A Crazy 4th Quarter

Within days of publishing my last article, one that urged readers to avoid sensationalist news, and to focus more on prayer and living our vocations, war broke out in Israel.   Talk about irony.  In fairness, it is a sensational event.  It is one of great import, and the events unfolding in Gaza could impact world political shifts that happen once in a lifetime.  Still, it is unfortunate to see how much fear these events have caused so many.

Then Bishop Strickland got canceled.  So much, it seems, for the “Benedict Option.”  More recently, Cardinal Burke got to feel the “mercy” of Francis too.  

The political landscape looks increasingly grim, as Ohio recently enshrined abortion into its constitution, with other states primed to follow.  Additionally, when the likely GOP presidential candidate gets canceled from a state’s ballot, it’s unnerving to think how this could be the standard move of the socialist uni-party to preserve its power going forward.

Well, as much as we have been kicked in the teeth over the last quarter, I’m not ready to abandon my position that we must get to the basics and try to keep our wits about us.  In fact, it’s time to double down.  Not only should we get back to the basics and keep calm, but we need to do so with tremendous courage.

Let me explain…


Courage

The word courage has Latin roots.  Cor-agere.  The meaning of courage is to act (agere) with heart (cor).  Do the state of the Vatican and your country scare you?  Fear is normal. As Aristotle observed in the Nicomachean Ethics, only the young, rash, and inexperienced man is “fearless.”  Fearless because he hasn’t seen the horror of battle yet, and thus does not know the real danger he faces.

As we get older, we understand that there is plenty to fear in this broken world.  But, alongside our fears, we grow in courage.  That is, we grow in our ability to face our fears with heart.  There is nothing wrong with a little passion, as long as our reason is in control of where we direct it.

About a month ago, one of my good buddies asked me what kind of political grassroots measures are being taken to counter the pro-abortion ballot initiative in my state.  You know, the one that would make abortion a “fundamental right” for all pregnant persons (the petition steered clear of saying pregnant women).  The petition would allow abortion all the way until birth, and because it would be in the state constitution, the state legislature would no longer have any power to do anything about it.  

As honestly as I could, I disclosed to him my own experience in the political grassroots.  That, often times, getting involved means being part of the STP crew, (“Same Ten People”) and spending a lot of time doing things that may not get the results you want.  Looking back, I wish I would have simply told him “Just get our there and follow whatever decline to sign counter-initiative takes off!”  Instead, I thought it appropriate to give a realistic outlook on what kind of return he may get if he gets more involved.  As discouraging as I may have inadvertently been, he countered with a few points that really humbled me.

His thesis was that he was scared to go out and join a decline to sign movement, but if the return from doing it was to conquer his own cowardice, then that alone would be worth it.  When I got off the phone, I felt humbled.  Thankfully, he didn’t listen to any of my discouragement.  Since that conversation, he and other passionate Catholics have been peacefully countering signature tables by  informing prospective signers of what is actually in the petition.  Guess what, abortion up to birth is unpopular enough that many have thanked these information providers for saving them from signing anything.  

Thank God we have some men and women with courage in our state, ready to make the best of this once in a lifetime opportunity.  Someday, when their maker asks them what they did to protect the innocent when it mattered most, they will be able to say they put their whole heart into it.  That they acted with courage.  

More on this in a bit...


Our Canceled Clergy

Well, it finally happened.  Francis has canceled two high ranking American clergy who were actually leading their flock against the forces of evil.  At least we can’t act surprised.  

The same day as Bishop Strickland's cancellation, this question (and many like it) came up in a comment section on a popular blog: “As the laity, what is our response?  How do we respond to these moves from the Vatican, and show our displeasure?”  

Great question.  What can you do?  In terms of resisting the command of the Vatican…  not much.  It’s a pretty top down Church.  As Americans, we often think in terms of “We the People!”  But we don’t belong to that kind of Church.  Dictates are given from the hierarchical Church, and we don’t have power as laity to change those decisions.  

When a priest is removed in your own diocese, or something scandalous happens, such as you are denied communion on the tongue, is it worth writing a letter to your bishop?  Probably.  There is certainly a “political” dimension to the Church, and bishops are often influenced by fears of what their flocks think about them and, especially, what may happen if a disgruntled flock stops financially contributing.  

Unfortunately, the removals of Bishop Strickland and Cardinal Burke is a different story.  These decisions are so high up within the hierarchical chain, that the laity just doesn’t have much influence over them.  At least, not within the natural order.

So what we should do as laity is literally just that; act as the laity.  But when we do so, we should show more heart than we did before we lost these two great leaders.  We are still called to step into the breach as Catholic laity.  If anything, we are now called, even more so, to step into the public square and resist all the evil that we can.  Broken record time: we do this by raising good families who work toward the common good in our communities, being model citizens who show others what it means to be aspiring citizens of Heaven, and taking public office or getting involved in grassroots efforts where we can.  You know, we double down on our courage.  

Are you scared because you lost some leaders recently?  Are you worried because your favorite hardcore Catholic news outlet recently went up in a ball of flames, or because the world seems one step closer to global catastrophe everyday?  Then respond the way you are called to respond to any fear in life.  Have courage.  Take action with heart and resist as hard as you can, wherever God has put you.


The Last Ronin

Today I’m aiming to jump a new hurdle on the Gadfly Report by making the most obscure reference I have made to date.  And no, I am not a regular reader of comic books, but this one was special.  Here it goes…

This past summer, I found out that the original authors of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collaborated on a short series centered around the last surviving turtle in a dystopian future.  In this future, the last Ronin (Michelangelo) has witnessed his friends and family having all been killed by the Footclan in New York.  After unsuccessfully attempting one last siege against the city’s de facto crime boss, a descendant of the infamous Shredder, the battered turtle stumbles into the sewer, laments his failure, and then says one line that will speak to each one of us someday: “I miss my brothers so much.”

