On Fatherhood

Dedicated to my father,

My first and truest example

Of what it means to be a man.

There is a crisis in our world. It does not have the theatrical force of a hurricane or the publicity of acts of violence. Rather, this threat is slowly growing like the rising waters of a flood which go unnoticed until the levy breaks. And then it is too late.

We have a dearth of manliness in our culture, but more importantly of fatherhood. You can't have the latter without the former. There are a lot of examples of fake manliness. Of men who treat women like objects for their own gratification. Of men who use their God-given strength not in defense of the innocent, but who have "overturned the way of the poor and oppressed together the meek of the earth" (Job 24:5).

We have had too many men who take the easy way instead of the "narrow gate" (Matthew 7:13). I have read story after story about men who pressure their girlfriends, wives, and daughters into having abortions because of their own fears and convenience. That is why pro-choice is not pro-women. Abortion is a way for men to oppress women. To exploit them.

More and more men are rejecting the Truth and perverting their sexuality, be it for premarital relations or homosexuality. In the height of folly, men are even going so far as to reject the biological and spiritual reality of their manhood claiming they "identify" as something else.

Men are falling away from the Church and even from the belief in God altogether. They claim to be advanced or evolved, but atheism and humanism are the most barbaric creeds of all. Without God man becomes nothing but meat and is treated as such.

A crisis of manliness means a crisis of fatherhood. Fathers should be an example to their sons, a beacon of strength and virtue. They should not enable the sins of their children for the sake of moral relativism or let them "experiment," go through a "phase." Fathers cannot allow their children to pick their gender. They ought to be an example of holiness, not of vice.

Too many families do not have fathers at all. Single-parent households are the natural consequence of promiscuity. The fathers are there for the good times, but leave as soon as commitment or responsibility looms. And study after study points to the significantly higher rates of crime and delinquency of children raised in a single-mother home. The prevalence of single-parent homes in the African American community almost completely accounts for its higher crime rate.

As goes the father, so go his children.

But not all men are bad. Far from it. For every Mordred there is a King Arthur. For every Goliath, a David. For every dragon, a knight in shining armor.

We have good men in our world today. They just tend not to be where the spotlight is.

There are hosts of men who refuse to follow the norm and instead follow their God, no matter the consequences. St. Joseph trusted in the message of Archangel Gabriel even though he knew taking the Virgin Mary into his home might have been scandalous. St. Stephen testified to the Truth even as his body was broken by stones. St. Augustine had the humility to seek forgiveness after his life of sinful wordiness and became a bold defender of the Truth. St. Maximilian Kolbe gave his life for another man without fanfare or hesitation.

Two of my favorite Biblical examples of manliness are Mattathias and his son, Judas Maccabeus. Mattathias was the father of five sons in the day of the oppression of Israel by King Antiochus. Though he was offered gold, silver, and influence, Mattathias refused to forsake the Lord and the law saying "Although all nations obey King Antiochus... I and my sons, and my brethren will obey the law of our fathers. God be merciful unto us: it is not profitable for us to forsake the law and the justices of God" (1 Maccabees 2:19-21). Faced with the pressures of the world, tempted with its riches, and threatened with its sword, Mattathias did not abandon his faith. Furthermore, he did not allow his sons to abandon their faith. On his deathbed, Mattathias said to his gathered sons: "You, therefore, my sons, take courage, and behave manfully in the law: for by it you shall be glorious" (1 Maccabees 2:64).

His son, Judas Maccabeus, having such an example for a father, grew up to be a great man who "in his acts he was like a lion" (1 Maccabees 3:4). Like his father, "he pursued the wicked and sought them out" (1 Maccabees 3:5) and fought "for our lives and our laws" (1 Maccabees 3:21). He did not use the strength of his arm for self-aggrandizement but rather for justice. His last words are very telling of the sacrificial way he lived his life: "God forbid we should do this thing, and flee away from them: but if our time be come, let us die manfully for our brethren, and let us not stain our glory" (1 Maccabees 9:10).

 There are men who sacrifice everything for their families. Men who work late hours to put food on the table and get their kids through college. Men who put off their ambitions to raise a child. Men who refuse to cave to what the world says. Men who stand up for the innocent and defenseless, especially the unborn. Men who put God first in their lives, then their family, and at last themselves.

