I’ve seen a couple blog posts this week that have added sand to the bags of despair I already carry around my shoulders. I reject the despair that pervades the Church, and society, these days.
The despair I have seen looks kind of like this:
- Society does not value God
- Society does not value tradition
- The Church does not value it’s own tradition
- A society that values neither God nor Tradition cannot save the Church.
These thoughts do nothing to help the Church and I did not realize how deeply they weighed on me until I thought about writing this post.
First Objection: Regarding Despair, Generally
Despair is the opposite of Hope, which is a theological virtue. Despair is thus a very human feeling when we lose sight or focus of God. There is a quote that gets thrown around like a cliche these days: Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it[1]. For a Church which appears to be under siege from within and without, this is little consolation. They already appear to be here. This idea was given to me by our local Priest via a friend: This is not a defensive statement. The Church is not under siege by hell, hell is under siege by the Church. The earth is enemy occupied territory, and the Church is a stronghold in it’s midst. In the end of days, the gates of hell will not prevail to keep the Church out! The victory is already won! The Church is eternal! We are chastised periodically, sure. But Fulton Sheen himself acknowledged[2] that the Church has died and been reborn in 500 year intervals since it’s inception. The Church will not fail. Trust in God!
Hope, however, does play a pivotal role when considering despair. What if we Hope for too much? What if our expectations are for Heaven on Earth? We will quickly find that we become disappointed. We must temper our expectations: The Church will never be victorious on Earth, until Christ comes to take his seat at the end of days. Until then, we are waging a perpetual war for the souls of our fellow man, and even for ourselves. Yes, we want our Priests to be pillars of society, guided by the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Love of St. Francis of Assisi. Yes, we want our fellow man to be packing the pews Every Sunday, every Day, to commune with God. Yes, we want to know the words to speak to our fellow man and to show them the strength that Love and Fear of God brings us. The perfection of these dreams will not come to pass in this life. We must strive, always strive, to attain these dreams, but we cannot expect to realize them. We can do so much more on so many fronts, but we cannot ever be satisfied that our work has been done. It feels like a trial of Sisyphus, and in a way it is: We are a fallen people and it takes the dedicated effort of every man woman and child to maintain the status quo, to say nothing of any advance. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, the Israelites were not obediently awaiting him; they had begun worshiping a Golden Bull. When Christ was carrying his cross, he too fell three times. We are fallen, but the Hope lies in the fact that God has given us the means to get back up again.
Second Objection: Regarding Society and God
Society doesn’t value God, plain and simple. That doesn’t mean we don’t have to value God. That actually means it’s more important than ever for us to not just value him in our hearts, but to live a bold witness to our convictions. Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi: As we worship, so we believe, so we live. In other words: We must lead by example. Treat God with reverence, visit Him often, remain in communion with Him via the sacraments. Invite God into your home, your workplace, and your life. These are things we as individuals can accomplish. What effect will this have on society?
It might seem trivial now, but our actions are the clearest opportunity for conversions. Our strange behaviors signal to others that we live by a set of values they do not understand. They will ask questions. They will try to understand why you believe what you believe. They will compare your way of life to theirs. Some will use it as an excuse to reject you. Others will try to resolve the cognitive dissonance it creates in their hearts and minds, and no small number will ultimately be converted by it; if not now then later on. Society does not value God, but you can show society what it looks like if they do; you can show them the strength and vigor it brings your life. Society is not changed all at once. Society is changed by individuals, one at a time. We must begin with ourselves!
Third Objection: Regarding Society and Tradition
The best tools we have at our disposal for our Praying, Believing, and Living, is the traditions of the Church. These are not distinct, they are not written in some extra document like a constitution enshrining traditions. Traditions are the Church. Look to the Saints! We can pray just as they did, we can believe just as they did, we can live just as they did. Nothing about their lives is off limits to us. Mass is uniting our present state with the whole Church, across infinity. The Church Militant (present day Catholics) unites itself with the Church Penitent (Those in their purifying time in Purgatory), as well as the Church Triumphant (Those living in the beatific vision). It is the tradition that makes it the same for all three components.
Society has been taught that they can define their own traditions. These take an over-large portion of their time, and supplants and replaces their proper focus of God. Tradition keeps society rooted in the things that keep it alive, vibrant, and healthy; it is the fullness of these things only through the Church. Through our individual effort, we must bring society back to the Church. We must NOT suppose that the Church must be brought to society. The Church does not need reform, it is society. The traditions are fine and keeping the Church healthy; the people must embrace them fully.
Fourth Objection: Regarding the Woes of the Church
The Church may seem to be in a sorry state. What can be done? Can you or I elect a new Pope? Can you or I change who gets to be priests? We are given challenges individually and collectively in order to purify us and help us grow. The Church may be in such a time right now. To focus on the woes facing the Church too much is to cultivate despair. Trust God and know that He is with us. The Priests will receive their reward, if they have done evil. The traditions that worked are not fully forgotten, and will not go away forever. Politics are temporary. Suffering is temporary. God will use it to purify us and show us what is important.
In Conclusion
There is no better time to be a Catholic. That is why I crossed the Tiber: there is a beautiful core of Truth that the Church gets to keep and it is not found anywhere else in the world. When the Church struggles, that is when we must fall into battle lines and storm the breach. If the Church is in a period of desolation, we must not change things, but fight to keep everything the same. I reject despair because it weighs me down, and makes it harder for me to live my faith.
St. Athanasius, he who stood against the world, pray for us, that we may share your strength and, through our Lord God, fill our hearts with conviction that our Faith is Truth, and that our Church will never die.
[1] Matthew 16:18
[2]Fulton Sheen, The Fourth Great Crisis of the Church
Times-Dispatch of Vichy Earth 