Well, I’m not a Ninja Turtle, and I don’t resist with violence, but the line hit me pretty hard when I read it.  Someday, every one of use, who today meet at cigar nights, men’s groups, collect signatures together, porter together, pray outside of abortion clinics together, do Exodus 90 together ,and see each other’s families at mass, will think and say the same line: “I miss my brothers so much.”  

We won’t be in the sewers nursing mortal wounds, but we will be scattered, old, and struggling to make our respective ways in a world overtaken by evil.  We will look back on days like these, when we were advancing what is good in the face of evil, and reminisce about the times when we stood next to our brothers in Christ, shoulder to shoulder.  

Good news, gentlemen, that day of reminiscence, remiss, and a little regret is not today.  Today we get to go out and put our mark on the world, shining as beacons of light and hope in this darkness.  Today we get to act with courage.  And the opportunities for greatness aren’t far...


Dare

There’s a funny thing about the biggest challenges you face in life.  It’s that you don’t get much say on what they will be.  No one gets to choose their dares.  Just ask the boy who got his tongue stuck to the pole.

That’s fine.  There’s a reason why people give dares and take them.  It’s exciting.  When life demands that you meet your fears head on, that’s when your blood starts pumping and you feel alive.  It can sure be nerve racking, but it’s just as exhilarating.  

No one has explicitly “dared” me to get off of my rear and pray in front of abortion clinics or educate people who are confused about what they’re signing.  Nevertheless, I do feel dared to do so.  Maybe not by those already doing it, but my conscience and my heart are definitely daring me to.  I feel dared to invest time and effort into what may be the most important grassroots effort of my lifetime.  We were made for this time!   And once it’s over, the window will be closed and there will be no do over.  Just as I have felt dared to get involved, I hope you do too.  As always, I want to stand shoulder to shoulder with as many brothers as I can.  There is a new link on the homepage under the “Get Involved” tab. If you want particular details on how to be part of the Decline to Sign movement, follow this link.  Let’s do this!

But it mustn’t stop at me and you; 2024 needs to be the year that we get all hands on deck.  You, me, our families, the 5 men you have been waiting to invite to a shared moment of courage, and anyone from within the Church who is willing to stand for the unborn.

And here is where we must really act with heart… we need to insist that our pastors do what they can to advance this movement.   Some time ago, I wrote an article about the need to influence our clergy toward greatness.  If we haven’t been using our influence to encourage our pastors to be bold and courageous, to be authentic leaders trying to resist evil in our times, then we have lost ground.  The time to start was yesterday, but it’s not over yet.  

Years from now, when we all have our Last Ronin moments, I don’t think pastors are going to say, “I’m so glad I wasn’t like Bishop Strickland or Cardinal Burke.”  They are probably going to lament if they didn’t join such company.  Being persecuted for righteousness is a beatitude.  Kudos to our canceled bishops, cardinals, priests, and laity alike.  Good company to be in.  

They can’t cancel them all.  Hey, it’s the one good thing that we can take from our priest shortage.  It may be easy to cancel a priest, but the Church can’t afford to cancel too many of them.  And the more a few of them show some courage and lead their flock in efforts like this, the more they built momentum together and take back some influence that many of them have lost in recent times.

I have been Catholic for almost 40 years now.  I know well enough that it doesn’t matter how right I can be about something, how sound my arguments are, or how well I might be living my own vocation… 99.9% of Catholics will stop their discernment, on just about anything, at whatever their pastor says.  Period.  There is no one within the laity who can trump that kind of influence over the laity.  That is why clerical leadership is so sorely needed at this time!

The resistance to this horrible, depraved, and unholy ballot initiative must be preached from the pulpit.   And because we love our pastors and don’t want them to have to answer for this one day, we need to man up, and tell many of our pastors that their leadership is required right now.  They need to be direct and explicit on how this ballot initiative is progressing, that the faithful within their pews better not sign anything that advances abortion “rights”, and they need to make these appeals publicly.  

If you are one of those members of your church, whom Father has put in a leadership or advisory role (parish advisory council, finance council, building council, etc… ) then you have influence over your priest that most people are never blessed with.  Don’t squander that just because you are afraid to ask your priest to meet the high standards of his vocation.  Don’t be afraid to ask your priest to be a courageous man and father.  We are counting on you to speak on behalf of so many innocent babies.  

New Year, New You

A consistent theme I have emphasized on this blog, is that your efforts to resist the evil in this world are never in vain, so long as they change you for the better.  

For example, boycotting detestable or insufferably woke companies won’t shut them down, but boycotting may save you some money and force you to make friends with the folks running the mom and pops you begin to patron.  Praying outside of an abortion clinic or outside of a Satanic convention may not end abortion or Satanism, but it may bond you to the brothers you pray with.  This is something I am reflecting on now, as friends I made while doing dozens of Jericho marches in 2020, just left my home after eating Christmas cookies and playing games with my family today.  Guess our march for election integrity and the salvation of our country wasn’t so fruitless after-all!

As we move into 2024, which will be a very big year, let’s remember that.  There will be moments where you will wonder how much it is “worth it” to do things like Exodus 90 again, or to spend a Saturday asking otherwise hapless passerbys to actually read the pro-abortion petition they are about to sign.  

But if you want to make the best of sad conundrums like the scandals of the Vatican or the demands for blood that the leftist are making, then put some heart into your 2024.  Use the opportunities ahead to change you for the better, as you go out and do something about it all.  As Mother Theresa said, “God doesn’t ask you to be successful, He asks you to be faithful.”  

Be faithful.  Be active.  Be courageous.  

God bless,

Gadfly