My father is such a man. As I have grown, I have learned just how blessed I am. Few enough fathers go to Mass. Even less lead their children to God as my father has. Growing up Catholic in a public school is hard. Again and again, my father pushed me, not just to get by and keep my head down, but to thrive. He's the hardest working man I have ever known, but he always has time for his children. Throughout my childhood, I cannot remember a single selfish act of his.

At the same time, my father did not allow his children to grow up without a sense of responsibility and virtue. There was never any room for relativistic nonsense in our household.

My father is a rock. No matter the tumult in my life, he is always there. He has always been there for his children.

His love for my mother is an example of the sacred and sacramental nature of marriage. By word and most importantly by deed, he taught me about the dignity of woman and the importance of men of virtue.

So on this father's day, I would like to thank my dad. I would not be who I am today without him. I pray that we might have more fathers like him in this age. I firmly believe that with a revival of manliness and true fatherhood in our world, a whole lot of problems would quickly disappear.

Rise up Men of God.

Deus Vult!

A World Without God

"God is dead." That resounding diagnosis was put into words by the German nihilist Nietzsche whom I've already written about. It was rephrased on the cover of the April 8, 1966 issue of Time magazine as "Is God Dead?" Both echo the same sentiment, the idea of a world without God.

This devastating idea has not been around for very long. Up until the era of the Enlightenment, belief in some sort of divinity was pretty much universal. It was unthinkable for any intellectuals or political leaders to say with any amount of public support that there was nothing, no God. That is until the so-called "age of Reason," in reality the death of reason, which was brought about by the dissent encouraged by the Protestant Reformation. If the Catholic Church could be questioned, then why not question belief in God as well?

Some of the most famous Enlightenment thinkers were either explicit atheists or at least toed that line: Spinoza, Hume, and Kant just to name a few. It should come as no surprise then that the greatest expression of Enlightenment thought, the French Revolution, was so profoundly atheistic. Voltaire, who laid the foundations for the Revolution with his writings, was militantly anti-Christian. Indeed, the persecution of priests and other clergy was characteristic of the Revolution. The French Revolution replaced God with the State.

This trend, the aggrandizement of personal power through the "elimination" of God, continued. We cannot forget the godlessness nature of the Nazis, Bolshevik Russia, and Pol Pot's Cambodia, all responsible for horrific crimes against humanity. This is especially evident in modern China where churches are bulldozed and their pastors mysteriously disappear.

And indeed, the war on God is not limited to totalitarian regimes. Today, in America, there is a decided "bloodless" and "polite" persecution as Archbishop Lori so aptly called it. Christian values are under attack. Think about it. Roe v. Wade and the legalization of abortion on demand, the normalization of homosexuality, the de-stigmatization of promiscuity, and a culture of divorce have led to the breakdown of the family. Atheist groups with their litanies of "freedom of religion" and "separation of Church and State" attack that very freedom by silencing any mention of God and attempting to erect an atheistic government. Say the name of God in the public sphere and they might just try to arrest you. Proclaim the absence of God and you will be applauded.

Now beyond the existence of this war on God, which is undeniable, I want to look at the effects this has on our way of life. What does a world without God look like? It is not very hard to imagine because we are at its threshold! Look at how Planned Parenthood and its murderous ilk have convinced us that life only begins when we want it to. Look at how the media loses its mind when a gorilla is shot to save a child, but not when children are shot without cause. Look at how armchair philosophers sit in their penthouses and decry the existence of poverty and proceed to do nothing to stop it. Look at how homosexuality and transgenderism is applauded, encouraged, while traditional marriage is belittled. Virtue has become vice and vice, virtue.

For a hellish glimpse into the future of a world without God, we need only read the works of "ethicist" Peter Singer. Not that I am recommending so much as picking up anything that he has written. In fact, quite the opposite. His ideas are incredibly dangerous. In his seminal work, Practical Ethics, Singer begins innocently enough, with the topic of equality. It's hard to disagree with his conclusions, all he seems to want is for everyone to be treated fairly. At first. Then he takes it too far. Applying his godless utilitarian philosophy, Singer makes the argument that we ought to treat animal interests as having the same weight as human interests in the sphere of ethics. To do so, he frequently uses the example of newborns and the mentally disabled as human beings who are closer to the level of animals. "Killing a snail or a day-old infant does not thwart any desires [for the future], because snails and newborn infants are incapable of having such desires." (Practical Ethics p.90) You can't make this stuff up!

