During our live broadcast of “Go Ask Your Father” at St. Ambrose Academy in Madison, Wisconsin today an 8th grade student asked me, “Do you think God is proud of what has become of humanity and the Church today?”
How would you answer?
Coming as it did on Friday, September 28, during the high point of the drama of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings in Washington, DC and the day after the second letter from Archbishop Vigano challenging the integrity of Pope Francis, and all of the other negative news swirling around the Church and the country — with angry righteous voices of wounded faithful Catholics calling for episcopal resignations, denouncing gutless Catholic journalists, daring and manipulating simple priests to walk the plank of disobedience and disunity – for a moment I thought I could have said, “I think God is sick of us all and hates us”, but as that thought crossed my mind I saw the smirk on Satan’s face and thought of the Blessed Mother instead, and so I responded:
“I think God is very proud of St. Ambrose Academy, and all of the wonderful students here, faithful and generous sacrificing families and teachers, generously open to life, where Mass is celebrated three times weekly and confessions are heard monthly. I think God is very happy with the Bishop of this diocese and the twenty four young men in the Seminary and the marvelous new St. Paul Catholic Center at the University of Wisconsin and the twenty-two young adults received into the Catholic Church at Easter. I think God is very proud of the work of Relevant Radio, and shows it through the extraordinary generosity of our listeners who support us. . . But I also think God is not happy or proud and feels sorry for all of the people who lie and sin and refuse his grace. . . I think God is very proud and happy that St. Ambrose Academy offers outstanding education for half of what it costs the public schools, and that Catholic schools save US taxpayers billions of dollars in taxes ever year.”
The students cheered.
Since it was a radio show I did not have time to finish the rest of my thoughts:
- I think God is happy and proud of all of the people who fast and pray at 40 Days for Life;
- I think God is happy and proud for the Knights of Columbus on the streets last weekend raising money through Tootsie Rolls to support the disabled;
- I think God is happy and proud of all the teachers in truly Catholic schools who do twice the work for half the pay;
- I think God is happy and proud of our policemen and firemen and all who risk their lives daily for our safety;
- I think God is happy and proud of all the truck drivers who work brutal hours away from home to bring food and conveniences to our local stores;
- I think God is happy and proud of the great work FOCUS and SPO and Little Sisters of the Poor and Sisters of Life are doing;
- I know God is happy and proud of all the people who daily sacrifice to assist women in a crisis pregnancy;
- I think God is happy and proud of EWTN’s efforts to bring the Mass and good doctrine to millions of people throughout the world in many different languages;
- I think God is happy and proud of those big hearted selfless people trying to provide a way forward for vulnerable immigrants and refugees;
- I think God is happy and proud of so many, many people who just show up for work on time, who say “please”, and “thank you”, and “please forgive me”, and put their spouses and children first, who do not hold onto grudges, and make a daily effort to light a candle instead of curse the darkness.
- I think God is happy and proud of so many, many people who are doing great things and not looking for credit.
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And I think God is happy for all of the humble, hard-working parish priests and humble, hardworking and faithful Bishops.
“I think God is happy and proud of those who are trying to be good. Why? Because God is our Father.”
Often these days I have pondered again those words of St. Josemaria that excited me when I was a young man: “Don’t let your life be sterile. Be useful. Blaze a trail. Shine forth with the light of your faith and of your love. And with your apostolic life wipe out the slimy and filthy mark left by the impure sowers of hatred. And light up all the paths of the earth with the fire of Christ that you carry in your heart.”
Oh Lord, don’t let me or Relevant Radio be among the “impure sowers of hatred.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for us.
Our Lady of Good Help, Pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us.
