Christ's radical advent into our lives

The bold person of Christ – born to earthly parents and into a family, in a cold cave, embracing menial labor, injustice, and exemplifying Truth — is radical indeed. He didn’t recoil at the Father’s will for Him. He didn’t apologize, capitulate or pursue ease. He also didn’t ostracize the affluent, successful or prominent, a few of whom were among his close friends. He simply asked each to be true to God’s calling, and to reject duplicity.

Christine Valentine-Owsik

Likewise He didn’t extol poverty as virtue … but being poor in spirit. Contrary to the misnomer, money isn’t the root of all evil – love of it is. “For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs” (1 Timothy 6:10).

Therein lies the rub.

People view leaders as privileged, powerful and above the fray. What they may not discern is a good leader’s autonomy of mind, loneliness through perseverance, and contention with flattery and betrayal. And if a leader stands on moral integrity, he can be more isolated still.

Each person eventually comes to his fork in the road: to enjoy the approved way, or brave the other way. The catalyst isn’t stature or affluence, but rather his condition of heart — the conviction to use God-given gifts for Godly purpose. ‘Worldlings’ prefer their own ends, at least initially, figuring maybe they’ll determine reality of God later. I did.

Colleges and mass media have indoctrinated generations of women — and men — to make their secular marks before ‘wasting time’ married with children. It crept into movies of the ‘30s — emaciated flappers smoking, drinking and doing the Charleston with emasculated married men. Satan’s ‘I will-not-serve’ mantra morphed into a slick modern equivalent – women were enticed to ‘control’ their destiny, and take advantage of irresistible ‘fruits’ to sideline parenting, avert marriage, and stockpile for retirement and traveling. It became trendy to disparage men and husbands, spend freely and covertly, and declare immunity to unenlightened traditions. One of my long-ago clients, a prominent Philadelphia plastic surgeon, said that childbirth ‘trashes a woman’s body.’ I was tasked with communicating the mega-practice’s reconstructive and aesthetic-reconfiguring procedures, and remember thinking, what am I promoting?

We were married only 13 months when our eldest son, Andrew, was born. He would enliven my soul. I longed to be home with him rather than chasing a morning train. I’d have to disentangle, and it wouldn’t come easily. God sped up the process – the ad agency had financial trouble and several of us got blindsided out. It was an early Christmas gift. I had opportunity to stumble upon EWTN. Who was this feisty Italian nun, Mother Angelica, who talked about her temper, food, and impatience like my relatives did? I loved her. One Sunday, our priest sermonized on popular modern sins, all of which I’d seen previously as ‘innovations.’ I was thrown from my horse, and had to clear the scales.

Then I realized…many like me might appreciate this Truth. It was stunning, yet magnetic and liberating. If I’m in communications, I thought … time to get to work.

CHRISTINE VALENTINE-OWSIK is Legatus magazine’s Editor.