Singer goes on to argue that, because of his principle of considering only the interests involved, not only is abortion justified, but so is infanticide - "on purely ethical grounds, the killing of a newborn infant is not comparable with the killing of an older child or adult" - and euthanasia. He goes so far as to walk up to the precipice of justifying involuntary euthanasia, but falters.

These are dangerous ideas. And if you reject God, they are hard to argue against. That is because without God human life immediately begins to lose its value. If we were not created by a loving, all-powerful God (as we were indeed created!) then we are no longer men but beasts. Despite Singer's assertions to the contrary, this means that we are lowered to the level of animals, not that animals are raised to our level. And just like animals, we can be put down when it is convenient. Dostoevsky was all too accurate when he wrote that "If God does not exist, everything is permitted." I do not think that it is too outlandish to envision Singer's fantasies becoming reality in a world without God, and even involuntary euthanasia becoming accepted for the sake of the collective "good."

When I imagine a world without God, I see a world where human life is meaningless, where love is reduced to sexual sensation found as easily in the Internet as in human interactions, where the very terms "men" and "women" have become offensive, and where people of faith are persecuted.

This is not the kind of world that I want to live in!

Brothers and sisters, we must bring back a Godly culture of Truth! Where life and true love are valued!

How can we do this? It might seem that a monumental effort is necessary, something that will shock the world back into reality. In truth, it is the little things that will change the world and overthrow the very foundations of our godless culture of death.

First, we must love. It is easy to be angry with the way the world is headed. It is even more easy to hate those that are pushing it along the road to hell. It requires courage, however, to love them. Remember that as St. Theresa of Avila says, "Christ has no body now on earth but yours." Jesus did not condemn sinners, he lovingly rebuked them. Christ did not say to Matthew the tax-collector "Do what makes you happy." But he also didn't say "You're going to hell Matt." He said "Follow me"  (Matthew 9:9). Jesus, the only one who was without sin and could therefore throw a stone at the adulterous woman, didn't. Instead, he said "Neither do I condemn you. Go and from now on do not sin any more" (John 8:11).

To turn back this culture of death, I firmly believe that we must fully commit ourselves to the pro-life cause. I'm the president of my high-school's Students for Life of America club (a most excellent organization) and I also run its blog. Now it would be excellent if everyone could start or become active in local pro-life groups, but you don't even need to do that much. I have already written a list of ways you can be a Pro-Life Warrior. In short, the war on abortion is largely a war of information. Simply spread the word about the ugly realities of abortion. Lies told often enough often become half-truths. Planned Parenthood has convinced people that developing babies are just "clumps of cells" and that abortion has no psychological effects on women, both of which are patently false!

Very simply, you can help to create a culture of God by being men and women of God. Pray as often as you breath. Attend Mass whenever possible. Venerate the Blessed Mother. Pray the Rosary, our primary weapon. Stand up for your beliefs. Be an example to the world, your friends, your family. Raise your children in the faith.

The future of a world without God may be bleak. The future with God, however, is filled with hope and grace. Rise up and join the Crusade for Truth!

DEUS VULT!

The Dangers of Small Worlds

We all know the song: "It's a Small World After All." It gets stuck in our heads every time we go on that ride in Disneyland. Chances are, the moment you step off the float, you'll be humming that song. It's a cute little song. Reminds us that we are all connected, regardless of our culture or geographical location.

But there are two versions of the "Small World." The first is that represented by the Disney ride, a world without borders where physical distance is meaningless. And that is all well and good. God made each and everyone of us. In our shared humanity, we have far more in common than we have differences, despite various languages and customs. The first meaning is quite Catholic in fact, "universal."

I worry about the second meaning of a "Small World." It is one I see far too often today. These small worlds are characterized, not by their openness, but by their walls. They are small worlds because there is not much in them. This is the "me, myself, and I" attitude that is so popular in our culture. This small world thinking reduces your interactions and love into a microcosm, whatever is within your reach and nothing more. Only showing kindness to those who think exactly like you do, who look exactly like you do, who act exactly like you do.

