Faithbase

I hope you all had a warm Christmas, and obviously I'm talking about human warmth, inner warmth, not a Christmas in Mexico or Australia. But if you did, hey, good for you, awesome. The videocast from two weeks ago dealt with Mary and Joseph and their journey to Bethlehem. And if you haven't seen it, please check it out. Last week, a dear friend of mine from Rome sent me an article that was insane. It was a very controversial nativity scene that left me puzzled, disgusted. Well, let's take a look at it together since we're still in the Christmas spirit. I'm talking about a nativity scene with two Madonnas that was put out by a priest who is a sympathizer of LGBTQ and a left-wing advocate. He is Don Vitaliano. He put that in his parish, St. Peter and Paul, in Mercogliano Avellino near Naples. He displayed this controversial scene and gave this justification to it. The inclusion of a rainbow couple in the nativity scene symbolizes the acceptance and respect for those diverse family formations, in line with Pope Francis' latest teaching of non-exclusion in the church, and allowing also priests to bless same-sex couples. The inclusive nativity is an expression of other ways of being a community. Whoa. Hold on for a second. Jesus was revolutionary and was inclusive in his ways. Yes. Even in his sacrifice, he was inclusive in the sense that it is for all of us who embrace it. At the same time, Messiah was not inclusive in the sense of allowing people to continue in their sinful ways. Both he and John the Baptist proclaim what? Repentance and surrender to a new nature. When we invite Jesus, he comes into our lives to be our Lord, not as an add-on. He wants full control, and that comes at a cost. That means surrendering our ego, our preferences, everything that goes against his word. But what do we do instead? We want to continue with our ways opposite his, without feeling guilty or being judged. In fact, he is the one that needs to accommodate us, because after all, he is the embodiment of love. Right? Do you see the irony? Or should I say the stupidity of this argument? But let's continue with the scene. So we got two mother for Jesus, and that means what? That Mary is represented as a lesbian. And why not? Let's make it even more spicy. Maybe she was involved with her cousin Elizabeth, and that's why she went and visited her before John the Baptist was born. But it doesn't end there. There is a Christmas card that was published on X with a tweet by a group called PLUS Europe. It's a political movement in Italy, and that carries also a very similar message. It says, the beauty of traditions is that they can change. So we see Jesus as a child of color. We see two Josephs. We see a single mother, Mary, with two kids. And all of this in the name of progress and inclusivity. Do we grasp the level of insanity that we have reached? The Gospel of Matthew and Mark talk about the deceptions that will happen at the end of times. Folks, we're living among deceptions. And what would be the next step then? Transgender Jesus? Why not? If we have already made Mary a lesbian, it fits right in. It makes me want to puke. Fortunately though, there are some who don't buy into this. I'm talking about people in Italy, because they understand the trajectory. There is one person called Anita Likmea. She's an Italian Albanian that actually ran in the last election and supported the Plus Europe movement for a few months. She just announced her departure from that party after seeing this particular tweet. And she says, If Plus Europe thinks of defending diversity with hypocritical blows to tradition, I'm not available for the role of the lesbian Mary. Goodbye, Plus Europe. Go ahead with your political suicide. And somebody else, Maurizio Gaspari, he's the senator for the Forza Italia, stated this in a note. This is a gesture that leaves us stunned. It's another act of true blasphemy. Now Pope Francis is taking steps in the spirit of inclusivity and love that in my mind go beyond the Word of God. And this LGBTQ nativity scene is a representation of where some of the world leaders want to go. Rewriting the Word of God. And if you oppose it, you're labeled as a bigot, as a hater, as a fascist. You choose whatever adjective you want. Let's remember, though, that Christ himself said, I've not come to bring peace, but a sword. He's saying that in Matthew 10. Why a sword? Because when you maintain a line that isn't tarnished by the propaganda, when you resist the pressure of moral majority, or I should say, actually, very vocal minority, or oppose those who increasingly thirst for power and control, then this will create division, even within your own family. I agree. Traditions may change, but his Word will never change. He actually changes us. Dear ones, may 2024 bring each of us wisdom from above to clearly recognize the nonsense and also give us strength to speak up when it is needed, always with the spirit of love and joy. But stand up. Happy New Year to all of you, and I'll catch you next year. Ciao.