Progressive Education, a Prophecy

The other day, in a TV news discussion addressing the radicalization of so many students in our colleges and universities, a member of the US House complained that, over the past two or three decades, our nation’s educational system has been infiltrated and co-opted by the ideological left. At one level he is correct, but at another, he is historically ignorant. The left’s takeover of education, especially our public educational system, has been a long, intentional process that began well over 100 years ago. Let me introduce you to a prophet who addressed the specifics of this highly successful movement 70 years ago, certainly more than a “two or three decades.” 

The prophet, Richard M. Weaver, died far too early in 1963 at the age of 53. A professor of English at the University of Chicago, he was far better known as a political philosopher and historian of intellectual movements. Weaver ultimately became one of the pioneers of modern conservative thought. He left behind many writings, but he is best known for three remarkable books: 

Ideas Have Consequences (1948)

The Ethics of Rhetoric (1953)

 

Visions of Order (1964)

If you hope to understand the ideas that have formed the basis of today’s conservative thought in America, these three brief books, along with Russell Kirk’s The Conservative Mind, are a great starting point. 

Years ago, when I first read Weaver’s Visions of Order, I was captivated by his chapter on education, entitled, “Gnostics of Education.” He described how the process of educational radicalization really began in the nineteenth century when, in his words: 

“…there occurred a sinister change. This came about when state bureaucracies were created to set the terms and supervise the workings of the expanding public school system. State legislatures felt that they had to turn the actual administration of affairs over to a body of ‘experts’…these state departments of education became virtually autonomous in their power to define the goals, methods, and materials of public instruction. The final step came when they were able to require all prospective public school teachers through the high school level to take a set number of courses in a subject called ‘Education’…This is where the doctrinal revolution…really took place…The new education, for which the name ‘progressive’ has been pre-empted by its advocates, is in marked conflict with our basic traditions and culture.” [Visions of Order, p. 114-115]

Following this, Weaver lists “some of the chief assumptions and tenets of progressive education. The conflict between them and the principal teachings of the Judea-Christian classical heritage of the west will be immediately apparent.” 

I realize his list is neither brief nor couched in today’s politically-correct language, but believe it’s worth reading. As you read, keep in mind that, although the book was published in 1964, a year after Weaver’s death, most of it was written in the mid-1950s, almost 70 years ago. These eight assumptions could easily be the manifesto of one of today’s radicalized teachers' unions. I include them here just as they were published [See Visions of Order, p. 115-117].

1. There is no such thing as a body of knowledge which reflects the structure of reality and which everyone therefore needs to learn. Knowledge is viewed as an instrumentality which is true or false according to the way it is applied to concrete situations or the way it serves the needs of the individual. Since these educators have embraced the notion that the essence of the world is change, there is no final knowledge about anything. The truths of yesterday are the falsehoods of today and the truths of today will be the falsehoods of tomorrow.
2. This being so, the object of education is not to teach knowledge, but to “teach students.” As they translate this into practice, it means that everyone should be adapted to the child as child, to the youth as youth, and to the particular group according to its limitations. There are no ideals or standards of performance which these are bound to measure themselves by or to respect.
3. As a corollary of the above principal, the child should be encouraged to follow his own desires in deciding what he should study, and what aspects of what subjects, and at what times.
4. The teacher must not think of himself as being in authority, because authority is evil. The teacher is there as a “leader,” but the duty of the leader is only to synchronize and cooperate with the work of the group.
5. The student should never be made afraid of anything connected with the school. Marks and competitions are bad because they instill feelings of superiority and inferiority, which are undemocratic. 
6. The mind is not to be exalted over the senses: democracy requires that sensory and “activist” learning be valued on a par with intellectual learning. The mentally slow or retarded are not to be made to feel that they are lacking; it is better to impugn the whole tradition of intellectual education than to injure the feelings of the less bright and the lazy.
7. Consequently, there should be less education through symbols like language and figures and more through using the hands-on concrete objects. It is more important to make maps than to learn them, said John Dewey, the grand pundit of the revolutionary movement.
8. The general aim is to train the student so that he will adjust himself not simply to the existing society, as is sometimes inferred from their words, but to society conceived as social democracy.

Here’s an abbreviated view of Weaver’s conclusions regarding these aims of progressive education:

• Absolute truth does not exist. No knowledge is binding.
• The mind is a tyrant which denies the rights of the body and must be democratized, forced into equity.
• The student’s aim is not to save his soul, inherit past wisdom, or advance himself or human knowledge, but to become a member of a future, ill-defined utopia.

How sad that Weaver recognized, understood, and warned us about this back in the 1950s and yet as a nation we didn’t listen…a prophet in his own land. One can only hope that the American people will come to realize the importance of local elections, particularly school board elections.

Of course, this radicalization has affected more than just education, but every aspect of society. Can we overcome this societal radicalization? I'm not sure. Back in 1949 -- when I was just a little kid -- another modern prophet, T. S. Eliot, wrote:

"Our own period is one of decline; that the standards of culture are lower than they were fifty years ago; and that the evidences of this decline are visible in every department of human activity" [Notes Toward the Definition of Culture, p. 17].

