'If God Is For Us, Who Can Be Against Us?'

In Chapter 23 of Matthew, Jesus lays it all out for the Scribes and Pharisees. He begins, “Woe to you . . . ” He is very clear about their prideful behavior and hypocrisy. He compares them to a whitewashed tomb, clean on the outside, and dead like bones buried inside. He tells them he is going to send prophets and wise men, which they will scourge and crucify. Can you think of a time in history when this dialogue from Jesus would not apply? Politicians and governments with an ideology and an agenda contrary to the teachings of Jesus have been studied in history books for generations, but what lessons have we learned from these experiences?

Gnosticism, a collective name for a number of greatly-varying groups of idealistic sects, which flourished before the Christian era down to the fifth century, means belief in a doctrine of salvation by knowledge. This may be partly true, but is lacking in the understanding that the soul attains its proper end by obedience of mind and will to the supreme power of God. As God promised, thank goodness, He sent the prophet St. Ireanus of Lyon, who battled this heresy against Christ’s Incarnate Wisdom, which is our first step to holiness.

The mark of truth by God the Father and the proof in Apostolic Teaching give us the knowledge necessary for our redemption. In this divine order, we are all called to serve; protecting life and liberty by living in a Culture of Life. Many times in history the fall of civilizations follows a culture of death with an egotistic and elitist attitude in government leadership.  Thank God for sending people like the abolitionists, who battled slavery in the 1800’s in the United States. Thank God for sending the Cristero Army, who battled the corrupt government of Mexico during the revolution of 1926. Thank God for all the martyrs and protectors of life during the Nazi regime. The list goes on as we account for the times God has rescued us from the battle of good and evil — light and dark. Even as far back as the end of the Roman Empire, when St. Augustine of Canterbury and his Benedictine monks wanted to convert pagans and renew the faith of the people in England, they were met with resistance and returned to Italy. Pope Gregory told them to go back and evangelize!

Evangelizing about the importance of marriage, protecting life, ending abortions, and teaching truth about the theology of the body and God’s Divine Plan, is very important for today’s culture. One battle for the dignity of life began with a decision issued by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973. On the anniversary of this event, a tradition has begun in Washington, D.C. This year at noon on Jan. 25, over 300,000 people gathered to “March for Life,” standing up for what is right and just. Can you imagine that every day, 4,000 babies are aborted in America, totaling over 50 million since that decision in 1973?  We must encourage people to think about the issues that concern our health, spiritually and physically, especially those issues which threaten religious freedom. Do not be moved by anger. Use ethical thinking like St. Thomas Aquinas, and think through issues with love when the culture does not know how.

I am so grateful for the gift of my Catholic faith and the teachings of the Church. We should praise God for the gift of grace we receive from the sacraments which strengthen us. We have so much to protect in the daily battle of good and evil, not just for our own soul, but for the spiritual well-being of all people, especially those who cannot speak for themselves, the unborn. God is counting on all of us. This commitment and accountability are what evangelization is all about. When Jesus said, “Woe to you,” he meant all of us! We may not all be able to march in Washington, D.C, but we can be soldiers armed with the power of our prayers for life and liberty every day! Amen!