Some Help In The Wilderness

CRISIS Magazine e-Letter

July 7, 2005

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Dear Friend,

I wrote this e-Letter yesterday, intending to send it out this
morning. Unfortunately, the day brought the horrible news of the
terrorist bombings in London.

So before I proceed to the main body of this letter, please join me
in praying for the victims and their families in this awful time. The
barbarians that have carried out these attacks have seriously
misjudged the English character. The same fearless citizens who
withstood the Nazi blitz of World War II and the IRA bombings of more
recent years will stand up to this as well.

Let us stand with them.


* * * * * * * * *

 
The Saturday before last, my wife and I had the joy of attending the
wedding Mass of a Crisis Magazine staff member.

It took place in the Basilica of Saint Lawrence in Asheville, North
Carolina. If you've never been to the basilica, you're missing one of
the most beautiful churches in North America. Seemingly pulled from
6th century Rome, it was breathtaking to behold.

So too was the Mass itself. Conducted in Latin with chant provided
by a number of students from Christendom College, it was liturgical
heaven. And, needless to say, we were thrilled to be there as our
friend embraced with both arms the holy vocation of marriage
(honestly, she was the most excited bride we've ever seen).

The beauty of the basilica and the liturgy got me thinking a bit.
It's certainly true that things in the Catholic Church in America are
improving. The vocations crisis is slowly turning around... the
number of solid, enthusiastic bishops is growing... and younger
priests, nuns, and Catholics in general are recognizably more
orthodox than their predecessors.

But not every diocese -- let alone every parish -- is experiencing
this renewal. Too many Catholics are still languishing in dead
parishes, forced to bear liturgical foolishness and doctrinal
dissent. What can they do?

Well, I know of no short-term answer that will solve every problem.
But I can make a few suggestions for those struggling in the
wilderness:

1. It's vital for faithful Catholics to have support. If you're not
getting it at your parish, you need to find it somewhere. And
happily, it's there if you know where to look.

First, you need to connect with other like-minded Catholics. If
you're internet savvy, one way to do that is to frequent one of the
many good Catholic web forums and weblogs (called "blogs"). There's
one for just about every taste and interest.

You can find a list of some popular Catholic blogs here:

http://www.catholicblogawards.com/cba2005/

Unfortunately, after scanning the list, they appear to be missing a
few personal favorites:

http://theanchoressonline.com/
http://richleonardi.blogspot.com/
http://www.thrownback.blogspot.com/

Of course, if you know of other faithful Catholics in your area, you
could always start a Bible study group, or a discussion circle...
gathering each week to discuss Scripture, or an article from a good
Catholic publication. (And there are some very good Catholic
publications out there <cough>Crisis Magazine<cough>.)

Another good source for study and personal growth are the reams of
faithful Catholic books and audio programs, covering everything from
spirituality to apologetics. You can find a Catholic online mall with
numerous sources for such things here:

http://www.catholicexchange.com/mall/index.asp

And, in the realm of apologetics, I'd add this one as well (Patrick
Madrid is simply first-rate):

http://www.surprisedbytruth.com/


2. But what if your problem has less to do with dissent than with
irreverent liturgy? Well, one solution is to watch the daily Mass on
the Eternal Word Television Network (they're also a great place to
find faithful Catholic programs on a wide variety of issues).

You can also listen to the wonderful homilies of Father Jay Scott
Newman, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville, South
Carolina. You can hear them online here:

http://www.stmarysgvl.org/discipleship-tape.asp

If your entire diocese is liturgically crazy, you might consider
attending one of the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches in your area. If
you've never attended an Eastern Rite liturgy, you're in for a treat.
And, of course, they're completely Catholic. Take a look at Crisis
Magazine's current cover story for more information.


3. If possible, travel. While this isn't an option for everyone,
traveling and seeing parishes in other areas is a good way to get in
touch with the larger Catholic Church. No, I'm certainly not
suggesting you do this each Sunday. But vacations can be combined
with mini-pilgrimages. If you like skiing, why not plan a family
vacation to Denver, where you can hit the slopes and also enjoy Mass
in a rock-solid archdiocese?

A trip to New York should include a visit to the Church of Our
Savior, Father George Rutler's parish. It's a stunningly beautiful
church and, of course, you can't beat Father Rutler.


4. Get your hands on everything Pope Benedict XVI has written. I'd
especially recommend his book-length interviews, The Ratzinger
Report, Salt of the Earth, and God and the World. All are excellent
and all are available from Ignatius Press at:

http://www.ignatius.com/index.aspx?SID=1&

Remember, as a Catholic, you're in communion with the whole Church,
not just your local parish.


5. Remember St. Athanasius.

Born at the tail-end of the third century, Athanasius was rightly
known at "The Father of Orthodoxy." He almost single-handedly faced
down the heresy of Arianism, which had overcome much of the Eastern
Church. Indeed, his plight was remembered with the phrase,
"Athanasius Contra Mundi" (Athanasius against the world).

As a bishop, he was driven from his diocese numerous times, only to
return and continue the fight. And in the end, he won.

Trials consume us now, but with the strength of Athanasius, and
through his intercession, orthodoxy will triumph once again.

Talk to you next week,

Brian



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