By Charlie Johnston

I am feeling a bit of a warm glow right now. The response to my piece the other day, A Joyful Noise, was amazing. I saw sites that excoriated the Pope for what seemed to be a gaffe; I saw sites that snickered with glee over the seeming insult, I saw sites that mocked everyone this side of the line between faith and the Culture of death. But this was the rare site where commenters added real wisdom to the discussion – and with compassion for all. People came at it from all angles but, for the most part, were charitable to whomever they were agitated about – recognizing the full humanity of all involved. Along the way, some deep insights were added to the discussion. Yes, big Catholic families are under constant siege from the world – and often even by their Catholic friends. But there are also large Catholic families who adopt a holier than thou attitude to Catholic families which have few children. We can all hurt each other. Let’s take more care to build each other up instead of tearing each other down.

I also have noticed that many people are now invoking a particular saint when offering prayers up for others. That actually was a part I added on to the intercession portion of the Prayer of Miraculous Trust I was given. My angel was not upset by my add-on: that was a portion that we are each called to generate individually. In fact, he was quite pleased by it. It is said that we are known by the company we keep. It seemed right to me to routinely use the whole Church – the Church Triumphant as well as the Church Militant. What better than to ask saints, who already behold the beatific vision, to join in our prayers of invocation? And now many, maybe even most of you, are doing the same thing. We are keeping good company these days.

In the song of triumph celebrating the Rescue that I was shown…the baseline ostinato (repeating pattern) of the lyrics are:

“And the people of the kingdom,

And the people of heaven,

Shall rise together,

Shall rise forever,

And God shall rule.”

There is a melody I have not been shown – and won’t be – until the actual Triumph of the Immaculate Heart. But It has been striking me over the last few days that the faithful gathered here have already begun to live that prophecy – we are rising together with saints we constantly link arms with in all our prayers. In a peculiar way, I think the onset of the deepest of sorrows of the Storm is also the beginning of the Triumph. And you, my friends, are in the vanguard with me. Lord Jesus, we trust in you. Holy Mary, pray for us who have recourse to you.

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Right after the American election, I wrote here that, despite the joy many felt (including me) it did not change the fact that politics as we know it is already dead. There is no political solution to what our problems are. We must go through the instrument of the Storm to renew our culture. In America, Christians sometimes rejoice over the craven cowardice of the Republicans simply because it is so much easier to bear than the active malice and assaults we get from the Democrats. But the Republicans are not going to fix anything.

The first thing Republicans did after taking over both legislatures was scream loudly over the president’s unconstitutional executive order on amnesty for illegal aliens. (For any trolls out there who want to tell me it was actually an executive memo, I  know. But people easily understand executive orders – and the difference between the two is technical, not substantive). The second thing Republicans did was agree that they were not going to actually do anything about it. House Speaker John Boehner promised to maybe do something big at a time to be determined later.

Then, a week after the Paris Jihadist attacks, led by Yemeni-trained Islamic terrorists, the president unilaterally released five terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to be sent to Yemen. Again, Republicans squealed but again, they agreed there was nothing they could do. The president said there was no danger – that our protocols with the Government of Yemen would prevent the terrorists from going back to the battlefield. Less than a week after Obama gave that assurance and the terrorists had already been released, Jihadist savages overthrew the Yemeni Government and took over. Maybe I missed something, but I have yet to hear a Republican even ask how those “protocols” are going to work now that the Jihadists ARE the Government of Yemen. I know it is hard to keep up with all the daily disasters under this administration…but really!

The Republican House had, in the last session, passed a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks, as the science has shown that the fetal children feel agonizing pain by that point. They promised to press the issue hard after the new Congress was seated and there was a majority in the Senate as well. Sure, Obama would veto it, but it would keep the pressure on – and help people generally get a better view of the humanity of the unborn child. It was smart politics, for all polls show over 60% support for it. The support is a majority even among those who are otherwise pro-abortion. AND it draws even bigger margins of support from the young millennial cohort than among their elders. It was a no-brainer. Alas, on Tuesday at the State of the Union Speech, the president re-iterated that he would veto the bill. So, on Wednesday, demonstrating they have as much brains as they do courage, the Republicans unilaterally withdrew the bill, selling out pro-lifers, their base, the majority of voters who support the initiative – but most of all the unborn children who will have to undergo agonizing butchery as they die – without official protest or comment from the party that pledges to defend their interests. Charles Cooke of National Review writes the definitive piece on both how cowardly and stupid this was. His line about the “extraordinary incompetence” of the Republican leadership was priceless.

If you are waiting for these Republicans to defend you against the assaults of the statist left, you would have a better chance of counting on the Vichy French to protect you from the Nazis. So trust yourself to the Vichy Republicans if you must: I will trust myself to God, who I believe intends renewal to rise from the ground up. Politicians are irrelevant now. Let the dead bury their dead.

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The more I think about it, the angrier I get about the “I am Charlie” meme that popped up after the Jihadist massacre in Paris of cartoonists at a satirical magazine. No, I have not suddenly become less than the near-purist about free speech I have always been. It is not the demonstrations of solidarity I object to. What is infuriating me is that as tens of thousands of Christians and Jews have been slaughtered at an accelerating pace throughout the world over the last few years, in the most cruel and barbaric ways, both our governments and our media have counseled us that we need to be understanding and measured – and sympathize with those committing the barbarities.

But when 12 far left-wing journalists who made their living mocking Catholics, Jews and Muslims savagely are killed, suddenly the whole world (except Obama) is marching arm-in-arm in Paris proclaiming “I am Charlie.” So the Christians and Jews routinely need to suck it up when their friends and loved ones are tortured raped and butchered and keep quiet!? Where were the “I am Benjamin” or “I am a Nazarene” marches? If the elite had done something like that, taken Islam seriously, there may have never been a Paris slaughter.

Here’s an idea for the vicious left trying to ban Judeo-Christian practice: Christian Lives Matter. And as for the Jews, the slogan, “Never again!” really was meant to be operative for a little longer than 70 years.

It is going to be a shock for our government and media elites, who think they are exempt from history and that Jihadists are just coming after Christians and Jews. They’re coming for you, too. And when the walls with which you surround yourself fall to the onslaught of the savages – we Christians and Jews will actually defend you. We will NOT tell you to suck it up when your loved ones are butchered. We will not tell you you need to understand the savages trying to behead you. We will fight them, on our behalf and on yours. When we talk of solidarity, we mean it for all who face murderous aggression – whether they agree with us politically and religiously or not. Enough of the rant. I could go on all day. Christian Lives Matter. ‘Nuff said.

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Over the next few days, I will likely post briefer articles and more links. First, I have a lot of links you should take a look at. Second, I am determined to finish the piece on the nature of satan I have spoken of and struggle with before I leave these mountains. So that is the priority.

The first site I will send you to, which I am going to make a permanent link at right, is the website of Rene Gracida, who is the Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, Texas. I first found him when he occasionally put up links to some of my articles. A few weeks ago, he said some nice things about me. But as much as I appreciate anyone spreading some of my message, I have come to value his pieces and reprints from others. He posts almost every day – and often multiple articles. His website is titled Abyssus Abyssum Invocat, which means “Deep Calls to Deep.”

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Finally, a quote from St. Augustine which I think should be our motto and operating principle for the year:

“In necessary things, unity.

In undecided things, freedom.

In all things, charity.”

Thank you, dear readers, for beating the rush by already striving to live St. Augustine’s advice.