Keep
your eyes open!...
November 20, 2024
(Mat 24:6-8) And
you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye be not
troubled. For these things must come to pass: but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And
there shall be pestilences and famines and earthquakes in places. Now
all these are the beginnings of sorrows.
HEADLINES
Ukraine fires first barrage of US-made long-range missiles into Russia, Kremlin says
Putin lowers the threshold for using his nuclear arsenal after Biden’s arms decision for Ukraine
Vatican says Russia must act first to end Ukraine war
EDITORIAL: General Flynn's Substack: Democrats Must Remove President Biden Now
Today, the world
is likely closer to nuclear war than at any time since the Cuban
Missile Crisis. In its closing days, the Biden Administration is
stumbling our nation into a potential nuclear war with Russia. If you
have not been paying attention for the past two days, you need to know
the basic facts. Then, let me offer what I believe needs to happen, and
quickly.
Just before midnight Sunday night, AP reported “Biden has authorized
Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles to strike deeper inside Russia,
easing limitations on the longer range weapons....” The long-range,
supersonic, ballistic missiles being unleashed on Russia most likely
are ATACMs, standing for Army Tactical Missile System. These weapons
were developed for offensive — not defensive — purposes. The
configuration of the specific ATACMs sent to Ukraine is unknown, but
they could have a range of from 100 to 190 or more miles. They can
carry different types of weapons, including cluster bombs which can
cause a multitude of civilian casualties. Despite many demands from
Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian government, such long-range missiles had
not been provided until last month, and until now — two weeks after the
November election — their use had not been authorized.
There is a degree of speculation in
all of these reports, since the White House has not seen fit to simply
provide an advisory of exactly how it has ratcheted up the possibility
of a direct confrontation between the United States and Russia.
However, it does appear that other NATO members — including UK and
France — have followed Biden’s dangerous lead in making similar
offerings to Zelensky from their arsenals.
How should we view this shocking news?. Perhaps the most succinct
analyses came from Donald Trump, Jr., Tweeting: “The Military
Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3
going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives.
Gotta lock in those $Trillions. Life be damned!!! Imbeciles!” Truly, I
could not have said it better.
President Putin made clear in
September how he would view this development: “Aggression against
Russia by any nonnuclear state, but with the support of a nuclear
state, is proposed to be considered as their joint attack on Russia.”
He added: “Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in case of
aggression, including if the enemy using conventional weapons poses a
critical threat." Do not take these words lightly. If Russia had
announced it had provided missiles to Mexico and authorized their use
to attack Americans living in San Diego, Los Angeles, Tucson, Phoenix,
El Paso, and Corpus Christi, what would you expect the U.S. Government
would do?
While the neocons who populate the Deep State, and their toadies in the
establishment media tell us that it is President Putin who is to blame
for everything that happens, as things stand now, these stupid,
provocative acts that are endangering our nation are coming from the
Biden Administration and not the Kremlin.
RELATED: Is Joe Biden Trying To Start World War 3 Before He Leaves Office?
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
39. 'He also said, 'Once when the monks were sitting down to eat,
Alonius stood and waited on them: and when they saw it, they praised
him. But he said not a word. So one of them whispered to
him, "Why do you not answer when the brothers praise you?"
Alonius said, "If I answer them, I will be pleased that I have
been praised."'
November 19, 2024
(Mat 15:21-22) And
Jesus went from thence, and retired into the coast of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold a woman of Canaan who came out of those coasts, crying out,
said to him: Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David: my daughter
is grievously troubled by a devil.
NEWS REPORT: Caught Between Conflicts, Lebanon’s Christians Resist Displacement and Division
ACN: Bombs, rising tension, and exhaustion take their toll on the Lebanese people
As Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon continues, those who have been
displaced by the bombings and the ones hosting and caring for them are
showing signs of physical and psychological exhaustion, says Marielle
Boutros, project coordinator for the pontifical foundation Aid to the
Church in Need (ACN) in Lebanon.
“At the moment, we have 1.5 million displaced people: that is one in
every four citizens in the country, mostly concentrated in the Mount
Lebanon region. They are welcomed in shelters, such as schools,
churches, retreat centers, or private houses. They need everything —
food, medication, water, clothes, sanitary products — because they left
their houses very quickly and didn’t take things with them,” she
explains.