In a certain sense, this thinking reduces humanity to those that you "like." Anyone else is dangerous, even less human than those within your walls. And I am not just talking about physical borders. Within our own country, we see this in conflicts of controversy. For militant feminists, pro-choice radicals, and groups like Black Lives Matter, you are either with them or against them. Anything less than a full pledge of loyalty results in your ridicule, not in person, more often than not, but over the veiled channels of social media, for most of them are too cowardly to attack you face-to-face. You see this whenever anyone tries to say that there are differences between men and women which mean they ought to be treated differently in some respects (bigot!) or that all lives matter (racist!).

Small worlds tend to be kind of boring. You'll only hear the same things over and over and over. They consist in a silencing of all "offensive speech" or what I would call free discussion. Try to tell a denizen of these small worlds that the unborn have a right to live, that there is no difference between sex and gender, or that supporting the death-penalty is inconsistent with pro-life beliefs, and you will instantly be silenced, and probably insulted too.

That is because small worlds are the houses built upon the sand (Matthew 7:26). They lack a firm foundation. Any challenge to the creed of a small world is therefore existential. Any change to the status quo could be deadly.

Small worlds are cowardly. They are inhabited by people who are too scared to look beyond their own walls. We saw this the other day at a rally for presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in San Diego. Crowds of his opponents hurled eggs and bottles, harassed, and assaulted his supporters as they left the rally. Now, I am not saying that I support or even like Donald Trump. His flip-flopping on abortion is unacceptable. But no one deserves to be attacked like his supporters were. Those protesters reacted so violently because they were confronted by a group of people living outside of their own small worlds. They discovered that someone held opinions that were not their own, and they could not deal with this reality.

And I am not saying that Catholics are immune to this kind of thinking. I see a somewhat dangerous trend of small worlds in our American parishes. We are the universal Church. Therefore, though we might only go to Mass at one parish, we cannot limit our outreach or efforts to that parish. It is not a competition. We need a greater awareness of the ways in which parishes can cooperate and coordinate activities for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

God does not want us to live in small worlds. I think Pope Francis captured this quite succinctly. In response to Donald Trump's plan to build a barrier separating Mexico from the United States, Pope Francis said that "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel." Though this was in the context of Donald Trump, Pope Francis' statement was universal.

We cannot simply build up walls around ourselves. Those walls separate us from those whom we should show love.

Jesus did not live in a gated community. He walked with tax collectors, prostitutes, and Pharisees alike. The message of the Gospel would not have spread if Jesus had remain hidden in the gentrified suburbs.

Therefore, we must engage in the construction of bridges. Do not avoid the people who hold opinions that differ from yours, engage them. Get in the thick of it. "Launch out into the deep" (Luke 5:4). We will not change lives with the message of the Gospel if we only preach within our own walls, within our small worlds.

Do not live in a small world. Cast down your walls. Open up your hearts to those that live beyond your borders, physical and otherwise. Love your family, but also love your universal family.

There are those suffering beyond your walls. Go to them. Bring the light of Christ into the darkness of their own small worlds.

Deus Vult!

The Church (The Creed)

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins,

and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Holy Spirit gave life to the Church on Pentecost. We began in this series on the Creed with Creation and God the Father. Then, we moved on to the birth, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. His Ascension lead into the coming of the Holy Spirit which breathed life into the Church.

The Apostles, frightened and in hiding, were "all together in one place" (Acts 2:1). Jesus had just ascended into heaven. They'd drawn lots to chose Matthias as Judas's replacement in the Twelve. They were in recovery, shaken by the tumult of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. Their world had just been shattered and they were only beginning to put their lives back together.

And then the world changed forever. The Holy Spirit came down upon them with wind and fire. "They were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:4). And so began the Church. Instead of the cries of an infant, Mother Church was heralded by fire and wind, elemental majesty.

Atheists like to say that all religions are the same, that they are merely expressions of subjective religious experience, a psychological longing for the divine that is merely primitive instinct. But the Church is not just another religion. It is Truth.

What other creed has spread so far and so wide? What other creed has so radically changed human history? The way we think? The way we live? Unlike Islam and Judaism, Buddhism and Paganism, Christianity  easily hurdled geographical, cultural, and ethnic boundaries.

