Virginia Voters Deliver Set-Back To Culture of Death

Pictures of a yard sign have been surfacing on social media; one is to the right.  This one has been debunked as a hoax, but from the clip below, we see that it might as well be true. (Note to self: if ever I run for public office, make sure I don't tick off parent-voters by telling them they have no say regarding their children's education.)

As the whole nation knows by now, Terry McAuliffe, Democrat party hack and a pro-abortion faux-katholyc, has been defeated by Republican Glenn Youngkin in the race for Virginia governor.  This is the first time in 12 years that a Republican took the helm in VA.  Moreover, the Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General will now be Republicans, also, and the VA House has reverted to GOP control.  This upset victory for decent people is seen on both sides as a rebuke of the Biden administration and its incessant bungling.

I must admit that I thought it was a long shot, with all the cheating that happened last year.  But enough good people had enough.  No doubt the situation with the Loudon County School Board woke some people up.  That effect was felt not only in VA but all over the country.

Most of all, I think that the prayers of Christians, particularly the Rosary prayed by Catholics, played a pivotal role this past Tuesday night.  However, this has to be only the beginning.  We need to redouble our efforts to see reform not only on the political front, but in our everyday lives.  To paraphrase St Teresa of Avila (with some minor editing) vote as if it all depended on your vote and pray as it all depends on God.

The Pope Wants Good Vibes!

 Have this playing in the background as you read the rest of the post below.

Apparently while the pope was spouting off some more environmentalism screed, he asked for prayer and/or "good vibes".  After that, everyone dutifully snickered.  Har-dee har har!  He asked that God would bless people but then refused to give a papal blessing.

So on one hand the pope thinks prayer to God and "good vibes" are equivalent.  In other words, he trivializes God's power.  But on the other hand, he claims that the Wuhan virus is nature's response to "climate change".  He ascribes an awful lot of power to that now, doesn't he?

Does he think "good vibes" will fix the pandemic?

Immorality And Immaturity Often Go Hand In Hand

Earlier this week, from a naval base in the state of Washington, the air crew of an electronic warfare plane took their plane into the skies above Okanogan and with their plane contrails, drew a picture of male genitals.  It appears that naval officials handled it well.  They have grounded the crew and issued an apology, stating (among other things) "sophomoric and immature antics of a sexual nature have no place in naval aviation today".  I do hope that the crew does incur some significant discipline.

What I find disappointing, though, are the equally sophomoric reactions that I see among those who call themselves conservative and even Catholic.  One facebook page is owned by a woman who is a secular Carmelite.  She posted a joke about it.  I asked her what was the point of the vulgar jokes and was mocked as a prude by her and others.  I was not the only one to take objection to that post.  I decided to unfriend her.  But really!  What would impel a professed religious to joke about such obscenities?  What would impel other commenters (Catholics, I'd presume) to chortle right along with her?

One secular-conservative facebook page has quite a discussion going on; I got a glimpse into the page owner's mindset when I noticed that his page title contains vulgarities.  I'll share one very telling screen shot.

Notice how several of the commenters seem to revel in the idea of acting immature as opposed to embracing maturity.  They all seem to be suffering from "peter pan syndrome".  They seem to think they can put on their "adulthood" when emergencies occur, not accepting the fact that no virtue will come to play when vice has been allowed to dominate.  While the shot was taken from the secular page, but I think the same can be said for those on the Catholic page as well.

Now notice to the left, the second from bottom comment.  He states that when "we don't need to be mature (an obvious denial of reality)" he is engaged in a never-ending quest for "entertainment".

There are many facets to this idolatry of entertainment.  However, my focus will be on that implied by the title of this post.  Immorality and immaturity feed off one another.  How many progressive pro-aborts are now dependent upon the state for their sustenance?   How many do we see who cannot countenance being exposed to opinions other than their own, without rioting and/or scurrying for their "safe spaces"?

