and dissension. Yes, it is true that there is much to be concerned about in the Church these days; errors seem to abound and little seems to be done to stop it. Yet, how we react to these errors (and they are many) will make a difference. Do you presume the best about others, and give them the benefit of the doubt? It is pride that will make us become quick to believe the worst of other people, not humility. In the book of Philippians, St. Paul is speaking to a Church community that was struggling with internal strife. A division had occurred in the people's hearts to the point of where the parish had lost its true joy in Christ. As the Apostle was seeking to help them move past their quarrels he gives them this piece of advice:

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. [emphasis mine]

Notice the last phrase? "Count others better than yourselves". That is the very thing that does not happen when we believe "stories" and make quick judgments on others. If those who enjoy gossip thought of others as better than themselves, then they would reject the gossip outright. If those who want to sow dissent and sadness among others thought of others as better than themselves then they would seek to find the most positive representation of something that they hear rather than the most negative. In a day and age when people seem to want to be offended, I encourage you not to let the "bad news" get you down. Do not spiral into the depressing mode of seeing everything in the worst light possible. It can tear you up inside, and--if left unchecked--it can destroy your soul.

Do We Love to Hate?

Who do you hate? Really, be honest. Is there someone that you feel hatred for? If not, then "Amen" and "Hallelujah", because hatred is quickly becoming something of a cultural expectation. No, I do not think anyone would actually say "you have to hate someone", but when you speak to people and read the news (even the fake news) it is obvious that many people in the world today take a certain enjoyment in hating. It goes right along with the desire to be "victimized" that is so prevalent today (but that is another topic entirely). 

You may not have seen it in the news, but apparently a mass-shooting was thwarted here in southern Missouri. A man walked into a Walmart with weapons in hand a few miles from where I live and was stopped before actually pulling the trigger. So far the reports do not state anything particular about motives (etc.) but with the general culture around here I am not fully surprised that he was stopped. Quite a few people around here "conceal and carry" because most have the attitude that we are all responsible to protect each other. Whatever was going on in this man's mind, I find it hard to believe that he was motivated by a deep love for mankind. Even if all he was intending was to "go out in a blaze of glory" that desire has at its root a selfish love that leads to hatred of others.

There is an explanation that goes with this spread of hatred, but most will not like it. Our modern hatreds stem from a desire to blame someone else for our problems. If I have a problem, and do not want to admit that it is my own fault, then I can salve my conscience by blaming someone else. Take for example all the hatred that exists in the political realm today. As each side blames the other for our societal problems, each side feels a sense of relief because they are making people focus on someone other than themselves. If we all keep saying "see how bad he is" it makes it easier to say "if you'll just listen to me then all our problems would be solved".

In other words, the more we indulge in hatred of others, the more we lift ourselves up as little saviors. "He's bad" must lead to "I'm good" and therefore we fill our pride with more reasons to ignore our own sinful behavior. So the Democrats hate the Republicans, and the Republicans hate the Democrats (while both of them have politics wrong!). Blacks hate whites, and whites hate blacks (though neither skin color matters). We seek to hate someone else because it makes us feel good about ourselves and helps us to distract from what really is at stake: our need for personal repentance.

One more proof of this is found in the enormous number of "hate crimes". This is not to say that more "hate crimes" are occurring (as though there is a crime which does not stem from some kind of hatred!), but that more crimes are being labeled as hate crimes. Why is this so? Precisely because we all know that hatred is not a good thing; so while our society wishes to indulge in hate, it has to make sure that the label of "hate" is pointed away from itself. The devil wants us to hate each other, but he also does not want us to realize we are hating each other, so he seeks ways to disguise the hatred. Yelling "he's bad" means that you are looking at "him" and not the one who is doing the yelling. So, naturally, the desire is going to be there to point to others being hateful (while yourself being the one who is hateful).