The Church is revolutionary. Why else has the world tried so hard to silence her? The Church is always countercultural. "If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John  15:20). The Church challenged the brutality and hedonism of the Romans just as she challenges our modern brutality and hedonism. Christ's message of love contradicts the hate of our flawed human sinfulness.

The Church is a rock. She is unchanging. The Catholic Church today is the same Church gathered together on Pentecost, despite what the Protestants would have you believe. She does not compromise dogma for whatever happens to be popular. The Commandments were written in stone tablets.

The Church is our foundation. We can cling to her and trust that no matter who is president, no matter what the law says, no matter what the world is screaming at us, we cling to truth. We can trust in the Church.

We enter into the Church through the Sacrament of Baptism. The Roman Catechism says that "by nature we were born from Adam children of wrath, but by Baptism we are regenerated in Christ, children of mercy." Baptism unites us to Christ. We become members of the Church who is the spouse of Christ.

Baptism changes our very nature. Though it does not make us invulnerable to sin, or even remove our sinful nature, Baptism frees us from our inherited bondage to sin and gives us new life. It is a rejection of the ways of the world and the first step on the way to salvation. It is THE first step on the way to salvation. Remember brothers and sisters, the uniqueness of Baptism. It is not merely a human creation. It cannot be imitated. Baptism is not merely the entry into a worldly organization, but rather initiation into the divine body of the Church. St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians: "one Lord, one faith, one Baptism" (Ephesians 4:5). There is but "one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins." There is  but one Church.

Through Baptism we become brothers and sisters. Regardless of where we come from, the color of our skin, the language that we speak, or even the sins that we have committed, we are all united in the Church. Baptism makes us greater than the sum of our faults. It gives us new identity. That is why a Baptism is as beautiful as the birth of a child, for we gain a new member in our universal family.

Our family has a lot of enemies. There are those who see the Church as a backwards and antiquated organization. There are those who says that she hates women or homosexuals. There are those who hate her because of the lies they have heard or the darkness within their own hearts. The Islamic State has promised the destruction of the Vatican. Even some Christians have declared themselves enemies of the Church. They decry her "corruption" or say that she has fallen away from the teachings of Jesus when they themselves are the ones who cannot fully accept His Word. 

But though every nation on earth were to declare war against the Church and persecute her members, we must not lose our faith. We must stand firm in our conviction. When Rome was falling under the influence of the Arian heresy, a companion of St. Athanasius told him that "The whole world is against you!" The saint responded that "Then it is Athanasius against the world." The Church is against the world too, and she will endure. How can man destroy that which God has made? Some worry that the Church will be destroyed by external aggression or by internal decay. Groups like the Church Militant take this too far and insist upon undermining the authority of those clergy who do not follow their definition of orthodoxy. I will not do so. I will call out heresy where I see it, whether it is inside or outside of the Church, but I will also respect the dignity of the Church and her members. I will trust that Jesus will guard His spouse far more ably than I ever could.

Remember that the Church is hope. The Church is Truth.

DEUS VOLT!

The Holy Spirit (The Creed)

"I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets."

After ascending into heaven, Christ did not leave us alone in this world of troubles. He did not allow us to remain bereft of His love. Before He returned to His Father, Jesus told His disciples "you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence" (Acts 1:5), "I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you" (John 14:18). In the hope of this promise, the disciples remained in Jerusalem, despite the persecution that they thus risked. And their hope was not in vain.

"And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming.... And there appeared to them parted tongues as if of fire.... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:1-3).

It is impossible to speak of the Church without mentioning the Holy Spirit. That is because, through Pentecost, the Church has been imbued with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the hardest Person of the Trinity to comprehend. We are familiar with the idea of a father and a son, but an incorporeal spirit? This is a hard teaching indeed. 

We must remember a few essential aspects of the Holy Spirit, in order to better understand this teaching of the Church. First, the Holy Spirit is distinct from but one with the Father and the Son. Secondly, the Spirit is the Author of Scripture: "who has spoken through the prophets." And finally, the Holy Spirit is "the giver of life."

The Holy Spirit is "distinct but inseparable" (CCC 689) from the Father and the Son. This is key to our understanding of the Spirit. The best way that I have ever heard this concept explained is that the Holy Spirit is the fruit of the love between the Father and the Son. Thus, though the Holy Spirit is unquestionably unique in the Trinity, he cannot be imagined outside of it.

