Episode 3120: The Role of the Faithful in Times of Confusion - Morning Episode

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Book Recommendation of the Day
On the Holy Spirit
• Publisher: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press (Popular Patristics Series)
• Summary: A foundational patristic text defending the divinity of the Holy Spirit, written against the heresies of the time. Essential reading for Trinitarian theology.
Recommended translation by David Anderson
First millennial saint Carlo Acutis will be canonized Sept. 7, the pope says
Today we confront a sobering reality a reality made clear by one of the Church’s most prayerful and courageous prelates, Cardinal Robert Sarah.
In a recent address, Cardinal Sarah stated, “There are bishops preaching heresies and Rome remains silent.”
This is not mere rhetoric. It is a cry from the heart of a man who has dedicated his life to guarding the deposit of faith the fides quae creditur, the objective content of what we must believe to be Catholic.
Cardinal Sarah’s words echo the concern of countless traditional Catholics who see with anguish the loss of doctrinal clarity, the rise of moral relativism, and the betrayal of sacred tradition. The silence from Rome in the face of doctrinal deviation is not neutral. It is negligence — and in the words of Pope St. Felix III: “Not to oppose error is to approve it; not to defend truth is to suppress it.”
When Shepherds Preach Heresy
The faithful today are exposed to shepherds who openly bless immoral unions, reject the permanence of Hell, question the Real Presence, and embrace false ecumenism that confuses the faithful about the one true Church founded by Christ.
These are not “pastoral developments.” They are betrayals of the divine mandate Christ gave to His Apostles: “Go therefore and teach all nations... teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19-20)
St. Vincent of Lerins taught in his Commonitorium that true development in doctrine is like the growth of a child the same identity remains, only mature in understanding. But what we see today are mutations, not developments.
In the name of synodality and dialogue, heresy now dresses itself in the language of mercy.
Silence from Rome: A Crisis of Authority
The silence Cardinal Sarah denounces is reminiscent of the Arian crisis in the 4th century. St. Jerome famously lamented, “The whole world groaned, and was astonished to find itself Arian.”
In our day, the faithful groan as they find themselves surrounded by shepherds who:
• permit liturgical abuses without correction,
• distort Catholic moral theology,
• and elevate secular ideologies above divine Revelation.
In the past, Rome was the rock of doctrinal clarity. Today, it often speaks ambiguously or not at all. This is not the indefectibility of the Church failing, but men in authority neglecting their duties. Let us recall the warning of St. John Chrysostom: “The road to Hell is paved with the skulls of bishops.”
The Role of the Faithful in Times of Confusion
What are we to do?
We must remain in the bark of Peter but not in blind obedience to unfaithful pilots. St. Paul corrected Peter to his face (Gal. 2:11) not to divide the Church, but to defend the truth. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that when faith is endangered, even the laity must rebuke prelates with reverence and firmness.
We must:
• Cling to the Traditional Latin Mass and the perennial teachings of the Church.
• Catechize ourselves and our children with the Baltimore Catechism and the writings of the saints.
• Support faithful priests and religious orders who have not bent the knee to the modernist tide.
• Pray, fast, and offer reparation for the sins of our shepherds.
A Call to Bishops and Rome
To our bishops: if you have remained silent while others preach heresy, your silence is not prudence it is complicity.
To Rome: if you allow heresy to flourish in your name, your silence is not mercy it is scandal.
The Church does not need innovators; she needs defenders.
Let the words of St. Pius X burn in our hearts: “The true friends of the people are neither revolutionaries nor innovators, but traditionalists.”
Closing Reflection:
As Cardinal Sarah warned, this is a time of trial, a time of purification. Let us not be afraid. For Christ is still the Head of His Church. The Cross always precedes the Resurrection.
Let us turn to Our Lady, the destroyer of heresies, and remain faithful even if abandoned, mocked, or misunderstood.
"Charity, Truth, and Eternal Reward: The Call of the Sacred Heart"
Epistle Reflection – 1 John 3:13–18
“Wonder not, brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death... My little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in truth.”
St. John, the beloved disciple, reminds the early Church and us today that authentic Christianity will always provoke opposition. The world, built on pride and self-love, cannot comprehend the self-giving charity of the Gospel. Those who love as Christ commands will not be welcomed by a world that idolizes comfort, compromise, and self-expression.
But what marks true believers is charity in truth. Not a vague niceness. Not empty gestures. But charity grounded in God’s commandments, in deed and in truth.
This is particularly vital today, when even within the Church, love is often divorced from doctrine. St. John teaches us that true love cannot exist apart from truth, and truth is not negotiable. If we deny what Christ taught, we do not love Him. If we affirm sin in the name of tolerance, we betray both sinner and Savior.
Gospel Reflection – Luke 14:16–24
“A certain man made a great supper, and invited many... and they all began with one accord to make excuse.”
Our Lord offers a parable that both comforts and convicts. The great supper is the eternal banquet the Kingdom of Heaven and God sends His invitation to all. But many refuse. They are too busy with possessions, business, and relationships.
These excuses are not wicked in themselves but they reveal disordered priorities. The tragedy is not that they sinned, but that they preferred temporal goods to eternal life.
So the master sends his servants to the highways and hedges to the poor, the crippled, the outcast. And the parable ends with a chilling truth: “None of those men that were invited shall taste of my supper.”
This is not just about ancient Israel or indifferent pagans. It is about us Catholics today who have been invited to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to the life of grace, and to the glory of Heaven. Are we responding? Or are we making excuses?
This Gospel calls us to repentance, to reorder our loves, and to humbly receive the grace being offered before it is too late.
Saint of the Day: St. Basil the Great
St. Basil, one of the greatest Fathers of the Eastern Church, was a fierce defender of orthodoxy against the Arian heresy. A man of immense intellect, prayer, and asceticism, he served as bishop of Caesarea and authored numerous theological works, including the famous On the Holy Spirit.
He reminds us today that doctrine matters. That heresy wounds the Church. And that the Holy Ghost works most powerfully in souls who are docile, humble, and rooted in the truth.
Let us ask his intercession for a renewal of orthodox preaching, especially among our bishops and theologians.
Conclusionary Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, who dost call us daily to Thy heavenly banquet, grant us the grace never to excuse ourselves from Thy invitation. Help us to love not in word alone, but in deed and in truth.
Inflame our hearts with charity that does not compromise, and give us the strength to bear the hatred of the world for the sake of Thy Name. Through the prayers of St. Basil the Great, may we walk in the Spirit, speak the truth in love, and persevere unto life eternal.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.