Day 19 – Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Syncretism
Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Syncretism
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
At a word from You, the devil and his minions flee in terror.
You are the source of all truth. You are the source of all strength.
By the power of Your Cross and Resurrection, we beseech You, O Lord
To extend Your saving arm and to send Your holy angels
To defend us as we do battle with Satan and his demonic forces.
Exorcise, we pray, that which oppresses Your Bride, The Church,
So that within ourselves, our families, our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation
We may turn fully back to You in all fidelity and trust.
Lord, we know if You will it, it will be done.
Give us the perseverance for this mission, we pray.
Amen.
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception … pray for us
St. Joseph … pray for us
St. Michael the Archangel … pray for us
(the patron of your parish) … pray for us
(your confirmation saint) … pray for us
“Freedom from Syncretism” by Fr. Bill Peckman
“Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.” I Kings 18:21
In the Old Testament, both the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah participated in the same sin. It was a form of idolatry in which the people would worship both the God of Israel and worship the gods of the surrounding regions. This participation in more than one religion is called syncretism. God likens syncretism, in the Scriptures, to a unfaithful spouse wants the benefits of life with her spouse while acting the harlot with anyone. On Mt. Carmel, Elijah purposes a test to the Kingdom of Israel. He and the prophets of Baal will prepare a sacrifice without lighting it and the God who answers with fire is to be worshipped alone. He poses the above question to them. Notice they do not answer. I can only imagine the awkward silence felt at that moment.
The southern kingdom of Judah also would worship God up on the temple mount and would go into the Valley of Hinnom (known in Jesus’ time as Gahenna) and worship idols, even sacrificing their children to these idols. The prophets, particularly Jeremiah, warn the people that God takes note of such infidelity and will not allow the people to benefit from a relationship with Him while they play the harlot in the valley of Hinnom. For both Kingdoms, their sin of syncretism led to their downfall and exile. God will not allow us to keep the benefits of a relationship with Him while we push Him away in favor of our idols.
In Matthew 6:24, Jesus reminds us we cannot serve two masters; that we cannot serve both God and mammon. Notice mammon is not capitalized. It is not an idol per se. Mammon is wealth or any other worldly pursuit we allow to take the number one position that rightly belongs to God. Most Church going Catholics would say that they do not worship anyone or anything but God. That reminds me of Jeremiah 2:23, ““How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals’? See how you behaved in the valley; consider what you have done.” The people do not acknowledge their idolatry under the pretense that they do go to the temple.
Our society has become godless and exerts much pressure to make sure all are like-minded. The 3rd Commandment to keep holy the Sabbath is so forgotten as to be rarely practiced. Even Sunday morning has had a multiplicity of sports, shopping, chores, and other things that turn Mass (if one goes at all) into something that is fit in as if the Day of the Lord is actually the hour of the Lord. We will know if we have idols in our lives by merely looking at our choices when it comes to the Day of the Lord? Is Mass the center of the day? It is what everything else is scheduled around? Is there rest on the Day of the Lord? Or is the pursuit of honor, pleasure, money, or power more sought after even on the day of the Lord? Chances are if the Day of the Lord has been reduced to the hour of the Lord and that the Hour of Lord is a lesser choice when given other options, that the rest of the week is just as godless.
While I do sympathize with those who became distraught at churches closing because of Covid 19, it greatly sadden me that for 65-70% self-professed Catholics, the closing of Churches made no difference on what they did with Sunday. The closing of ball fields and stores had a greater impact. Yet, these same self-proclaimed Catholics will expect the protecting hand of God and all the benefits of being in a relationship with God while ignoring God and disdaining His sacramental grace in favor of worldly idols and their promised benefits. Perhaps we do well to look how well that worked for the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
Now is the time of Jeremiah! The call to turn our backs on our idols of wealth, honor, power, and pleasure (and that includes our disproportionate and slavish relationship with sports, entertainment, and leisure) and put God back to being our only God and worshipping Him alone. We need to cultivate that virtue of fidelity to God in our lives. The devil will use every distraction, perceived good, selfish desire, and twisted logic to deter us from seeking such fidelity. The devil wants no better for us than the lot he himself is consigned to for eternity. He wants for us the same eternal broken relationship that he has chosen by his own infidelity. He will not warn us of the price of syncretism. He will encourage us to worship anything and everything as more pertinent to our lives than God, he is all too happy to have us treat God as some here-after insurance policy. We must fight him. Hold fast to the faith and relationship Christ has in store for us.
Prayer of Reparation
My Lord and my God,
We have allowed the temptation of the devil to move our hearts to not see fulfillment in your goodness.
We have still our tongues in the face of evil.
We have been too fearful to stand out in our culture, allowing the lure of worldly idols to turn our hearts against you.
WE have expected You to be pleased with our duplicitous hearts.
We have, at times, been a source of scandal for those searching through our sinfulness and rebellion to You.
In our fear, we have allowed the ancient foe to advance.
We turn to you Lord, in our sorrow and guilt, and beg your forgiveness for our syncretism and infidelity.
We beg for the grace of your goodness to build up within us what you sought to build up in your apostles in that tempest tossed boat.
We know, Lord, if you will it, it will be done.
Trusting in you, we offer our prayer to you who live and reign forever.
Amen
Prayer of Exorcism
Lord God of Heaven and Earth,
In Your power and goodness, you created all things.
You set a path for us to walk on and a way to an eternal relationship.
By the strength of Your arm and Word of Your mouth
Cast from Your Holy Church every fearful deceit of the Devil
Drive from us manifestations of the demonic that oppress us and beckon us to faithlessness and syncretism.
Still the lying tongue of the devil and his forces so that we may act freely and faithfully to Your will.
Send Your holy angels to cast out all influence that the demonic entities in charge of syncretism have planted in Your Church.
Free us, our families, our parish, our diocese, and our country from all trickery and deceit perpetrated by the Devil and his hellish legions.
Trusting in Your goodness Lord,
We know if You will it, it will be done in unity with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, One God for ever and ever.
Amen.
Litany of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Heart of Mary, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, like unto the Heart of God, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, united to the Heart of Jesus, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, instrument of the Holy Ghost, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, sanctuary of the Divine Trinity, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, tabernacle of God Incarnate, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, immaculate from thy creation, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, full of grace, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, blessed among all hearts, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, throne of glory, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, most humble, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, holocaust of Divine Love, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, fastened to the Cross with Jesus Crucified, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, comfort of the afflicted, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, refuge of sinners, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, hope of the agonizing, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, seat of mercy, Pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Immaculate Mary, meek and humble of heart,
Make our hearts like unto the Heart of Jesus.
Let Us Pray.
O most merciful God, Who, for the salvation of sinners and the refuge of the miserable, wast pleased that the Most Pure Heart of Mary should be most like in charity and pity to the Divine Heart of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, grant that we, who commemorate this sweet and loving Heart, by the merits and intercession of the same Blessed Virgin, may merit to be found like unto the Heart of Jesus, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
To see the Goals, Methods and Levels of “Let Freedom Ring,” go HERE.
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