Next, the Holy Spirit is the Author of the Word. The Catechism tells us that one of the places in which we know the Spirit is "in the Scriptures he inspired" (CCC 688). The Holy Spirit gave us the Word through the prophets. Isaiah wrote "the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me" (Isaiah 61:1). Even the early Church acknowledged this truth. Paul said to the Jews of Rome: "well did the Holy Spirit speak to our fathers by Isaiah the prophet" (Acts 28:25). Sacred Scripture is not the outdated work of  a few backward Jews and Christians. It is the LIVING work of God. It is not something merely to be studied, but listened to and lived. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Word.

And finally, the Holy Spirit is "the giver of life." He is active in our hearts. Once they received the Holy Spirit, the disciples immediately began speaking in tongues. They were granted the courage necessary to stand before the throng of Jerusalem and preach the Word, though it might have meant (and eventually did for all but John) their own deaths. I do not believe they could have spoken otherwise, for the Holy Spirit is "the spirit of truth" (John 14:17). They could not help but speak the Truth when filled with the "spirit of truth." We know of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the boons we receive through grace. These fruits prepare us to live and spread the Word.

This discussion of the Holy Spirit would be remiss if I did not also write about the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Holy Spirit is of course involved in every Sacrament, but is featured especially prominent in the last Sacrament of Initiation. Confirmation has its origins in Pentecost when the Church first received the Holy Spirit. We see this Sacrament in action later in the book of Acts when after being baptized, the people of Samaria called upon Peter and John who came and "laid their hands upon them: and they received the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:17). And indeed, another name for this Sacrament is the laying on of hands.

In the Early Church, the three Sacraments of Initiation were all celebrated simultaneously, a practice that continues in the Eastern Church. Baptism was separated during the reign of Constantine when he made Christianity the religion of Rome. Confirmation was likewise celebrated apart from the Eucharist beginning in the Middle Ages. And I think that during this time, we really solidified our understanding of the Sacrament.

The concepts of knighthood became intertwined with Confirmation. Confirmation was not influenced by the historical phenomenon of knighthood. Rather, chivalry was an expression of the values of Confirmation. Sometimes this expression was more worldly than spiritual. But we find the perfect expression of this in St. Bernard of Clairvaux. He wrote "In Praise of the New Knighthood" for Hugh de Paynes, the founding Grand Master of the Knights Templar. Now, the historical reality of the Templar Order has been distorted by popular culture. They were not a secret society or anti-Christian cult. In truth, they were a group of warrior monks sanctioned by the Pope and committed to defending Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land, a place that was equally if not more violent and hostile to Christians than the modern Middle East. They were the embodiment of Christian knighthood and thus St. Bernard's "Praise" is key to this discussion of Confirmation. These knights are disciplined and focused. They are fierce in battle, but "there is no distinction of persons among them." He extorted them to "go forth confidently then, you knights, and repel the foes of the Cross of Christ with a stalwart heart."

Of course Confirmation should not be seen as a preparation for a physical warfare, as was necessary in the times of the Templars. Today, we fight against "foes of the Cross" who instead of steel carry blogs and Twitter validations, signs and a false sense of advocacy. And this sense of Confirmation preparing us for spiritual warfare can be found throughout Tradition. Pope Melchiades, pontiff during the reign of Constantine, wrote that "in Baptism, man is enlisted into the service, in Confirmation, he is equipped for battle." The Roman Catechism, product of the Council of Trent during the Catholic Reformation, calls those who receive the Sacrament of Confirmation "a valiant combatant."

Confirmation is rightly a Sacrament of Initiation, for it girds Christians with abundant grace and prepares them for living in the world. In the book of Revelation, we read about the "mark" of the beast which identifies his slaves in sin. Confirmation is the counter to that sign. Pope Pius X wrote that "Confirmation is a sacrament which gives us the Holy Ghost, imprints on our souls the mark of a soldier of Christ, and makes us perfect Christians," perfect of course, not in immunity from sin, but rather in fulfillment of grace.

The mark of Confirmation is divisive. The bishop marks the heads of the Confirmandi with chrism as a proud standard for them to wear as they venture out into the battlefield of life. It is a sign of our soldier-hood for Christ. In Confirmation, we are strengthened by the Holy Spirit. We receive the graces and gifts of the Spirit. The Spirit is thus our Paraclete, our Advocate, "the giver of life."