With many of the refugees fleeing to Christian areas, local dioceses
have been on the front line of providing assistance. However, with no
state-level planning in sight, this generosity risks depleting
financial and material supplies, which have already been strained by
years of financial crisis, aggravated by political deadlock and the
explosion at the Beirut Port in 2020. “The Church had a very quick
response and is still welcoming the people with a large smile and lots
of charity, but although they are doing a great job, you can feel that
they are tired, because this didn’t start on September 22nd. It started
a long time before,” Boutros says.
“They were already struggling with their missions, but we should not
forget that they lost their savings in the 2019 financial crisis, and
despite this, they have continued with most of their other pastoral
services, and they have salaries to pay. It is really overwhelming,
especially if you consider the amount of work and the fact that they
have no fixed income.”
“The people welcoming the IDPs are tired because of the work and the
lack of resources, but the IDPs are also very tired, far from their
homes, with greater needs, angry and afraid. So, fatigue is very
noticeable now and will escalate even more, between those welcoming and
the IDPs.”
On the other hand, she explains, there is a serious concern that rising
tensions between people, and especially between different religious
groups, could set the stage for future conflicts in Lebanon.
X:
Christianity was introduced to Lebanon in 1st Century AD. Tradition
states that it was brought to Lebanon by St Peter and St Paul, and
there has been a continuous Christian presence in the country since
then.
Lebanon, then part of the Roman Empire, was one of the first places
Christianity spread to in the first century AD. Sidon, on Lebanese
coast, is mentioned in Acts (27:3). It is where St Paul (then a Roman
prisoner) was allowed ‘to go to his friends so they might provide for
his needs’, possibly indicating a very early Christian presence.
St George’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Beirut was said to have first
been built by Eusebius of Nicomedia, Bishop of Berytus (modern-day
Beirut), who died in 341 AD, although the current building is much
later. But it’s the Maronite Church that has had the biggest influence
in Lebanon and its history. In 4th Century, Maronite Christians
(followers of St Maron, an aesthetic monk from Syria) moved into
Lebanese mountains and began converting the population. Their
monasteries in Kadisha Valley are some of oldest in the world and
Maronite Church is largest Christian presence in Lebanon today.
Although part of Catholic branch of the church, it developed
independently and has a unique character. Maronite community lived for
many centuries in seclusion of Lebanese mountains, largely cut off from
Rome (and rest of church). They and other indigenous Christian
communities (Greek and Syriac Orthodox), resisted assimilation with
Arab conquerors, who moved into Levant in 7th Century, and maintained a
significant level of autonomy.
During 11th-12th Centuries, Crusaders briefly established Western
Christian rule in region. Before they were driven out by the Muslim
army, they built several churches and castles, including St John-Marc
Cathedral in Byblos, and reestablished contact with Maronite church.
Congregationalists and Presbyterian churches began to appear after
Protestant missionaries arrived in Lebanon in around 1820s, and first
Baptist congregation was founded in Beirut in 1895, but their numbers
have remained small.
More significant in terms of numbers are Armenian Christians. Many fled
to Lebanon during the Armenian Genocide in 1915, bringing with them
their unique Christian heritage. Armenians are considered to be the
world’s first Christian nation, when King Dirtad III converted to
Christianity in 301 AD. By 1926 there were 75,000 Armenians in Lebanon,
many concentrated around Beirut. Today this number has risen to around
a quarter of a million. For much of Lebanon’s history the indigenous
Christian community and larger Muslim community have lived in relative
harmony. Notable exceptions being 1860 Mount Lebanon Druze-Maronite
conflict and the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990). Power-sharing
agreements between Christians and Muslims have been part of Lebanese
politics since at least 19th Century and Christians continue to play a
significant role in government and culture of Lebanon today.
Today, Christians in Lebanon face an existential crisis, as their
country increasingly has become controlled by Hezbollah terrorists who
answer to Iran, prompting a mass exodus. Over the years, Lebanese
Christians have faced multiple attacks, now they also face a new threat
in the form of a rapidly declining proportion in relation to the
Islamic element in the country. Many “unfortunately now feel like
strangers in their own home country,” Maronite priest Jad Chlouk said
in 2021. “This is negatively affecting the whole Christian community,
because it is losing most of its brightest and best, and especially its
young people, who are supposed to be the future of the Christians here.
Hence, the number of Christians in the country is decreasing day by
day, and this is badly affecting the situation and causing still more
pressure for those who remain, in a situation where they might soon
suffer from persecution.”
