Be not solicitous therefore, saying, What shall we eat: or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore solicitous for tomorrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.
(Gospel According to Saint Matthew 6:31-34)
There are certain hallmarks associated with Traditional Catholicism. These marks range from the cultural (e.g., strong dislike of popular music and other forms of "bread and circus"); to the political (e.g., disproportionate believers in monarchy); to the philosophical (e.g., a belief in the superiority of scholasticism and negative view of the so-called enlightenment); to the religious (no e.g. necessary); to the social (e.g., belief in patriarchy and very traditional marital roles); and finally to the economic (e.g., belief in the gold standard and imminent economic collapse). Not coincidentally, I share with many of my fellow Traditional Catholics virtually all of these views. I hold them because I believe them to be true.
Taken as a whole, they represent a world-view. From a "positive" point of view, they engender a high view of Western culture and tradition, chivalry, honor, family and sacrifice. From a "negative" view, they condemn much of the modern world -- so much so in fact that Traditional Catholics have little in common in almost everyone around them in the values and beliefs that they hold most dear. As one of these misfits -- someone born eight-hundred years too late -- I view this community as the world's great mustard seed, which will bloom into a future glorious Christendom.
If I have any criticisms of the culture around Traditional Catholicism it consists firstly in its seeming insularity. As Traditional Catholics are naturally skeptical of the modern kool-aid and prone to living, as it were, a double-life, their sense of evangelism is muted to say the least. Perhaps it stems from the years of persecution at the hands of official Catholicism. Perhaps still it comes from a faith that is strong and ferocious but, at the same time, quiet and humble. I think rather, however, it comes from a manly sense of decorum -- of the fear of wallowing into the post-Vatican II squishy and feminine "faith-sharing" that many modern Catholics seem to relish. Speaking in crypto-evangelical protestant terms, the "new" Catholics like taking about their "faith journey" or their "faith walk" and enjoy getting to know how others "feel" about faith. It is all so therapeutic and nauseating. Traditional Catholics are too stoic for such immodest invasions of personal space. But their stoicism, which is often laudable, often lends itself to a stand-offishness. In fact, they burn with the desire to see Christendom flower again -- they would give their right hand to see Holy Mother Church restored to her rightful place -- but, beyond silent prayer and discussions among the converted, they do not know how to engage the "other" very well. In short, most Traditional Catholics are lousy missionaries.
This insularity -- no matter how well-meaning -- is a sin against charity. Their private desire to see Catholic restoration must begin slowly with the people around them. They must be prepared to indulge all types of sleights in the effort to bring others back to Tradition. The means do not, of course, need be the type of sloppy and emotional faith sharing of evangelical protestants, but they must be prepared at all times to give an accounting of their faith in a sensible and sober way. They also must radiate the joy of knowing the King of Kings. This joy does not mean a constant smile (although it could) -- it means a deep and abiding joy in the hope of our Lord's promises. It is a joy of the eminently rational: the joy of a people who understand the reality around them. But more than an accounting when asked -- or a joy in Christian truth -- the Traditional Catholic should think often of how to bring those outside within. They should invite often friends and colleagues to Holy Mass. They should invite people to confession.
I had a good friend at work who is a good family man and observant Catholic. I asked him, over the course of a number of years, to come to the Old Mass many times. Finally I asked him to attend a Traditional retreat, which, to my surprise, he attended. A year and a half later, he welcomed a new child into his family and attends, almost exclusively, the Old Mass. (Indeed, he has outstripped me in faith and devotion). My point in all of this is that we have to keep asking and asking. Prudently of course, but we have to view Traditional Catholicism as the lifeboat that it is -- charity compels us to throw the lifeline over and over again even in the face of futility.
The other aspect of Traditional Catholic culture that needs work is the concern with temporal security. Coupled with a very negative view of the pernicious culture and collapsing economy, many Traditional Catholics store food and gold, buy guns, and prepare, as it were, for a social disintegration that is in the very soon offing. Prudence is of course an appropriate disposition -- indeed, it is a virtue. Who can fault Traditional Catholics for preparing for what they view as a very real eventuality? I certainly do not. But what I do see concerning is when prudence gets unhinged from, well, prudence. Our prudence is ultimately rooted in the promises of the living God. We are not -- not ultimately anyway -- survivors. No matter what temporal calamities come, and history proves they are the rule rather than the exception, we have to steel ourselves with faith. Read the block quote taken directly from our Lord's lips cited above again; read it very carefully. God will provide. Even if we starve, He will nonetheless provide that which matters most if we are faithful. There is a reason that the Roman martyrs were so courageous in offering their lives for faith: they understood better than we do today that temporal security is only important to the extent that it furthers us towards our eternal goal.
So go ahead, prudently store food, have plenty of ammunition, and buy batteries -- I cannot condemn you for it. But remember that even if you took none of those steps, our Lord's promises would be that He will provide for you. Indeed, our faith, in and of itself, seems to be the most imprudent thing to those foolish people in world. But we believe, and go on believing, because we know we have the pearl of great price, we know the score as it really is. No matter what tribulations we suffer, no matter how terrible it gets in this world, our joy should be a constant. The Gospel is many things: it is revelation, it is history, it is prophecy but more than any of these things, it is a promise. It is a promise to the faithful of what comes next. And if what comes next is only a fraction of wonder and greatness than our finite minds can imagine, well then, we really really should not worry about how things will work themselves out in this world tomorrow.
Deo Gratias.
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