The common practice of hatred seems to be so deep-seated that we could go so far as to say that people today "love to hate". You can watch many people's disagreements and see that they actually find joy in their anger. Our lives must be quite empty if we can find joy in something so evil. As a young boy, I went through some pretty horrible experiences and they made me bitter inside. When I was a teen, there was a period of quite a few years when I became steeped in hate for those people who hurt me. Then I met someone who made me see the world in a different way, and my hate began to fade away. It took years for it all to go, but when it did I found that I "hated to hate". 

There is something liberating about loving others, but few people today find it. We have been taught relativism for so long that hatred seems like a virtue to many today. I recall once watching someone scream in fury that another person was acting hateful (all the while ignorant of her own hatred). It may seem simplistic, but let us each seek to love. Let us each seek to let go of our desire to hate others, and let us begin to "hate to hate". We cannot forget that those who live their lives in hatred will never enter into the presence of God, Who is love. As our society reaps more and more of the seeds of nihilism and tries to tear itself apart the only testimony that will make any difference is the love of Christ in us. Will you give that testimony?

Faith in the Midst of Suffering

I read about a protestant musician recently who abandoned his faith and became an atheist. He claims that he went through a very difficult time in his life and that his faith was unable to help him through it. Therefore, he gave it all up and now believes in "science". I feel sorry for him, and am deeply saddened by whatever those trials and challenges were to his life; I am sure that they were painful. I am also saddened by the fact that it appears that he did not consider whether the problem may be more in his understanding of the faith than in the faith itself.

At the very root of the issue, the protestant understanding of the Christian faith is based on the same details as the Catholic understanding: the trinitarian view of God and divine redemption. Yet, when we dig a bit deeper, we will find that the protestant faith is actually a truncated view of the faith of the Christians of the first few centuries. I am not the first one to point this out; even as a protestant (years ago) I knew that there was a difference in protestantism and the early Church. Most protestants today would resolve the dilemma by saying that the early Church was wrong (when I stopped saying that, I became a Catholic).

This is the reason why I would say that the above mentioned musician is doubly wrong. Not only is he wrong in his understanding of the Christian worldview, he is wrong in his choice to embrace a pagan worldview. Yet, on the other hand we can say that he is correct, because protestantism does not truly have what is necessary to help us through all the trials of life. Yes, it does have some of the Catholic faith still present; just enough, as a matter of fact, to help most protestants to make it through. It does not, however, have the fullness of the faith, and that makes it more like a medical clinic than like an actual hospital.

I could go so far as to say that any protestant who rejects the Christian faith because of its inability to help in times of need is like someone who would take his bicycle back to the store because the engine would not start. You cannot complain that Christianity is unable to help because protestantism is unable to help. It is the Catholic understanding of suffering that makes such a difference. There was once a man who explained the Catholic view of suffering to an unbeliever who had never heard it before; the response was priceless: "Wow, I did not know that the Church had worked out the details of suffering so much--I guess it is because Catholics have suffered a lot for the last 2000 years!" Yup.

What is your view of suffering? There is a lot of suffering going on these days, and just because you are (probably) a Catholic does not guarantee that you have a Catholic understanding of suffering. The Church teaches (and has always taught) that our suffering can have a redemptive impact, not just for ourselves, but also for others. Just like Christ's death has an eternally redemptive impact, those united to Christ can accomplish a similar (albeit smaller) impact on others. This means that suffering is not just "bad stuff", and also that it is not always supposed to be avoided! The modern Catechism says that Christ, while on the cross, gave new meaning to suffering. He changed what it can do. I have never met a non-Catholic who had that exact understanding of suffering. I will bet that the musician mentioned above did not either.

So when we look out at the miserable state of things in the world (and in the Church as well) and wonder why this is happening, then the answer should be clear. God has chosen us to go through this suffering, not just because the world is a sinful place, but also because there can be great blessings that come from suffering. Do not just say "why me?" when you suffer, but recognize that you may be able to help others with your suffering. Consider also that suffering can be endured with great faith and hope in the gracious hand of God. When that happens, even greater blessings ensue.

