Whatever you can do, do

By Isaak

“He that exhorteth, in exhorting; he that giveth, with
simplicity; he that ruleth, with carefulness; he that sheweth mercy, with
cheerfulness” Roman 12:8

I’m sure most, if not everybody in the NCM has seen
Christian edits before, with the focus often being on the Crusades as a display
of Christian Will. The same goes for political content – a strong front is
important when you’re under attack.

Take a leader like Jacques Cathelineau who, after the French
Revolutionaries’ Reign of Terror reached the people of  the 
Vendèe, raised an army to push back. He led his army from the front
which resulted in him being fatally shot in 1793. Sadly, we know how the story
ended for Catholicism in France with the nationalization of the Church in 1789.
Cathelineau winning battles is not winning the war. The same goes for men like
Charlemagne, John Hunyadi, Ferdinand III of Castile and so on; warriors will
always have a place in Christendom. That doesn’t mean we have to become them to
fulfill our duty to Christ the King and nation on horseback or the modern
equivalent: debating.

Through nurture or nature those who will become that warrior
will, but there’s more to an army than infantry.   As  
the   challenge   facing religion and the nation is
indifference, how do we fight this horde of nihilism? Further, not every victory  can 
be  had  solely 
through  offense.  Sport 
teams  need defensive players
while armies need reinforcements and fresh supplies. Teachers and workers
develop the institutions conducive to  
human   flourishing   within  
a   society.   Take  
for   example   the Pennsylvania  Hospital. 
Created  in  1751 
by  Benjamin  Franklin 
and Dr. Thomas Bond, it was the nation’s first hospital, founded on the
theological  virtue  of 
charity.  Though  we’ll 
have  to  forgive 
their Quaker beliefs!

All of us in NCM, as within the Body of Christ, have a
function like the cells and organs in our own body, so what’s your role? Maybe
it’ll help to think about why you are committed.

Why  we are committed

With several online religious organizations and
responsibilities in our personal lives, we must always remember why we planted
our flag here and why others will do the same. The reason is in the name
itself, it is a movement, a movement of brothers and sisters who at one point
wondered: what can I do about this war against God and the souls of our
countrymen?

A movement of brothers and sisters seeing that the
protection of the unborn, family values, and so forth, are not mere political
points to hold power for another term. These are means to the ends of
glorifying the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We put the Lord at the
center of our action, whether it is through feeding the needy as our North East
chapter recently did at a Soup Kitchen in Scranton, PA or participating in the
March for Life, as several of our chapters did in their region.

Fighting political battles is important, but this fight is
bigger than ‘owning the libs.’ After all isn’t it better to rescue our
countrymen from the jaws of nihilism than to crush the current – ism?

“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make a
straight path in the desert for our God.

Let every valley be filled in and every mountain and hill be
made low… Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed”

Isaiah 40:3-5

For new members, first off, welcome! Secondly, maybe you’re
wondering what’s next? Simply put, connect with your chapters’ leadership about
any future events and how you can be productive. Every team needs key players,
why not you?

Play  a position

Now I started with the Crusader edits so let’s start this by
thinking about how a Kingdom was run. There are knights/soldiers to protect it,
but you always have farmers, smiths, artists and so on. Can you see the value
in all these positions, even the artists? Think of the cultural impact that the
entertainment industry has on everything from fashion to dating norms.

We all heard about the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, but
not the clergyman and  scholar named
Alcuin of York, who was key to the Carolingian Renaissance – the revival of
classical culture and development of education. Not to say Alcuin of York, St
Paulinus II, Peter of Pisa and others were equal to Charlemagne as they were
hierarchy respecters, but everyone had a position to play

We all have a role in developing organic Christian society,
which is why the NCM events are a blessing. It’s one thing to chat on slack,
but putting a name to face and working toward a Christian Society is life
affirming. Even when I didn’t have my car for an event in

Gettysburg, PA, I was able to carpool with one of our
brothers. Getting to the event can be worked out when you reach out. Overall,
the journey to our goal is something we can be proud of as we build bonds with
our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Last example is Engelbert Dollfuss, devoted Catholic, made
Chancellor of Austria in May 1932 after being appointed Federal Minister of
Agriculture and Forestry in March 1931. Before earning respect among his peers
due to his service in WWI, he was studying Law. Eventually he enrolled in the
Students’ Social Movement, devoting his free time to social and charitable work
among the workers.

In November of 1933 he spoke warmly of those times, doing
things like teaching typewriting to young workers. This was due to a reference
made about him at the Patriot Rally of the Christian Workers. What if Dollfuss
did nothing in the Students’ Social Movement or Christian Social Party?
Dollfuss, raised a peasant with little resources, still held a burning Pietas
(sense of Duty/Devotion to God & Nation). Even when rejected from the
military for his height, he found a way to join.

From participating at events, creating bonds with your
brothers and sisters, becoming a bannerman, assisting with planning and so on;
we are here for a shared goal. You joined the NCM  to cultivate a Christian Society; so,
whatever you can do, do and I’ll leave you with the verse that closes Romans
12.

“Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.”