OPEN

BYPASS BIG TECH CENSORSHIP - SIGN UP FOR mICHAEL mATT'S REGULAR E-BLAST

Invalid Input

Invalid Input

OPEN
Search the Remnant Newspaper
Friday, December 13, 2019

CHRISTUS VINCIT: Powerful Ammo for Today's Catholic Family

By: 
Rate this item
(20 votes)

cic 3 bishBishop Schneider at the Catholic Identity Conference 2019

One day, when St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta was stopped by international border police who asked her if she was carrying any weapons, she plainly responded, “Yes. My rosary and my prayer books.” Arguably, a faithful Catholic would have to say the same thing today if they were caught red-handed with a copy of Christus Vincit, an arsenal-packed, book-length interview featuring the ineffably profound insights of Bishop Athanasius Schneider. 

 

In the midst of the ominous, lurid landscape of the Church in the modern world, Almighty God extends His mercy towards us through Christus Vincit, whose words give us traditional Catholics the tenacity we need to carry on. The bold professions of orthodoxy featured in this gem-packed little masterpiece can serve as weapons in the spiritual battle we confront daily. By nourishing our famished spirits with the wellspring of Truth, Christus Vincit provides us with both the insight and the conviction we need to surrender our lives to Christ the King, no matter the cost.

Perhaps no one could state it better than Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke when he endorsed the book, saying:

No other bishop in recent memory has so tirelessly given himself in the service of the of the truths of the Catholic Faith... This book will be of great help to the faithful, and to all people of good will, in navigating the grave confusion, division, and error prevalent in our times. It reveals the heart of a true shepherd of souls, after the Heart of Christ, the Good Shepherd.”

burke at book launchCardinal Burke addresses Cardinals Muller and Arinze, Bishop Schneider, Papal Posse's Fr. Murray, Diane Montagna and many members of the press at the Rome book launch of Christus Vincit on October 14. 2019. Watch Remnant TV coverage of the event HERE

Bishop Schneider begins the book by describing the extraordinary Catholic experiences of his childhood, including growing up in the midst of the persecuted Church in the Soviet Union and witnessing his parents hide Blessed Fr. Oleksiy Zarytskyj, a Ukranian priest in exile. Throughout the book, he offers pastoral advice in combating the diabolical enemies the Catholic Church is now confronting, which he believes are mainly embodied in relativism, secularism, modernism and indifferentism. Intelligently surveying the scene of the present sufferings of Holy Mother the Church, Bishop Schneider helps us to comprehend them acutely, illuminating them with a supernatural light.

He writes, “As Christ's Mystical Body and His Bride, the Church must pass through the mysteries of her Divine Spouse. The current crisis is without any doubt the deepest suffering for the Church, of her most intense participation in the Sacred Passion of Christ. The greatest Passion of the Church is is not persecution by her enemies from the outside, but persecution by her enemies from within: ruthless people without faith who have managed to reach high and influential ecclesiastical offices.”

In particular, traditional Catholic families can benefit from all Christus Vincit has to offer in a number of ways. Throughout the interview, Bishop Schneider speaks about the utmost importance of giving due reverence to the Most Holy Eucharist, and teaching our children to do the same. He recounts a story of when his family first witnessed Holy Communion being given in the hand in a “cafeteria” style line. After visiting several parishes in search of one that did not permit this abuse, his mother became deeply grieved. “She looked at us, and said, 'Oh my children, I don't understand, I cannot understand! How can people treat Our Lord in this way? How are people able to treat Our Lord this way...!' This experience motivated me to write my book Dominus Est on Holy Communion – this painful, unforgettable situation when we came to Germany and my mother was crying over the situation of distribution of Holy Communion in the hand.”

cic 4 mike and bishCatholic Identity Conference 2019: Bishop Schneider (keynote speaker) takes the podium a second time at the to give a talk on the dangers of Communion in the hand.

xmas cic 2019

When asked to give some guidance to married couples, Bishop Schneider explains what is really the key to fostering a great Catholic marriage – acknowledging Christ as the third person of the sacramental relationship. He says, “Put Christ in the center of mutual love of husband and wife. Marriage cannot be just between two' it has to include a third one, and this is Our Lord Jesus Christ.” He encourages family members to make little sacrifices, forgive one another, be patient with each other, pray intensely for one another, and practice Christian charity towards the poor. “Ask God for the grace to accept the crosses of this earthly life out of love for Him and as a means of intercession and expiation for the eternal salvation of all the members of the family,” he explains. Further, he tells parents to: catechize their children as their first duty, study traditional catechisms assiduously, turn their home into a domestic church, protect their family's integrity, and pray daily with their children (such as litanies and the Rosary).

He advises parents to withdraw their children from school if they are encountering moral danger through “sex education,” and also says, “Withdraw your family from a parish spreading error and attend a faithful parish, even if you have to travel far.”