What is your view of suffering? How do you perceive it? Is it something to be avoided at all costs? Or, rather, is it something that can be used for the glory of God and the good of mankind? How we approach suffering will determine the difference in how we approach all of life. We have to admit that we are going to suffer at some time in our lives--no one is fully exempt from that--and if we admit it, then we have to deal with it somehow. We can deal with it like a pagan (no hope, suffering is pointless, just try to find some happiness before you die); we can deal with it like most protestant theology says (some hope, and maybe God will help you); or we can deal with it like a Catholic: God ordained it because He knows it can be used for good--now trust Him.

Gender Relativism

I read in the news the other day that a man who "identifies as" (i.e. read: "pretends to be") a woman, has won a women's weight lifting competition in New Zealand. As a result, people all over the place are crying "foul" and saying that he (I will not call him a "she") should not be allowed to compete with women because it is unfair (can you say "duh?"). Supposedly, it is fine for people to choose their gender in every other area of society, but not in sports. I guess sports are just too sacred to allow gender relativism (!).

It is truly amazing that many of these same people want gender to be untouched in numerous other areas in life. They do not want gender to matter in marriage; they do not want it to matter in the home; they do not want it to matter in the workplace; and now it appears that many do not want it to matter in the military. Pick and choose where to apply your self-seeking ideas and eventually something is going to collide. God designed the universe to work in a certain way, and we can only try to ignore that for so long before something goes awry.

Well now, it is quite revealing that someone has finally said there is a limit to relativistic gender ideology. I wonder if someone is going to yell "foul" at those who do not want him to compete with the women? Can you hear them yelling: "He should be allowed to do whatever he wants since he decides for himself who he is and what he does!"? Relativism and other self-determined ideologies always destroy themselves. Sadly, it often takes a horrific disaster for many people to notice it, and some girly-guy winning a sports competition is probably not enough to make people reconsider.

I am not denying that there are many things that women can do just as well as men; there are some things that women do better than men. The problem is that we have been ignoring the fact that "doing just as well or better" is not the proper criteria to use in determining "who should be doing what". Just because you can do something does not mean that you should do it. Scientists can invent more efficient ways to kill people in a war; that does not mean that they should do so. Women might be just as good at a certain field of work as men are, but if that is the only question we use to determine right and wrong, then we will end up with the dilemma of gender-ideology that has hit us today. Neutrality in societal roles leads to neutrality in sexual roles (ad nauseam).

The proper question to ask is, therefore, what has God ordained for us? He has revealed it to us in many ways and times. I suggest that everyone go read the Catechism of Trent and see how it defines the roles in society for men and women--even the most conservative of Catholics today might be a bit surprised that this is still official Catholic dogma! I could expound it here, but I will let the Church speak for herself. When we remove the divine guidelines for society, then we can head off in many directions; the worst of which is relativism.

I know, of absolute certainty, that Jesus will win in the end, and that He will conquer all His enemies (cf. 1 Cor 15:24), including the gender neutral nightmare that we are experiencing today. I also suspect that before He fully destroys this satanic kind of thinking, that we will see more and more "train wrecks". The more we allow people to "choose their gender", the more we will see massive complications in society (even worse than which symbol to put on the bathroom door). Let us each brace ourselves for the repercussions, for we will likely experience the after shocks of most of them. Let us also stand fast in our faith. Let us teach our children what it means to be male and female according to God's standards, and let us never allow the world convince us to deny eternal truth.

Pray for Me

I speak with my brother priests as often as I can, and we all can tell you the same thing: we are under attack. Yes, "we the Church" are under attack; that is obvious. What I am referring to, however, is "we as priests". It is not just an attack on the sexual morals of priests (though, yes, that is more sensational so it hits the news quicker). I am talking about a spiritual attack that tears priests down in more ways than are obvious.

