A 14th Sunday after Pentecost Thought to Start the Week Off Right
We continue to follow that wonderful book, The Inner Life of the Soul, as we work our way through the liturgical calendar. The entry for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost centers on the concept of "loyalty." Today we'll consider a section that captures the essence of the reality of the "Church Militant," something many of today's Catholics either don't understand or outright reject.
In general, younger Catholics might not understand what the Church Militant means. They simply weren't taught, as they weren't taught much else about their faith. It's a sad state of affairs.
Those who outright reject the reality of the Church Militant typically do so out of a misguided (or malicious?) rejection of "triumphalism." According to Wikipedia, to espouse Triumphalism means you believe that a particular doctrine, religion, culture, or social system is superior to and should triumph over all others. But isn't that what we Catholics do in fact believe about our Catholic Religion? Apparently those who reject Triumphalism don't believe this. That's not a sad state of affairs, it's a bad state of affairs.
It's bad for them and it's bad for the rest of us. Why? To understand why we need to consider how things ought to be. For that turn to The Inner Life of the Soul:
Each baptized child is made God's soldier under a red-cross banner. It is our King and our liege Lord and Master who has gone before us into the thick of the fray.
Too many Catholics today would consider this "Militant" image either puzzling or outright scandalous. But throughout most of the glorious history of our Church, Catholics would instead be roused by it. It would both inform their understanding of the Faith and energize them to practice it diligently, if not fearlessly.
These days, many of us wander through life seeking only material success, and the comforts it brings. Even worse, the disastrous drop in attendance at Mass and Confession means vast numbers of Catholics mindlessly meander day to day, blissfully ignorant of the dangers sin presents to our souls, ultimately to our hope of getting to Heaven.
Contrast the typical thinking and behavior of so many Catholics today with these powerful words from The Inner Life of the Soul:
In the deadly fight with the world, the flesh, and the devil, man has not been left to skirmish without visible commanders, or to go blindly forward among pitfalls and ambushes, where every step may be into the jaws of certain death. The Catholic Church is a regular army, perfectly organized, with its known and acknowledged commander, its generals and officers, its marshalled rank and file, its complete law and order.
Many of us need to wake up to the reality of the "deadly fight" in which we're engaged. The battle commenced in the Garden of Eden. The lure of the world, the flesh, and the devil has never relented. If we choose to ignore the dangers, it will be at the risk of our souls.
As for our post-Vatican II Church, it's organization and army have seen better days. Our commander, generals and officers haven't always provided wise or good leadership; the dedication and esprit de corps of us in the rank and file needs reviving; law and order must be restored.
In a regular army, the lack of competent leadership would be addressed forthwith. But we can't afford to wait for that to happen. Life is short. Time passes quickly. We in the rank and file of the Church Militant can and should pray for invigorated leadership. But as we do, each of us needs to take our place in the army of our King and fight the good fight here and now.
In general, younger Catholics might not understand what the Church Militant means. They simply weren't taught, as they weren't taught much else about their faith. It's a sad state of affairs.
Those who outright reject the reality of the Church Militant typically do so out of a misguided (or malicious?) rejection of "triumphalism." According to Wikipedia, to espouse Triumphalism means you believe that a particular doctrine, religion, culture, or social system is superior to and should triumph over all others. But isn't that what we Catholics do in fact believe about our Catholic Religion? Apparently those who reject Triumphalism don't believe this. That's not a sad state of affairs, it's a bad state of affairs.
It's bad for them and it's bad for the rest of us. Why? To understand why we need to consider how things ought to be. For that turn to The Inner Life of the Soul:
Each baptized child is made God's soldier under a red-cross banner. It is our King and our liege Lord and Master who has gone before us into the thick of the fray.
"Press forward as Thou wilt,
Heart of my King!
Though, all around, the sounds
Of battle ring!
Though in the thickest fight
Thy path should be,
Lead where Thou wilt, and I
Will follow Thee."
Too many Catholics today would consider this "Militant" image either puzzling or outright scandalous. But throughout most of the glorious history of our Church, Catholics would instead be roused by it. It would both inform their understanding of the Faith and energize them to practice it diligently, if not fearlessly.
These days, many of us wander through life seeking only material success, and the comforts it brings. Even worse, the disastrous drop in attendance at Mass and Confession means vast numbers of Catholics mindlessly meander day to day, blissfully ignorant of the dangers sin presents to our souls, ultimately to our hope of getting to Heaven.
Contrast the typical thinking and behavior of so many Catholics today with these powerful words from The Inner Life of the Soul:
In the deadly fight with the world, the flesh, and the devil, man has not been left to skirmish without visible commanders, or to go blindly forward among pitfalls and ambushes, where every step may be into the jaws of certain death. The Catholic Church is a regular army, perfectly organized, with its known and acknowledged commander, its generals and officers, its marshalled rank and file, its complete law and order.
Many of us need to wake up to the reality of the "deadly fight" in which we're engaged. The battle commenced in the Garden of Eden. The lure of the world, the flesh, and the devil has never relented. If we choose to ignore the dangers, it will be at the risk of our souls.
As for our post-Vatican II Church, it's organization and army have seen better days. Our commander, generals and officers haven't always provided wise or good leadership; the dedication and esprit de corps of us in the rank and file needs reviving; law and order must be restored.
In a regular army, the lack of competent leadership would be addressed forthwith. But we can't afford to wait for that to happen. Life is short. Time passes quickly. We in the rank and file of the Church Militant can and should pray for invigorated leadership. But as we do, each of us needs to take our place in the army of our King and fight the good fight here and now.
Lead where Thou wilt, and I
Will follow Thee.
Will follow Thee.
Happy Sunday!
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