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Summit East 2022 was my first. I pray it will not be my last.

Christ spoke of the mustard seed to represent the small beginnings of His Church, which — like the mustard seed — would grow into a vast tree. And it did.

As schedules fill up and commitments press, the ‘most wonderful time of year’ can be daunting after months of singularity, quiet, and distancing.

A favorite ballad from decades ago, sung by Barry Manilow, is “When October Goes,” which has a haunting melancholy about it, as he recalls his blissful younger years.

As life goes on, most of us come to the realization that not only are we not in control like we thought we’d be – but that God has cast a few wild cards and new throws of the dice we didn’t anticipate.

At its heart, Catholic education — whether geared to a toddler, enthused professional, or aged grandparent — is a work of redemption.

One of the forgotten – but integral – tenets of Catholic teaching is that of objective truth. This is the reality of hard moral truth, even if societally unpopular, or nonconforming to someone’s newfound ‘identity.’

With Catholicism in a storm of dogmatic chaos, those who stand for Catholic teaching now are swimming hard against the collective tide.

If we use ourselves or our lives for a purpose for which they aren’t intended, at the very least we’ll be unhappy, even if secretly so.

When Mary appeared at Fatima in 1917 to the three shepherd children, she gave them four basics for obtaining world peace.

We can see unmistakably today that there are two courts of finding – that of society, and of God. A follower of Christ will not enjoy esteem in both. One must make his choice, and once he does, it becomes more difficult to pretend to have standing on the other side.

Some very prominent voices of late – in politics, media, Hollywood, even in the Church – have been quarantined through death, removal, or silence. Often it seems a life lived truthfully and honorably has no worldly worth, and can be seen by many as foolish and bygone.

January’s Legatus Summit East in balmy Palm Beach at The Breakers — the first Summit on Florida’s Atlantic Coast in over 10 years — drew a remarkable Legate crowd of several hundred, enthused and intent on standing especially strong for Christ in tumultuous times. It was a much-needed recharge following a vexing year.

So here we are. Most wonder what just happened with the U.S. elections, why the obvious is never investigated or properly reported, and where God is in all this.

The most prominent scandal last year – even currently – is the almost universal effort to shut down Truth. We’ve gotten a mixed bag of ‘scientific’ claims about the virus, election claims about the winner, reasons why we don’t need to go to Church, why to keep distant from others, rationale for isolating the elderly, and how we should play our ‘responsible’ part.

Today we have an election computer system nationwide and worldwide – bizarrely named Dominion – which purportedly flips vote-chunks from one candidate to another at whim. It was used in over 28 U.S. states, including all battleground states.

It's been that kind of year, with hour-to-hour reports of things to dread. Virus reports, political polls, business crashes, jobless claims, health sinkholes. And in middle age, even a little late-night arrhythmia sounds mental sirens and visions of trauma.

The real problem with many people accepting a pro-life position on various fronts isn’t with acceptance of life itself. Their hesitance is with embracing the necessary sacrifices that honoring life entails.

A great gift of authentic Catholic education is the legacy of right-reason. There are many schools offering ‘fine education.’ But as Catholics, in order to live in harmony with our baptismal and marital promises, we are charged not with sending our kids to prestigious schools, but with educating them first in the things of God. Intelligence is the raw ability to grasp something. Not everyone does so equally, which is why some students excel in subjects that others don’t.

In these trying days, God seems to be putting us to twin tests – of individual perseverance, and of allegiance to our country.