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JMJ
"I have met many generous families that are deeply rooted in their Christian faith. . . They remind me of the Christians who, in the twilight years of the Roman Empire, kept watch over the flickering flame of civilization. I want to encourage them. I want to tell them: Your mission is not to save a dying world. No civilization has the promises of eternal life. Your mission is to live out with fidelity and without compromise the faith you received from Christ. In that way, even without realizing it, you will save the heritage of centuries of faith. Do not be afraid because of your small numbers! It is not a matter of winning elections or influencing opinions. It is a matter of living the Gospel. Not thinking of it as a utopia, but experiencing it concretely. Faith is like a fire. A person himself must be on fire in order to transmit it. Watch over this sacred fire! May it be your heat in the depths of the winter in the West. When a fire illumines the night, people gradually gather around it. That must be your hope."
(Cardinal Robert Sarah)
As the moral foundations of society slowly erode, it is tempting to lapse into a state of hopelessness and frustration. The only logic left is the natural conclusion of nihilism that is a consequence of decades of a culture untethered to the truth. Cardinal Sarah likens modern man to a "dead leaf detached from the tree, at the mercy of every gust of wind." In contrast, the Christian is like the stubborn oak who, nourished by the roots that it give it life, endures despite the godless gales that fiercely blow.
Throughout the history of salvation, it is the small company of faithful followers that kindles the flames of faith. As Isaiah prophesied:
"For out of Jerusalem shall come a remnant, and from Mount Zion, survivors." (2 Kings 19:31)
And just as the roots remain hidden under the soil, so too, the faithful remnant has often persisted while hidden from sight. When Rome was overrun by excesses of every kind, domestic churches held secret worshippers; fledgling Christian communities evangelized through their silent witness, furtively spreading the Gospel. Over a millennia later, in the Far East of the globe, another clandestine community in Japan, for fear of persecution, passed on this treasured inheritance for 250 years - generations of safeguarding the faith without ever encountering a priest. And when Nazism suffocated the streets of Krakow, a future saint and pope fought the power of evil, not through vociferous or armed resistance, but through the secret preservation of his culture (in acted plays) and faith (in the "Living Rosary" ).
The mission of the faithful does not hinge on whatever politics dominate the landscape. The goal remains the same: to save the souls of ourselves and of our families. Like the roots receive warmth from the earth during the winter months, the steadfast domestic church can enjoy the warmth that emanates from a life lived firmly rooted in truth, goodness and beauty.
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