If you want to learn more about the Holy Spirit and the Sacrament of Confirmation, go here and watch this excellent podcast by Rise Up Jerusalem on how Protestant baptism relates to the Sacrament of Confirmation. The host of Rise Up Jerusalem, happens to be, not just my cousin, but a close friend and an excellent voice of young Catholicism. Check out the rest of his videos to be inspired by his ministry and passion for Christ.

I leave you with these words from the advocate of Christian knighthood. Truly we have cause for joy for we are visited with the graces of the Holy Spirit, our comfort.

"Rejoice Jerusalem, and recognize now the time in which you are visited! Be glad and give praise together, wastes of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people." - St. Bernard of Clairvaux

DEUS VOLT!

The Second Coming (The Creed)

As I emphasized in my last post, our faith is not dead or stagnant. It is effective and alive. Christianity did not end with the Resurrection any more than it ends with the Passion. After Christ revealed Himself to His disciples on multiple occasions, He ascended into Heaven. Unlike the false prophets of paganism or even the Jewish prophets appointed by God, Jesus did not succumb to the decay of a final death. Instead, he rose into the Heavens after rising from the grave. God-made-Man returned to the bosom of His Heavenly Father.

This must have been difficult for the disciples. They were scattered and in hiding when they saw the proofs of the Resurrection. And now Jesus was gone again. Many men might have simply returned to the comfort of the shadows and anonymity. The Roman sword still hung over their heads and the Pharisees wanted to tear them apart. I think that it would have been understandable if, even with the hope of the Resurrection, the disciples had gone back into hiding and spread the message of the Gospel in secret to a chosen and trusted few.

But this is not what happened. In fact, the disciples did quite the opposite. They went out among the throng of Jerusalem. They did not speak in whispers. "Peter standing up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke to them: 'Ye men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you and with your ears receive my words" (Acts 2:14). These are not the words of a fearful man. These are the words filled with the courage and strength of the Lord.

And yet let us remember who this is that speaks so boldly. This is Peter, the same disciple who during the Last Supper rashly proclaimed that "although I should die together with thee, I will not deny thee" (Mark 14:31), only to deny the Lord not once, not twice, but three times on Good Friday. The question we must ask ourselves is what changed? What happened to the disciples so that instead of running away, they proclaimed the Gospel to the nations?

There are two answers to this question. The first is the descent of the Holy Spirit which is the subject of my next post. The other reason for their courage is found in the promise that came with the Ascension. After Jesus was raised up into the clouds, two angels appeared to the disciples and said to them "Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven" (Acts 1:11). Shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven. The disciples received the promise of the Second Coming of Christ.

The Ascension was not Jesus' last farewell to Earth. He is coming back.

We read extensively of this promise in the New Testament. In the Gospels, Jesus warns us of the tribulation and confusion that will abound in the end times, for truly the Second Coming represents the end of the world as we know it. In those times, "many false prophets will rise and shall seduce many" (Matthew 24:11). The Ancient Fathers of the Church long believed this to mean that the antichrist would present himself, the great deceiver and servant of Satan. It is said that he will "make war with the saints" and "all that dwell upon the earth adored him, whose names are not written in the book of life" (Revelation 13:7-8).

True believers and followers of the word "shall be hated by all for my name's sake" (Matthew 24:9). "And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death" (Luke 21:16). In the book of Revelation, we read of the "great harlot" of idolatry "with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication," and that she is "drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (Revelation 17:1-2,6).

Truly these will not be tame times. These will be days marked by chaos and persecution.

It is important to remember, however, that it is vain to try to predict when the last days will come. Christ tells us that "of that day and hour no one knoweth: no, not the angels in heaven, but the Father alone" (Matthew 24:36).

These signs and predictions might seem disheartening. Why did it fill the apostles with such strength?

It is because of what follows these sufferings which are merely "the sign of thy coming and the consummation of the world" (Matthew 24:3). The Enemy will not prevail. He has already been defeated. Our ultimate victory is in the Cross. These times will merely be the last "hurrah," the vain though potent charge of Satan's Light Brigade. There is no question about the outcome. When these slight afflictions pass away, "then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven" (Matthew 24:30), "then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory" (Mark 13:26). Christ shall return from His Heavenly throne to establish His new Kingdom. He "shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming and his kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:1). And though the beast should rise from the abyss to devour true Christians, "the Lamb shall overcome them because he is the Lord of lords and King of kings" (Revelation 17:14).

