A Beacon Of Light… In Evil Times, Look To The Lord

• 3 years ago

By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON JR.

(Editor’s Note: Fr. Richard D. Breton Jr. is a priest of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn. He received his BA in religious studies and his MA in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.)

• + + Over the past few months, I have been reflecting on the current state of our nation and the happenings displayed in recent days. I must confess that the direction being laid before us is frightening, to say the least.
  
  The last five years have shown us the face of evil at work around us. The nation finds itself entangled in this evil. We have seen anarchists and their deplorable actions of riots and looting in the streets, as well as the breaking into and burning down of public and private property. We have seen the desecration of statues, like images of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and St. Junipero Serra in San Francisco.
  
  We have seen entire cities under siege like Portland, Ore., where anarchists have set up military-like zones keeping others out. We continue to see an increasing lack of respect for human life as abortion-promoting politicians are elected to the highest offices in our land. The Church also finds herself entangled in this battle of good versus evil.
  
  Sadly, we have seen this in America’s Church hierarchy by their display of utter disrespect toward the Eucharist by acknowledging they have no problem distributing Holy Communion to scandalous politicians. The nation and the Church are under the brutal attack of the Evil One. And yet, during this display of evil, many have had the audacity to question where is God, or, if He really cares about us.
  
  The answer to the questions posed above can be found in the Gospel reading for the Mass of the Friday after Epiphany. This Gospel passage involves a conversation between a leper and Jesus. The leper searches diligently for a cure from his debilitating disease. Each day this is a reminder that he has become an outcast in society. He finds Jesus and says: “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretches out His hand, touches him, and says, “I do will it. Be made clean” (Luke 5:12-14).
  
  God only wishes the best for us! The Lord is available to all who seek Him! Unfortunately, as a nation, a Church, and as human beings, we have stopped looking toward the Lord. Instead we seek things like power, political gain, money, and prestige. Seeking these things only further destroys our relationship with God and increases the relativism of our times.
  
  Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI warned us many times during his pontificate of what he called the “dictatorship of relativism.” During his apostolic journey to the United Kingdom in September of 2010, the Holy Father made special mention of the destruction going on in society. While visiting Edinburgh, Scotland, Pope Benedict XVI addressed Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and reminded her, and us all, of this when he warned against “aggressive forms of secularism which no longer value, or even tolerate, religious voices in public life.”
  
  Today, especially, we find ourselves living out these very “aggressive forms of secularism” that Pope Benedict XVI fought so tirelessly against. And, yet people’s eyes are closed to seeing what is happening around us. This includes bishops, priests, and laity alike. We need to recognize Jesus again and be like the leper in the Gospel who goes to the only place possible to be healed. The leper seeks the transforming and healing power of God.
  
  Like the leper, we need to stop living under the auspices of our own will and return to living “God’s Will.” Like the leper, the world needs to recognize that the will of God is not our will. If we want any kind of restorative effect to our world, nation, and Church, we need to return to doing the “will of the Lord.”

The Virtue Of Courage

How do we do this? How can we possibly return to any sense of normalcy in society? How can we re-establish a faithfulness to the Church?

The first, and I dare say most important way, is to be courageous! As a nation, Church, and as human beings we have lost the virtue of courage. Courage gives us the resolve to act virtuously, especially when it is most difficult. It is acting for the good when it would be much easier not to. A courageous person understands danger and chooses to overcome his fear. This person perseveres forward to face the danger and acts according to his values.

The evil lurking in society has led to a kind of “cancel culture” where fear, instead of courage, controls us. A courageous person, on the other hand, stares this fear straight in the eye and confronts it head on. We can no longer take a back seat in society and hope the problems go away. We must be actively involved in living our faith by standing up for the truth.

The second area we need to work is a faithfulness to our core values. So many have sacrificed the core values in their lives. Sometimes this is due to a fear of persecution. People are so needy today. They don’t want to lose a friend or a colleague, so they push their core values aside to please someone else. We must never sacrifice core values just to make someone else happy, especially if it goes against an informed conscience.

This is especially important as Catholics regarding issues of faith and morals. Too often lately we have seen Catholic leaders downplay the importance of the sanctity of human life. Recently, we saw this in the enormous number of Catholics who voted for the most pro-abortion president yet. As if the destruction of innocent human life is no longer a part of the moral fabric of who we were created to be!

And yet, high-ranking Church authorities have condoned this kind of immoral thinking. Even more frustrating is the realization that many bishops will have no problem giving Holy Communion to the scandalous politicians of our times.

Recently in an article published in First Things, His Excellency, the Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap., archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, discussed the most concerning topic of grave scandal and Catholic politicians. In his article he presents for us a document that helps to clarify misunderstandings regarding the responsibility of bishops, priests, and the laity.

This document called, Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion: General Principles, was promulgated by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in July of 2004. In it the congregation offers the following reminders:

“5. Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.”

6. When “these precautionary measures have not had their effect or in which they were not possible,” and the person in question, with obstinate persistence, still presents himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, “the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it” (cf. Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Declaration “Holy Communion and Divorced, Civilly Remarried Catholics” [2002], nn. 3-4). “This decision, properly speaking, is not a sanction or a penalty. Nor is the minister of Holy Communion passing judgment on the person’s subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person’s public unworthiness to receive Holy Communion due to an objective situation of sin.”
   
   There needs to be a renewal in the Church hierarchy, that in the role of teacher, the faithful be reminded and taught once again this fundamental tenet of our faith.

The Blessed Company Of Angels

Recently, the parishes I am assigned in underwent a restructuring. This involved two parishes being merged into a new more functional parish. Part of the process involved the choosing of a new parish name. I believe it is by divine Providence that our new name is going to be the Parish of the Guardian Angels. The guardian angels are so powerful! A guardian angel is a type of angel who is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group, or nation.

The Catechism of the Church reminds us of the importance the guardian angels play in our lives: “From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their (the angels) watchful care and intercession. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united to God” (from the Catechism of the Catholic Church; n. 336).

Right now we need to call upon the Guardian Angels to protect the Church, the Faith, and the Nation.

In closing I offer this prayer: “Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day, be at my side, to light and guard, rule, and guide. Amen.”

Guardian angels: Pray for us!