Theological Foundations new file

127 The Ecclesial Dimension far-reaching atheism. It was advocated by powerful parliaments, gov- ernments, newspapers, and centers of capital, authority and knowledge. They all proved very shrewd and able in their activity. Blessed George emphasized the fact that while earlier atheism influenced mainly the higher levels of society, now it infected the middle class with liberalism and the lower class with socialism. All of this was happening in the favorable climate of apathy, half-heartedness, ignorance, formalism and departure from the Christian spirit. The houses of God were still stand- ing, but the spirit ceased to grow in them. 38 Father Matulaitis-Matulewicz compared the sad situation of his con- temporary world to the functioning of scales and drew appropriate con- clusions from this technical phenomenon: when one side tilts, we must tip the scale by throwing more weight onto the other side. We must counter atheism with the spirit of faith, pride with humility, licentious- ness with self-denial and virginity, egoism with sacrifice, godless teach- ing with the true teaching, stagnation with action and common moral degradation with the sanctity of life. Our model in this “fight” is Christ who crushed everything in this world with the weight of His Spirit. In Him everything soars. And His Apostles became the light of the world. Our weapon in the fight with the evil world is not a threat or some kind of rant, but the superiority of the Spirit and His power. Following St. Augustine, we are to conquer it [the evil world] vi verborum et caritate. We must, therefore, throw great teaching, zeal, unselfishness, generosi- ty and patience on the scales. Our weapons are the Holy Mass, confes- sion, homilies, fraternities, retreats, congregations, associations, con- gresses, reading rooms and newspapers. The spirit of the world should be countered with the Spirit of Christ. The driving mechanism behind these works and behind the entire spiritual life is the idea of a priest who is to be the light of the world, the salt of the earth, a steward, a messen- ger, an intermediary, a column, a sentry, a friend, a man of God and another Christ. 39 Zeal for souls is to act as a stimulus to organize people of good will who love God and the Church. It is to stimulate them to work for the