I literally had this specific conversation recently and you hit it right on 👍🏾. It’s easy to be a faithful Catholic Christian when life is going well and it is socially accepted. However, the real challenge is keeping the faith in the face of adversity and persecution when it’s not socially accepted. Will we be willing to still carry that cross?? Even Christ himself warned his apostles to remind themselves that they hated him FIRST before they hate them. During the test of time, we will see who the real strong faithful Christians are especially during the reign of the Anti-Christ, because most will unfortunately accept and concede to the Mark of the Beast.
Right on, brother. While I love to see so many converting and the faith becoming more popular, it'll be definitely interesting to see how many of us are able to remain faithful when it once again starts costing us greatly.
Thank you for sharing this important warning on Christianity's newfound popularity. I suspect many recent conversions may not be entirely sincere. I hope that I am wrong. But as you note, we will come to know the true colors of many when Christians are made to suffer once more.
St. Ignatius of Antioch put it bluntly when he remarked: "The fire, the cross, packs of wild beasts, lacerations, rendings, wrenching of bones, mangling of limbs, crushing of the whole body, the horrible tortures of the devil, let all these things come upon me, if only I may gain Jesus Christ!"
From a French perspective, your article is quite surprising. Interesting and well-constructed, but surprising.
The assassination of Father Jacques Hamel in his church, the terrorist attack at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Nice, the country’s second-largest political force being openly hostile to Christianity, churches being vandalized on a regular basis… All this in a country where, culturally, we hardly ever talk about religion in public.
And yet, adult baptisms are on the rise. Even though traditional parishes are often quite closed in on themselves and ultimately not very focused on evangelization.
A call to—and/or a return to—the Christian roots of our continent in order to save it? Not to be cool, but out of existential necessity.
In any case, I’m glad I read this article: it has given me a glimpse into a different Christian culture, and I now understand better the tone of some of the Substack articles written from the Anglo-American cultural context.
well, I expect every christian who ever lived began with 'impure intentions', excepting the BVM. Recall how all the apostles denied Him during his Passion, excepting John. But thanks for finding the 'cloud in the silver lining' 😅
Yeah, I agree. That’s why I said it was positive, but the warning is still warranted, lest people remain on a superficial level thinking that’s all there is to it, wouldn’t you agree?
Christians realize no help is coming, no approval is waiting to be given.
Meanwhile, post-Christian secularists are beginning to realize why society was so good and accommodating to them. Even minority religions in America are beginning to realize who dominates the substrate in which they exist and how good it is and how bad it could be with someone else in charge.
But most importantly, the disenfranchized majority heirs of this society have begun to realize how they have been deprived of their rich inheritance while finding themselves in poverty, oppression, without an authentic identity or purpose - and so many of them are not turning back to mere Christianity or even to Catholicism, but to traditional Catholicism.
Mere Christianity is down: the Faith sprinkled with the precious blood of Christ, the love of the Father, the warning of the Wrath of God, the free offer of grace to all, justification by faith alone, inerrancy. The “hip” Christianity of today comes in a couple different flavors. (1) Deconstructionist where it is a vibe to fall away the Faith and then come back to vague Jesus . I pray for them to come home every day with tears.(2) new Evangelicals (Bonnie Kristian, Joseph Lear, Myles Werntz for example). All of their “ down to earth” books, podcasts, “ministries,” are, as far as far as can tell, are not used for the glory of God and salvation of lost souls, but for their views, platform, book sales. I can never find them arguing really anything definite. Kristian, a professed evangelical and deputy of Christianity Today, argues that we do not need Billy Graham any more (so many ironies there full of her vanity and hubris).
I literally had this specific conversation recently and you hit it right on 👍🏾. It’s easy to be a faithful Catholic Christian when life is going well and it is socially accepted. However, the real challenge is keeping the faith in the face of adversity and persecution when it’s not socially accepted. Will we be willing to still carry that cross?? Even Christ himself warned his apostles to remind themselves that they hated him FIRST before they hate them. During the test of time, we will see who the real strong faithful Christians are especially during the reign of the Anti-Christ, because most will unfortunately accept and concede to the Mark of the Beast.