Just as in the final days of the Roman Empire, pagans sacrificed their souls and minds for the sake of "bread and circus".  As seen on the page of my former Facebook friend, many who call themselves Catholic are at least sympathetic to this pursuit.  They fail - or refuse - to see that "maturity" is simply the disciplined and constant practice of virtues.  To engage in "immaturity" is to cease virtue and to become enslaved to vice.  So now we have people pursuing the latest entertainment systems, plopping themselves in front of the tv, etc, and of course engaging in sexual immorality (and yes, that air-drawing stunt was sexual immorality) and abortions and generally acting like overgrown adolescents.  The commenter who seems to think that we can be mature "when we absolutely need to be" is simply deceiving himself; if he doesn't practice the virtues that come with maturity in his routine life, he'll have no spiritual and moral fortitude to be virtuous in times of crisis.

We of course understand that real maturity and virtue and grace will arise from our prayer, frequenting the sacraments and discipline in practicing virtue.

Comments?

Vatican Vibrations?

Remember Father Lefty Goodvibes from almost seven years ago?  I'm wondering if he was called to the Vatican to offer his services there - perhaps as a shaman.  Now calm down!  Of course "Goodvibes" is a fictitious character.  I only wish some of the slop coming from the pope's mouth were just as imaginary.  Papolaters, if you think the term "slop" is overly harsh, what would you prefer I call the unabashed indifferentism and New Age glop that he uttered a few days ago?  Bovine excrement?

I'm referring to his recent letter to the mayor of Paris, who happens to be an atheist.  He asked her prayers, but if she is not inclined, to send him "positive waves".  Is this an example of the "new evangelism"?  To affirm someone in their sin against the First Commandment?  To appeal to New Age idolatry?

This serious lapse is not the first such episode. In June 2015 he asked a group of reporters to "send him good vibrations" if the "cannot pray because they aren't believers".   Why didn't he urge them to pray?  Did he have any concern for their souls?  Is he not the chief shepherd?  Our Lord had something to say about true shepherds versus hirelings.

Will prayerful Catholic songs soon be replaced by the following?  I regret that in this clip seems to sum up the pseudo-spirituality evinced by the pope's letter to the mayor.  Let's continue to pray our rosaries that Our Lord will once again be honored at the Vatican.

Pray For Your Own Salvation And For Our Nation

Yesterday's Gospel was from Luke 13:22-30, regarding the fewness of those who will be saved.  Our Lord said "strive to enter through the narrow gate for many will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.."  Indeed, our homily discussed the dangers of presuming on God's mercy while thumbing our noses at his commands.  I'll post below this a video regarding mortal sin, hell and the 6th and 9th commandments.  Why those?  Because Our Lady of Fatima warned that sins of the flesh, that is, sins against God's commandments regarding our faculties for procreation of human life will be the leading cause of eternal damnation for souls.

Before I do so, I'd like to link to the current parish bulletin (see page 2), where Father highlights some worthy prayer efforts.  I might also add to that the 54-day Rosary novena, sponsored by Cardinal Burke.  We all know our poor nation and world need God's grace, and prayer is essential for obtaining that grace.  Such prayer will also be crucial as we ourselves seek to enter the narrow gate.

Kreeft's Steubenville Talk: Vulnerable To Big-Time Misinterpretation

Tom Crowe of Catholic Vote (see right side-bar) posted a video of a talk given by Peter Kreeft at Steubenville University.  His post contains a link to that talk plus his own commentary.  In order to understand both Crowe and what I wrote below, you'll need to watch the entire clip.

I just posted the comment (in italics) below to Crowe's post.  Whether or not he publishes it, I don't know.  So here is what I wrote:

Tom, you write, "I must confess that some of what he proposes is a 'hard teaching' for me personally, and I have to examine some of my own thought processes and positions in light of what he points out."


I think I know to what you refer: a tendency to elevate contemplation to the detriment of activism. Let's bear in mind that as a theologian only, Kreeft cannot speak "ex cathedra". Certainly let's ponder, but let us not be biased or fall into the trap of false humility. For example, did you notice the tacit interpretation of the "Mary vs Martha" passage to mean that Jesus rebuked Martha's being busy? As I read it, He chided her anxiety, not activisim. Besides, I'd be willing to bet that He did eat what she set before Him as a result of her activism.

