Throughout the ages, stories of heroes – whether true or legendary – have thrilled the hearts of the young. As a result of the disinterested courage and idealism characteristic of their age-group, adolescents dream of great undertakings. To such hearts, burning with desire for heroism, the Church has always presented models that would stimulate true valor, perfect audacity, and authentic generosity – in a word, sanctity. Who is not touched by the courageous lives of young people such as Saint Agnes, Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, and Saint Maria Goretti? Or by the youthful resolutions carried on to maturity with the determination of a Saint Ignatius or Saint Francis? Which of them did not face risks with heroic bravery? These saints are an example for youth, and adults, of all times. They fought and won the greatest of all battles – the struggle against oneself, against one’s passions and weaknesses – with the arms of prayer, sacrifice, and virtue.
At a certain point in history, there suddenly appeared another type of ‘heroism’ characterized by a dubious abnegation with regard to dangerous utopias, the difficult achievement of which would be at the cost of uncertain means, and would give even more uncertain fruits. Historians tend to reveal how behind this so-called disinterestedness there were often concealed corrupt personal interests, or the desire to satisfy the worst passions. All this because in these ‘puppet-heroes’ there was no real giving of themselves to an ideal, but rather egoism manipulated by hidden hands, with very specific ideological intentions. The cry of ‘revolution’– whether to the sound of the bayonet and guillotine, under the hammer and sickle, or in any of the thousand and one facets shown throughout the last centuries – has been the perfect excuse to maneuver the most perverse instincts, often with the desire to destroy the Catholic Church, good customs, or venerable and millenary institutions. Because of all of this, the word ‘revolution’ has connotations that no Catholic can accept…
Which brings to mind the young saints mentioned earlier…would it be conceivable that one of them brandish the flag of some revolution? Can this be considered the war-cry of sanctity?
Lately, we have heard another variant of the word ‘revolution’. Now the expression used is ‘hacer lío’, which signifies ‘make a racket, or make a mess, or even stir up hell!’ Within the Church ‘making a racket’ is insistently being promoted. Making a racket on the streets, in the diocese, in families, in society…. Stirring up, making a racket, a mess… was this Jesus’ plan for his Church? What to think of all this? And the most surprising was to hear at the end of his trip to the Continent of Hope, the one who should be the ‘Sweet Christ on Earth’ say: ‘help me to keep making a mess’ (Paraguay, July 11, 2015). Read more…
