His words ring true for many of us today, with the alarming realization that the U.S. Supreme Court has added to its tragic 1973 enshrinement of abortion with its perilous June 26 decision to redefine marriage.

However, Venerable Sheen, who has inspired me countless times with his words and tireless witness, continued his original thought thus: “How to stop it except by reversing the process by which we drove God out of the world, namely by relighting the lamp of faith in the souls of men?”

That’s our mission as Catholic men and women. Our faith in Christ inspires us to be hopeful and, given the present circumstances, perhaps more resolute in living out our faith, despite the cultural pressure to surrender. As we witness the direction in which our culture has charted its course, we have our pole star to keep us focused on the Truth. And we can set the example for future generations of Christians.

As Archbishop Sheen said in that same book, “We need someone to be healthy when the world is sick; someone to be a stretcher-bearer when the battlefields are freighted with wounded; someone to be calm when the house is burning; someone to be right when the world is wrong.”

Fueled by the sacraments and driven by the certitude of Christ’s promise, we have our mission.

God bless you!