The Fortitude of Cardinal von Galen at Work
Sometimes we need the virtue of fortitude at work. I thought about this when I read about Cardinal Clemens August von Galen last week.
We don't read or hear much about this brave man. He was the Bishop of Munich when Hitler and the Nazis ruled Germany. In fact, he was named Bishop in 1933, the year the Nazis seized power, after two other candidates turned down the job. When he accepted, he declared his motto to be:
How appropriate. He faced the Nazis and their neo-pagan rejection of Christianity and the Church with great fortitude. He stood as the leader of the Diocese of Munich, the original base of the National Socialist (Nazi) party, and preached against their racism, their murder of innocents. He explicitly defended the Jews and he paid dearly for his actions. Read about his words and actions and you'll be inspired. (You'll find a short bio by clicking here.)
Of course, you don't hear much about him. What you do hear about is the claim that from the Pope down, the Church cooperated with evil during the Nazi regime. It's all lies of course. If, for some reason, you're not sure about this, if all the propaganda about how the Church stood by unconcerned about the Jews or the other evils the Nazis espoused, just remember that no one - including the Jews and their leaders who established the State of Israel - thought this until the 1963. 1963 saw the debut in Berlin of a play called "The Deputy." In it, the author, Rolf Hochhuth, accused Pius XII of remaining silent throughout the war, thereby worsening the plight of the Jews. He made it all up and succeeded (as he planned) in providing a new weapon to the enemies of Christ and His Holy Church. But back to Bishop von Galen and work.
Sometimes the pressure to get results can push us to the point where we're tempted to do something wrong. Maybe you're a salesman who is tempted to mislead or lie to a prospect to close the deal. Maybe you're a cabinet-maker who cuts corners on material or craftsmanship to increase your profit on a table you promised to a customer. Maybe you're a politician who makes promises you know you can't ever keep just so you'll get elected. Whatever your temptation, the example of someone like Bishop von Galen can shake you out of the clutches of the devil and set you straight. People like Blessed Clemens can inspire us in those weak moments.
I've been tempted before, and won't be at all surprised if I'm tempted again at work. Every morning I ask God to grant me the understanding to know His Will, the wisdom accept it, and the fortitude to do it. I know how weak I am; I know I have a fallen nature, due to Original Sin; I know how without God's help, I'm easy pickings for the devil.
Isn't it wonderful that we Catholics have such shining examples of fortitude like Bishop von Galen, who stood in the face of actual physical danger to witness to the Truth? (His residence was eventually bombed by the Nazis, although he escaped injury.)
One more thing. It has to do with the attack on our Church by the government. Think about these words of our Holy Father on October 5, 2005 when he spoke about Blessed Clemens August von Galen:
"...faith cannot be reduced to a private sentiment or indeed, be hidden when it is inconvenient; it also implies consistency and a witness even in the public arena for the sake of human beings, justice and truth."
Yes, we must not only be faithful to the Truth in our work and in our personal lives. We are called to be faithful to the Truth - especially in these dark days - in public, even in the face of the power of the State.
Let's ask Blessed Clemens August von Galen for his intercession, that God grant us fortitude.
We don't read or hear much about this brave man. He was the Bishop of Munich when Hitler and the Nazis ruled Germany. In fact, he was named Bishop in 1933, the year the Nazis seized power, after two other candidates turned down the job. When he accepted, he declared his motto to be:
"Nec laudibus, nec timore"
Neither praise nor threats will distance me from God
Of course, you don't hear much about him. What you do hear about is the claim that from the Pope down, the Church cooperated with evil during the Nazi regime. It's all lies of course. If, for some reason, you're not sure about this, if all the propaganda about how the Church stood by unconcerned about the Jews or the other evils the Nazis espoused, just remember that no one - including the Jews and their leaders who established the State of Israel - thought this until the 1963. 1963 saw the debut in Berlin of a play called "The Deputy." In it, the author, Rolf Hochhuth, accused Pius XII of remaining silent throughout the war, thereby worsening the plight of the Jews. He made it all up and succeeded (as he planned) in providing a new weapon to the enemies of Christ and His Holy Church. But back to Bishop von Galen and work.
Sometimes the pressure to get results can push us to the point where we're tempted to do something wrong. Maybe you're a salesman who is tempted to mislead or lie to a prospect to close the deal. Maybe you're a cabinet-maker who cuts corners on material or craftsmanship to increase your profit on a table you promised to a customer. Maybe you're a politician who makes promises you know you can't ever keep just so you'll get elected. Whatever your temptation, the example of someone like Bishop von Galen can shake you out of the clutches of the devil and set you straight. People like Blessed Clemens can inspire us in those weak moments.
I've been tempted before, and won't be at all surprised if I'm tempted again at work. Every morning I ask God to grant me the understanding to know His Will, the wisdom accept it, and the fortitude to do it. I know how weak I am; I know I have a fallen nature, due to Original Sin; I know how without God's help, I'm easy pickings for the devil.
Isn't it wonderful that we Catholics have such shining examples of fortitude like Bishop von Galen, who stood in the face of actual physical danger to witness to the Truth? (His residence was eventually bombed by the Nazis, although he escaped injury.)
One more thing. It has to do with the attack on our Church by the government. Think about these words of our Holy Father on October 5, 2005 when he spoke about Blessed Clemens August von Galen:
"...faith cannot be reduced to a private sentiment or indeed, be hidden when it is inconvenient; it also implies consistency and a witness even in the public arena for the sake of human beings, justice and truth."
Yes, we must not only be faithful to the Truth in our work and in our personal lives. We are called to be faithful to the Truth - especially in these dark days - in public, even in the face of the power of the State.
Let's ask Blessed Clemens August von Galen for his intercession, that God grant us fortitude.
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