Intellect and Will: Rarely Do the Twain Meet

Confronted by all the hatred and stupidity evident in both our world and our country, I try to view it all from an eternal or more comprehensive perspective. It’s remarkable and disturbing that so many human beings seem to have lost or, at best, misplaced their humanity. We — at least some of us — believe that God, by creating us in His image and likeness, imbued us with both intellect and will, gifts that define our humanity and separate us from other earthly creatures. Sadly, far too many of us do not apply either of these gifts very well, or focus only on one and ignore the other. 

Leadership, of course, demands the effective, coordinated application of both intellect and will. A leader with a keen intellect, who strives to understand the situation facing him, but lacks the courage to make a meaningful decision and apply his will correctly is essentially powerless. Fundamentally he knows what he should do but fears doing it. As you might expect, the results are usually catastrophic. I fear that our president and those who surround him have succumbed to this failing whenever the real interests of our nation are at stake. Instead they focus the administration’s will on a collection of “woke” sideshows that seem only to undermine our culture and its moral and spiritual roots. I trust they will soon come to recognize the nature of the challenges facing them and develop the will to act courageously and decisively in the defense of our civilization. I won’t hold my breath, though. Ideologues rarely change their core beliefs unless they undergo a radical conversion. St. Paul is among the most obvious examples. Actively involved in the murder and imprisonment of first-generation Christians, he didn’t change; God changed him. As Christians we must pray for a global metanoia, a Pauline-like conversion through which God will change the hearts and minds of those striving to destroy His Church and suppress His holy Word.

But the willful leader who lacks understanding can be equally, perhaps more, dangerous. By failing to use his intellect and grasp the reality of the situation, including its moral aspects, he is motivated only by ignorance and emotion. This most often leads to very destructive results. For example, the terrorist, blinded and consumed by the ideology that motivates him, applies his will amorally and, focused solely on the attainment of the ideological goal, leaves his intellect far behind. This is why negotiation with committed and thoroughly indoctrinated terrorists is inevitably fruitless. Driven by their ideology, they are unmoved by arguments based on truth and morality. The only truth is their truth; all else are signs of weakness. They will take advantage of the weaknesses of others and use them to achieve their ideological ends. At one point in our diplomatic history, we refused to negotiate with terrorists because it was immoral and inevitably led to a degradation of the current situation. Now we not only negotiate with the demonic, but also allow it to dictate the terms. As I have said elsewhere, the willful, especially those captivated by evil, respect only power and the willingness to apply it.

Do I side with the Israelis in the current conflict? Yes, indeed — not because they are perfect, because they’re not. Like every nation, including our own, they have done some very stupid and immoral things. But they at least struggle to do what is right. All those Americans protesting in our streets and on our campuses in support of Hamas are too ignorant or too filled with hate to understand the idiotic slogans they chant. What to do with them? Because as a nation we respect free speech, about all we can do is shame them, make them understand that actions and words have consequences that might affect their current or future lives, and inundate them with the truth. And if Israel destroys Hamas, support for this specific terrorist group will likely fade away quickly. And most importantly pray for our ally Israel.

Homily: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Readings: Is 45: 1,4-6; Ps 96; 1 Thes 1:1-5; Mt 22:15-21

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I have a coin at home, a Roman denarius. An archaeologist friend gave it to me years ago as a gift. He found it in Israel, and on it you can still make out the faint image of Tiberius Caesar, and an inscription declaring him the “son of the divine Augustus,” the son of God.

I can’t help but wonder if perhaps it’s the very coin the Pharisees showed Jesus as He confronted them in today’s Gospel passage. I expect that there were probably a few million of those coins floating around the Holy Land in the 1^st century, so it’s highly unlikely…but not impossible.

Of course, the emperors weren’t fools...well, most of them weren’t. Their images appeared on all Roman coins because it was good advertising, the emperor keeping his image in front of his subjects. He projected an image of power, stability, peace, and prosperity. For Emperors, image was important.

In our first reading the prophet Isaiah seemed to agree as he reminded Cyrus, the great Persian Emperor, that God had called him by name, given him a title, and empowered him in 539 BC to free God’s people from their captivity.

God calls us by name, too, because we’re created in the image of the One who anoints us, gives us a title, and calls us “beloved”. We’re created in the image of One who is always with us, and if we look in a mirror, and see only our own face staring back, then we’re blind to the truth, as were so many of the Pharisees. God stood in their midst, and they failed to recognize Him; they didn’t see themselves in Him.

So intent on projecting an image of obedience to the Law, they never considered why God gave them the Law in the first place.

So caught up with being seen as religious, they forgot the importance of actually being holy.

Weighed down by externals they never internalized the command to love God and neighbor.

So pleased with themselves, they ignored God’s call to bring His Presence and love to others, especially the poor.

And so, they do the unthinkable: they scheme and plot to entrap the eternal Word of God. To do so, the Pharisees join forces with a group they despise, the Herodians, because the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Oh, they conjure up this clever question with only a lose-lose answer. They turn to Jesus, flattering Him with words they don’t believe, then ask: “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?”

If Jesus says, “Yes, it’s lawful,” the Pharisees can condemn Him to the people as a friend of the despised Romans.

If He says, “No,” the Herodians, who happily served the Romans, can bring charges against Him for telling the people not to pay their taxes.

But once again, Jesus ruins their schemes by turning the tables on them: When a Pharisee holds up that Roman denarius, Jesus asks, "Whose image is this and whose inscription…" And then he tells them, "Render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God."

