A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right
We're going to circle back to this passage from 2 Maccabees we posted this past Sunday. As a reminder, we find the Jews turning from their cultural and social traditions, indeed from
the very truths of their religion, to embrace the new ways of the
Greeks, whose culture dominated their part of the world in the second
century BC. A corrupt high priest, Jason, had just taken the sacred
office. His example and influence turned his people away from God
towards the allures of the Greek way of life.
When you read this, think about two groups of today's Catholics: the oft-cited "cafeteria" types and those who might be described as "lapsed." A sad collection indeed, don't you think?
The "cafeteria" types believe they're Catholics, but choose what they want to believe, decide what to call "good" or "bad" moral choices and pride themselves on either following their consciences or in some way being "true" to themselves. Misguided as they are, they do appear to want to remain in the Body of Christ which can't be said for the "lapsed." These recognize that they were once Catholic, by birth and/or baptism, but have fundamentally rejected their Holy Faith in favor of...whatever. What unites these two groups is their rejection of the fullness of Truth of their Catholic Faith. And frequently there's also the desire to fit in with the ways of the world, rather than God's ways.
Now 2 Maccabees 4: 13-17:
Now take take careful note of the "heavy disaster" which overtook the Jews - disaster coming from the very people "whose ways of living they admired and wished to imitate." It reminds me of what's in store for those Catholics whose sympathies lie with the secular world, who even ally themselves with the promoters of the "gay" agenda, including those pushing "gay" marriage. For example we recently witnessed the placing of a full page ad in the San Francisco Chronicle calling for the removal of Archbishop Cordileone. Not only was this action shameful, but foolish as well. If these people think that they are somehow allies of the aggressive gay lobby, I suggest they may someday find themselves the objects of the ire of that lobby and all promoters of perversion and evil who will likely never be satisfies until all who disagree with them are silenced, jailed or - one can't ignore the possibility - killed.
Having found this interesting precedent in far off history, we find some reassurance that despite their loss of faith and turning away from God to embrace the secular world, these same Jews in time produced the Messiah, Our Lord Jesus Christ, He who saved this weary world from itself through His suffering, death and glorious Resurrection. And here we find not only our consolation in the face of troubles of out current times, but our supreme hope in the eventual triumph of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful over what the world dishes out to us in its lack of wisdom.
With all the changes over the centuries since the days of the Maccabees, the True, the Good, and the Beautiful has never changed. So where does this leave us today? Well, having pointed out the problem of those who promote and cooperate with that which is false, evil and ugly, we Catholics know instinctively to turn to the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, as preserved and promoted by our Holy Faith. And as we did last week, let's turn to Jerome Kern. While the words of his "The Way You Look Tonight" (words by Dorothy Fields) don't specifically address the issues we've just discussed, I do think the song captures our longing for the beauty of that which never changes. Here a magical version sung by Fred Astaire to Ginger Rogers in a timeless scene from their 1936 movie, "Swing Time."
And as the Easter Season continues, we continue to wish you a
When you read this, think about two groups of today's Catholics: the oft-cited "cafeteria" types and those who might be described as "lapsed." A sad collection indeed, don't you think?
The "cafeteria" types believe they're Catholics, but choose what they want to believe, decide what to call "good" or "bad" moral choices and pride themselves on either following their consciences or in some way being "true" to themselves. Misguided as they are, they do appear to want to remain in the Body of Christ which can't be said for the "lapsed." These recognize that they were once Catholic, by birth and/or baptism, but have fundamentally rejected their Holy Faith in favor of...whatever. What unites these two groups is their rejection of the fullness of Truth of their Catholic Faith. And frequently there's also the desire to fit in with the ways of the world, rather than God's ways.
Now 2 Maccabees 4: 13-17:
There was such an extreme of Hellenization and increase in the adoption of foreign ways because of the surpassing wickedness of Jason, who was ungodly and no high priest, that the priests were no longer intent upon their service at the altar. Despising the sanctuary and neglecting the sacrifices, they hastened to take part in the unlawful proceedings in the wrestling arena after the call to the discuss, disdaining the honors prized by their fathers and putting the highest value upon Greek forms of prestige. For this reason heavy disaster overtook them, and those whose ways of living they admired and wished to imitate completely became their enemies and punished them. For it is no light thing to show irreverence to the divine laws - a fact which later events will make clear.You see the rejection of their faith and traditions in favor of "the adoption of foreign ways," and "Greek forms of prestige." Another striking observation is the Jews taking part in "the wrestling arena," striking in that it reminds me of the absurd love and adoration of professional sports in this country. Don't get me wrong, I like sports. But the extent to which many of us spend our time and money on the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, professional golf and tennis, etc., really, I think, goes beyond all reason, temperance and prudence.
Now take take careful note of the "heavy disaster" which overtook the Jews - disaster coming from the very people "whose ways of living they admired and wished to imitate." It reminds me of what's in store for those Catholics whose sympathies lie with the secular world, who even ally themselves with the promoters of the "gay" agenda, including those pushing "gay" marriage. For example we recently witnessed the placing of a full page ad in the San Francisco Chronicle calling for the removal of Archbishop Cordileone. Not only was this action shameful, but foolish as well. If these people think that they are somehow allies of the aggressive gay lobby, I suggest they may someday find themselves the objects of the ire of that lobby and all promoters of perversion and evil who will likely never be satisfies until all who disagree with them are silenced, jailed or - one can't ignore the possibility - killed.
Having found this interesting precedent in far off history, we find some reassurance that despite their loss of faith and turning away from God to embrace the secular world, these same Jews in time produced the Messiah, Our Lord Jesus Christ, He who saved this weary world from itself through His suffering, death and glorious Resurrection. And here we find not only our consolation in the face of troubles of out current times, but our supreme hope in the eventual triumph of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful over what the world dishes out to us in its lack of wisdom.
With all the changes over the centuries since the days of the Maccabees, the True, the Good, and the Beautiful has never changed. So where does this leave us today? Well, having pointed out the problem of those who promote and cooperate with that which is false, evil and ugly, we Catholics know instinctively to turn to the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, as preserved and promoted by our Holy Faith. And as we did last week, let's turn to Jerome Kern. While the words of his "The Way You Look Tonight" (words by Dorothy Fields) don't specifically address the issues we've just discussed, I do think the song captures our longing for the beauty of that which never changes. Here a magical version sung by Fred Astaire to Ginger Rogers in a timeless scene from their 1936 movie, "Swing Time."
And as the Easter Season continues, we continue to wish you a
Happy Easter!
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