Call to Action: Save the Church and Culture

Have you asked family and friends “can it get worse within the Church (or in the toxic Culture we live in)”?  What actions can I take?  Now four years into establishing Corpus Christi for Unity and Peace numerous individuals have confided in me, expressing deep concerns like “Vicki,  these must be the end times.” Or … “things are so dire, I feel powerless to make a difference.” Yet such defeatism is precisely the mindset that Satan himself hopes the laity adopt. 

Do you recall Gideon’s battle in the Book of Judges?  The Israelites were facing a formidable opponent … the Midianite army and they were described as “thick as locusts”.  Gideon began with an army of 32,000 men however God instructed Gideon to reduce the size of his army and allow the fearful men to leave, reducing the size of the army to 10,000.  Yet God still thought the army was too large.  He took the army to water where those men who lapped the water like dogs were chosen … a mere 300 men.  With this small but faithful group Gideon attacked the Midianites.  God caused confusion among the enemy camp, and they turned on each other.  God’s unconventional strategy combined with his intervention led to the decisive victory.  True strength relies in dependence on God.  Despite overwhelming odds, Gideon trusted in God and his trust and obedience led to an amazing victory.

Remember Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s famous words:

“Who’s going to save our Church? It’s not our bishops, it’s not our priests and it is not the religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes and the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that the priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops, and the religious act like religious. “

– National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa on May 28, 1972

 

In an interview with Catholics for Catholics, Bishop Strickland said the laity have to be first-century Christians in the 21^st Century echoing the early believers who fearlessly brought the message of the risen Lord Jesus Christ into the world. Jesus Christ is the face of truth

As we sit here today, we have a blasphemous president who promotes murder of babies up until birth, even using the sign of the cross, while promoting it.  He immorally advocates for the mutilation of children who are confused about their biological sex, and stridently embraces everything LGBTQ.  All the while the Vatican and Cardinal Gregory befriend Biden and the progressives on the left, even to the point of giving Biden communion, a man who in a state of mortal sin and who is promoting grave sin, causing grave scandal.

Right alongside Biden is our pope, a Peronist, who says one thing and then does another.  Actions are what we can judge a man by and this man can be judged by the following actions:

1. Endorsing Fr. James Martin’s book, Come Forth, that encourages priests and others to come out of the closet analogizing it to Lazarus being raised from the dead as he walked out of the tomb.
2. Allows Fr. Marko Rupnik to remain unscathed while abused sisters have no justice
3. Approves of same-sex blessings
4. Ridicules, demeans and isolates traditional, conservative Catholics and clergy

Yet there is very little you and I can do about the scandalous actions of Biden or Pope Francis.  What we can do is closer to home in our own dioceses and cities when we see:

• Local priests being canceled for unrighteous reasons
• Bishops endorsing same-sex blessings
• Bishops closing churches left and right, refusing to listen to the laity
• Mass attendees that do not receive the Eucharist reverently
• Abortionists using their demonic ploys to murder babies in the womb
• Depraved drag queens conducting “story hours” for preschoolers at local libraries or conducting drag queen shows in open public areas exposing children to hyper-sexualization
• Obscene or harmful books on library shelves available for children
• Satanists moving in on public schools and statehouses
• Legislators that weak-kneed with legislation that would prevent children from being mutilated in what they like to call “gender affirming care”

Of course I could go on. 

 

This is where we should be drawing the line in the sand.

 

We are besieged by a tide of evil acts that demand our vigilance. We must boldly open our eyes, survey our surroundings, and recognize the corrosion that threatens the fabric of our Church and society. Staying informed is not merely a choice; it is our shield and our duty. The task may seem overwhelming to stay informed, but do not be deceived by the whispers of the Enemy, who would have you turn a blind eye to their dark deeds and rest comfortably.

I implore you to consider: if the ones you hold dearest were ensnared by these vile schemes, would you not move heaven and earth to uncover the truth? Can we then justify ignoring the plight of others? Surely not, for in the eyes of Christ, every child and every person is precious, every soul is valued. Let us then stand united, informed, and resolute in our quest to dispel the darkness with the light of awareness and action.

