A friend tipped me to the Administrator of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, H.E. Most Rev. Robert J. Herman. It is posted on LifeSite.
He was remarking on the Pro-Life Mass held in their cathedral.
In his comments he said this, which could have been right off the pages of this blog:
In order to bring about a transformation from a culture of death to a culture of life, we have to restore our Catholic identity.
This means that all of us, as Catholics, have to undergo a profound transformation. It means that we have to take a good look at every facet of our Catholic life, including the serious study of life issues, the regular and devout use of our Sacramental system, especially the devout and weekly attendance at Mass, the regular reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the devout praying of the daily Rosary, and then the faithful, loving and firm witness to lax Catholics about our Catholic beliefs and practices.
There has been a concerted effort for years, decades, to drive the influence of the Catholic Church from the public square, to silence her voice.
Alas, so many influential Catholics have been complicit in this.
The bishop also says:
That Satan is very alive in influencing all of us is his best-kept secret. Becoming steeped in the Word of God and the teachings of the Catholic Church exposes his evil machinations.
We need a revival of our Catholic identity.
We must know who we are and what we believe and then live them both so that we can carry out our vocations as individuals and as a Church.
Much of my work through WDTPRS is about this revitalization of our Catholic identity.
I think liturgy, properly celebrated in continuity with our tradition, is the key to this.
The way we pray expresses who we are, but it also shapes who we are.
If we are going to be effective as Catholics we must revive our Catholic identity, embrace it with joy and courage, and live it.
Remember: most of you of a certain age are confirmed. This sacrament is meant to help you in times of challenge.
These are times of challenge.
Think of yourselves as confirmed and sealed and under the banner of your King.
