Dear Friends,
We now have a flier (IT IS ATTACHED and is emailable or hard copy) for our October 12-22 Holy Land Pilgrimage that you may request in anticipation of the July 11 (Saturday) 2:00 pm mandatory Pilgrimage Orientation Meeting at St. Joseph Chapel (400 South Blvd. W., Pontiac, MI 48341) in the Lower Level.
It is interesting that Independence Day this year coincides with First Saturday. It is special this year since it is the 250th Anniversary of the Founding of the United States of America—dated from this date in 1776 when Declaration of Independence was formally adopted by the Second Continental Congress. I WISH TO SHARE SOME REFLECTION ON THIS.
In the Church calendar, we commemorate “Doubting Thomas” on July 3—the day before Independence Day. Seeing healed his wound of disbelief, but Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen but believe.” (John 20:29) St. Thomas the Apostle’s disbelief may have done more to heal people of the wound of disbelief than the belief of the other Apostles. American needs such faith, and it needs the Apostolic Faith—the Catholic Faith—to heal not only unbelief but the many wounds of our culture.
We need a more heroic faith as we see “Socialism” and Communism gain ground in the minds of men and in politics. This frighten some people. It’s almost like alien body-snatchers are taking over fellow citizens who are adopting a totally un-American mentality, which leads to all sorts of poor social results—from inefficient use of electricity to massive fraud at taxpayers’ expense. The demonic influence on the intellect/mind—”the battleground of the soul”—is manifest and painful to watch. It is established that Marx made a pact with the Devil (and had many suicides in his family, it seems, as a result), and so the Marxism Lenin embraced for the Bolshevik/Russian Revolution was what Our Lady at Fatima warned us about one month before (Oct. 13, 1917) it broke out. Even though the Iron Curtain has fallen and the Soviet Union has dissolved, the “errors of Russia” continue unabated as they simply morphed into new packaging (wokism, for example) to seduce the unwitting into error. The “errors of Russia” are defeating America today, because these errors are spiritual and intellectual. Communism, Bishop Sheene tells us, is not primarily an economic doctrine but “a philosophy of life.” (Communism and the Conscience of the West [1948])
It is either Revelation of Revolution. The battle lines were drawn in Eden. From then on, with the Fall of man, spiritual warfare in this life would be a given. (Actually, one could say it began with the Fall of the angels, since the bad ones would never leave us humans alone and always try to tempt us.) We must not be silent about the fight—this battle until the end of time. Spiritual warfare is inescapable, so it is better we know about it, that we know our enemy, and we know how to fight him. We must NOT BE AFRAID as we see MORE AND MORE COMMUNISTS ELECTED. God is allowing this since, culturally, publicly, institutionally, and juridically we have withdrawn faith from our Creator, especially since 1962. Bad leaders are the greatest punishment of God’s people, St. John Eudes said, but the same could also be said about civic leaders. The worst thing a civic leader can do is to reject we are a nation “UNDER GOD” for that alone is a call to humility and to acknowledge the overriding sovereignty of God which will, in turn, influence human governance. Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen wrote in his book, Communism and the Conscience of the West, “In the midst of all his [the Communist’s] seeming love for humanity and his glib talk of freedom and equality [think of some our newly elected Communists today], he will have one great secret which he will tell to no one: he will not believe in God. Because his religion will be brotherhood without the fatherhood of God….” Only by deception can such leaders come to power and stay in power, because the ideology is intrinsically flawed.
If we, as a nation, are not anchored in God’s objective truth, we will be especially susceptible to error, ideology and falsehood. The Rosary, with its 20 Mysteries—that should briefly be reflected on when prayed—acts as an immunization from error. Also, in praying it, we are giving our spiritual mother permission to drape her maternal mantle (a symbol of protection) over us to protect us from being duped by the Devil and his intellectual errors.
Pope Pius XI, for example, said the Rosary is an anti-ideology prayer that especially combats Communism. As an internecine Pope who rule between WWI and WWII, and as one who was very Marian and held 3 doctorates, he was steadfast against Communism (and fascism). In 1933 he canonized St. Bernadette of Lourdes on December 8 (the feast of the Immaculate Conception), blessed the Legion of Mary that was begun in 1921, consented to the approval of the Fatima apparitions in 1930, and clearly taught that Mary deserved the titles of “Mediatrix” & “Co-Redemptrix.” He was a champion of the Rosary and urged its frequent recitation—especially by families. He said, “Above all [the Rosary] nourishes the Catholic Faith, which flourishes again by due meditation on the Sacred Mysteries, and raises minds to the truth revealed to us by God.”