MORE
Ten Most Impressive Historical Monasteries in Lebanon
Ten things to know about the Catholic Church in Lebanon
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint George: The Oldest Church in the City of Beirut
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
38. He also said, 'If a man stays in his own place, he will not be troubled.'
November 15, 2024
(Tit 3:1-2) Admonish
them to be subject to princes and powers, to obey at a word, to be
ready to every good work. To speak evil of no man, not to be litigious
but gentle: shewing all mildness towards all men.
FIRST THINGS: Why Catholics Voted for Trump
DEEPER TRUTH BLOG: The Catholic Defender recalls Fr. Giacomo Capoverdi Investigation of the Hermit of Loreto
CATHNEWS: US Bishops congratulate Trump and offer prayers for President-elect
EXCERPT: Msgr. Carlo Maria Viganò Some consierations after the election victory by Donald J. Trump
One Nation under God
Each of us has been able to see how the most sophisticated plans of the
New World Order have been thwarted by seemingly random events.
Providence has dismantled a global threat with small moves, showing us
that God is truly all-powerful, and that the destinies of the world are
in His hands. It is now up to us not to squander the opportunity we
have been given, to draw lessons from the recent past, and not let our
guard down. The élite now fleeing to their lairs will regroup so that
they can launch a new attack more tremendous than the one we have
witnessed in recent years. But in this phase of awakening consciences
and retaking the Nation under God, we must not forget that the battle
between God and Satan, between the children of Light and the children
of darkness continues. Nor must we forget that Our Lord comes to our
aid only when we recognize our weakness and His power, and that His
help is all the more effective the more we cooperate with God’s plan.
This is the true “greatest reset”: to recapitulate all things in Christ
— Instaurare omnia in Christo (Eph. 1:10) — because it is to Christ
alone that universal Lordship belongs. Christ is King. And he is King
not only of individuals and families, but of all earthly societies, of
all nations.
The four-year term that will be
inaugurated in a few weeks may mark a turning point in the history of
the United States of America and of all humankind, and this will depend
on the firm determination with which President Trump will roll the
heads of this Leviathan, knowing that with the Enemy of God and
humankind there can be neither dialogue nor compromise. It will depend
on who the President chooses as his collaborators, among whom traitors
and opponents will certainly try to creep in. It will depend on how the
President will be able to conform his actions to God’s Law, mindful of
the grace that was granted to him by escaping multiple assassination
attempts.
Donald J. Trump has recognized that
above him is the Lord. Let him not forget this when he uses the
international clout America enjoys to promote peace with Russia and an
end to genocide in the Middle East, so that the concord of peoples is
founded on the Common Good and is no longer threatened by the deep
state’s thirst for power. He must not forget that the defense of life,
from the first moment of conception to natural death, must be a
priority goal. And in this grand and ambitious project of restoring
institutions and society, it will be essential to involve those world
leaders who, like President Trump, know the threat of the subversive
elite and intend to oppose it. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán,
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, and other heads of state and
government will certainly be his most valuable allies in fighting the
globalist agenda. And I believe the time has finally come to promote an
Antiglobalist Alliance, through which the healthy forces of the peoples
hitherto hostage to the servants of Davos can be united.
The success of the “greatest reset”
represented by the election of Donald Trump and the defeat of the
radical Left will also depend on how well the people and their rulers
can conform to God’s will. Our prayers have reached the Throne of the
Divine Majesty and have been heard: let us make ourselves worthy of
God’s Mercy by exemplary living and bear witness to Our Lord Jesus
Christ by a life consistent with the Gospel. Do not be overcome by
evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21).
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
37. He also said, 'Humility is the ground on which the Lord ordered the sacrifice to be offered.'
November 13, 2024
(Jas 3:17-18) But
the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is
sown in peace of them that make peace.
ZENIT: Dire Warnings from Holy Land Leaders as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens in Gaza, Lebanon, and West Bank
EWTN: Honoring persecuted Middle East Christians, Pope Francis adds Assyrian saint to Martyrology
Pope Francis’ decision to add St. Isaac to the Martyrology follows a
recommendation from the recent Synod on Synodality to recognize saints
from other Christian traditions in the Catholic liturgical calendar.
Turning to the plight of Middle Eastern Christians, Pope Francis prayed
for their continued witness in a region scarred by conflict.
“Through the intercession of St. Isaac of Nineveh, united to that of
the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Christ, Our God and Savior, may the
Christians of the Middle East always bear witness to the risen Christ
in those war-torn lands,” he said.
