This is Cappadocia, the land where St. Basil the Great was from in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), whose feast day we celebrate today.
On our long drive back to Alabama from Kansas this past week, my husband and I started talking about evil ideologies.
My husband asked a question that he frequently asks, “How do such evil ideas take hold? How does one person, say Marx, have an idea and then how do so many people come to believe it? How does it get propagated and end up being an ideology that so many of our modern college students hold to?”
I always try to give him a sufficient answer, but he’s never fully satisfied by it.
For me, the answer is simple, evil ideas spread because they give the illusion that one can be their own god.
It goes all the way back to the Garden. Why did Adam and Eve fall? They thought they could play at being God.
Evil ideas promote selfishness and permission to indulge in whatever sin you want. Many think that by choosing their will over God’s that they will find ultimate power and happiness.
But, they won’t.
St. John the Baptist, in our Gospel reading today, gives the answer we should all give: “I am not the Christ.”
I am not God.
I need a Savior and it’s not myself.
St. John could have executed a power grab had he claimed god-like abilities, but he didn’t. He knew his place and because he did, he led a noble, holy, and honorable life.
His life wasn’t about him, Catholic Pilgrims. It was only ever about Christ. May it be the same for us.
Live the Faith boldly and travel well.
St. Basil the Great, pray for us!