Catholics are first of all about the Kingdom of Heaven. Humans were created for Heaven, and each of us must strive for it and strive to help souls to Heaven. That said, it is Catholics who must also most defend America by their fervent faith. If the Devil takes down America, then he has a greater access to the global demonic dominion he aspires to. First, he must undermine American Catholics so the can undermine Christian America to undermine moral America. Once morals go, the republic goes. All the Founding Fathers knew morals—a virtuous citizenry—were absolutely necessary for a republic to exist and flourish. This understanding came from Aristotle and Catholic Natural Law.
Jesus told the Apostles after His resurrection, “Teach all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). This ALL is fully and only found in the Catholic Faith, and only the fullness of Christian faith found in Catholicism can complete and convert this country. The three natural rights Thomas Jefferson listed in the Declaration of Independence—“life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”—have a Catholic source: the 1610 tractate by Spanish Jesuit, Francisco Suarez, On the Law. Only Catholic Natural Law can help us preserve liberty as “freedom based on truth and oriented to virtue” rather than license. The American substitution of license for liberty—such as the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade that allows a constitutional right to destroy unborn human life (violating the first stated natural right) in the name of a false liberty (license—thereby violating true liberty)—show what without a Catholic understanding of natural law, our country will betray its own ideals. Liberty is the overarching natural right: like the demons we can rebel—and that is one “American” attitude (“no one is going to tell me what to do”)—or we can obey God’s truth. Without a virtuous citizenry, a republic cannot stand, and especially one as big as ours.
America needs Catholicism, or it will not survive. Our founding documents are actually “crypto-Catholic”—relying on Catholic Natural Law without giving attribution to that. Indeed, as a nation, America is really wired Catholic, but labeled Protestant and currently functioning as secular. (Timothy Gordon, Catholic Republic, 84) Being a good Catholic is a great service to our country, but being a holy Catholic is the most patriotic thing we can do to benefit our republic while also helping souls to Heaven—the ultimate goal of everything.
The harder teachings of Catholicism require extra graces of understanding and living, and so constant prayer is needed for souls to get these graces. The supernatural graces afforded by Catholicism is needed by America more than ever. The Blessed Virgin Mary, as our Immaculate spiritual mother, can most help us maximize the obtaining of these graces.
Communism is a continuation of the Garden of Eden, after Original Sin. The battle lines of the Devil—who is behind Communism—and The Woman (Mary)—were drawn in Eden: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers” (Genesis 3:15). Jumping to the end of the Bible, this continues: “Enraged at her [the Woman’s] escape, the dragon went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep God’s commandments and give witness to Jesus.” (Rv. 12:17) American needs Catholicism. For example, only positing the Catholic dogma of Mary’s Immaculate Conception can we explain the absolute hostility of the Devil, the “red dragon” with his red forces to Mary and to Christianity. St. Francis would say that the only place he could see God with his bodily eyes was in His Body & Blood (in the Eucharist). From the Eucharist, to Marian dogmas, to the Sacraments, to Catholic social teaching to our natural law tradition, without Catholicism well understood and truly lived—America will not withstand the Devil’s assault on our dear country. He wants to take American down to have global demonic domination. We, of course, aren’t perfect, but the World Cup phenomenon of foreign visitors—especially Europeans—experiencing firsthand for themselves our kindness, hospitality and generosity—shows that God allowed America to arise (see The American Miracle by Michael Medved) for the benefit of the world and mankind. Diving Providence was totally behind the rise of our republic, and only the same Providence can sustain it. But only with the Catholic Faith can America—and many are turning to it, thanks be to God—withstand the current and coming demonic assault on our country, especially as Communism or “the errors of Russia” are metastasizing throughout our country. (Our Lady of Fatima’s warning, July 1917).
So, HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! Live your Catholic Faith fervently, for the American Republic, for the world, and for the Kingdom of Heaven so that countless souls, dearly beloved by God, will make it there. “Let’s go to Heaven together!” and let’s not be silent about the fight.
To communicate with me, please DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL. Call/text me at (313) 727-9784 or email me abunacalcio1982@gmail.com. Blessed Virgin Mary, the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States of America, pray for us!
In Jesus, Mary & Joseph,
Fr. Alex Kratz, OFM
Spiritual Director of Terra Sancta Ministries