We are at a crossroads where we can choose to ignore what is going on around us or become fully engaged.  What do I mean by becoming fully engaged?  While being informed is outstanding, it is but the first step.  We must be seen, heard, and acknowledged.  Let me repeat that.  We must be seen, heard and acknowledged.

Numbers matter despite what people will tell you.  If a petition is launched calling for the reinstatement of a priest let me ask you whether a bishop will perceive its importance if 50,000 sign it or 500 sign it?  In the diocese of Lafayette Indiana after a LifeSiteNews petition for Fr. Rothrock was lodged and 50,000 signatures were gathered and physically delivered to the Lafayette chancery with cameras rolling, what do you think happened?  Fr. Rothrock was reinstated in 3 months.  Bishops detest a groundswell of public support for a cause that they oppose.  They sway with public opinion.

 

Root Causes to Inaction

Why do a few step forward to act, while many hold back from a) signing a petition, b) attending a prayer rally, c) writing to a bishop, or d) reaching out to rally support for a cause? This reluctance, this inertia, may stem from a multitude of reasons. Let’s explore some of these factors:

1. Groupthink: This is a situation where the desire for harmony or conformity is the overriding factor. We see this in the Church of Nice where we recognize a problem, point it out (we become the dissenter) but our voice is quickly canceled out by church members that just want everything to be happy by the “can’t we all get along” crowd.  The dissenters become alienated, squeezed out and unless they tenaciously continue to speak up for what they know is right they are effectively silently canceled.

 

2. Pluralistic Inaction: Individuals look for others to act and if no one is acting people conclude the action isn’t needed, which leads to a collective state of inaction.  We see this when no one steps up to host a prayer rally or start a letter writing campaign for a priest.

 

3. Fear of Consequences: People fear the repercussions of standing out or challenging the status quo which can lead to ostracism within the church and their community (even at the job).  The underlying source of this fear, though is pride.  In general, people do not want to lose their social status, connections, and influence.  They care more about what others think of them.

 

4. Apathy: People as a group lack the will to do what is in their best interest especially if they no longer think anything will work.

 

5. Efficacy: People doubt their own individual ability to make an impact so they choose not to act.

 

6. Collective Rut: People tend to stick to established patterns and resist change even when it is beneficial.

 

What Motivates People to Act?

If we want to get to the heart of it, people must have a motivation to act.  They must have a strong personal belief in the importance of the action that will drive them to act. 

1. Sense of Duty. Usually this motivation comes from their personal values.  If someone has a strong desire to protect every baby in the womb then they will show up in the freezing cold to pray in front of an abortion mill and will even be compelled to testify before Congress on a potential ban on abortion. 

 

2. Rewards.  Sometimes people act because they are rewarded for doing so.  Our reward as devout Catholics is unlike most.  Our reward typically isn’t directed toward financial rewards or widespread recognition for acting; our reward comes from knowing we are pleasing the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We know that what we do hear on earth to proclaim and defend the Truth will result in the salvation of souls including our own.

 

3. Following Great Leaders. If we see someone we deeply respect taking action, this might also motivate us to act.  This kind of social influence can be powerful.  If you heard that national evangelist Jesse Romero or renowned exorcist Fr. Ripperger were appearing at a Statehouse to pray and ward off evil while a satanic ritual was taking place, you would be more likely to show up as opposed to your neighbor leading the effort.

 

4. Emotional.  One of the most compelling drivers of action is emotional.  Strong emotions such as passion, anger or fear can compel a person into action.  Emotional responses can override barriers to action. Here is an example and why I founded CUP.  It was in the height COVID and Churches were just reopening and Antifa/BLM riots were occurring everywhere and Fr. Rothrock, a courageous priest spoke out on the evils of BLM and Antifa and was canceled for doing it.  I would attend Fr. Ted’s daily Masses.  What welled up in inside me was a mix of passion to defend a righteous priest and anger that a bishop would so unrighteously allow BLM and Antifa onto the church campus on a Sunday to protest, while at the same time canceling this devout priest.   I had to act and reach out to every single Catholic I knew at the time to forge a prayer rally.  This was the beginning of CUP. Emotion is a powerful impetus for action.

