"And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; (Luke 2:34).
The institution which Christ founded, like Himself, is a sign of contradiction to the wisdom of the world. It will meet the same rejection, the same opposition from the kingdom of the world. This may not have been as apparent in prior centuries when Christianity and its ethos were dominant but the decay of the past two hundred years, decade by decade, has destroyed a moral system that had matured over a millennium. As I wrote a few days ago, we stand at the precipice of a new civilization which is markedly hostile to the Catholic Church in particular and Christianity in general.
You don't have to look far to see the face of the new 'alien" civilization. When I say alien I mean a civilization that my grandparents would find abhorrent and 500 years ago our ancestors would have viewed as pagan. Sexual permissiveness, widespread pornography, militarism, abortion, open homosexuality and outspoken selfishness are only a few of the characteristics that prior generations would have viewed as decadent and demeaning to the human person.
The common attitude of the secularists who dominate this new culture towards the person of Jesus Christ is hate. Oh, they disguise it very well with euphemisms and wordplay but we only have to observe their actions to see the truth. Jesus stands as a sign of contradiction, as Simeon prophesied, to the current culture and it is for that reason that He is hated. It wants to destroy the traditional family and in its place replace it with government which will indoctrinate the children into the new values of self importance, sexual fulfillment, indifference to religion and the importance of maximizing your own fulfillment in this world since there is nothing after we die.
A sign of the times and a prophesy itself was the recent statement, "Catholics may have to suffer for the integrity of their institutions", Bishop Fabian W. Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska announced in his response to the Obama administration's contraception mandate. “We cannot and will not comply with this unjust decree. Like the martyrs of old, we must be prepared to accept suffering which could include heavy fines and imprisonment.”
Consider the issues of gay marriage and abortion - two of the more abhorrent features of the new civilization. To be against these sins is to be considered a bigot or extremist. I have mentioned in the past my encounter with a feminist in Canada who was aghast and 'horrified' when I told her that I was the father of six children. She considered me selfish for contributing to the world's overpopulation. This in itself is ironic if you have ever been to Canada, one of the less dense populated places in the world.
We are only seeing the beginning of a clash between two world views. Bishop Bruskewitz is probably correct that future generations will suffer much for their religion and their opposition to the values of the new culture. Ultimately, the Cross of Christ is the ultimate sign of contradiction and by embracing it we will suffer the consequences.
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