Pretty much everyone heard of the “black mass” that was scheduled to take place at Harvard yesterday.

The Internet was ablaze with commentary about what it all meant. The president of the college (named Faust, through some twist of “truth is stranger than fiction” irony) issued a statement about the event that was far stronger in its condemnatory language than the one released by the Archdiocese of Boston. But under the auspices of free speech, nothing was to be done about it.

Around social media, I saw Catholics — priests and laity alike — planning to offer or attend Eucharistic Adoration in reparation for this vile act.

But I didn’t expect anything to change. Like every other abuse hurled at Catholics, I expected this one to go on as planned. I have been so habituated to observing the denegration of our faith in the public square and the almost universally feckless responses from our bishops (who evidently seek first and foremost to ingratiate themselves to our hostile secular leaders and culture) that cynicism is about all I can muster up these days.

Then, something amazing happened. This happened.

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Catholics showed up by the thousands to protest the sacrilege. Young and old, religious and layman side by side, the Eucharist borne before them like a flaming sword.

In Hoc Signo Vinces.

And suddenly, the reports were coming in. “Negotiations” had broken down. The “black mass” no longer had a place to welcome its vile rites. It had been driven off campus at the very least, and quite possibly cancelled altogether.

Through the streets of Caimbridge came the welcome sight:

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I found these images profoundly moving, and I sensed almost at once that something momentous had just taken place. Spontaneously, united by a love for our Eucharistic Lord, Catholics came together and scattered the darkness with His light.

For the first time in my adult life, I find that I perceive the unsheathing of something deep within the Catholic heart. Our great and venerable faith, which has been tangled up in political correctness, afraid to exert its truths to a troubled world, saw the emergence of crusaders, waging not weapons but prayer and sacraments.

It is as if the collective tolerance of those Catholics who truly believe in their ancient and venerable mother Church at once cried out, “Enough! We will allow our Lord to suffer no more of these abuses!”

Without leadership or direction, we came together as one, and pushed back against the forces that seek to encircle and destroy us.

I hope this is a sign of our awakening. I recognize that we may yet be lulled back to sleep. But I felt it, deep in my bones, that this is a milestone. Perhaps even a turning point. We may not realize why or how for some time yet to come, but this mattered more than we know. In a way, this was a Vendée moment.

I offer my heartfelt thanks to all those who went to Harvard last night, bearing with them the “Divine, Incarnate, Crucified Love.” You made a difference. You reminded Our Heavenly Father that there are those yet in the world who love His Son enough to show up and bear witness to it.

It is only a beginning, but it is no small thing.

 

Act of Reparation to the Most Blessed Sacrament

With that most profound respect
which divine Faith inspires,
O my God and Saviour Jesus Christ,
true God and true man,
I adore Thee,
and with my whole heart I love Thee,
hidden in the most august Sacrament of the Altar,
in reparation of all the irreverences,
profanations, and sacrileges, that I,
to my shame, may have until now committed,
as also for all those
that have been committed against Thee,
or that may be ever committed for the time to come.
I offer to Thee,
therefore, O my God,
my humble adoration, not indeed,
such as Thou art worthy of,
nor such as I owe Thee,
but such, at least,
as I am capable of offerings;
and I wish that I could love Thee
with the most perfect love
of which rational creatures are capable.
In the meantime,
I desire to adore Thee now and always,
not only for those Catholics
who do not adore or love Thee,
but also so supply the defect,
and for the conversion of all heretics,
schismatics, lebertines,
atheists, blasphemers,
sorcerers, Mahomedans,
Jews, and idolaters.
Ah! yes, my Jesus,
mayest Thou be known,
adored, and loved by all
and may thanks be continually given to Thee
in the most holy and august Sacrament!

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever! Amen. 

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