Now a lot of folks focus on the first part of that command – the rendering to Caesar part – but how many of us few consider the second part?

Yes, we pay our taxes and today’s Caesars, use them for all kinds of wondrous things. And their images hang on the walls of our public buildings, in the post office, right beside those other pictures in the post office.

But what should we render to God? Can we render anything to God?

You see, like Tiberius and like Isaiah, in effect Jesus tells the Pharisees that image is truly important. Since we’re created in God’s image, we can render to Him all that we are: we can give him all of our being! For by giving ourselves to God, we render to Him His image.

For Jesus, the question isn’t “How much do you owe me in taxes?” But rather, “Who do you look like, and who are you called to be?” When we realize who we look like, that we are created in His image, we can then begin to recognize Him in the faces of those around us.

For years, at the Wildwood Soup Kitchen, as I served a plate of my wife, Diane’s, wonderful cooking and handed it to the woman standing before me, I was amazed to realize I was staring into the face and image of God. Even if she didn’t believe in God – and she did – I could still see in her the image of God.

This is truly amazing! It’s an absolutely marvelous thing! That God reveals Himself to us through us.

When the Samaritan found that wounded man on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, what did he see but the image of God beaten, bloodied, disfigured. And what did he use to ensure the innkeeper would care for the man while he was away? He used money, two denarii, the image of Caesar. He didn’t misuse money as Judas did when he sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, and thus betrayed the image of God made man.

For money is a means: we need to have some, but when we have too much of it, we run the risk of using it for selfish ends, believing that paradise, at least a little piece of it, can be found on earth. How fitting that our currency in this country bears the words, “In God we trust” – if only as a reminder that if we place our trust in money, we worship a false god. Much better to use the wealth we have to help our neighbor, seeing in him the image of God!

You see, sisters and brothers, at some point we will be judged. We won’t be asked how many holy hours we’ve made, or how many Rosaries we’ve said. Now, those are good things – because they keep our minds and hearts tuned and turned to God.

But we all know what we’ll be asked. It’s one of the clearest texts in the Gospels, Matthew 25. “I was hungry and thirsty. I was sick and in pain. I was in prison,” Jesus will tell us, and then He’ll ask. “But did you pay attention to me? “You should have known that I hide, not only within the poor, but within sinners as well. You know, those people we avoid like the plague.

“You missed me, day after day, every day. “Oh, you handed me your spare change, or a few bucks, and once in a while even wrote big check, but that just eased your conscience…Yes, I took your money, but you never offered your time, your attention, your interest. I never experienced your love.”

When God says all this to us, you and I will stand there sputtering, “Lord, do you mean to say You were that scary-looking guy, who asked me for a ride.”

“…or that irritating old woman, in front of Walmart, always looking for a handout? She was You too?

“…or that neighbor who loves to talk, on and on, about all his troubles? That’s you?”

Yes, you and I are here today at Mass, worshiping the One who suffered and was abandoned and uncared for, whom no one thought of comforting, and whose passion brings tears to our eyes.

Then, we will leave, through that door, and later, when we meet Him, we don’t recognize Him. We used to call it a sin of omission, but I prefer to call it a sin of indifference. Our indifference to others offends God far more than the mistakes we make on this journey of ours.

St. Paul, in our 2^nd reading, reminds us that “the Gospel didn’t come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit.”

But how often do you and I call on the power of the Holy Spirit? In the Creed, we call Him, “the Lord and Giver of life.” To refuse God’s gift of the Holy Spirit is to refuse life. And the life God gives us is His own, His Eucharistic life, a life of loving with an active love. For us to reject God’s life is to reject the gift of eternal life.

As Mass ends today, Father will extend God’s blessing to us all; then you’ll hear me say¸ “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” And with our lives filled with God’s life, the Eucharistic gift of Jesus, we can carry the Gospel, carry His love, to all we encounter.

If we accept the challenge, if we carry God’s love into the world, the Holy Spirit will come and teach us all things.

He’ll change us, if we want Him to, if we welcome Him, if we stop resisting Him, and if we look to Him for everything.

If we render to him all that is His…our very lives.

 

Overcoming Hatred and Evil

"There will be peace in the Middle East only when the Arabs love their children more than they hate Israel.” ~ Golda Meir

Have you been listening to the ongoing controversy about the attack on the Gaza hospital? If you haven't, you must be stranded on a desert island awaiting rescue. Apparently, according to Hamas (a collection of rapists, torturers, and murderers of women and children), as well as every Islamic nation, and most Western media, Israeli aircraft bombed a Gaza hospital and killed hundreds of patients and medical personnel. Did the mainstream media question this assertion by Hamas, an organization whose leaders cannot open their mouths without lying? Did they tell us they were investigating these claims to see if they were true? No, they simply accepted them as true. But then Israel stated it has extremely convincing evidence that the catastrophe at the hospital resulted from an errant missile fired by Islamist terrorists supporting Hamas. Our own intelligence agencies have confirmed the same. And, believe me, anyone who knows anything about the effects of bombing know full well the damage was not the result of a bomb dropped by an aircraft. This has been generally ignored by all the usual suspects who, as expected, accept the word of baby killers and rapists over the that of the Israeli government and our intelligence agencies. One underlying belief that motivates all those accusing Israel, or just blindly accepting the Hamas lies, is what we like to call anti-Semitism, which I will translate into the far more descriptive, “hatred of Jews,” especially those who live in Israel.

