Ever since Thanksgiving, my family’s short drive to Mass has been enlivened by the children’s reactions to the wide variety of Christmas decorations we see along the way. There is a large inflatable snowman down the hill, lights on many of the houses, Nativity scenes in several yards, and lit Christmas trees shining through the windows. After a mile of these Christmas displays we reach the chapel where we will find few signs of the approaching Nativity until Christmas Eve. What we do find there, though, is the Traditional Latin Mass, which is the same Mass that many of our favorite saints attended before the world had heard of Martin Luther, Henry VIII, or any of the other founders of the Protestant religions, which are as varied as the Christmas decorations that we see on the way to Mass.
As perfect as the Traditional Latin Mass is, the real attraction for us, and for a large percentage of other Traditional Catholics, is not primarily related to whether or not we “like” it. Rather, the true attraction is to the religion that Jesus established. We want to practice that religion, and the unadulterated Catholic Faith is the only religion with legitimate claims to that distinction. Being a loving and omniscient God, He would not have given us the cacophony of religious beliefs that we see today. No, the only rational explanation for these countless conflicting Christian religions is that fallen humans — such as Martin Luther, Henry VIII, and the innumerable innovators who followed them — have retained what they liked about the religion Jesus gave us and then added or subtracted elements to better suit their appetites.
God gave us our appetites for a reason, but the Christmas story gives us a clear indication that the religion of Our Lord is not one that necessarily appeals to our material appetites. The St. Andrew Christmas Novena reminds us of what we will find when we look for the true religion that Jesus left us: “Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother.”
We do not engage in combat for the sake of combat. We fight, when necessary, so that we “may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect.” As St. Paul indicates, our fighting should be for the honor of God and good of souls, otherwise it is not only worthless but often counterproductive.
Our Savior was born “at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold.” Then, as now, anyone who wanted to find Our Lord would have to be prepared to set aside material appetites in favor of the desire to find God, Who alone can satisfy the deepest appetites of our souls.
Once we find the true religion of Our Lord, the most important tasks are to practice it as faithfully as possible and lead others to it. Indeed, the history of Christianity can be seen as the efforts of Christians to do this in the face of opposition from the enemies of God. This often involves the spiritual combat of which St. Paul wrote:
“Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. Therefore take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of justice, And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: In all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one. And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). By all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the spirit; and in the same watching with all instance and supplication for all the saints . . .” (Ephesians 6:11-18)
We do not engage in combat for the sake of combat. We fight, when necessary, so that we “may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect.” As St. Paul indicates, our fighting should be for the honor of God and good of souls, otherwise it is not only worthless but often counterproductive.
In a certain sense, our warfare for the Faith today resonates with the struggles that the Holy Family had to endure on the first Christmas — they overcame various hardships for the sake of the Divine Infant just as we must overcome various struggles to find and keep the religion that Jesus left us. Just as they never lost focus on what really mattered, we must not lose focus on what really matters today. Then, as now, what really matters is Jesus. The combats and struggles are necessary and worthwhile solely to the extent that they draw us closer to Jesus.
Today, Catholics have a real reason to fight: for decades, false shepherds have attempted to transform Catholicism into Protestantism in union with a “bishop of Rome.” We have to combat this diabolical effort, which today has crystallized itself into the work to create a Synodal Church. However, there is a danger that our virtuous efforts to combat the enemies of the Faith can develop into a habit of fighting simply for the sake of fighting.
St. Joseph would have fought any battle to protect Jesus and Mary, but he would never have left the company of Jesus and Mary just so that he could go fight unnecessary battles. Today, Catholics have a real reason to fight: for decades, false shepherds have attempted to transform Catholicism into Protestantism in union with a “bishop of Rome.” We have to combat this diabolical effort, which today has crystallized itself into the work to create a Synodal Church. However, there is a danger that our virtuous efforts to combat the enemies of the Faith can develop into a habit of fighting simply for the sake of fighting. When that happens, we risk leaving the company of Jesus and Mary to fight pointless battles.
Among the many other blessings of Christmas, Our Lord’s birth is a reminder of what is really essential and valuable. We should want to overcome every obstacle so that we can place ourselves in the presence of the Holy Family at the blessed hour of the Nativity. Once there, we should want to ward off every distraction so that we may remain there for so long as possible. When our duties call us away, we should want to return as soon as we can. And, if we recognize various ways in which we have fallen into the trap of leaving the presence of the Holy Family to fight pointless battles, it seems that Christmas is an opportunity to refocus on what really matters.
What really matters is that we practice the religion that Jesus left us as faithfully as possible and try to help others to do the same. We do not necessarily have to engage in constant battles against the kind Protestants with their premature Christmas celebrations but, for the time being, we are surely called to combat those false shepherds who want to Protestantize the Catholic Church from within. Even so, as we work to overcome the false shepherds who want to make us lose the religion of the Holy Family, we must strive to maintain our focus on Who the blessed shepherds found in the stable of Bethlehem on the first Christmas. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
