I Believe Everything Just Changed – Here’s Why

I Believe Everything Just Changed – Here’s Why

Today we celebrated Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Yet, when we look at our Church and our world, we see He is also Jesus Christ, King of Thieves.

Today’s Gospel gives us a vision of our Church and our world. It is the image of Jesus Christ, crucified between two thieves. The fact is, we are all sinners, and we are the ones deserving punishment, not Christ.

But, this is what struck me … it is the exchange between Christ and the two thieves that, I believe, speaks so clearly to our present condition in our Church and in our world.

Think about it … Christ is being “reviled” by everyone … rulers, soldiers … *everyone.* Now, this is what is so striking … one of the thieves, in his last dying breath, chimes in by reviling Christ too. He is “following the crowd.” Even with his “last chance” for redemption, the compulsion to “fit in” outweighs his desire to be redeemed so much that he is willing to exchange the possibility of heaven for “fitting in with the crowd.”

The other thief reverences Christ and rebukes the other saying, – Have you no fear of God? This thief recognizes his guilt – We have been condemned to death justly. And he requests – Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. But he leaves the terms of it up to Christ. He acknowledges he is a thief and now places his life under the authority of Christ the King.

A common expression today is, “Don’t judge me!” A more accurate way of stating this should be, “Don’t condemn me!” Why? Because we should all be concerned about our neighbor’s salvation … enough to “judge their actions” in order to help them “right their ship” toward heaven. However, we should never write someone off as destined for Hell, because anyone, even at the moment of death, can seek and receive forgiveness. That is why our most merciful Jesus told the good thief, who sought redemption in the last moments of his life, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Why would the other thief reject even the possibility of redemption in the last few moments of his life? This is a story that shows just how strong is our human desire to be counted among the elites or the “most popular” of our culture. This is why I say this speaks so clearly to our present condition in our Church and in our world.

 

Our Condition

So, what is the condition of our culture? As Jeffrey Kuhner wrote, “For the past 50 years, every major institution has been captured by the radical secular left. The media, Hollywood, TV, universities, public schools, theater, the arts, literature — they relentlessly promote the false gods of sexual hedonism and radical individualism. Conservatives have ceded the culture to the enemy. Tens of millions of unborn babies have been slaughtered; illegitimacy rates have soared; divorce has skyrocketed; pornography is rampant; drug use has exploded; sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS have killed millions; birth control is a way of life; sex outside of wedlock has become the norm; countless children have been permanently damaged — their innocence lost forever — because of the proliferation of broken homes; and sodomy and homosexuality are celebrated openly. America has become the new Babylon.”

Here’s how bad it has become. From their coastal elitist bubble, the secular progressive machine was dictating the following …

  • bubble-cityThe progressive Presidential candidate felt so emboldened by the sources of influence in her camp, that she said, “Religious beliefs have to be changed” to accommodate abortions up to and including the time of birth;
  • A priest was brought to court this year because he would not break the seal of Confession. While the judge ruled in his favor, it was the audacity that this would even be brought to trial. We priests had been saying for some time that we may end up in prison in our lifetime, because we will be asked to do things we simply cannot do;
  • An entire State was boycotted because they refused to follow the radical progressive agenda of allowing grown men to share bathrooms with our little girls;
  • Stating that children should ideally have a mother and father because on average they will do best in that environment (as supported overwhelmingly by the relevant social science) renders you “homophobic” (even though the statement has nothing to do homosexuality) and a “hater of single mothers”;
  • Explaining that there is actually a biological and societal reason that marriage has been promoted and protected as between a man and a woman for millennia (hint: it’s about children) makes you “bigoted”;
  • Arguing that the high divorce rate hurts children, and that no-fault divorce is responsible for many social problems, makes you “living in the 1950s” and a “dinosaur” (even though the social data on the effects of divorce is indisputable and President Obama himself has said as much);
  • Affirming the biological fact that men and women are inherently different makes you “transphobic” (something that no one knew existed just a few years ago);
  • Pointing out that babies do not simply magically appear out of nothing after nine months, and may in fact have a right to life and dignity before birth, makes you an extremist (just because) and a sexist (even though this statement says nothing about women).

