Struggling with CCC 675-677:
First of all, I’m sorry for burdening you all with my reflection today. You should know, I have great hope and am not in despair but discernment.
I have asked a couple different spiritual directors to answer these questions for me and none have been willing to give a straight answer, in all charity I realize they are wrestling with this as well. I want to be God’s most obedient and faithful son, this is my only desire. Those that know me well know I am plagued sometimes by feeling the only way to be truly obedient and faithful is to ask the hard questions of myself and others to make sure we are dealing in reality and not being swayed by fear or emotion. I feel that this is the only way we can be sure we are on the right path in all aspects of our lives, but most importantly the path to eternal life. I think sometimes when I get to heaven Christ will look at me and ask “how many did you help bring with you”.
My struggle is the dangers of following cultural, political, economic forms of forced collectivism (which is now worldwide with only a portion of the US holding out).
Global collectivism seeks to remove our God given free will and is now being imposed even to the micro level, seems to be endeavoring to lift man up as a solution to his own problems so he will no longer need God. It is building a culture that wants as many as possible to say “if we work together we can save the world/planet”, “if we work together we can keep others from getting sick”, “if we work together we can end poverty”, “if we work together we can end plagues”, “if we work together we can end all wars”, “if we work together to build a new culture built on science, then science will save us”, if we work together we can make equal what God didn’t create equal”. Sounds like pseudo-messianism to me.
I’m reflecting on if we, the broken souls on planet earth, are currently being asked culturally to carry the burdens to build this new global collectivist Tower of Babel, this new global godhead. We are asked to conform to things we know are devoid of truth, to be silent or be persecuted economically, socially, legally, politically or even religiously. Collectivism seeks to tell us we can elevate ourselves to the place that belongs to God alone, just as in the original story of Babel. We are expected to comply without question, or our love for others will be called into question because we are not “acting like Jesus”, though Jesus never promoted secular collectivism. We will be expected to comply with every fear our task masters give to us for motivation, be it health, environment, etc. the list goes on. The evidence of the list of problems we are to save ourselves from is ever shifting, ever changing, ever morphing. We are told by those producing the ever evolving “problems” that if we don’t buy-in we are either not as intelligent as them(attempt to silence through our own intellectual pride), or we are “deniers” and should be shunned or punished (attempt to silence us through economic, political, social fears).
It is necessary that we as individuals weigh the gravity of this decision to believe that we can build this utopia (millenariansim) or not as in the end the four last things are all that matter. We cannot chose the utopia of spirit of the world at the same time we choose to hope in the utopia only Christ can bring. Through our actions and theirs the spiritual struggle for souls is played out and the “mystery of iniquity” the utopia of the Antichrist, the great Apostasy is revealed. IMHO this global collectivism must be resisted for the evil it is, we can fight with having the courage to fight the group think with people we know and at the ballot box.
Only 30% of Catholics believe in the real presence despite the admonition of Christ in John Chapter 6. Our Churches are now almost empty, we are dispensed from the sacraments with no end in sight. Where is our faith? Does this end well? Quo Vadis Christendom?
Is this a great problem, or a great opportunity to show the world once more the depth of faith and help them believe again? We only can if we are fearless sheep and shepherds that show there is nothing more important than finding sheep to feed, no matter what the cost.
In the name of “science saving us” we are offered a solutions to our problems like “ no large gatherings, hiding the image of God on our faces, telling us we should be afraid to be close to people, allow our loved ones to die alone without the sacraments, no rite of Christan burial, no funerals do honor the dead, soon to be a vaccine or a chip to keep us “safe” but at what cost? Where is this going? Where are Christians who get close to people anyway as Christ did, as Saint Damien did, as Fr. Patrick Ryan did and countless others who refused to abandon humanity even in the face of danger to themselves. Do we no longer believe that this life is fleeting, that we will all be called to God and if we do these things we will be brought into the beatific vision? Do we believe the lawyers, our Church buildings, our social influence, our cooperation with government officials at the cost of souls, do we now believe this is the path to salvation? Do we believe that cowering will increase our faith or the faith of others who have already drifted away?
Are we cooperating with Pilot as the Preists and people did in yelling “give us Barabbas” and “we have no king but Cesar” to protect our institutions, to keep peace and not risk following the footsteps of the Saints and Martyrs?
If the people of God who have supernatural faith in His power resist the building of the tower will that stay his hand? Will it delay His judgement until some other generation fails at their duty as the Church militant to suppress the erection of this modern day tower that so many before us have spilled blood to resist? Shouldn’t we focus on what kills the soul first, and subject the fear of what kills the body to the fear of what kills eternally? Will Christ return and find us fighting the evil of the age or “going along to get along?” Is it silence or speaking that will be doing violence to our beloved Church and the souls of the faithful? I don’t know if this is the “Apostasy” spoken of in the catechism, I wish I knew. I am in no way trying to judge anyone in authority, I am grossly unqualified for that. I also imagine they who have the burden of leadership that none of us do and were hit with this unexpectedly are wrestling with this as well and deserve our prayers. I can only wrestle with these questions as it pertains to my own soul and properly forming the young souls I have been entrusted with. Maybe I place too much emphasis on the sacraments? But I don’t think I do. I have been encouraged by the Saints and a great cloud of witnesses for two thousand years, those who have gone to their death to proclaim the power of these same sacraments.
These are such confusing times to wrestle with these heavy teachings of our faith. I’m open to discussion on this, it’s just how I’m feeling as I pray (wrestle with God) over scripture and Church teachings this Sunday. I encourage you to look up terms you may not be completely familiar with as I didn’t start feeling this way until I did.
If you choose to weigh in, please keep your comments charitable with each other and don’t bash anyone, pray for them if you are tempted. Remember, great minds discuss ideas, small minds discuss people. It is healthy for us all to wrestle with such thoughts and to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in discernment as we are a Church of faith and reason. The implications are eternal for each of us and I know I’m not the only one struggling with these questions.
Sorry for the long post typed on a phone (which I hate doing) I am bad enough at editing my own writing without throwing a small screen in the mix.😁
Have a blessed day!
Viva Christo Rey!
Shackle Free 