Priests are under attack in their theology--the devil wants them to compromise, even in small ways. Priests are under attack in their liturgics--the devil wants them to compromise, even in small ways. Priests are under attack in their own personal spirituality--the devil wants them to compromise, even in small ways. The trend should be obvious.

I myself have felt various "demonic" or "devilish" attacks at times. I can recall once during Mass stumbling over words at a point that was completely unexpected. It got me flustered, and then I was second guessing myself all the way through the rest of the Mass (pausing to make sure I said the prayer right; eyes jumping back and forth on the page). Suddenly I had the words of Jesus go through my mind, "get thee behind me Satan"; I recited them quickly in my heart, and the "disturbance" went away. No, I do not know if it was actually something caused by demonic influence, but I know that if that happened at every Mass I celebrated, it would truly wear down my soul.

I know many priests who tell me stories about crazy things happening to them and their parishes that have no other explanation other than a demonic attack. I will not get into all the details, but when a group of priests all say "that's not coincidence", it can give you chills. It should not surprise us, of course. The devil tries to keep men from the priesthood all the time, but these days it seems like he is putting in an extra effort. If he is unsuccessful in this (and with a recent increase in vocations, it appears that the tide is turning), then he will turn his sights to doing all he can to undermine the priests who are already serving.

There are many ways that the laity can help their priests (sending him a text telling him what a lousy job he did in Mass last Sunday is not one of them). Most especially, for my brother priests who are celibate, good fellowship is needed. Yes, priests have each other, but they cannot always get together conveniently. Invite him over to your house for dinner; send him a card saying you are praying for him; or even just try to speak to him about normal life issues after Mass some day. Things like these can make a great difference in his sense of connection to the parish.

The most significant thing, however, to help your priest should go without saying. All priests need to be prayed for. I have often asked for the prayers of my parishioners (especially when I do not see eye to eye with one of them). When we pray, humbly and whole-heartedly for someone, it leads us to loving that person. It is true for a priest with his people, and it is true for the people with their priest. When we genuinely experience love for another person, it makes us want to help that person and also to work to be at peace with him. Any amount prayer is helpful for a priest, but if you are not sure what to pray about, then pray for things that are not selfishly motivated. In other words pray generally for wisdom, faithfulness, and strong leadership (and not for him to "do it your way").

An apostolate that I came across recently that goes along this very direction is called the "Seven Sisters Apostolate". It has seven women who dedicate one hour a week to pray for their priest. Imagine what it would be like for that priest who knows that someone is praying for him every day. I have asked some of the ladies at my parish of St. George to begin this, and even though it is just in the beginning stages, I am already encouraged by it (I long for their prayers). This is what priests truly need: people who care enough to do something to help. To turn your back on someone who is struggling, only makes that person struggle more.

Whether you become part of this apostolate or not, I urge you to pray for your priest. Pray that he would be protected against all the temptations and trials that the devil wants to throw at him. Maybe you already know some of his weaknesses; then pray about them. Do not abandon him to his own means. As the priest cares for his people in the way God has called him to do so, so also should the people care for their priest in their unique way. Although it may sound a bit selfish for me to encourage this, only a self-righteous priest would not ask for prayers! The more that people help their priests with the power of holy prayer, the less likely those priests are to fall into any of the various scandals you have seen on the news.

St. Paul asked many times for the prayers of his people, knowing that prayer is that tool of the Lord that could help him to hold fast. The author of the book of Hebrews (whether it was St. Paul or not) said it this way:

Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things (Hebrews 13:17-18).

Pray for your priests.

Mass of Reparation for August, 2019

August 2nd is first Friday, so I will be saying another Mass of Reparation at St. George in Republic, Missouri. Mass begins at 6:00pm, with adoration immediately after. I will conclude with benediction at 7:00pm. The more who come (as we used to say) to "assist at Mass", the more reparation we are doing for the sins of the Catholic Church. For those of my readers who live nearby, if you love Christ's Church and want to see repentance occur, I beseech you to make an effort to be there.

