What is happening to America? Why the coarseness of public discourse? Why the divisions and deep-seated hostilities of social group against group, of race against race, of political party against political party? Why the random eruptions of mass murders of total strangers, with no apparent motive at all? Why the carefree rejection of standards and norms held to be sacrosanct for centuries, now discarded in one generation? Why the rejection of personal responsibility – of “adulthood” itself – and instead a clinging to adolescent behaviors, language, games and norms into age 30’s and beyond? Why the abandonment of marriage and family, for careless sex and no strings attached? Why this astonishing ambiguity about what bathroom to use?
Or maybe more to the point (I am getting to the point, I promise), why is the world racing to self-destruction – why is the human species hell-bent on suicide?
My answer: because most of the human species sees no light, but only growing darkness – most see no way out of this doomed existence beyond “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”
Men have been so successful at expelling God from human society, that His light, the light of Truth, the light of hope, is become extinguished. Even before the great Gift to humanity, of His divine Incarnation, even before Christ came, men had some light of Truth to guide them. Men had from the beginning, and persisting even after the Fall, God’s gift of the natural moral law has been set into the hearts of all men, to guide them toward the good, and away from the evil. That intrinsic, instinctive moral compass was a guide for mankind scattered everywhere around the world. But even that foundational moral compass, informing human conscience and guarding the moral lives of men, is now in the process of being expelled from human hearts. This is satanic: it is poison from hell. Cloaked with the approbation of secular society, known as “political correctness,” this new godless moral guide is indeed poison from hell. It is quenching every spark and glimmer of the righteous light of God, and presenting the counterfeit: a guide to godlessness, a guide promising freedom but delivering blindness, promising life by the path of death, recipe to the self-destruction of the species.
Where is the Church? Where is the voice of God in this wilderness; where, a new John the Baptist? Where is the adult in this room of semi-conscious children? Where are the men and women of grace, temples of the living God, disciples and apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ – sent to be light in this world? We don’t know that we need light, until we realize that it is dark and getting darker! You who are reading this, do you realize how dark it has become, in your lifetime? Do you realize the level of insanity that has been embraced in this dysfunctional world of “political correctness”? Do you realize the need for Christ in the vacant, impoverished, starved hearts of men and women across this nation? He does! He knows, and He is looking at us – at us, His Church.
You who are reading this: do what you can do, because He is with us. To whom much is given, much is required – so to deacons, priests and bishops, given so much for the Church, I pray that you will “do what you can do,” because many more will listen to you. Clergy, do not be afraid of the Truth! Do not be afraid to listen to it, and hear it, and believe it! Do not be afraid to preach it, and teach it, and live it! Do not be afraid of the Truth, because the Truth is Life!
To my fellow lay men and women in the Church, do what you can do! First and always, pray! And receive with thanksgiving our “bread for this day” – whether Holy Eucharist, or the Truth and power of His Holy Word in Scripture, or His precious Presence with us in prayer – He is with us! Do all with holy charity, because charity – God’s own divine love – cannot be without fruit, and fruit that endures. We must endure: remain in Him, as branches in the vine, because apart from Him we can do nothing! But in Him, in our living Lord Jesus Christ, all things are possible: even light – unquenchable light – in darkness, even life – unending life – out of death.
Renew The Church! - website and Blog 
Remember that Despair is a sin against the Holy Spirit; we must struggle to avoid it.
There is no need to be discouraged: God cannot be defeated and this is only a skirmish in which we are fighting. Pray, when you feel hopeless and God will send you a message of encouragement, sometimes, by the most unlikely angels – your enemies!
This is what happened to me a couple of years ago: I was at the end of a most chaotic 40 days for Life vigil when somebody had mugged the person holding the banner and stolen the banner and thrown it in the river. At this time, there were only two others with me and one was a non -believer so he wasn’t praying but, at least, he was standing with us in solidarity which is more than can be said for the hundreds of others who could have been there but were too afraid of the violence. I was completely dispirited and was sure that we were not doing any good and that it was useless to keep on standing there. I’m afraid i wasn’t even praying very much. Then, just at that moment, one of the women, who were abusing us and saying we should be ashamed of ourselves for doing what we were doing, said, ” Your very presence on the street is causing women to ring up and cancel their appointments ( for abortions) and girls are crying in the lifts and running away and not having their abortions!” I was amazed!
On reflection I realised that this was a message from God to tell us that, miserable though our prayers were, He had used them to save some lives at least!!
Then, the following year, a young man from the opposition came along to apologise for his actions and to tell us he had changed his mind and become pro-life.
God is not always going to be sending us messages but we must have faith that the Almighty is on our side. We must have the faith of David who slew Goliath with one stone and his sling. If we are hurt in this battle, well, what do you expect? This is a real Battle – a battle for Life and it is the innocent, helpless babies who are being killed not us.
