A quarter of 2022 has passed, and time is racing on. We are in Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter remind us of the 40 days that Jesus fasted in the desert before He came to Jerusalem to die on a cross, giving His life for each of us.
Two excellent organizations providing excellent and useful information
Already in 2022, my wife Pat and I attended two wonderful conferences – first the Legatus East Summit on Amelia Island, Florida, and the second, the Susan B Anthony List Summit on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. There were outstanding presentations at each – those at Legatus focused on some of the many challenges facing the Catholic Church and the many alarming situations currently impacting normal living in the United States to the point where finding “normal” is becoming more and more difficult.
Jesus came to earth “to comfort the aflicted and to afflict the comfortable”…
I have selected a few of the most informative presentations and will bring to you a sense of the alarm as well as some ways to achieve improvements by following the sound guidance.
All of us need continuously to recognize the power of prayer and the necessary recognition that there is always hope even in tragedy. Let us remember that with God anything is possible. Dorothy Day’s eloquent words describe two reasons why Jesus came to earth. As she put it, “to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable.” We should contemplate these words, particularly during Lent.
The One Question the Dobbs Case Must Answer
The SBA List Summit focused to a large extent on the Mississippi Dobbs Case now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court with a decision expected in June 2022. The one question to be answered – is there any legislative action allowed during pre-viability? If so, Roe v. Wade will be overturned!
We are called to obedience. God will do the rest.
Senator Steve Danes of Montana and Chair of U.S. Senate Pro-Life Caucus said, “Abortion activism is never going to end, and it will only grow in intensity. We are called to obedience. God will do the rest. After Dobbs, outcomes legislatively will be slow to come at the national level due to the 60 vote requirement in the U.S. Senate, therefore, passage will mostly occur at the state level.”
What has Happened to Womanhood?
One must ponder what are the driving forces that have brought American society to where it is today – unquestionably a major contribution has been what has happened to womanhood?
Dr. Carrie Gress author of Theology of the Home (now working on book number five) presented under the speech title – “Bring Women Home to the Church.”
“Woman is the measure of our civilization,” said Bishop Fulton Sheen. Dr. Gress’ books on Theology of the Home connect the person to the home. She describes the home as a foretaste of heaven. Each of her books is designed and written to tell what women want.
Personally, I know the esteem with which I held my mother, wife, sister and other women, and that resonated with me as a former State Legislator in considering legislation.
Today, Dr. Gress laments “the negative impacts of radical feminism on current American society and on women themselves.”
Gress made the following observations: Women today are less happy than other generations and men do not know how to address an issue to a woman anymore.
Today, issues in the culture have come into the church. People are saying that church is no longer relevant in their lives. Often these comments are from women who contracept or abort. Some women want to be the same as men, prefer women over men, or both.
Radical feminism is a combination of Marxism and the Occult, seeking to have a cultural revolution by promoting homosexuality and destruction of the family. In the Politically Incorrect Feminist book, she clarifies that first wave feminism is to destroy the matriarch (motherhood) and second wave feminism is the anti-patriarchy, namely, to destroy man and the church. These observations are eye-opening and alarming.
Gress’ message, while alarming, offered a message of hope, peace and love through the recognition that her faith has relevance in her life. She writes of forming the whole woman with good feminism, overcoming wokism and expressing a desire for the Church to bring women home.
Developing a Zero Victim Mindset!
I was fascinated by a presentation by Pastor James Ward – a black minister, who has genuinely developed a “zero victim mindset.”
Pastor Ward recognizes that Christ is in the current cultural crisis. He believes all of earth’s problems have a heavenly solution. He believes this is a starting point to find a solution to the problem of racism. It is an alternative approach. As he brilliantly and simply put it, “my Christianity is more important than my ethnicity.”
A Zero Victim Movement of faith calls our nation back to the foundation of God’s spiritual and moral law.
Pastor Ward pointed out that, “from the Black Lives Matter website, I discern BLM does not consider that black families matter.”
“Starting in the third grade, I did not believe in white supremacy because I believed I was equal to any person. No one can heal the people except Jesus. Wokism is a counterfeit revival. Victim thinking works like a set of lenses. The lens makes the norm into the regular for just one, but not for all. Take the lenses off to avoid victim thinking.”
“A heart surrendered to Christ, coupled with a mind tempered with Zero Victim Thinking is a powerful combination for any individual in life. This individual is capable of overcoming any obstacle that stands before them.”
What Can Happen When Beneficial Dialogue Exists?
These positions taken, and examples given, by Pastor Ward are exactly what is needed to create more beneficial dialogue among thinking and caring people of all colors and ethnic groups.
I have always believed all lives matter. That means all black lives matter, including black lives in the womb! And this is true without being told so by the organization Black Lives Matter, which describes itself by its founders as being Communist inspired to radically change the American way of life.
I deplore racial injustice and discrimination.
While police brutality to a person can and sometimes does occur, I believe the great majority of police officers are doing a very difficult job with the intent to provide public safety and apply their actions evenly and with equal treatment.
We cannot allow lawlessness and destruction of personal property to go on in our country. We must find more ways to show and foster mutual respect for people of all races in America. Pastor Ward offers guidance to achieve this. May his efforts be successful knowing they have the blessings of almighty God!
The Need to Get Out of Our Comfort Zone
Returning to the phrase I referenced earlier, the second reason for Jesus coming is “to afflict the comfortable.”
This should cause each of us, especially during Lent, to be afflicted in our comfort when tempted not to do our part to speak out on the importance of family, the importance of marriage between one man and one woman, the importance of having a father in the home, and the recognition that each human being has equal dignity from conception to natural death.
May each of us recognize this Easter the sacrifice of one man who gave His earthly life for each of us so that each of us and our souls may have eternal life through our individual choice… So that each of us, recognizing and appreciating our redemption would also treat our fellow man accordingly in our relation to one another. Happy Easter!
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