Of course, we could go on and on, but the point is that it is REALLY BAD right now!!

What is the condition of our Church? Yes, conservatives lost all of the sources of influence. What is far worse, they lost a great deal of the churches. Most churches have chosen to remain silent in the midst of this hostile radical secular takeover (hiding out, like the Apostles – our first Bishops – when Jesus was arrested), mostly for fear of offending anyone and losing members and donations (self preservation … like the Apostles). Many churches have actually “followed the crowd” (like Judas) by espousing the ideology of the “Secular Progressive Revolution” (I wrote about that HERE). Like the bad thief, the compulsion to “fit in” is greater than even their need for salvation (loyalty to the world outweighs loyalty to God).

I believe it had become so bad that, while many miss Mass out of sheer laziness, a rapidly growing reason was because many no longer wanted to associate themselves with the “alt-right” who are so far “removed from the mainstream” (the crowd) that they actually go to Mass every weekend and actually still remain “loyal to the King” by following His commandments.

 

Have We Been Given a New Constantine?

presidential_election_by_countyYet, with only days left in the Year of Mercy, I believe there was a radical shift – everything changed. A great many Americans rose up and said, “NO MORE!!” In one day, the “Secular Progressive Revolution” was left in ruins, and we now have a kind of “Constantine,” who is audacious enough to deal a devastating blow to the secular progressive machine that has been in power for the past 50 years.

As Blaise Joseph wrote (this was written in March) …

“America doesn’t need a president to make arguments for us. America just needs a president to give us the freedom to make our arguments without fear of being shouted down by the politically correct brigade.

 

Whatever else you might say about Trump, he is definitely politically incorrect, and prides himself on that attribute. He refuses to back down after making controversial statements. He does not apologise for offending groups after making arguments. He stands up to the media. He is defiant in spite of being vilified by political elites, journalists, and academics …

 

This is how Trump could be a great president for conservative Christians. Trump is the one presidential candidate who is capable of changing society to make it more tolerant of robust discussions on controversial issues. At last, with a leader who publicly holds the silencing tactics of the left with utter contempt, it would be possible to stand up to leftists on hot-button issues …

 

Political correctness, after being denounced by Trump over and over again, would be severely weakened. Cultural Marxism and the politics of victimhood would be crippled. Progressives who seek to shut down debate would realise that their tactics no longer work. And following this fundamental transformation of the political scene, conservatives could finally be free to make their case in the public sphere.

 

Everything else would follow from this. Our universities would become places of learning and free thinking again. Better judges, lawyers, and politicians would result. The population would be far better informed because public debates would take place with fewer impediments. This would lead to long-term successes on social political issues, like abortion and marriage, and also allow Christians to make Western society truly Christian once again.”

No, we did not just elect a pope or a saint, for that matter. But, did we just elect a type of Constantine? Tens of thousands of people prayed a 54 Day Novena for Our Nation, leading up to the election. Now, I am just sitting back and enjoying “God’s Way” of answering all of those prayers. 🙂

 

God’s Power and Mercy

Finally, this is really no time for us to sit back (even though I just said that 😉 ). This is a time for us to move inland from the beachhead we just seized. In God’s strength and power (Ephesians 6:10-12), there is lots of work and lots of prayer ahead, but I believe everything just made a radical shift in God’s direction. And, as we honor Christ the King, on this final day of the Year of Mercy, let us praise and thank our most merciful Jesus!!

As if God could be anymore amazing … this was the closing prayer in today’s Liturgy of the hours, on this Feast of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe …

Almighty and merciful God,
you break the power of evil
and make all things new in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe.
May all in heaven and earth proclaim your glory
and never cease to praise you.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Let’s stay positive. Let’s stay charitable. And, by all means, let’s keep our sense of humor. 😉

 

 

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