In 1960 the critical mass of American Catholics were in love with the party of John Kennedy which was overtly Catholic in its defense of the working family, civil rights, the poor, an idealistic internationalism and a fierce global resistance to communism. In 1989, right-leaning Catholics could proudly champion the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan...pro-life, victorious (in alliance with John Paul II) over Soviet Communism, champion of the freedoms of man. In 2020, the left has gone Cultural Libertarian, quasi-Marxist, and big-state-big-corporation fascist. The right has degenerated into Trumpian demagoguery. It is inconceivable to me how any alert, awake, practicing Catholic could vote for a Biden or a Trump! Our political world, along with the entirety of elite culture, has gone berserk in one direction while the underclass is vulnerable to toxic populism in a contrary way. Where do we find Sanity? Stability? Serenity? In a deeper surrender to our Catholic faith!
Our world reminds me of the Europe of the 1930s. Not the Depression, but the political polarization into extremes: Stalinism was facing rising fascisms of the right. Think Spain, Italy,Germany! The middle did not hold. At the same time, consider three humble Poles: Sister Faustina quiet in her convent, the young Karol Wojtyla maturing in his own hidden life, and Father Maximilian Kolbe championing the Immaculata as he prepares for his gory, glorious martyrdom. (See video Ocean of Mercy for an inspiring review of these three lives.) All three are now canonized saints. All three lived humbly, generously, prayerfully. All three greatly influenced our world.
It is an immense grace to live in the wake of these three. To surrender ourselves in prayer...to Mercy...to the reception and distribution of the Divine Mercy.
It is a terrible time to be a Democrat or a Republican! It is a wonderful time to be a Catholic!
No comments:
Post a Comment