St. Isaac of Nineveh, also known as Isaac the Syrian, was a revered
Christian mystic, monk, and bishop. He was celebrated for his profound
writings on asceticism, compassion, and interior spiritual life,
profoundly influencing Christian spirituality across Eastern and
Western traditions.
CNA: Chaldean archbishop voices hope for peace under new U.S. administration
As a leading voice for Middle Eastern Christians, Archbishop Bashar
Matti Warda, head of the Chaldean Eparchy of Erbil, expressed hope that
the election of a new U.S. president would positively impact the
efforts for peace in the region.
Speaking with ACI Mena, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, Warda noted
that “Christians in the region have borne the brunt of ongoing
conflicts and wars in their homelands. Despite fears that rising
tensions could bring more violence, they continue to hold on to a
realistic yet profound hope of living in safety alongside their
compatriots. They believe their shared future hinges on the promise of
peace, prosperity, and nation-building.”
Warda said people around the world now have their eyes fixed on
Washington, D.C., watching closely to see if the president-elect will
fulfill his campaign promises to end conflicts in the Middle East.
“Christians hope the American administration will maintain its
commitment to supporting peace, guaranteeing stability to these ancient
communities in their homelands, and cooperating with local governments
to ensure their persistence and prosperity — especially in areas where
Christians are relatively present.”
CATHOLIC NEWS WORLD: Lebanon's Catholic Patriarch Rai Congratulates President-Elect Trump and Says "May the election lead to a ceasefire..."
EXCERPT: IN MULTIPLICIBUS CURIS ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS XII (1948)
6. Convinced, however, of the
insufficiency of human means for the adequate solution of a question
the complexity of which no one can fail to see, We have, above all, had
constant recourse to prayer, and in Our recent Encyclical Letter,
Auspicia Quaedam, We invited you, Venerable Brethren, to pray, and to
have the faithful entrusted to your pastoral care pray, in order that,
under the auspices of the Blessed Virgin, matters may be settled in
justice and peace, and concord may be happily restored in Palestine. As
We said on June 2nd to members of the Sacred College of Cardinals,
informing them of Our anxieties for Palestine, We do not believe that
the Christian world could contemplate indifferently, or in sterile
indignation, the spectacle of the sacred land (which everyone
approached with the deepest respect to kiss with most ardent love)
trampled over again by troops and stricken by aerial bombardments. We
do not believe that it could permit the devastation of the Holy Places,
the destruction of the great sepulcher of Christ.
7. We are full of faith that the
fervent prayers raised to Almighty and Merciful God by the Christians
throughout the world who, together with the aspirations of so many
noble hearts, are ardently inspired by truth and good, will render less
arduous to the men who hold the destinies of peoples the task of making
justice and peace in Palestine a beneficial reality and of creating,
with the efficient co-operation of all those interested, an order that
may guarantee security of existence and, at the same time, the moral
and physical conditions of life conducive to spiritual and material
well-being, to each of the parties at present in conflict.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
36. He also said, 'A brother asked Alonius, "What is humility?" The
hermit said, "to be lower than brute beasts and to know that they are
not condemned."'
November 11, 2024
(Jos 1:9) Have
not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid,
neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee
whithersoever thou goest.
Anxiety is the greatest evil that can befall a soul, except sin. God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry.
–Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT: The Church in an age of anxiety
CRISIS MAGAZINE: An Hour a Day Keeps the Anxiety Away
CATHOLIC STAND: 25 Bible Verses to Turn to When You Need a Pick-Me-Up
ANTONIO CARDINAL BACCI: Prayer, Work, and Leisure
1. The pattern of our lives should
be a combination of prayer, work, and leisure. There should be no room,
however, for idleness.
“Prayer.” Prayer is most essential. The life of a Christian should be a
continual prayer. As Jesus commanded, we “must always pray and not lose
heart.” (Luke 18:1)
How can we achieve this? St. Paul has told us. “Whatever you do in word
or in work,” he says, “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col. 3:17) If we follow his
instructions, our lives will really be a prayer. Before we begin our
day's work we shall turn to God and offer Him our labours and our
difficulties. During our work we shall raise our minds to God from time
to time as Jesus, Mary and Joseph must have done in the home and in the
workshop at Nazareth. Whenever we speak, we should remember that we are
in the presence of God. Then our conversation and our behaviour will be
free from defect and will edify those who are with us. The grace of God
can illumine the most ordinary conversations and actions which are in
themselves quite indifferent. It is enough to live in a spiritual
atmosphere of our own and to keep our thoughts turned towards God while
we are living and walking on this earth. If we can aspire to such a
spiritual height, then our work will become a prayer pleasing to God,
whether it is mental or manual, pleasant or burdensome. God will grant
us interior peace, moreover, for we shall be no longer working alone,
but Jesus Christ will be working with us by His grace. This is the way
the Saints worked, and this is how their lives were a prayer.
