These are difficult times that we live in. The media bombards us daily with accounts of inappropriate, illegal and immoral actions allegedly committed by the miscreants running for national political offices. For that matter, there are a variety of accusations made against just about every political candidate in every race during any election cycle, and this one is proving to be no different.
Attacks on Religious Liberty
Within the political arena, we see continuing outright encroachment on our religious liberty. In addition to issues regarding the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”), consider the restroom battles currently being waged over the notion of self-proclaimed gender identity, the most recent attacks on the religious liberty of Christians, which seem to be part of a bigger, organized agenda. We now face a secular culture in which people who hold beliefs based on true Christian values are now considered to be “bigots” and deserving of some sort of sanction.
A Perfect, Global Economic Storm
One of my friends, a very bright businessman, periodically sends me links to articles by noted economists and other observers of all things related to finance, the economy and the global marketplace. Complete with charts, graphs, tables and what appear to be logical explanations behind the data, these articles and posts point to an impending worldwide global financial meltdown. It appears that, after reading several of these pieces, it is not a matter of if, but of when it might occur. Governments at all levels, from the national level on down to states, provinces and local units, are carrying unmanageable debt loads, and soon they will no longer be able to keep printing the money to sustain it all.
Global Unrest
The young, seemingly unbalanced leader of North Korea has his people working to develop plutonium for nuclear weapons. Russia recently threatened what it called a “totally asymmetrical” response to any NATO buildup of troops near its border. Concerned about China’s influence and its naval buildup, India is in strategic talks with the U.S. now.
Here in the United States, three men in Minnesota were arrested recently for conspiring to join ISIS. Knights of Columbus CEO, Carl Anderson, makes the case that what is happening in the Middle East, as a result of the actions of ISIS and the likes of them, is genocide. Yet the U.S. has done little to address it in a practical sense. Of course, ISIS continues to persecute Christians, and Europe continues to struggle with immigration and related issues. However, the leadership of the European Union seems to believe that Europe’s immigration crisis can be solved for only £50 million ($72 million)—the money printing presses are still operational there, apparently.
The Church and the Faithful
According to Georgetown’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, United States Mass attendance hovers around 24%. The number of priests continues to decrease (although the number of permanent deacons is increasing—but they cannot confect the Eucharist). No matter who the Pope is at any time, he will have his fans and his critics and some people will be both, depending on their pet peeves and hot buttons.
Similarly, as I’ve mentioned in discussions with friends, no matter who the parish priest is, he will have his detractors and his admirers—this probably would be true even if one of the original Apostles were to be brought back to life and assigned to any parish. Or another way of saying it is that, if it wasn’t for the people, it would be easy. Although we are made in the image and likeness of God, we all have that doggoned concupiscence—the tendency to sin—to deal with.
Be the Salt and the Light
Why do I bring up all of these disturbing matters? It struck me today when reading Mt. 5:13-16 that we as Christians are called to rise above all of this—we are called by Jesus to be “…the salt of the earth… [and] …the light of the world.” Of all times, now is the time we desperately need to be the salt and the light. That is a pretty tall order in today’s world, and even though it may be difficult, it is not optional. (Jesus further tells us that if salt loses its flavor, it is good for nothing and needs to be thrown out. And a lamp isn’t something that should be hidden from view, covered with a basket.)
But how on earth do we carry out Jesus’ direction in this day and age? How do we bring the joy of the Gospel and the peace and merciful love of Jesus Christ to others in the midst of this chaos, unrest, instability and downright evil? When much of what we believe in seems to be under relentless attack, with new “sorties” being conducted by the enemy daily, it can be difficult, at least at times, to reflect the true joy that comes from being a disciple of Jesus. But reflect it we must.
Prayer and the Sacraments Are a Must
There is a way to deal with all of the ongoing insanity of this world and it is pretty simple: staying close to Jesus, keeping our eyes set on Him, and growing in our relationship with Him. As St. Paul tells us, “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Phil 4:6-8).
Do we make it a daily habit of praying at least in the morning and in the evening—and making sure that we tell Our Lord thanks for all He has done for us, including our small share of the cross? The old acronym from my Catholic grade school days still works: “ACTS”—Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. How about relational prayer? Do we make time for prayerfully reading some scripture routinely? Even if it is only a quarter hour or a half an hour, it will help us stay focused on Jesus and “whatever is just, pure…lovely… and…worthy of praise.” And no discussion of prayer would be complete without mentioning Our Lady, and praying the Holy Rosary, or some portion of one, daily.
Spending time in the presence of Jesus can be a real blessing. I know that it is for me. He is there, in His body and blood, soul and divinity, waiting for us to come visit Him. Just sitting there creates a wonderful sense of peace. Father Lou Guardiola, CPM says it well, “In like a lion; out like a lamb.” In the midst of all of the craziness in this mixed up world, peace reigns when we are with the Real Presence of Jesus!
Frequent Mass and reception of Holy Communion will give us the extra dose of grace we need to carry out our roles as salt of the earth and light of the world. In larger communities, there often are multiple options for daily morning, noon or evening Masses of which we can take advantage. Once we make a habit out of Mass attendance on one day a week, often there will be a desire to make time for more. We need the Eucharist to provide spiritual nourishment so we can carry out our roles actively as members of the Body of Christ.
Actively Living the Faith
The real bottom line, though, is how we interact in the world. Yes, it is commendable to pray and partake of the Sacraments, but it does not stop there. What are we actually doing to show the light of Christ’s love and to be the salt for this secular culture in which we live? St. James tells us, “What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” James 2:14-26
Do we show the joy of the Gospel and the peace and merciful love of Our Lord to others by the way that we assist them when they are in need? Do we volunteer at our parish or nonprofits that help others less fortunate than us? How about providing an empathetic ear to listen to someone’s concerns? Do we even pay attention to what other people may be feeling or going through, or are we so wrapped up in self-absorption that we don’t even see them?
Through it all, do we actually radiate joy, or are we too busy, too anxious and too concerned with our own problems to get out of ourselves and be present for others? Pope Francis said, paraphrasing here, that we won’t attract others to Christ if we have long faces or are sourpusses. What attracts others to Christ is that sense of peace and joy a Christian can show even when under duress because he or she has a one-on-one relationship with Our Lord. If you are like me, you probably find yourself recognizing at the end of the day that there were one or more missed opportunities and praying for the grace to do better tomorrow. It is a constant battle. But we are engaged in a battle for the souls of our family, friends and our nation. Let’s not cover up our lamps or let our salt get stale.
