Janet Napolitano, another radical, who seemed not the least bit cognizant of her irrational responses to the possibility of closing down the border with Mexico until we could get a handle on this brand new virus creeping into our country, went on TV spouting the administration's line.
Justice Seuter announced his coming resignation...Spector changed parties...illustrating a completely transparent motive of ultimate self-interest, in maintaining the good life that power in Washington undeniably engenders.
Eric Holder went to Germany to announce that he has plans for releasing Gitmo terrorists into our country. Never mind his own country's citizens concerns over such idiotsy!
And all the while, Obama continues his appalling fast track to the radical left, leaving the unborn and all other American values for which our bravest have fought and died, littered, like trash, all over the ground on which, he, the "Messiah" walks.
Yes, we, as Christians are becoming marginalized, we are heading for a period in the wilderness, of relatively no political power...this will be a time for testing our love of, Truth Himself, Our Blessed all loving Lord, Jesus.
We must not fail Him!
In the midst of all this chaos, which turning away from God engenders, there have been those who hold up the model of courage, a mantle we must take upon ourselves.
Today's Gospel in the Catholic Lectionary is John 6, starting about verse 22. It is one of the few times when Jesus places a very concrete demand on his diciples. It appears to most of them to be scandalous, and it tests their faith to the very core. In order to stay with Jesus, they will need to abandon all conventional wisdom and give truth all the trust they can muster, however weak their souls.
There is courage to be had in this incident but Jesus apears willing to lose every single one of His followers to uphold His Word.
Jesus, who usually teaches in parables, mades a very literal statement, with no excuses, no chance to rationalize, either accept it or reject it, no middle ground here. He doesn't chase after those who walk away saying," wait, I didn't mean that literally, only figuratively. Come back."
No, He was willing to embrace the agony of their desertions.
He says, "I am the Bread of Life...in truth, in very truth I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of God, and drink His blood, you have no life in you....my flesh is real food, my blood is real drink,...whoever eats this bread will not die but live forever." My quote is very truncated, Jesus devotes alot of time and words to this very concrete admonition.
As one might expect, this was "the straw to break the camels back" for most of His diciples. Murmering and arguing erupted among them all, "how can this be?" There must be some other meaning, it must be figurative.
Yet, Our Lord did not back down one bit. As many of his followers began to separate themselves and walk away, Our Lord, looked to His twelve closest followers. The pathos in his question to them breaks my heart.
To me, His transparent glory, His pure agape love, His will to be ultimately vulnerable toward His children shines through like a beacon. He directs His attention to his most intimate friends and these words come from His mouth...
"Do you also want to leave Me?"
He is willing to be forsaken by every last one of those He loves opening Himself up to utter rejection, so important is this to Him.
Simon Peter is filled with courage, it hangs from every passionate word he utters in response. He responds in kind to his Beloved, to his God. "Lord, to whom should we go? Your words hold eternal life. Peter doesn't care a wit about anything in the world, he has surrendered his soul to Jesus.
Courage. There will come a defining moment for every Christian when he becomes aware of that fork in the road and he must take "the road less travelled."
So, who gave us examples of this kind of courage this week, in our own time?
Mary Ann Glendon, former Ambassador to the Vatican wrote a letter to Notre Dame University, articulating with courage and wisdom, why she will not accept the award for which she had been invited; the University, she states, has left Our Lord by its actions in rewarding Obama when he fights for infanticide around the world. The University has walked away from Our Lord just as those many diciples separated themselves from Him 2000 years ago. She will stand with Peter. Her mantle will be courage born of love for Jesus. (http://www.firstthings.com/blog/2009/04/27/declining-notre-dame-a-letter-from-mary-ann-glendon/)
And, please read Andrew McCarthy's letter to Eric Holder, rejecting the invitation he received to be a token member of a panel, which will be used to release Gitmo detainees. (http://www.lgstarr.blogspot.com/2009/05/mccarthy-beautiful-mind-just-says-no.html)
He articulates the truth, defending the values for which every one of our soldiers has fought and sacrificed their lives for; honestly characterizing Holder's actions for the antithetical "sacrilege" that they are. He will not be a part of that....instead he will bear the mantle of truth, however unpopular the repercussions.
Holiness can come out of the wilderness...just when the Roman Empire thought it had extinguished Christianity forever, a young Constantine, about to see a vision of the cross, upended the entire western world by making Christianity the crown of western civilization.
Again, the pagan, secular world is feeling their power, they can taste victory: we must cling to our Beloved in humility and He will adorn us as "the lillies of the field," we will not lack for the courage needed.
May St. Michael and all the Choirs of angels assist us in the wilderness as they assisted God Himself!