 

5. Moral Duty. Moral Obligation will drive people despite great personal cost or risk to act to uphold moral standards.  When a group of women testified at a school board meeting, and they had to read into the testimony their home addresses where extremists could hunt them down it did not matter to them. Do you know why?  The school district was not only indoctrinating children with critical race theory but was allowing many obscene library materials to be carried on the shelves for little children to be checked out.  Some of the women who testified had no children in those schools.

 

6. Trust in the Ability to Make an Impact. What is most impressive is when someone believes in the ability to affect a positive outcome.  I call this trusting and depending on the Lord to create the win like Gideon did that day to defeat the Midianites.  When someone has trust and hope in the Lord anything can happen.

 

7. Compelled by Crisis. Have we reached the point in our Church and Nation that we are in crisis mode?  Is it the tipping point, because for some, that is what it takes for people to act. 

Whether it is fear, a desire to conform, apathy, or one’s doubt to make an impact, we really must figure out why Catholics remain disengaged and inactive to help restore the Church and why rationale conservative Americans don’t act to take back the nation.  This is why the dark side is winning.  You notice how they mobilize hundreds, if not thousands to action.  Yes I will admit that some of the activists are paid by Soros but in many cases the left activists act out of sheer passion, fear and anger.  The extreme leftists have tapped into emotional drivers of their followers leading them to take action.  You can see it with elections, abortion, same-sex marriage.  We can even see it within the Church with the bishop’s synodal appeals.  We must learn how to tap into motivations that will compel action.

 

What do You Believe Are the Reasons for Inaction and What are the Solutions?

“What do you believe are the main drivers of inaction? “

1. Social conformity (Groupthink/Look for Others to Act)
2. Personal reluctance (Fear of Consequences/Doubting ability to make an impact)
3. Apathy (Disinterest)
4. Systemic Intertia (Collective rut / Resistant to Change)
5. None of the above

Click here to provide your input

“What do you believe is the greatest motivator driving people to action?”

1. Sense of duty or moral obligation
2. Reward (in heaven or on earth)
3. Emotional drivers (passion, fear, anger)
4. Ability to effect outcome (trust in God)
5. Other

Click here to take the quick poll on these 2 questions

 

 CUP’s Top 10 List of Actions

In the journey of faith and life, we are often met with crossroads and challenges that test our resolve and commitment. This top 10 list that CUP has developed serves as a guide post to compel us to action during these tumultuous times:

#1 – Primary Duties Come First: Amidst the ceaseless battles we face, let nothing crowd out ourselves from our primary duties. We must be steadfast in our obligations first to God and our family.  In these dark times, remember to allow the Light of Christ to guide our path and be our constant reminder of what truly matters.

 

#2 – Let the Sacraments be our Compass: The Sacraments are our Divine compass, pointing us towards God’s will. We need to stay close to the Sacraments.  The disturbing times in which we live can pull us away from what is important, daily Mass and frequent confession.  With each step, let us pause and discern, prayerfully aligning our actions with His will.  It was alarming to see how many people stop attending Mass after the Churches were closes during the pandemic and many never returning.  We must stay close to the Sacraments.

 

#3 – Joyful Resilience: Adversity is guaranteed, but in the midst of it, may we be the bearers of joy, trusting in God’s great plan. Every praise we offer for this suffering combined with our smiles is a beautiful offering to our Lord, demonstrating to Him and others our unwavering faith in His plan.  Right now things may seem bleak but this too is what St. Paul the Apostle experienced with immense hardship being imprisoned and persecuted and yet he displayed a joyful peaceful demeanor.  If we are feeling defeated because what we are doing does not seem to be working, we need to remember that God is in control.  If you are a Type A like me, sometimes we believe that what we are doing is going to effect great change.  In reality, if what we do is in conformity to God’s will then that is enough. What we do matters only to the extent it is offered to our Lord so that he can sanctify what we do and make it worthy.  Remaining in a frame of mind that is poor in spirit is the key to joyful resilience because we realize that we depend on God for everything.