Of course, our president, while declaring his full support for Israel, just can’t bring himself to mention the nasty elephant in the room: the terrorist Islamic Republic of Iran. Addressing the states that support Hamas and hate Israel, which presumably includes Iran, he tells them all not to do anything rash by saying, “Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.” What exactly does that mean? If our enemies don’t know, they will logically assume we don’t either. The president’s words are certainly no real threat to those who plan to do Israel and us real harm. How much more effective it would be if President Biden simply told them bluntly that by joining in this conflict, they might well precipitate World War III. To prevent this we would be forced to attack them in their homelands, destroying their military and industrial infrastructures. It would seem, however, the administration will continue to deal with our enemies as if they were rational beings. But that is not the case. Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and too many others are zealots who have no problem sacrificing their own people for their quasi-religious cause. Life and death mean little to those driven solely by their hateful ideology. These are not easy people to deal with, but one thing we know: they respect power only when believe it will be used against them.

The next few months should be very interesting. Sadly, Hamas is run and staffed by vicious people so there’s little chance they will change without God’s help. This is true also of Hezbollah, Iran, and far too many others blinded by sheer hatred. Continued peace for Israel will likely require a lengthy and challenging effort to destroy the war-making capability of Hamas and remove it from power in Gaza. There is much our nation can do to lessen the threat to Israel, and the greater threat to Western civilization. I’m just not very confident our current political leadership has the courage and the will to do what must be done. We pray for peace, but for continuing peace. Pray, too, for the conversion of all who despise the Lord and His people. After all, with God, all things are possible.

 

Homily: Thursday, 28 Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: Rom 1:16-25; Psalm 19; Luke 11:37-41

In my previous parish, a retired bishop who summered in our town used to help us out by celebrating one of the Sunday Masses. One Sunday, just before the dismissal, the bishop blessed a couple who were celebrating their 50^th wedding anniversary. As you might expect, after the blessing the entire congregation applauded.

After Mass a parishioner approached me in the parking lot. He was very upset because of the applause which he felt was entirely out of place at Mass. At first, I thought he was joking, and my reaction probably wasn’t what he’d hoped for. He went from upset to furious. I tried to calm him down by explaining that when something especially good happens in the lives of members of our parish community, it’s entirely appropriate for the community to share in their joy. Applause is simply our culture’s way of expressing that joy. And doing so at the end of Mass, right before the dismissal, is also appropriate. It didn’t work. Family in tow, he stormed off to his car. I should have asked him why he complained to me and not to the bishop. I’m just a deacon.

Sadly, he always seemed to come across as a dour, joyless person, more focused on others’ faults than on the good in them. I didn’t doubt his faith, but I didn’t see a lot of Christian love there. But he seemed to be devout, and because only God knows his heart, I won’t judge him. We all have some of the Pharisee in us – some more, some less – and I mention this man because it seemed a bit more evident in his case.

In today’s Gospel reading Luke describes a meal Jesus had at a Pharisee’s home. I find it interesting that, for a group who didn’t trust or like Jesus very much, the Pharisees seemed to have Him over for dinner a lot. Well, as it turned out, Jesus neglected to perform the ritual washing before dinner – an omission that offended his host. I’m sure Jesus didn’t forget, but did this intentionally to put the spotlight on the man’s hypocrisy. Certainly, that was the result.

Our Lord used some harsh words in His rebuke:

“…you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?”

Of course, He’s no longer talking about cups and dishes. He’s talking about the human heart. Jesus isn’t criticizing the ritual washing itself. No, He’s criticizing the Pharisee’s placing more importance on the ritual than on obeying the commandment to love God and neighbor.

For example, as Catholics we observe many rituals. We’re observing one now by following very specific rubrics as we celebrate this rite today. And this is as it should be, because the rite is as old as the Church itself, designed to bring us closer to God through hearing His word and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. But the ritual is a means, not an end. The end brings us into communion with Jesus. When we let this happen, Jesus becomes one with us, and transforms our hearts and minds. In other words, what we do on the outside should help us change on the inside.  But when we focus solely on the externals, we break this connection.

Although not directed at Pharisees, Paul’s words today could be applied to them as well:

“…for although they knew God, they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools…”

Yes, we're all Pharisees sometimes, focused on the outside. And the more devout we are, the more susceptible we are to this not so little vice. We become so focused on the externals, that we neglect the internal. We can get so wrapped up in our devotions and rituals that our focus shifts to ourselves at the expense of others.

We won’t get to heaven by just worrying about ourselves and our own salvation. It’s another of those great Christian paradoxes: we’ll only reach our goal if we forget about ourselves and devote our efforts instead to helping others achieve theirs. When I talk with engaged couples, I always tell each of them, that their most important task is to help the other get to heaven. That's what true love is all about.

Gerard Manley Hopkins, the 19^th Century Jesuit poet, frequently corresponded with the poet laureate of England, his friend Robert Bridges. Bridges, an agnostic, once wrote, asking Hopkins how he could learn to believe. I suppose he expected some deep theological answer. Hopkins replied in a letter with only two words, the words Jesus left with the Pharisees: “Give alms.”

