On the First Sunday of Advent we find ourselves in spirit at the dawn of history, with those who were sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, yet looking forward in hope to the coming of the promised Redeemer.
Advent tells us that the Church understands true history. The world began through God's creative act recorded in the Book of Genesis, "God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light" (Gen. 1: 3). God made man to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him, and to gain eternal happiness with Him through obedience and observance of His Commandments and decrees. True history has an end according to God's plan, although mankind moves through history by various hesitations, stops, backward steps and circuitous paths. But history will end when Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, returns on the clouds of Heaven to render to every man according to his works. Jesus Christ is the Lord of history, and His word is truth.
The world, however, ignoring the word of God, has its own ideas about history. The philosopher Hegel theorized that history moves forward through his famous Hegelian dialectic, the process of "thesis, antithesis, and synthesis." For example, my ideas change when I meet someone with whom I disagree, if through dialogue we come to a consensus. Together we may meet a third person who disagrees with us, but again through dialogue we may reach a further consensus. My position at that point may differ considerably from my original position. If consensus through dialogue becomes the most important goal, truth becomes less important, and is finally sacrificed for the sake of consensus. The passion for dialogue is now enshrined within the Church since Vatican II as a veritable new dogma.
Karl Marx used Hegel's theories to formulate his philosophy of dialectical materialism, which inspired the Communist Revolution in Russia and throughout various nations. This is what our Lady warned us about at Fatima, the fact that Russia would spread her errors throughout the world unless the Holy Father consecrated that country to her Immaculate Heart. Heaven's instructions were ignored, and we suffer the consequences.
We note that according to the Hegelian dialectic, dialogue is for consensus. This should send cold chills down our spine when we think about the 1962 Vatican-Moscow Agreement, or the Metz Pact, in which Vatican and Russian Orthodox representatives reached the consensus that at Vatican II there would be no condemnation of Communism (The Devil's Final Battle, Fr. Paul Kramer, p.51). In fact, it would not even be mentioned in the council documents, to the distress of hundreds of bishops who had signed a petition asking for its condemnation as an enemy of the Church. The petition mysteriously disappeared.
The process of dialogue would be officially recognized and adopted at Vatican II. But it has proved to be "dialogue for consensus," and is no longer the word of God at work, but the Hegelian dialectic. It is the ruination of the faith. The "Church of Vatican II" has fallen under the spell of the Red Dragon, and is no longer teaching the truth. On the World Day of Peace, 2001, John Paul II said that dialogue is the style, the very life of the new church. (Ibid., p.70):
"Dialogue leads to a recognition of diversity and opens the mind to the mutual acceptance and genuine collaboration demanded by the human family's basic vocation to unity. As such, dialogue is a privileged means for building the civilization of love and peace… The different religions too can and ought to contribute decisively to this process."
This statement fails to acknowledge the essential role of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, in building any kind of stable human society. The human family's "basic vocation to unity" can be realized only through the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, Who is bestowed on those who believe, through Baptism. Building a "civilization of love" through a dialogue for consensus among the world religions has become more important in the Conciliar Church than teaching the truth about Jesus Christ.
On the human level, dialogue, within proper limits, can be a creative and productive process. But the Church has been appointed as Teacher by the Lord, Whose revealed truth is not open to compromise. The Church cannot dialogue on an equal basis with human organizations or with other religions, because her message is the Word of God, which can never be equated with the word of man. Unfortunately, her beautiful garment of truth has been soiled through "dialogue" with human organizations and the false religions of this world. Dialogue with the Jews has produced the consensus that there are two valid covenants, and that the Jews do not need to believe in Jesus Christ to be saved. Dialogue with the world, represented by the UN, has resulted in the consensus that the UN is our last hope for peace, and that peace is attainable without the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.
The true Church, Our Mother, has a right to teach, is obliged to teach by Divine command: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…" (Mt. 28: 19,20). She still teaches the eternal and unchangeable truths revealed through Jesus Christ and handed down to us from the Apostles. Never to be defeated, the Church mourns and prays for those who have lost their way. She awaits her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and prepares diligently for His coming during this season of Advent, pondering, like Mary, the message of the prophet Isaias:
"Thus says the Lord: 'Ascend a high mountain, you who bring good tidings to Sion: lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem: lift it up, fear not. Say to the cities of Juda: Behold your God: behold the Lord God shall come with strength, and His arm shall rule: behold His reward is with Him, and His work is before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather together the lambs with His arm, and shall take them up in His bosom, the Lord our God'" (Is. 40: 9-11).
