Strategies

In football, as with most sports, there are differing strategies used in the latter stages of 4th quarter to win games. One strategy is based on the confidence that your team will prevail and has the players and tactics necessary to win the game. The other strategy is called “running the clock out” or “playing not to lose”. I would like to focus on that latter strategy as it relates to priesthood vocations. This strategy is based not on confidence but has its origin in fear and tentativeness.

Playing not to lose

In football, when a team has a lead and for all intents and purposes looks like it will win, the strategy of playing not to lose may be (and often is) employed in order to preserve the win. This really grates on coaches and fans because, all too often, it results in a loss. Instead of forging ahead and continuing the game plan that got them the lead to begin with, they abandon it and settle for running the clock out and play not to lose. It undoes what the coach has instilled in the mind of the players. They lose their fire, their confidence and their swagger. They also lose their indomitable will to sacrifice all for the sake of the win. In otherwords, they just lose.

Contrast and Compare

In “Diocese A” you see a “game plan”. The game plan is a strong offense that “scores points” in matters of fidelity to the Magisterium. They are constantly in the public eye with a message of who they are and what they stand for. Preaching orthodoxy, especially in the moral issues, is the “strategy” to win the fight. They pursue the Truth and do battle with the Enemy and put them to flight. And by pursuing Truth and battling the enemy, they inspire men to continue the fight by confirming them in their faith. Such inspiration attracts men to the ranks of the priesthood by recognizing the damage the Enemy is doing to the faithful. They clearly see the lies and false promises for what they are. In doing so they go on the attack and are winning the game by a strong offense. They also have to have a strong defense. That defense also goes into the public square and defends families, defends the Church and ALL Her Teaching, embraces authentic and orthodox liturgies. They actively defend public devotions to Our Lady and Our Lord. Their message is always clear and never confusing so all the faithful know the game plan and thus know their role as a “team member”.

Standing in contrast, “Diocese B” changed the game plan a long time ago. The strong offense that got them into the lead was abandoned and a new and ambiguous one took its place. No longer clear to the clergy and faithful, they freely and wantonly substituted contradicting tactics that neither inspired nor attracted anyone to the battle. Team members were allowed by the coach to play “quarterback” and other skilled positions just so they “feel” included. Instead of focusing on the Truth and keeping your best players in the game at the key positions they have the talent for, they began losing their skilled “team members” and had fewer and fewer skilled substitutes. With no game plan, substitutions proved disastrous. Long into this new and confusing game plan, they realized the Enemy was closing in on their lead. Now they’re playing not to lose hoping to run out the clock. The trouble is, no one knows how much time is left and the Enemy is advancing and ready to take the lead.

Defense? It’s porous because there aren’t enough good players left. The substitutes lack the skills necessary to defend. The good ones are benched because they’re not inclusive to the untalented players desire to play. The good players who see the folly attempt to take on the Enemy alone and are getting injured and the coach takes them out of the game. In desperation they resort to pulling the “fans” out of the stands and put them in those skill positions. But they are worse than the subs since they weren’t trained nor prepared. The advancing enemy are poised not to only take the lead, but now they’re staging for a rout and routs aren’t pretty. Instead of realizing the errors of their game plan and returning to the original, they doubled down by throwing up the white flag and said we have no more players and aren’t interested in recruited solid, orthodox talent. They run away from the Enemy, abandoning those few orthodox players left to do battle.

Death of a Diocese

This analogy is prophetic to the future of “Diocese B”.  Encircled by mostly orthodox dioceses, they refuse to look for a better game plan. It is evident they’re “playing not to lose” and in doing so, they most certainly WILL. The stakes are high. Instead of losing a game though, they will lose souls to the Enemy and I’m not convinced they see it that way. But when laity watch this strategy unfold and grow weary of their impotence, they get restless. They want to get the bishop’s attention and tell him to return to a winning strategy. But, the false sense of security on the coach’s face indicates no sense of urgency. Some ask “doesn’t he see our weaknesses?” If the coach could see it he could change but resigns himself not to. Sadly, as one person from that diocese said, “we have 9 to 5 players” more interested in personal pursuits than the salvation of souls. They hunker down, fearful and ignore the enemy. But doing so their destiny is sealed. Churches close, the priesthood is further reduced to insignificance. But most importantly, instead of scoring points, the Enemy is “scoring souls” for Hell. They somehow forget that they will be held responsible for them before God.

Authentic and Holy Fortitude requires that “Diocese B” man-up and return to the offensive and defensive strategy that actually defeats the enemy. Trouble is, will they?