2. “Work.” Work is a duty commanded by God, Who after the sin of Adam
told him and his descendants: “In the sweat of your brow you shall eat
bread.” (Gen. 3:19) So work became an obligation and a means of
expiation. We are all obliged, therefore, to engage in some kind of
work, mental or manual, whether we are rich or poor. Idleness has been
condemned by God as the father of all the vices. “Idleness,” warns the
Holy Spirit, “is an apt teacher of mischief.” (Ecclus. 33:29) It is
impossible for a man who works and prays to commit sin, both because he
lacks the time and because he is close to God. A man who is close to
God will certainly never offend Him, whereas the mind of a man who is
lazy and inactive is open to the attractions of sin. Let us shun
idleness, therefore, and love hard work as a means of making reparation
for our sins and of gaining merit before God.
3. “Leisure.” Some of the Saints made it one of their resolutions to
take about an hour's recreation every day. They were thinking in terms
of rest, however, not of inactivity. Rest is the reward of labour and
is necessary for frail human nature. Idleness, on the other hand, is a
vice and the source of sin. We should take our repose only after our
work and in consequence of it. Even during recreation we should
continue to live in the presence of God and to think of Him from time
to time. If we enjoy our leisure in the open air, everything speaks to
us of God, for we are surrounded by the flowers and the birds. When St.
Thérèse of the Child Jesus was going for a walk one day, she stopped to
admire a tiny flower. Enraptured by its beauty, she exclaimed aloud:
"How good you are, O God!" Our recreation can be the source of
increased sanctification.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
35. He also said, 'Do not be proud of yourself, but stay with anyone who is living a good life.'
November 6, 2024
(Dan 2:20-21) Daniel
answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for
wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he
removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise,
and knowledge to them that know understanding:
YOUTUBE: TRUMP VICTORY: A New Beginning???? - Fr. Mark Goring, CC
CATHOLIC FAMILY NEWS: Catholic Vote Proves Decisive in Trump’s 2024 Victory
CRISIS MAGAZINE: Trump Wins: Let the Work Begin
FOX NEWS: Faith leaders react to Trump re-election: 'God spared my life for a reason'
Faith leaders are saying Wednesday
that they pray President-elect Donald Trump "will look to God every day
for His guidance and wisdom" following his victory over Kamala Harris.
In his victory speech early this morning, Trump, referencing the two
assassination attempts against him in Pennsylvania and Florida, said
"many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason.
"And that reason was to save our country and to restore America to
greatness. And now we are going to fulfill that mission together,"
Trump continued. "We're going to fulfill that mission. The task before
us will not be easy, but I will bring every ounce of energy, spirit,
and fighting that I have in my soul to the job that you've entrusted to
me."
LIFESITE: Archbishop Viganò: Trump’s victory is a formidable setback for the New Word Order
The following story is taken from a
brief post on X (formerly Twitter) by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò
following the election of Donald Trump as 47th President of the United
States of America.
Donald J. Trump’s victory in the
electoral competition for the presidency of the United States of
America constitutes a historic moment in the dramatic events of the
present and marks a formidable setback for the criminal plan of the New
World Order.
I express my warmest
congratulations to President Trump, while I thank Our Lord for having
prevented the United States and the Western world from definitively
falling into the tentacles of the deep state and globalist tyranny.
The battle against the subversive elite of psychopathic criminals who hold the West hostage is not over; it now begins.
I urge American Catholics and all
Christians to pray for President Trump, so that the Lord may protect
him in this transition phase towards taking office in the White House,
guiding him in the unavoidable eradication of the lobby of corrupt and
perverted people subservient to the deep state. His determined action
against the traitors of the nation will also weaken the work of the
deep church, which today holds the Catholic Church hostage.
May God bless America.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
34. He also said, 'The tools of the soul are these: to cast oneself
down in God's sight; not to lift oneself up; and to put self-will
behind one.'