All of this around you, all of the kingdoms of the earth, the laws of men, the institutions of sin, all of this shall pass away and be forgotten. "Vanities of vanity, and all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer" (Revelation 2:10) for they will be washed away in the blood of the Lamb.

This is why the apostles were able to disregard the threat of death at the hands of the Jews and the Romans. They stood before the crowds of Jerusalem and proclaimed the glory of the Resurrection and message of the Gospel. The apostles suffered torture and martyrdom in the expectation and hope of the Second Coming in Christ, knowing that "he that shall endure unto the end, he shall be saved" (Mark 13:13), "he that shall overcome shall not be hurt by the second death" (Revelation 2:11).

We must try to live in the hope of the Second Coming. Christians must toil upon the earth so that when He comes, the Lord might say to us "well done, good and faithful servant.... Enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matthew 25:21). The Lord amply rewards those who follow his word: "be thou faithful unto death: and I will give thee the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). It is impossible for us even to imagine a fraction of the joy that is waiting for us in heaven. Therefore, live with the love of God as the disciples so that when you meet the Lord, whether in death or in His coming, "your redemption is at hand" (Luke 21:28).

"Take ye heed, watch and pray. For ye know not when the time is" (Mark 13:13).


DEUS VULT!

The Glory of the Resurrection (The Creed)

And rose again on the third day

in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Ours would be a grim faith indeed if the Gospels ended with the Crucifixion. We might be as grave as the Muslims or as morbid as the Stoics. And I think that it can be all to easy to do just that - to end with the Passion, to end with the suffering of Christ while neglecting what happened three days later. It can be all too easy to focus on the magnitude of sin and suffering in the world and forget the significance of the Passion which was made manifest in the rolling away of the stone. It is easy to hold up a sign saying that "The End is Nigh" or to complain about the state of the world. It is much harder to embrace your brother with love.

Jesus died and rose again!

The God-made man has conquered the grave!

"He is not here, for He is risen" (Matthew 28:6).

Brothers and sisters, how can we not rise up with joy in the truth of our faith? How can we keep from singing? The depths of the grave have no power over our Lord, "O death, where is thy sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55). The Resurrection is the validation of the Cross. The Cross would not make sense without the glory of Easter. We can have confidence in the necessity of our own suffering because the story did not end on Calvary.

How many false prophets have been silenced by death? When Socrates was poisoned with hemlock, did he teach beyond the grave? Did Mohammed share his revelations after death? Was Buddha able to share his message post-mortem? Who else has a Lord who rose from the grave?

The world hates this Truth. It tries to tell us that it is impossible, that no man can conquer death. Our age fears the grave because it has rejected and spat upon what lies beyond it. The world turns to its fatalistic hedonism, the danse macabre, the self-deluding, insane, urgent dance of those yet untouched by death. It drinks to forget its own mortality, seeks meaningless lusts in a desperate frenzy, masks its age in layer upon layer of beauty products. All to stave off the cold embrace of the grave for one moment longer.

But no Christian need fear death. We need not live under the shadow of the tomb. "Now we are loosed from the law of death" (Romans 7:6). Christ "hath destroyed death and hath brought to light life and incorruption by the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10). "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall not fear" (Psalm 23:4). Having full confidence in God's mercy and the absolution of our sins through sacramental Confession, the sting of death is nullified by the love of Christ. Death means nothing to the saints and the martyrs of God.

We believe that Jesus rose from the death, that he invaded the pit of hell and thrust open the gates of heaven. That is why Easter is a time for rejoicing and feasting. Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote: "there are only two philosophies of life: the Christian, which says first the fast, then the feast; and the pagan, which says first the feast, then the headache." Our fasting should not be tainted with sorrow for we know what lies at the end of the road. Sadness profits us nothing, "for of sadness cometh death, and it overwhelmeth the strength" (Sirach 38:19).

On Good Friday, the Temple veil was torn. On Easter Sunday, the tombstone was cast aside and the vice-hold of death broken.

Do not weep, rejoice! Christ is no longer dead but alive!

DEUS VULT!