Right on, brother. While I love to see so many converting and the faith becoming more popular, it'll be definitely interesting to see how many of us are able to remain faithful when it once again starts costing us greatly.
Thank you for sharing this important warning on Christianity's newfound popularity. I suspect many recent conversions may not be entirely sincere. I hope that I am wrong. But as you note, we will come to know the true colors of many when Christians are made to suffer once more.
St. Ignatius of Antioch put it bluntly when he remarked: "The fire, the cross, packs of wild beasts, lacerations, rendings, wrenching of bones, mangling of limbs, crushing of the whole body, the horrible tortures of the devil, let all these things come upon me, if only I may gain Jesus Christ!"
May we all be like St. Ignatius of Antioch
Agree it’s important to embrace true faith and live in Christ but it’s also not a bad thing to have more crosses around necks out there.
Your point about heart posture is right - need the right intentions, but everybody has their own path and experiences.
Perhaps they should read more Ad Aeternum!
From a French perspective, your article is quite surprising. Interesting and well-constructed, but surprising.
The assassination of Father Jacques Hamel in his church, the terrorist attack at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Nice, the country’s second-largest political force being openly hostile to Christianity, churches being vandalized on a regular basis… All this in a country where, culturally, we hardly ever talk about religion in public.
And yet, adult baptisms are on the rise. Even though traditional parishes are often quite closed in on themselves and ultimately not very focused on evangelization.
A call to—and/or a return to—the Christian roots of our continent in order to save it? Not to be cool, but out of existential necessity.
In any case, I’m glad I read this article: it has given me a glimpse into a different Christian culture, and I now understand better the tone of some of the Substack articles written from the Anglo-American cultural context.
キリスト教が本当に「cool」になるのは、 coolであることを完全に必要としなくなった瞬間なのかもしれない。
これは、あなたが最近よく見ている「カトリック回帰」「伝統回帰」「若い男性と信仰」という一連の流れを考えるうえでも、かなり重要な分岐点だと思います。
at this point the more the merrier. OCIA, the Church and the Sacraments are designed to take care of the heavy lifting required beyond that...
well, I expect every christian who ever lived began with 'impure intentions', excepting the BVM. Recall how all the apostles denied Him during his Passion, excepting John. But thanks for finding the 'cloud in the silver lining' 😅
Yeah, I agree. That’s why I said it was positive, but the warning is still warranted, lest people remain on a superficial level thinking that’s all there is to it, wouldn’t you agree?
Christians realize no help is coming, no approval is waiting to be given.
Meanwhile, post-Christian secularists are beginning to realize why society was so good and accommodating to them. Even minority religions in America are beginning to realize who dominates the substrate in which they exist and how good it is and how bad it could be with someone else in charge.
But most importantly, the disenfranchized majority heirs of this society have begun to realize how they have been deprived of their rich inheritance while finding themselves in poverty, oppression, without an authentic identity or purpose - and so many of them are not turning back to mere Christianity or even to Catholicism, but to traditional Catholicism.
Mere Christianity is down: the Faith sprinkled with the precious blood of Christ, the love of the Father, the warning of the Wrath of God, the free offer of grace to all, justification by faith alone, inerrancy. The “hip” Christianity of today comes in a couple different flavors. (1) Deconstructionist where it is a vibe to fall away the Faith and then come back to vague Jesus . I pray for them to come home every day with tears.(2) new Evangelicals (Bonnie Kristian, Joseph Lear, Myles Werntz for example). All of their “ down to earth” books, podcasts, “ministries,” are, as far as far as can tell, are not used for the glory of God and salvation of lost souls, but for their views, platform, book sales. I can never find them arguing really anything definite. Kristian, a professed evangelical and deputy of Christianity Today, argues that we do not need Billy Graham any more (so many ironies there full of her vanity and hubris).
Hey, no it isnt, you’re just observing losers. Happy to help.