Conversations with Cardinal Burke: Building Confidence to Confront Difficult Situations

Dear Friend, 

“Only an intervention of God will save us.” These words are the capstone of the recent interview that I conducted with Raymond Cardinal Burke for our ongoing Catholic Action Insight Series. 

In this short video, His Eminence was quoting the words of Bishop Zumárraga of Mexico City who received the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531 as an answer to his concern for his people. The pious Bishop was confronting a deeply distressing situation of anger, hopelessness, and social chaos among the native peoples after the conquest of their land by the Spaniards. In the clash of cultures that resulted, the potential for violence and social dissolution was a daily fear. 

Anyone with his eyes open these days must feel similar to that holy bishop about the present circumstances of America. Violence, social chaos, political dissention are our daily reality. But the modern world also has something worse that the ancient world never dreamed of: the toxic clouds of hatred and lies that the modern media spreads to vast audiences of people whose minds they have darkened.

I asked His Eminence how it is possible to have confidence in the good things of our Faith in a situation that seems so hopeless. He answered by talking about the virtue of humility, which is the underlying virtue of confidence. 

Ours is not a boastful confidence in our own abilities or strengths. Quite the opposite. It is a humble realization of our weaknesses and a turning toward our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ whose strength has no match in this world.

Much of His Eminence’s reflection was an extremely valuable commentary on the spiritual life. He spoke of the infinite value of the Mass where we unify ourselves with the Lord in the most perfect way we can experience in this world. He also spoke of the many types of daily devotional prayers that he prays during the day and added some powerful reflections on the immense spiritual power of priests who minister to us in persona Christi through the sacraments and their pastoral concern.

Focusing on the gravity of our current situation one day before a Presidential election, Cardinal Burke reminded us that “God is in charge” and that each of us must do our part to bring order out of the current chaos, starting with our own lives and families. 

As far as the larger picture of social and political reform goes, we rely on the confidence given to us by our Faith. In the beautiful Memorare prayer, we are told that “never was it known” that Our Lady would ignore our prayers…and that is all the more true for Our Lord who hears every one of our prayers and guides us to the fullness of His Truth.

Yours in Christ and Our Lady,

Thomas J. McKenna

Founder and President

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

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