Today’s readings:
Judges 6:11-24
Psalm 85:9-14
Matthew 19:23-30
Today we face an unprecedented crisis of faith in the world and in our Church. There is apostasy, lapsed Catholics, lost sheep, homosexual clerical predation, Catholic support for LGBT and the culture of death, Catholics not believing in the Real Presence, and so on. If God is at work in the life of the world and especially the Church, why is this happening? We wonder as Gideon did: “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (Jgs 6:13).
Well, it certainly is not God’s fault. The fault is entirely ours. The plan of God does not just happen. We need to be involved. We need to respond to His call. We need to know His will and act on it. We need to become holy warriors, reflecting the holiness of God and engaging in spiritual warfare.
What do we need to do?
First, we must respond to God’s call and trust in Him. God said to Gideon, “Go with the strength you have, and save Israel from the power of Midian.” (Jgs 6:14a). This means a number of things. One, we engage in spiritual warfare in order to work for the salvation of souls. Two, we go with whatever we have, and God will supply what else is needed as we move along. Gideon objected that his family was poor and he the most insignificant in the household (Jgs 6:15), but God said to him, “I will be with you, and you will cut down Median to the last man.” (Jgs 6:16). So three, God just needs human instruments but ultimately is the One who accomplishes the work.
Second, we must not be weighed down by the world’s baggage. A warrior goes into combat basically just with his spiritual weapons of offense and defense; anything more will be just dead weight. A warrior is focused on the fight at hand; any other worldly concern can get him out of focus and rendered less effective. The rich young man became sad when he could not let go of his possessions in order to follow Jesus (Mt 19:22). Now mind you, he was a good man who kept the commandments. How many of us can indeed be considered good persons, trying to obey God? There are many like that, but still, the forces of the enemy continue to overrun the world. So what is needed is a counter-assault, by holy warriors, those who strive to be perfect, who are not attached to worldly possessions, who look only to the ultimate reward that is heaven, who follow Jesus all the way (Mt 19:21).
Looking to the ultimate reward is very important, because this helps us endure the hardships that will surely come our way. We must have endurance and perseverance. We must be longsuffering. Peter said to Jesus, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” (Mt 19:27). Well, God is never outdone in generosity. And what we give up is nothing compared to what God has prepared for us. And so Jesus says, “everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life.” (Mt 19:29).
Third, we must know that as holy warriors we are peacemakers. In a seeming contradiction, we wage war in order to bring about peace. This is the peace of Christ. Is not Jesus the Prince of Peace? Did he not tell his disciples, “Peace be with you”? Yet he also said that he came not to establish peace on the earth but rather division (see Luke 12:51). This means that he and/or his ways will be opposed, which will then divide people, for or against him.
Thus as holy warriors, we aver, “I will listen for what God, the Lord, has to say; surely he will speak of peace to his people and to his faithful. May they not turn to foolishness!” (Ps 85:9). Jesus offers peace, peace on earth to people of goodwill, but more importantly, eternal peace in heaven. But many people prefer to be foolish. This is what is happening to many Catholics in our Church today.
As holy warriors, we fight for what is right: love, truth, justice, peace (Ps 85:11). Doing so will offend those who prefer to be foolish.
* We fight for authentic Christian love. This is not the love professed by homosexuals or transgenders. Love can never be about sin, but is about keeping God’s commandments (see John 15:10).
* We fight for truth. That God created two sexes and not many genders. That sex is reserved for heterosexual marriage. That abortion is murder.
* We fight for justice. That the rights of all will be upheld. That freedom of speech will not be legislated against by a SOGIE bill. That a biologically-male transgender is not favored over a poor janitress.
* We fight for peace. We evangelize and do mission so that the world will know Christ and live his way of life.
The Lord said to Gideon, “Is it not I who send you?” (Jgs 6:14b). God continues to say the same thing to us. So go forth. Onward, holy warriors!
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