"We're losing," said my father with a deep sigh during our long distance telephone conversation. "We're losing the battle."
His statement had nothing whatever to do with his or my mother's state of health, thank heavens. He was not speaking about the war in Iraq. He was talking ostensibly about the culture war raging in the U.S., but the battle we both knew he referred to goes beyond culture. It's the battle for souls and for the preservation of the world as God's creation.
As a World War II veteran, a survivor of the Great Depression, and the son of an immigrant Italian family in Brooklyn, New York, my father loves his country. He is devoted to his family, living and deceased. He also happens to love God, the true God revealed by Jesus Christ and made manifest through the Holy Catholic Church. When these bulwarks of his life are attacked, he tends to take it personally.
So he demonstrates, sometimes to the chagrin of the local police, in front of nearby abortion mills. A few years ago, he and his fellow protesters peacefully shut down a private clinic, and now they are focusing their attentions on yet another owned by the same physician, who by now really should know better. My father is also active in his community's VFW Post and Knights of Columbus, reminding them of their duty and keeping them on track in the face of confusing modern issues. And he votes in public elections of every sort, every chance he gets.
But he's disheartened and it's not hard to understand why. For my father, and for the entire Church militant who become discouraged with front line fatigue, I'd like to point out why we are not losing the battle. I don't say we are winning the battle; I say we are not losing the battle. Only God can win this war and He will.
In the meantime, here are a few weathercocks showing the true way the wind is blowing. You won't find them on the nightly news broadcast, or in the daily newspapers. They are viewed as stumbling blocks and foolishness, easily overlooked or sneered at. For Catholics, however, we should take them as signposts directing us to our destination:
Jesus said we will win. Actually, He said the gates of hell will not prevail against the Catholic Church. This should be a never-ending source of comfort to us.
The very Real Presence of the Eucharist. We have Christ, crucified and resurrected among us, in His entirety, in tabernacles all over the world. He nourishes us for the battle.
Eucharistic Adoration is on the increase. An estimated 300 parishes in the U.S. participate in Eucharistic Adoration, many with Perpetual Adoration, averaging about two per diocese. Some dioceses are reporting a 30 to 50% increase in Eucharistic participation.
The celebration of the Tridentine Mass is spreading. Nationwide, the numbers are steadily rising and the trend is significant enough to warrant coverage by the secular media. Did you ever think you'd see a Catholic priest of the Latin Rite, with upraised chalice, on the cover of U.S. New & World Report? You can even watch a Tridentine Mass on YouTube.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit abides in our souls. This one is a perfect example of an overlooked signpost. Even though we can't "see" them, we are given His seven gifts: Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord. Consider it armor and ammunition for warfare.
Faithful religious communities are being inundated with young, enthusiastic vocations. This is not an overstatement. Young men and women are seeking radical lifestyles dedicated to Christ and are responding to God's call with joy.
The number of abortion mills is decreasing in many areas of the country. Planned Parenthood admits the pro-life movement is making progress in turning public opinion against Roe v. Wade. The number-one abortion provider in the U.S. is now marketing itself to very young girls in order to develop a profitable future market for contraceptives and abortions.
Many young families are deciding to live the Catholic faith. Probably the most underreported news of the past decade is the phenomenon of faith-filled husbands and wives having more than the U.S. average of children and choosing to exist on one breadwinner income in order to have a stay-at-home parent. Many of these families are homeschooling their children in order to instruct them in the Catholic faith in all aspects of their lives. Others attend parochial and independent schools at great financial sacrifice.
The growing number of Catholic colleges and universities being founded and funded. These institutions distinguish themselves by being loyal to the Magisterium and attracting high-quality faculty members who profess the same. Practicing orthodoxy, they aspire to reclaim the Church's rightful heritage of higher education.
The rise of faithful young people. Just watch a televised broadcast of the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. or the next World Youth Day and you'll see how extraordinary young adults can be. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, undiluted, draws them in. If we teach it, they will come. And stay.
Now, I know this list can be easily brushed aside amid the overwhelming evidence of our everyday culture, and I'm not denying things look bleak. But that is because we are looking with secular eyes, not eternal vision. We must remember that God is unseen and so are most of His works. If we want a play-by-play of His victory, we've come to the wrong Commander-in-Chief. His mysteries are His own and God reveals "who, what, why, when and how" on His own terms, not ours.
As in many, many instances in life, I find consolation in Tolkien. Yes, I'm one of those people. His Lord of the Rings masterpiece, for me, bridges the mysteries of God's providence and makes them tangible. He weaves his fantasy story in an entirely fictitious world and with every page I see real life thrown up in startling relief — crisper, clearer, as if life has been digitally enhanced instead of pixilated.
So I tell my father, "It's like Frodo." While the powers of the world are clashing in epic battle, with every appearance that evil will win, a small, barefoot Hobbit is making his way to the Mountain of Doom, slowly and steadily. He's so insignificant to the world, he goes unnoticed. Even the good forces can't see him. They are unsure of his progress, but they continue to fight because it's the right thing to do.
When the ring, representing the power of all evil, is destroyed in the fiery pit — accomplished not by Frodo, but by providence — the bottom quite literally drops out from under the evil forces. In a few seconds, their world collapses and evil looks upon the heroic Hobbit and realizes its own folly. Victory is snatched from evil, just as victory was snatched from Satan at Christ's resurrection.
We are like those forces doing battle. We have no idea where Frodo is, closer to his goal or not. We fight on, looking for any sign we can glean that the enemy is faltering, often not finding one. Except we have one advantage: we're certain how the story ends. We know the ring will be destroyed, good will win the day and the world will know God's peace.
"In the end, my Immaculate heart will triumph," the Virgin Mary tells us through her encouraging revelations at Fatima. Our Lady is the key to the decisive battle for souls and for the world. As our Mother, She speaks the truth and exhorts us to keep striving toward the goal.
So don't worry, Dad, just go on keeping the faith. Our victorious ending is assured.
