If these words sound familiar, they should. Just check out the daily mainstream media attacks against President Trump to confirm those very descriptive yet disheartening words...
In the political realm this is bad enough, but, when it comes to the spiritual realm, those accused have to fight for their very lives -- their reputations -- because of the malicious perceptions created in the minds of those who hear or read such attacks directed at them in the media or in official documents.
What am I talking about here?
Last Sunday at Mass, our priest gave a wonderful, hopeful sermon on the Wise Men that followed the Star that led them to the Babe in the manger. We all know -- from stories and paintings -- that when the Wise Men (Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchior) came upon the manger with the Christ-child, surrounded by His Mother, and His foster-father, the great St. Joseph (the Bible refers to St. Joseph as "JUST"), they not only offered the gifts, but more importantly, they dropped to their knees in adoration. Not the veneration that we Catholics offer to His most Blessed Mother, Mary -- they knew that they just saw their salvation. This is similar to Simeon, the great priest in the Temple at the Presentation, who held the Babe in his arms and blessed His parents. He then exclaimed that God can now dismiss His servant for he has seen his salvation. All the while, Anna, the Prophetess, began to preach to all who would listen that their Savior was now among His people, Israel.
There are a couple of reasons I re-created this scene for this short article: first, to show that there is hope for all who would listen to the WORD MADE FLESH, but also to show that not all listened. In other words, not all were saved even though Christ came into the world to redeem His people as well as the Gentiles. I just mentioned that Anna began to preach, but not all listened to her message. Some just walked by, attending to their spirituality, whatever that entailed...
Second; later, when Christ started His public ministry, some listened; some didn't; some who did listen, eventually walked no more with Him after hearing some very "hard sayings." So, what happened to them that walked no more? Were they lost or saved? We don't know; I don't know.
Fast forward to the present day...
We Catholics are between a rock and a hard place when it comes to fulfilling the command to preach and baptize...
And if we adhere to the perennial teachings of Holy Mother Church: that which is always and everywhere believed and taught, including those "hard sayings," we can be -- and have been -- attacked by those in charge, just as the Pharisees were in charge and functioned as the religious leaders of their time.
We, who wish to remain true to the dogmas and doctrines of Christ and His Church -- His Mystical Body -- cannot and will not compromise because of some perceived notion that we are being uncharitable.
Quite the contrary: it is uncharitable not to tell the truth; not to practice true ecumenism. We wish for all to enter the Church -- the ONE ark of salvation for all human creatures. We cannot and will not water-down those doctrines -- the very reason why Christ died on the Cross for us.
Remember again, it was the "religious" leaders who told their followers to shape up or ship out, so to speak.
We are NOT shipping out, and neither did the early martyrs.
So, if the hierarchs of today threaten us with who knows what for upholding the authentic Magisterium (the teaching arm of the Church), then so be it.
As I just wrote, the pendulum is beginning to swing back in OUR direction and THEY know and fear that!!
I conclude with this: the FAITH comes first; false obedience is a VICE, not a virtue. So continue to spread the fake news; LIES; virtue signal; defame and libel us all you want.. God will NOT be mocked.
May God have mercy on your souls, because I won't...
Gene DeLalla
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