Yes, brothers and sisters, give alms. Care for others. Wash some feet. Imitate Jesus. Heal, forgive, and serve each other. Then everything will be clean for you, inside and outside.

Homily: Mass and Healing Service - Thursday, 27th Week in Ordinary Time

Note: On Thursday evening, Father Glen celebrated a special Mass, which was followed by a Healing Service for all who sought healing of any kind, whether physical, mental, spiritual, or the healing of broken or damaged relationships. Many came and were prayed over by our prayer teams who laid hands on each person and asked the Holy Spirit to provide the healing they sought.

I was humbled to have been asked to preach to this gathering of the faithful who came to hear God's Word and then joined together in Eucharistic Communion with our Lord Jesus Christ and with each other.

My homily follows...

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Readings: Mal 3:13-20b • Psalm 1 • Gospel: Lk 11:5-13

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Good evening, everyone. Praise God. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Because we’re here in Jesus’ name, the Holy Spirit is with us in all His power, in all His glory, so that in Him we can come to know our loving Father better, all through Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let me begin by saying I’m in deep water today, way out of my depth…but that’s the way it usually is whenever we set out to do God’s work. So often we’re sure we know what God is calling us to do, but then suddenly He teaches us otherwise. After all, it’s not our work; it’s God’s work. And you and I can never approach God’s work from a position of strength. It’s always from weakness.

I worried a bit about what I’d say tonight, but then finally, did what I should have done from the beginning, I prayed…and I asked the Spirit to guide me, to tell me what to say.

As God revealed through the prophet Malachi, we will see “the distinction between the one who serves God, and the one who does not.” He calls us only to serve Him.

Healing is such a personal thing. No two of us come to healing from the same place; each journey is different, and so is the baggage we carry with us. Because we’re all so amazingly and wonderfully different, what can I say that will apply to us all? But then the Spirit turned my aging brain to the parable staring me right in the face.

“Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you...”

Comforting words, aren’t they? But I think too many of us take those words and extract only what we want to hear. We focus so much on the things of our lives, the uniquely human activities and distractions that occupy so much of our time. Distracted by these “things,” we often misinterpret what Jesus is telling us about prayer – for that’s what this parable’s all about. We focus on our problems, our hurts and illnesses, our burdens, our confused lives…and then, like the unrelenting friend in the parable, if we just pray really hard, and persist, then God will finally say, “Okay, okay,” and give us whatever we ask.

To believe this is to see this parable from a very literal, very human perspective, one that sees God as this sleepy neighbor who only responds if we nag Him relentlessly. We forget, it’s a parable, and God is no sleepy neighbor who needs persuading.

Jesus continues with another brief parable, this time referring to that special human relationship between parent and child.

“What father among you will give his son a snake if he asks for a fish, or hand him a scorpion if he asks for an egg?”

And we all say, “I’d never do that!” — because we love our children. And because God loves us even more, obviously He’ll give us whatever we ask. The trouble is, too often, instead of asking for a fish or an egg, we ask for the snake or the scorpion. Then, dissatisfied with God’s response, we do act like children. We get angry with God. We throw little tantrums and turn away from Him. After all, we asked, but didn’t receive.

Do we think we can manipulate God, that if we ask Him repeatedly, we somehow obligate Him? Or maybe we think, “If God is a loving and caring Father who gives only ‘good’ things, why must we persist in asking? Why do we have to ask at all?”

Let’s not forget that Jesus tells us to pray to the Father, “Thy will be done.” Persistence in prayer – as Paul reminds us, “pray without ceasing” – is for our benefit, not God’s, so we must pray boldly for conformity with God’s will. If the will of the child doesn’t conform to the will of the Father, the child, disregarding all personal desire, must repeat with Jesus in the Garden, “...not my will, but yours.” You see, Jesus wants us to pray for everything good. This is what the Father wants for us.

Then, at the end of the parable, we encounter a gift:

“If you, with all your sins, know how to give your children good things, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

What Jesus promises is far better than anything we had in mind. He promises the Holy Spirit, the fullness of the love shared by Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What could be better than that?

And yet, how often in prayer do we ask for the Holy Spirit? Only God’s grace, given freely by the Holy Spirit through the saving power of the Son, can save us from our sinfulness and raise us to new life in Him. In the Creed we call the Holy Spirit, “the Lord and Giver of Life.” This is the healing we all need. Anything else is just God’s little surprise for us. Immersed in that holy flow of grace, what we receive is totally aligned with All Goodness, All Love, all perfect answers to our fervent prayer.

And if you receive exactly what you asked for, rejoice! Jump for joy because you are one with the will of our loving God…your prayer was answered! Sometimes the answer Is “No”, or “Maybe later”, or “I have a better solution.” We can be ok with those answers when we realize they’re given in love. Always in love, sisters and brothers, no matter how difficult and contrary they seem at the moment.

Reviewing my own life, all its stupid mistakes, its sinfulness, self-built obstacles, and crazy moments, I see the work, the signature, of my loving God. I can say only, “Thank You, Lord, for being there always, even when I didn’t realize it.”

In prayer, then, as in all things, Jesus is our model. Recall the raising of the dead Lazarus, and how Jesus prayed:

“Father, I thank you for having heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd, that they may believe that you sent me.”

