I’ve got a few more remarks on the horrendous invasion of Ukraine this week.
The first thing I want to do is express my wholehearted support and admiration for the Ukrainian people. They are showing the world true courage against impossible odds. Every time I see the photo of Zalensky in military fatigues defending Kyiv I get chills. Every story I hear of citizens taking up arms and holding their ground makes me admire them more. My heart and prayers are with them and I hope everyone joins me in prayer.
Secondly, I would like to remind my readers that it is 100% possible to recognize how destructive, greedy, murderous and imperialist the United States has been in her dealings with other nations, while still acknowledging that Putin is a monster who must be stopped. That’s not hypocrisy, it’s just telling the truth. Let’s do that.
Thirdly, Russia and Ukraine are both CAPITALIST. It’s kind of adorable how many conservative men are bloviating about socialism today, blissfully unaware of the past thirty years of history. And yes, there are edgy “leftist” social media accounts making similar blunders. Somebody needs to get these people a history textbook written after 1991.
Finally, everyone needs to shut up about Fatima.
Seriously, just QUIT.
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, I strongly suggest you get back under there because the Fatima Apparition conspiracy theorists are at it again, making this tragedy all about them. I find it ironic that they’re doing so because they have been fawning over Putin and calling him another Constantine for the longest time. But now, some of them are ranting that this is all happening because, you guessed it, Russia wasn’t REALLY consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Pope John Paul the Second didn’t use the exact right words or Putin never would have done such a thing. Pope Pius XII was mistaken as well or the fabric of history would have changed. I’m at this moment arguing with someone who thinks John Paul the Second, a Polish man and famous opponent of communism who survived the Soviet Union, was only PRETENDING to consecrate Russia as part of a dastardly plot to not overthrow the USSR. We need to consecrate it again, properly this time, with just the right words and gestures, and the incantation will finally take effect.
“Consecration to the Immaculate Heart” is the Catholic version of “once saved, always saved.” These people really, truly believe that if Russia were consecrated with just the right technique, then free will would fly out the window, Russia would be good little boys and girls, and nobody would never hurt anybody again. It’s not prayer and it’s certainly not devotion to the Blessed Mother. It’s full blown superstition and magic.
Mary is our mom. She is not a genii in a bottle waiting for the right incantation. She’s certainly not a vindictive shrew tapping her high heeled foot waiting for us to say pretty please. She’s not waiting for the correct spell to be cast. She is suffering with us, bearing witness to the injustices of the world, and doing everything she can to help.
We entrust Ukraine, Russia, and the world to the Most Holy Theotokos, knowing full well that bad people are going to continue to hurt others, so we’ll have to be courageous. We’ll have to suffer with our neighbors, bear witness, and do everything we can to help, just as she does.
That’s not the answer I want to give. I want there to be a magic word to make this go away. But there isn’t one. That’s the reality we live under.
So, here are some ways you can help. You can pray– not to make a magic happen but to continually entrust the situation to God who will speak to hearts and create opportunities for people to choose good. The Holy Father Pope Francis has especially requested that we all fast and pray on Ash Wednesday next week, but there’s no reason to wait that long to begin. I’m offering my meatless Friday for that intention right now. You can be savvy about what information you like and share on social media, because there’s a lot of nonsense out there. There are Putin apologists. There are cranks posting scenes from video games and claiming it’s happening in Kyiv. Don’t be that person. Don’t get taken in by nonsense.
You can also help with your dollars, and here’s a good list of aid organizations who need your donations.
You can’t help by taking part in weirdo conspiracy theories about Fatima or anything else.
Image via Pixabay
Mary Pezzulo is the author of Meditations on the Way of the Cross and Stumbling into Grace: How We Meet God in Tiny Works of Mercy.
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