If we die in this battle, we shall be welcomed in Heaven by all those voices who were never heard on earth and they will say to God, “Spare them because they loved us!” God will turn to us and say not “Did you succeed?” but “Did you TRY?” (a quote from Senator Henry Hyde)
By: lochain on November 7, 2017
at 10:59 am
Hello lochain,
It’s good to read a response from you again! I looked back to find the last time – over two years! I am amazed at how quickly time passes, and every year it accelerates. Anyway, welcome again, and thank you.
Concerning pro-life matters, our parish gathered our annual “Life Chain” to pray together silently, holding up signs (like, “Pray to End Abortion”) for the cars passing in front of the City Hall in town, this past Oct. 29. It is always good to do this, even though the need for it is deeply troubling and sad. It is hard also because of the (relatively) few from the parish who come to participate, and the almost complete absence of non-Catholics willing to join with us.
BUT it is still a great blessing and joy to offer this all to the Lord, in prayer that the horror of abortion might soon be brought to an end. All of the continuing evils in and of this world only prove, more and more powerfully year after year, the necessity of the Cross of Jesus Christ, and our profound poverty apart from His holy life.
So yes, thanks be to God that we can raise our small poor voices up to Him for the innocent unborn, in union with the “lifting up” of the Son of Man who died for us all.
Blessings,
Thomas
By: Thomas Richard on November 8, 2017
at 8:43 am
Dear Thomas and dear lochain,
Thank you both for sharing your convictions on what is happening in America, I agree with both of you. God remains in control; we can trust Him always. “God works all things unto good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28).
St. John Paul II saw the crisis of faith coming, not only to America, but worldwide. In an address to the Legion of Mary in October, 1982 he said:
God and His Mother are being ignored — in some places worse, they are blasphemed, yet in this 100th Anniversary Year of Mary’s Apparitions at Fatima to three shepherd children, we can remember her words: “my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” Pope Benedict XVI in his commentary on the message of Fatima wrote:
May we all “take heart” and heed our Mother’s request to pray and offer sacrifices for poor sinners. “O my Jesus, pardon us and save us from the fires of hell. Draw all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of God’s Mercy.” Mary, Our Mother and Model of the Church, pray for us! Jesus we trust in You! Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful; kindle in us the Fire of Your Love.
By: Deborah on November 7, 2017
at 2:15 pm
Hello Thomas, thank you for these thought provoking blog articles. Looking at America today and comparing it to the days of my childhood, it is difficult to see any similarities. We were taught respect back then. Today’s children have no respect for anyone. The vile language that comes out of the mouth’s of teens today is difficult to listen to. I don’t know if it is too late to turn around America to God. Only God knows, but I can see America is a mess. I continue to pray for our Country, our President, our Priests, and our Church. God is so good to us, let us give glory to God.
By: Susan on November 9, 2017
at 8:14 pm
Dear Susan,
Thanks for your comment. I agree with you, just as I have agreed with Thomas and lochain. Those who have “eyes to see” can see, but some in America and in the world are walking in darkness. How I yearn to help children and teens especially who seem to have so little Godly guidance in their lives!
Yes, please let us continue to pray, especially the powerful prayer of the Rosary which Our Lady asked the three shepherd children of Fatima to pray daily for poor sinners, and to make sacrifices for them, for many have no one to pray for them: clergy and people of the Church as well as all the people of the world.
Mary, our Mother and Model, pray for us. Jesus, we trust in You! Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful; kindle in us the Fire of Your Love!
By: Deborah on November 10, 2017
at 7:31 am
Hello Susan,
Thank you for your comments. It is a different world now, and a difficult one. But the Lord is our strength; He has promised that He will remain with His Church, and with and in His grace, we can persevere.
Blessings,
Thomas
By: Thomas Richard on November 17, 2017
at 3:53 pm
I thank God for you Thomas and Deborah. Upon reading this I was immediately brought to St Paul’s warning in 2Tim3:1-5 of the perilous times in the last days. It appears it is upon us. We have this encouragement in Gal 6:8 “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up”.
By: inhimiam7 on November 17, 2017
at 8:08 am
Hello inhimiam7,
It does seem to fit the prophesies of the end times in some ways – and it all does seem to be going in the wrong direction, against reason, against faith, against common sense, against God. Thank you for quoting Gal 6:8 – Let us not grow weary, though that can be a temptation. He is with us; He will accomplish His plan; He will usher in the eternal Kingdom of the Father, and His glory will fill the universe.
Blessings,
Thomas
By: Thomas Richard on November 17, 2017
at 3:58 pm