November 4, 2024
(1Ti 2:1-4) I
exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings,
and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be
saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
CRISIS MAGAZINE OPINION: On the Brink
CNA: Kamala Harris rejects religious exemptions for abortion laws: ‘That cannot be negotiable’
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X: Moral Questions regarding Voting by Cardinal Burke
As Election Day approaches, many have raised serious moral questions
regarding how to vote. Sadly, in our great nation, we confront a
situation in which both major political parties espouse certain agenda
which are flagrantly contrary to the most fundamental tenets of the
moral law, agenda against the inviolable dignity of innocent and
defenseless human life, agenda against the integrity of marriage and
its fruit, the family, and agenda against the free exercise of the
virtue of religion. As Catholics, we should be clear that the moral law
is certainly binding for us, but it is, likewise, binding for all men
and women because it is written upon the human heart by God. For
Catholics, as for all men and women of good will, the question is: In
fulfilling our civic duty to vote, how can we be obedient to the law of
God written upon our hearts in the present situation of deplorable
moral and therefore cultural decline and decay.
In attempting to answer the question of how to vote in good conscience,
I refer to the Pastoral Letter, “On Our Civic Responsibility for the
Common Good,” which, as Archbishop of Saint Louis, I published on
October 1, 2004. A PDF version of the Pastoral Letter is accessible at
the following link: On Our Civic Responsibility for the Common Good.
While I recommend the study of the Pastoral Letter, I offer the
following indications for the question of how to vote with moral
integrity.
1. First and foremost, let us pray and fast for our nation that it will
once again serve the good of all its citizens, especially of those who
are threatened by the present prevalent anti-life, anti-family, and
anti-religion agenda, by obedience to the moral law. Let us pray for
the conversion of our national culture from violence and death to peace
and life.
If you are not already participating in the Nine-Month Novena to Our
Lady of Guadalupe – Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and Mother of
America – , “Return to Our Lady,” invoking her intercession for the
conversion of countless souls in our homes and in our nation to faith
in God and obedience to His law, I invite you to join now, especially
as we approach Election Day. The prayer of the Nine-Month Novena and
spiritual reflections regarding our response to the current moral
crisis in our nation can be found at the following site: Nine-Month Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
2. Secondly, we must be abundantly clear and tirelessly steadfast in
our opposition to the anti-life, anti-family, and anti-religion agenda
which are destroying families, communities, and our nation. No
candidate for public office should confuse a vote for him or her as
support of the policies and programs of these iniquitous agenda.
Today, there is an urgent need for individuals and associations of
individuals to raise the consciousness of the citizens of our nation to
the manner in which these agenda threaten the common good, the good of
individuals, of families, of local communities, of the nation. We must
use all the means of communication at hand to speak to the hearts of
our fellow citizens, for God has written on every human heart his law
which serves human life, marriage and the family, and the practice of
religion.
3. We must study carefully the agenda of each candidate to see whether
a candidate, even though he or she espouses morally objectionable
programs and policies, will, in some way, limit the evil. If a
candidate will, at least, limit the evil, we must support the
limitation while insisting on the need to eradicate the evil altogether.
4. We must further consider whether it is reasonable to hope that a
candidate in question will, at least, hear the voice of a
rightly-formed conscience on questions like procured abortion, sexual
reassignment, and religious persecution, that is, whether there is hope
that our opposition, as indicated in no. 2, will receive any hearing at
all.
While the agenda of both major political parties is so fundamentally
objectionable, we must ask ourselves whether there may be some ray of
hope to advance the transformation of our national politics in accord
with the moral law by voting for a particular candidate.
5. Before the desperate situation of our national politics today, some
have concluded that they cannot vote for any candidate, but, if there
is even the smallest ray of hope to effect some change in view of
effecting ever greater change for the common good, it is not right for
us to fail in responding to the ray of hope. Only if no candidate
provides any ray of hope of serving, at least in some part, the common
good, especially in what pertains to human life, marriage and the
family, and the practice of religion, are we justified in not voting at
all.
Yes, the present situation of national politics is morally disgusting,
but we are a people of hope and can never excuse ourselves from
continuing the daily work of seeking the conversion of our personal
lives and the transformation of our national culture.
It is my hope that the above indications will help you in fulfilling
your duty as a citizen to vote for the candidates who will most support
the common good. Be assured of my prayers for you and your homes.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
33. A brother asked Poemen, 'How ought I to behave in my cell in the
place where I live?' He answered, 'Be as prudent as a stranger; and
wherever you are, do not expect your words to be taken seriously when
you speak, and you will find peace.'
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