Attacking the Head
by Bud Macfarlane
"O Sacred Head, surrounded, by crown of piercing thorns."
I began writing this on November 5th, the day President George Bush signed a bill banning partial birth abortion–a procedure wherein a baby is killed by puncturing her head and sucking out her brains as she leaves her mother's body. The bill is already being challenged in three lawsuits, but it was a day of victory for the unborn.
One of the themes of CatholiCity.com over the past year has been the importance of Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body, which, among other things, holds that spiritual truths are revealed "through the body," or, in the flesh. There is no greater example of this dynamic than God Himself taking on flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Satan attempted to destroy the "head" of the Mystical Body by murdering Christ on the Cross. Jesus' headship was mocked by the crown of thorns on His head. As we approach Advent, we should recall the evil one's first attempt to murder Jesus as a baby by order of King Herod.
Partial birth abortion is a nearly perfect fleshly "icon" of how evil works. It reveals the "program" the evil one would use to enslave every soul. The linchpin to the sinister program is always to attack the head, which is the symbol of wisdom, reason, and authority. He will attack every head–the head of the Church, the Pope–the head of families, fathers–the head of the diocese, the bishop–and your head.
Just as satan destroys the innocent and sinless child by literally sucking out the brain, he will attempt to destroy your life by first attempting to suck the Truth out of your head–and if possible, as efficiently as the "medical" procedure which was just made illegal in the United States.
Have you ever noticed a temptation which "pops into your head" after you commit a sin is to reject the very truth that what you did was sinful? In short, the first step to losing one's soul is giving in to the temptation to reject the Truth. Your "head" will be attacked first, and if possible, before you are born to eternal life through the sacraments. Your willingness to embrace the Truth will be tested, one way or another.
Fortunately Our Lord showed us the way. Obedience to the Father unto death on the Cross. Our own "crucifixion" is our daily willingness to obey the Truths Jesus gave us through His Mystical Body, the Catholic Church. In an age where faith is often associated with "feelings," it is helpful to remember that the greatest theologian and one of the holiest men who ever lived, Saint Thomas Aquinas, defined faith as fundamentally an intellectual acceptance of truths revealed by God.
In other words, faith's home base is your brain. One's emotions do not "think." If you base your moral decisions on emotional impulses, you will inevitably be misdirected into behaviors which are harmful to your soul.
Not all truths are available through reason alone, but all religious truths are ultimately reasonable. God is not only all-powerful; He is all-reasonable. God reveals truths to us as a gift. The ultimate gift of revelation is the Father's gift of His Son, Jesus. Truth became a man. We can accept or reject Him in freedom.
The Holy Father gave the world a profound Truth document early in his papacy: The Catechism of the Catholic Church. In it you will find a summary of the teachings of the one true faith, presented in an orderly and clear fashion, backed up with ample scriptural references, as well as references to the teachings of the Church Fathers and doctors of the Church such as Saint Thomas Aquinas. It's available online or at any major bookstore, If you can read, you can understand it. The truth is not complicated, even if it is rich, many faceted, and beautiful.
For the best introduction to the Theology of the Body, I recommend Christopher West's "Marriage and the Eucharist" recording, available free-of-charge from the Mary Foundation.
The shortest summary of the Catholic Faith is the Apostle's Creed, below:
The Apostle's Creed
I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell;
the third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven,
sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Are you willing to die for these truths?
Our supporters have distributed tens of millions of life-changing Catholic gifts since 1991, making us America's largest producer of high-quality, super-affordable tools for evangelization. Join our work today!
See All Our Catholic Materials
Meet Bud Macfarlane, Our Founder
Donate to Help Us Reach Millions
Bud Macfarlane, founder of CatholiCity.com and the Mary Foundation, is the author of three bestselling Catholic novels, available free of charge from Saint Jude Media. You can comment on his articles here.