Like a Roaring Lion

I tend to prefer it when Scripture is direct and clear. Some passages of the Bible are quite vague, and although they can be helpful in our spiritual walk, it is those that just "lay it on the table" that touch my heart most deeply. One of my favorite statements in Scripture is from 1 Peter 5:8-9:

"Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith..."

In other words, you are in his sights. The devil is lurking in the tall grass waiting to pounce. I do not say this to create fear (per se), but to encourage watchfulness; exactly as St. Peter did. He wanted his people to be prepared for the attack so that they could "resist". This is what I seek for every one of those under my care. Sometimes they understand that, and sometimes they do not, but I always work to help people be on their guard. Are you on your guard for the devil as he "prowls around"?

The best way to do this is to expect that he knows your weaknesses and is seeking to exploit them. Are you of a melancholy spirit? Then he will likely try to make you grumpy or discontented. Are you one who becomes easily suspicious of others? Then he will likely sow seeds of doubt about those who are closest to you. Do you have trouble controlling your  eyes? Then he is going to send someone (or something) into your line of sight that will tempt you. Whatever may be your tendencies, he will "prowl around" until sees you "limping" and then will run to attack. This one fact, taken to heart, can make a great difference in our spiritual health.

Those who easily forget about the works of evil that come after them, will more easily fall to those works when they encounter them. It is like the difference between the driver who is constantly on the watch for potential problems, and the driver who goes along presuming that there is nothing to worry about. Which one do you think will more likely be able to avoid an accident? No, I am not trying to make you live in fear, but if we live complacent and presumptuous, then we are not faithful to God.

When the Apostle says to be "firm in the faith", he is telling us that we need to be spiritually healthy. Are you working on your faith? Or are you like that weak gazelle in the herd who is going to be taken down next? Do you read good books (and especially the Scriptures) regularly in order to build up your trust in God? If you find yourself without that joy and spiritual vigor that Christ offers in the gospel, then your faith is likely hurting. Are you ready for the fight? Or is your faith weakened and vulnerable to attack?

So then, as the devil seeks "someone to devour", you should know that he does not aim only at those who are the weakest. He also aims at those who are a threat to him. If you are attending a reverent Mass regularly, seeking penitence and going to confession, then you can expect that the devil is upset with you. In doing these things, you are more likely to remain on the path to Heaven, and you might even help a few others along that path as well and this is exactly what he does not want; therefore, the devil is going to try to harm you. Have you been living faithfully, and then recently found your faith under attack? This is exactly how he works.

If there is a parish that is growing in faithfulness to our Lord and His Mother, and holds fast to the traditions handed down to us by the Church, then that parish is going to be the target of the attacks of the devil as well. The more true to the Catholic faith a parish is, the more it will be attacked (and especially will its priest be attacked). Sometimes those attacks are obvious and can be seen by any casual observer. Other times those attacks are more hidden, and are only noticed by a few. Either way, the devil appears to be more active today than in years past, and we must be serious about dealing with him.

This is not to say that Catholics who are "wishy washy" in their faith are not going to be under attack. In fact, in some ways they will be attacked more severely because they are the "weak" members of the "herd" who are easier to destroy. Most often, however, the attacks against the weaker members are more subtle. They often do not look exactly like attacks, but more like the typical trials of life. The reason for this is so that the weaker members will not have their minds drawn to consider spiritual matters. The evil one does this because he knows that if a weak member starts thinking about spiritual matters, his faith may be revived.

Therefore, what are you doing to watch for the "devil hiding in the tall grass"? Do you know your own weaknesses that he is seeking to exploit? Are you aware of the attacks he has sent against you most recently? Has your mind been clouded to his attacks so that you do not respond to them with the strength Christ offers you? It is the responsibility of each one of us to do exactly like the Apostle Peter says and "be sober" and "watchful". In this day and age, we can never let our guard down; we must always be ready for the fight. If you are not ready, you have already lost the battle.