 

#4 – Authentic Path: Not that I am a big fan of JFK, but he did have a terrific quote “Conformity is the jailor of freedom and the enemy of growth.”  Our spiritual growth depends on our ability to break away from the Church of Nice and live and behave fully in Truth.  As Romans 12:2 states: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Conformity leads to the destruction of the Church and our nation.  Ask any person who has broken away from the Norvus Ordo conformity mindset that would have people believe that people who attend TLM are rigid, obsessed and divisive, and a cult.  If they broke away from this ‘conformity mindset’ and engaged in the TLM they would see the beauty and depth of the Liturgy and the people and be able to live an authentic path.  We must never go along to get along.   The same goes for what happened during the Covid Pandemic.  Let us dare to tread the road less traveled, where integrity, yes where truth is exemplified.   

 

#5 – Informed Discernment: Knowledge is a double-edged sword; wield it with discernment. Let us seek wisdom that edifies our soul and draws us closer to Christ, turning away from that which leads astray.  It is important to seek information that helps us make informed decisions that reinforce the doctrines of our faith but if at any time you feel too consumed by information because it can be overwhelming it is time to balance what you are reading so that you are also reading materials that enlighten your soul. 

 

#6 – Courageous Voice: Silence in the face of wrong is the ally of injustice. May we find the courage to speak, especially for persecuted priests, the unborn, and unrighteous acts that attack directly the Deposit of our Faith.  We must be the defenders of Truth.  While we might not all be as bold as St. Catherine of Siena or St. Peter Damian about abuses and injustices, we can make it a point not to remain silent when we know what we see around us is wrong.  Silence is complicity. 

 

#7 – Prayerful Battle: In spiritual warfare our key weapon is prayer. It may be difficult, but we must pray for the conversion of those bishops who are wolves in shepherd’s clothing.  Yes, it is our job to seek God’s intervention, for even wolves may experience a conversion because with God all things are possible.  We are required to pray for our enemies but here is a more compelling reason.  Why would we let the Enemy, Satan himself diabolically afflict us … and he does… when we hold deep resentment in our hearts for those who harm our priests or us directly.  Praying for enemies is one of the most powerful spiritual warfare weapons you can use to disarm the malicious tactics of the devil and effect God’s plan.

 

#8 – Collective Action: Our actions are the ripples that can swell into waves of change. Attend prayer rallies, sign petitions, write letters—let us be the droplets that together, create a torrent of spiritual transformation.  As St. Augustine said “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”  He recognized that prayer is essential, but it must be accompanied by our own efforts and actions.  This is why faith and works combined, in reliance on God’s providential care is what is needed.

 

#9 – Recruit for the Cause: St. Teresa of Calcutta spoke about the importance of serving others and the power of collective action. She is known for her quote: “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” This reflects her belief in the strength of building a community and the impact that can be made when people come together to support a cause – a cause to restore the Church and our nation’s culture. She encouraged others to join in service, emphasizing that even the smallest actions, when united, can lead to significant change. We need to take this to heart.  Any one person’s actions are but a drop in the ocean, but our collective input is what makes the impact.  As Romans 12 states we all have different gifts and we are called to use them.

 

#10 – Support Canceled Priests: In times when priests are canceled, persecuted, let us be their support system. With financial aid and fervent prayers, support the canceled priests who have dearly sacrificed for the sanctity of their flock.  Give to the coalition for canceled priests.  Adopt a canceled priest directly  … decide today , this day I am going to support a canceled priest directly.

 

This list is a call to action, a reminder to live with purpose, conviction, and a heart firmly rooted in truth and faith. It’s a testament to the power of individual action and the strength of collective will, all under the watchful eye of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and his Beloved Mother, Our Lady.

In Summary

So whether you know of a persecuted priest who needs support, an abortion mill where prayer is needed or the removal of obscene books from your local library, it is time to look deep within ourselves and find what will drive you to action and adopt CUP’s Top 10 Plan of Action.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we entrust to you all who are here today and ask you to ignite their hearts with the flame of your love so that they will be moved to aid in your mission of restoring your Church and this great nation.  Amen.