Dear Friend, 

The Solemnity of Christ the King at end of the Church’s liturgical year always reminds me of those ancient coins that featured an image of a Roman Emperor with an inscription proclaiming him “deus”, a god. 

But all those so-called gods are gone now. Their bones molder in the grave like every other man that ever lived, save One. The true God-Man, who is the King of the Universe and Lord of history. Amidst all the false gods of history clamoring to be adored, the Lord Jesus is the one, true, and only God who can claim our worship.

Unlike the Roman Emperors, though, our Lord doesn‘t need to stamp any coins with His image to remind people that He is God. He does something much better: He stamps our souls with the imprint of Himself. 

The first casting is at Baptism, where we are sealed with His image and given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Another anointing at Confirmation deepens that impression in our souls. It is our lifelong task to try to live up to that image within us.

Saints

But there is another way the Lord sends us reminders of Himself: through the saints. I’m not referring to the canonized saints—as important as they are—but rather to those witnesses of the Christian life whom God places in our lives to keep us strong in the faith and cognizant of Jesus’s living image in this world. 

We sometimes call them role models, that is, people who show us the truth by living it. They don’t replace Jesus, by any means: they only remind us of His image in us and enhance the graces God has given us in Him. Our lives would certainly be impoverished without saintly role models.

I think the best way to describe them is to say that role models make the Catholic faith real to us and to the world. 

Another monetary analogy may help: the people who are in charge of our money supply spend most of their time looking at authentic, legal bills, so they are able to spot a counterfeit bill very easily. 

Our role models are like those treasury workers: they spend time looking at the Authentic One, the very substance of Truth. They see the True Image clearly because they spend time in His radiant presence through prayer, which is why they become the living truth for us. They are the real image of Christ in the world. 

Godparents

Role models are looked up to and admired by others; they without question influence lives, values and lifestyles. How important, then, are the role models we choose for our Catholic journey. Before children know anything about the faith, parents choose role models for them in the persons of their godparents. What an important decision that is in all respects. 

Then, at Confirmation we get to choose our own sponsor (role model) and take a new patron saint’s name. Sometimes they strengthen us for the journey, other times they walk with us or stand as beacons of light in the darkness. They should help make the Catholic faith real for us. 

Counterfeits

The reason I point this out is because I believe the Church has just entered a period of crisis in role modeling which affects all of us in some way. Recently, the Vatican has come out with two of the most perplexing, non-doctrinal statements which seem to permit the baptism of transgender people and even permission for them to be godparents. 

In other words, the Vatican now seems to be allowing transgender individuals to serve as role models of faith. It makes me shudder to my very core.

Recently, The Catholic Thing ran a very insightful podcast where Robert Royal interviewed Fr. Gerald Murray about these developments. It was very enlightening. Fr. Murray is a parish priest and canon lawyer in the New York Archdiocese. But above all, a man of great common sense!

Fr. Murray noted that the Baptismal Promises we recite at a baptismal ceremony (whether by the adult to be baptized or the godparents on behalf of the child) include an acknowledgement and acceptance of all Catholic teachings and a pledge to at least try to live a virtuous life in the imitation of Christ. 

But this is impossible with people who believe that God made a mistake when He created a person male or female at birth. The truth of the matter is literally found in science, not faith, but our faith confirms the biological fact as part of the full Truth of Christ.

Father Murray also noted that a male who shows up to church in a dress expecting to receive a sacrament or demanding to be a role model for others is making a mockery of our Catholic faith. In fact, he is mocking the very Truth of Christ. 

Nothing could be further from the masculine image of Christ our King!

This messaging from the Vatican is deeply disturbing. First, the idea was not to judge the sinner. No one disagrees with that, as long as there is true repentance from sin. Then the emphasis graduated to love, compassion, acceptance, and even “accompaniment” of the sinner in his sin. Now, we’re supposed to bless their sin and consider them role models. 

This is a dreadful crisis we face now. I am concerned that the faithful Catholic laity going forward will have to deal with these situations in real life circumstances while trying to hand on the authentic faith to their children. Faithful priests will have an even harder time of it! 

The Truth Sets Us Free

As always, the only way to deal with this or any other crisis of faith is to remain faithful to the truth, namely, the Truth Himself. So, dear friends in Christ, as we celebrate the feast of Our Lord and King, let us thank Him for giving us role models of faith who continue to inspire us in faith and life, and let us re-pledge our lives to Him, our only God. 

Let us also pray that Jesus Himself will liberate His Church from this new scourge which is causing untold confusion for believers. We pray that the One whom scripture calls the Faithful and True (Rev 19:11) will free us of this crisis—and soon!

Finally, we are so very grateful for you and our dear supporters. The global celebration of giving and generosity known as #Giving Tuesday is a few days away. On this special giving day, faithful people raise awareness to causes we care about, volunteer and donate money to charitable organizations of their choice.

As a way of doing this, I would like to ask you to help Catholic Action for Faith and Family with your gift on this special day. Please click here to give! Every penny counts in our efforts to reconquer our nation and our world for Christ.

A blessed feast of Christ the King to all of our wonderful Catholic Action supporters and your families.

Your friend in Christ,

Thomas McKenna

Founder and President

Catholic Action For Faith And Family
https://www.catholicaction.org/

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