You and I are in that crowd; it’s all meant for us. The all-powerful intercession we rely on when we pray in Jesus’ name, and conform our own prayer to His. You see, what Jesus is really telling us is that our prayer must be an act of simple trust, the kind of trust you see in the face of a child who knows his parent will never harm him. And like that child, we often don’t know what’s good or bad for us. But God, the good parent, tells us, “Trust me. You’ll thank me for it later.”

You and I can teach God nothing, but we can ask everything of Him, entrusting to Him the judgment of our real needs. It’s our duty to ask, to pray. We’re His children, and should want to receive everything from His hand. But we should ask, seek and knock so that we may discover God’s will for us, and then ask for the courage and strength to do it.

Certainly, we can always ask God for specific things, but more important is to enter into His presence in silence and solitude of heart. For the Holy Spirit dwells in the depths of your soul, at the very center of your being. We can best reach Him only when we grow silent. Interior silence and the ability to love God in a kind of nakedness of spirit are gifts of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, and promised to us by the revelation of His Son that “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

Because of this we’re certain of the Father’s love.

Because of this we can leave behind all anxiety and fear, all uncertainty, all distrust.

Because of this we need not worry about our future; or to calculate the state of our relationship with God.

Because of this we can come to want what God wants, to acknowledge that good, and nothing but good, comes only from God, only from Our Father.

Yes, Our Father: not just mine, not just yours, ours. By the very fact that we are put into relationship with God, as sons and daughters of the Father, we find ourselves in relationship with one another. So together, in Eucharistic communion with Jesus Christ and each other, let’s enter into prayerful conversation with our God, to get a real relationship going in our asking, seeking, and knocking, and prepare to be surprised. To be loved. To be healed.

Pray for the healing of those seated around you, and then let God do His healing work.

Praised be Jesus Christ…now and forever.

 

Welcome to the End of Western Civilization

Yep, I’m convinced, Western Civilization is in its death throes. When will the end come and what form will it take? I can only guess, but that’s all it would be, a guess. I’m no prophet, just an observer who’s old enough not to fret about his own future in the face of this dystopian offing. Please do not assume I’m a pessimist, because that would be far from the truth. My understanding of Creation is long-range, an eschatological view that accepts the Church’s Biblical teaching on the end times. The end will be preceded by conflict, persecution, and unspeakable evil before our God brings all of His Creation to its fulfillment. So, if you believe I’m a pessimist, realize that any pessimism is strictly short-term. My long-term understanding of the world is unquestionably optimistic. The Judge of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ, will prevail so that “all things work for good for those who love God.”

I think I’m observant enough to see and read the signs, especially when they’re big and bright and flashing like a neon Broadway of the 1950s. Again, what I have to say are just my personal guesses, so let me share a few of them. 

I’ve recently celebrated (quietly) my 79th birthday, but believe I’ll still be around for this societal collapse, at least for its beginnings. I’m pretty sure it’ll happen quickly because these days everything happens quickly. Why should the utter destruction of a civilization be an exception. Neither will the end come quietly. Why should it? Our society, indeed, our world, has become increasingly violent and violence is rarely quiet. There’s no reason Western Civilization should just fade away like MacArthur’s old soldiers. No, it will probably be surrounded from without and penetrated from within and then slaughtered, all done rather quickly, much like the catastrophes experienced by the Russians in 1917 and the Chinese in 1949.

Let me tell a story…a true story. In November 1976 our ship, USS Okinawa, arrived in Sydney Australia. After a long stint at sea, four or five of us, all 30-something naval aviators, were in a crowded hotel elevator heading, predictably, to the rooftop bar when a local woman, knowing we were Americans, suddenly began to complain about American voting habits. Jimmy Carter had just been elected, although only 53% of eligible voters bothered to go to the polls. This, she said, was horrible. She then informed us that Australians who didn’t vote in elections were fined. (I don’t know if this was true then or still is, but she certainly said it.) Having made her point, she waited for an answer. As a true red, white, and blue American, I simply replied, "For Americans, to vote so we can select those who represent us is a right. Because it is a right, we can choose to vote or not to vote. To force citizens to vote is just a first step toward totalitarianism. Enjoy your future.” With that the elevator door opened and we all rushed to the bar where we enjoyed a couple of overpriced beers.

When the "free world" begins to reject freedom, you know we're in serious trouble.

Another sign of rapid and massive decay is the educational system in the West, especially in the US. The vast majority of students in our so-called institutions of higher learning graduate completely uneducated. Some few have received adequate training to enter and perhaps even succeed in specific professions — e.g., engineering and technical fields — and yet they too remain uneducated. Yes, even these have been indoctrinated into the left’s hatred of all things good. Just look at what’s happening on college campuses this week as a result of the violence in Israel. The hatred is visceral, animalistic, and screamed out in profanity laced irrational language. Totally unconcerned with the truth, the useful idiots on campus unthinkingly spew the slogans and lies they have been taught. They are historically, economically, politically, and morally ignorant because they and their parents were willing to pay huge amounts of money to ensure their indoctrinators are paid well. Yesterday, on the “global day of jihad”, we saw this clearly manifested in our streets and on the campuses of American colleges. I was, however, pleased to see that at least one college, Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California, instead or supporting terrorists, organized an all-night Eucharistic adoration to pray for peace in Israel. (Our eldest graduated from TAC.) Here’s a link: Thomas Aquinas College

As a nation — indeed, as a civilization — we have neglected the “permanent things” (read T. S. Eliot and Russell Kirk) that give our lives real meaning. When a civilization or society turns away from these, it ceases being human and becomes bestial. Sadly, too many believe we will be saved by politics or economics, but these are not the source of our problems. In fact, they become mere tools that will be used against us. In truth, our troubles are both cultural and spiritual, but to address these has become “politically incorrect.” We have forgotten or neglected the wisdom of our ancestors and the eternal truths that guided their words and deeds. In other words, we have become suicidal, a disease that has infected both liberals and conservatives, thanks to the intelligentsia who have taken control of large and influential segments of bureaucracy, media, academia, and even our military. 