I'm going to go into more detail of this in my own blog post. I will be addressing a regretable tendency amongst faithful Catholics to glom unquestioningly onto the sayings of theologians like Kreeft. Mind you, I think in many and even most respects he's spot-on, but like the rest of us, he's only human.
 
I suppose my concern is not so much with what Kreeft said, but the unfortunate tendency of faithful Catholics to put people like Kreeft and others on pedestels and to take their words as though they're Holy Writ - or rather, to take selected snippets of Kreeft's words as Holy Writ outside the context of the rest of Sacred Tradition.  In this particular case, I can see how folks who tend to eschew activism could take Kreeft's clip as a justification for their laxity (which I'm sure Kreeft would regret).
 
Here is my take on the matter.  With the exception of those who are called to consecrated comtemplative lives and those whose circumstances do not permit activism, we are called to obey the maxim, "ora et labora".  While it is true that our first duty is to see to our own eternal salvation and sanctity, part and parcel of that duty is an active apostolate that encapsulates the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy.  By the way - lay people are enjoined to practice all the Spiritual Works as well as the Corporal Works.  I've heard some ridiculous things on Catholic radio that outright opine that we lay folks should avoid the Spiritual Works because we're too ignorant to practice them.  Nonsense!  What a shameless cop-out, not to mention outright disregard for the Sacrament of Confirmation!
 
I've heard the analogy of prayer being a foundation to the building of activism.  In my opinion, that's quite accurate.  There is no doubt that we can only move under Divine guidance, inspiration and strength.  But once He grants us those, He requires that we do something with them.  They make a firm, deep foundation - necessary for any ediface.  But once that foundation is in place, the building MUST be erected, lest that foundation become a glorified hole in the ground.  The building without a sure foundation will be destroyed - I think we all see that.  However, what some refuse to see is that the foundation without a building on top of it will likewise be destroyed.
 
I spoke of the Sacrament of Confirmation above.  Those of us who have been confirmed have the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.  To be sure, they must all be developed and some like Kreeft have gone that extra step in studying theology and philosophy.  However, if something rubs the wrong way or doesn't pass our "smell test" we cannot automatically assume that we're in the wrong.  We really need to work with it a bit.  We must also combat our tendency to place people like Kreeft and others on pedestels.  That tendency is understandable, given the lack of leadership displayed by too many bishops.  But still, it is a tendency filled with many boobytraps.
 
In my post just prior to this, I announce one excellent opportunity for activism that will occur tomorrow morning.  It is also activisim that encompasses prayer.  Be there.  It is NOT enough to pray for an end to abortion.  We MUST work for it as well.

Urgent! Your Prayers and Presence Requested at Capitol Sat Nov 7th!

I received an email blast that the Obama-concocted death trap laughingly referred to as a "health care bill" is scheduled for a floor vote this Saturday at 6pm.

Much has happened in terms of protests this past week. However, on Saturday evening, the proverbial "rubber will hit the road". I am therefore asking that Catholics join me at the southeast corner of Constitution Avenue and First Street, NE on Saturday at 5pm to pray the Rosary to beg God's graces in preventing a disastrous vote. This location is directly accross the street from the Capitol. If you take the metro, take it to Union Station and then just walk south on First Street. Of course all good people are invited to join us and pray in accordance with your own traditions. If you plan to be there, please advise via the comments at the bottom of this post.

Between now and then, please pray and contact your own congressional representatives.

September 25th - urgent call to prayer and action

On September 25th, busloads of Muslims will pour into Washington DC to celebrate what they call a day of prayer. Their slogan for the event is "Our Time Has Come". We can only guess what that means!

Pursuant to the Christian's responsibility to offer witness in the face of heresy and idolotry, Christian Women in Action will be conducting a Jericho Walk in Washington on that day. Click that link for further details and contact information. Please spread this word along!