Throughout the interview, Bishop Schneider touches on the critical importance of recognizing the infiltration of Freemasonry and modernism into the Church, and being aware of the dangers of a false ecumenism that has drastically weakened the fervor of today's Catholics. He discusses at length the results of the investigation the Holy See commissioned him to do of the Society of St. Pius X, and speaks highly of their traditional worship, discipline and practices. He even goes so far as to say that their doctrinal arguments should be taken more seriously by Rome. He also highlights some of the dangers of the ambiguous documents of Vatican II, and discusses how the falsely interpreted “spirit of Vatican II” has smuggled the lifeblood out of the heart of Mother Church. The insight he shares in the interview on the sacrilegious nature of the Amazon Synod is especially helpful to readers as well.

Available on Amazon.comchristus vincit cover

As traditional Catholic families, it would be wise to heed his observations and warnings, and share them with our family members and friends. By doing so, we can better comprehend the Church's current plight, so we may serve as agents of healing and conveyors of the Truth.

As a genuine pastor of souls, Bishop Schneider shows us how we can offer up our sufferings to bring forth the victory of Jesus Christ – a triumphant victory which can never be overthrown, despite the maliciousness of the “Prince of this World.” By fulfilling the humble duties of our state in life day by day, we can make traditional Catholicism come alive in our midst. For we serve an omnipotent Creator, and we have every reason to be filled with Hope, our inheritance and our strength.  

By the grace of Divine Providence, which never fails, we can already observe the signs of a true springtime,” the saintly bishop reminds us. “We can see many little spiritual snowdrops: these are the little ones in the Church, those who do not belong to the administrative and power structure of ecclesiastical 'nomenklatura.' These spiritual snowdrops are little children, innocent boys and girls, young chaste men and virgins, true Catholic spouses, fathers and mothers of families, single persons, widows, monks, cloistered nuns, who are the spiritual 'gems' of the Church – and also simple priests, who, because of their fidelity to the faith, are oftentimes marginalized and humiliated. There are also lay people and members of the clergy who courageously defend Christ the Truth in the middle of the battlefield at the cost of personal and temporal advantage.”

As Christus Vincit highlights so beautifully for us, Christ has already conquered the world, the flesh and the devil, and all of their annihilative minions. As children of God, we can go forward with confidence, enlightened by eternal wisdom and inspired by an undying love for Christ Crucified.

St. Alexander of Alexandria, the immediate predecessor of St. Athanasius, left us the following precious statement on the invincibility of the Church: 'The only one catholic and apostolic Church will remain always indestructible, even if the entire world wages war against her. Because the Lord strengthened her, saying: 'Take heart! I have overcome the world' (John 16:33).' On the obelisk in St. Peter's Square are inscribed the words, Christus vincit, and the tip of that obelisk retains a relic of the true Cross. The Roman Church, the Apostolic See of St. Peter, is crowned, so to speak, with these luminous words Christus vincit, and the power of the Holy Cross of Christ. Even during the present spiritual crisis and spiritual obfuscation one might have the impression that the enemies of Christ and His Cross have to a certain extent occupied the Holy See, Christ will defeat them. Christus vincit!”

As we travel through this dark time in the history of the Church, Our Heavenly Father continues to enlighten us, His beloved children, endowing us with grace from on high. Although we have only a handful of faithful shepherds left to follow, their staffs are indeed luminous, blazing with courage and authenticity. As the Sacred Scriptures promise, God will not leave us orphans as we journey through this world, trekking through this valley of tears, embracing our role as the Church Militant. As dismal as the landscape of Mother Church looks at this time, we cannot lose sight of the ubiquitous reality that, Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat, Christ Conquers, Christ Reigns, Christ Commands. The battle is raging, and we have been chosen to fight for the Master of the Universe, who will always be victorious over evil, world without end.

xmas ad 2019

[Comment Guidelines - Click to view]
Last modified on Saturday, December 14, 2019
Amanda Evinger | Remnant Columnist

Amanda Evinger is the grateful mother of six children (and two others who have died), whom she homeschools with her husband Michael in a “little house on the prairie” in rural North Dakota. A convert from Calvinism, she spends her days in love with Holy Mother the Church and her vocation as wife and mother. She holds a dual Bachelor's Degree in Theology and Spanish, and has spent about three years living with St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta's sisters. She discerned in a traditional Carmelite Cloister, and is now a fully professed Traditional Third Order Carmelite.

Amanda has published several thousand articles through: Catholic Stewardship Consultants, the Latin Mass Magazine, the Dakota Catholic Action, Seton Home Study School Magazine and the National Catholic Register and, most recently, The Remnant Newspaper. Her book, A Catholic Homeschooling Mother’s Lesson Planner and Devotional, was published by TAN Books in the spring of 2019.  

Latest from Amanda Evinger | Remnant Columnist