I find it consoling that in many Catholic parishes in the United States — including my parish here in Florida — parishioners are once again praying Pope Leo XIII’s prayer to St. Michael the Archangel after each daily Mass. Many Catholics, then, realize the nature of the threats faced by both Church and society. Pope Leo composed the prayer as a result of a vision he experienced at Mass on October 13, 1884, exactly 33 years before the great miracle of the sun at Fatima. Add this prayer to your daily devotions, for Michael will be the one called to do God’s work during these trying times.

Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits, who prowl throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Human history offers a record of civilizational decline, so we have no guarantee that Western Civilization will somehow survive the fate that befell all others. Pray for our nation, for our civilization, and for the world.

Hamas, Intelligence Failures, and Iran

I suppose we can safely say that Israel experienced an intelligence failure of massive proportions when the nation was caught by complete surprise early Saturday morning. Ironically and sadly, the attack came on the holy day of Simchat Torah, which means “joy of Torah.” It is the day Jews celebrate the completion of the annual reading of the Torah as it begins anew. This year there was certainly no sense of joy. And I suspect the absence of joy is especially present among those actively involved in the Israeli intelligence community. How could they have missed the signs? Are Hamas and its Iranian allies and funders that good at hiding their preparations? Apparently, they are.

A year or so ago I read a report on the efficacy of Israeli technology used to protect it from attacks by its enemies. The report addressed the high quality of this technology, how it could ensure Israel would be safe from any attempts to invade. Judging from what happened Saturday morning the technology was grossly deficient. Of course, another possibility is that the Israelis were so confident in their technology that they ignored the need for human eyes and ears. I wouldn't be surprised if this were a problem within most intelligence agencies, where human intelligence resources have largely been replaced by technology. The problem with technology is that it has limitations, and these limitations can be tested, so the technology can be overcome or simply avoided. Of course, technology is probably cheaper than human agents and far more reliable, at least from the perspective of the geeks who have the ear of their bosses.  

It would seem the Hamas terrorists took advantage of this. Their brutal early morning attack on the Sabbath was amazingly low-tech. Smashing through border walls and rushing into southern Israel in Toyota pick-ups and flying in via paragliders, they took out the police stations and small military installations along the border, killing everyone they encountered. They crashed through the doors of civilian homes and brutally killed men, women, and children. Pregnant women were slaughtered, and their unborn infants torn from their bodies and thrown down beside them. Many of the women were raped in front of their families and then paraded through the streets. Infants were decapitated. Elderly Israelis, even Holocaust survivors, were also murdered or taken hostage. Indeed, Hamas terrorists intentionally targeted a music festival and killed nearly 300 mostly young people. Many others attending the festival were taken hostage. What has happened to them is unknown, but we can be certain they are not being treated well. Pray for them.

The brutality and sadism of the terrorists wasn’t isolated; it was intentional and carried out wherever Hamas attacked. They took videos of these barbarous atrocities and then posted them on social media for the world to see. Hamas terrorists are obviously proud of their savagery and enjoyed every moment of it. This tells us a lot about Islamist terrorists in general and specifically about organizations such as Hamas, Isis, Hezbollah, and the nations that support them. To assume Iran had no role in the planning, arming, and training of the terrorists who attacked Israel is the height of naïveté. At the very least the United States should reinstate full sanctions against Iran and refreeze the six billion dollars being held in Qatar. Most Iranians do not support their government. It would be wise for us to encourage and actively support those Iranians who hope to overthrow this brutal, theocratic regime. After all, our nation had its genesis in a revolution, a war of independence in which we claimed God had endowed us “with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” As the world’s primary supporter of terrorism, Iran is a serious threat. We should do all in our power to ensure a change in that hateful regime.

In case you don’t realize it, we are in a war. It is a war between good and evil, a war between civilization and barbarism, a war between those who cherish life and those who celebrate death. I have absolutely no problem waging and winning a just war.

A Few Observations

Every day I read things that disturb, perplex, amaze, outrage, and occasionally even delight me. Most often I just set these news bits aside with the idea of maybe addressing them in the future. But this week I decided to hold onto some of them and actually jotted down a few notes. Here goes…

Pray for Israel. The surprise attack on Israel by over a thousand Hamas terrorists is among the most brutal of recent times. Hamas is a Sunni Islamic terrorist group, a collection of sadists that governs the Gaza Strip. They seized control of Gaza after a landslide win in the 2006 election. Since then Hamas has done very little for the people, since it is focused primarily on doing all in its power to kill Jews and eradicate Israel. This is Hamas’ goal, and those who think otherwise are fooling themselves. Since Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, and stashes weapons and munitions in hospitals, schools, and civilian neighborhoods, we can safely ignore its purported love for the people of Gaza. Although I labeled Hamas as sadists, that’s likely an understatement. What Hamas has done in recent days simply confirms its vicious ways. Hamas terrorists not only targeted civilians but were purposely brutal, dragging women and children from their homes, raping and killing them, then emptying their weapons’ magazines into the faces of the dead. They slaughtered nearly 300 people, all civilians, who were attending a music festival, which ironically was dedicated to peace. They also took hostages, more than a hundred, including many women and children. Reportedly they have imprisoned them in the elaborate system of tunnels beneath much of Gaza. Today they threatened to begin executing hostages if Israel continues to carry out its response to the Hamas attack.

Israel really has no option but to destroy Hamas. At the moment the Biden administration has offered its full support to Israel, declaring it has a right to defend itself. I suspect that will change within a few weeks once the global anti-Israel hive begins to call for an immediate ceasefire. The weak, epitomized by the Biden administration, fear using their power, so they might as well not have it. Perceived weakness always enables terror and violence. Unfortunately, groups like Hamas respect only one thing: power, and a willingness to apply it. My concern is that this attack by Hamas is just the beginning. I expect, in the months, and perhaps only the weeks, to come, we will experience similar attacks throughout the world. Our enemies are not stupid and will take advantage of our political confusion and impotent leadership. Keep your eye on Iran, North Korea, China, Russia, and even the minor players like Nicaragua, Cuba, Syria, Venezuela, and so many others. We are entering very dangerous times.

Pray for Israel, good people. They just might need divine power to withstand the future that awaits them. 

Save Democracy! For a few years now the political left has been screaming its latest mantra — Save Democracy! — at high volume. Their attacks are aimed at anyone who believes in and openly defends what I’ll call American traditionalism. If you believe the U.S. Constitution is the greatest secular document every written, or at least humanity’s greatest political accomplishment, you are certainly an American traditionalist, and you will be attacked as a destroyer of democracy. After all, the Constitution is conspicuously anti-democratic because it purposely rejects democracy as a form of government, preferring instead a constitutional representative republic. In truth the founders abhorred pure democracy, for them a system that guaranteed a tyrannical majority would inevitably persecute a nation’s minorities. A constitutional system not only protects the rights and freedoms of the people from their elected government, but also protects the people from themselves. Of course, there’s an irony here. As the left screams its mantra, it simultaneously promotes policies designed to curb the basic freedoms of Americans. If you disagree with their far-left policies, you should be denied the freedom to state your case publicly. If your religious faith fails to promote gay marriage, or so-called transgenderism, or abortion, the legal system must be distorted so it can prosecute you. In a way, then, I suppose next year’s elections just might be a way to save the republic from the left’s skewed version of democracy. Otherwise, as my son said to me the other day, “It’s all over.” That might be an exaggeration, but then again, maybe not.

May Their Tribe Decrease. I suppose here, at the start, I need to explain myself and share a few pieces of my own psyche before I launch into criticism of others. I reveal this, not to impress, but in a spirit of true humility. First, I am not an ambitious man. Indeed, I can never remember being ambitious in a worldly, material, or competitive sense. I was blessed with intelligence, a desire to learn, and have always enjoyed a sense of satisfaction due to accomplishment. I was, therefore, able to achieve a reasonable amount of success at most of what life offered me. And for me that was enough. I had no desire to achieve human greatness; my object was far more confined and limited to the happiness that comes from family and friendships and the joys of daily life. Like the rest of humanity, I am a sinner, but one who struggles to get better at this business of living the Christian life. 

This being said, I trust the comments that follow don’t appear conspiratorial, or irrational, or simply petty. Now that I think about it, though, I don’t really care. So here goes: I don’t trust politicians — not just some politicians, but all of them, without exception. That being said, let me define my terms. To me, a politician is someone who spends the bulk of his adult life in or seeking elected office. This includes those who, having failed to get re-elected, gravitate either to appointed government positions, or to politically oriented jobs in so-called think tanks or foundations, or as temporary executives in the well-paying “military-industrial complex” where they remain positioned for another run at elected office. I suppose it boils down to my distrust of those possessed of unbridled ambition, the “professional” politicians. I find it amazing that so many, when they finally leave what they like to call “public service,” retire as multi-millionaires. Driven by greed and unwilling to sacrifice their personal ambition, these are the politicians who care more about their own re-election than the good of the people. The professional politician will never support term limits.

Our first politicians, the nation’s Founding Fathers, were citizen legislators. They were farmers, lawyers, judges, clergymen, teachers, merchants and traders, men who truly sacrificed to serve their fellow citizens. For example, of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, five were captured by the British and imprisoned and tortured. Nine signers fought in the War for Independence and either died of their wounds or from the hardships suffered. The sons of two signers joined the Continental Army and lost their lives in the war. The sons of two others were captured by the British and imprisoned. The homes of at least a dozen signers were pillaged and destroyed. Many, far too many, died impoverished. The founders were men who knowingly and publicly called for independence, fully aware of the dire consequences they would face. I wonder how many of today’s lifelong politicians would do the same. 

My advice: never vote for anyone who’s spent more than 10 years in political office.