How Many More Centennials Will Be Celebrated in the U.S.?

Alaric escorts the Christian treasures of Rome to safety at Saint Peter's Basilica
during the Gothic sack of AD 410. 

The United States prepares to celebrate 250 years of existence. [See the White House announcement.] Drag out the flags and bunting and decorate the house! But is the primary song to be sung, Happy Birthday, or will it be a Dies Irae for our funeral? 

A look at the history of the decline of the Roman Empire points to the latter. Why did Rome fall? There were a number of reasons, but historians agree that the invasion by the barbarians on the edge of the empire and their inclusion in the Roman legion were primary. Other reasons include government corruption, financial instability, and a massive influx of migrants with no loyalty to Rome.

Hmm...does all that sound familiar? The Roman Empire survived for over 500 years. Does that look likely for us? 

The priest who witnessed our marriage once asked me a question when I was bemoaning the state of the country with abortion, the sexual revolution, the growth of feminism, etc. "What do you think it was like for the average person as the Roman Empire was collapsing?" That stopped me in my tracks. The people went on living day by day, like those in the time of Noah. They went on with their lives, trying to feed, clothe, and shelter their families. Like us, they faced each day and worked and struggled. And many, unlike the corrupt of Noah's generation, turned to the "new" religion of Christianity growing and spreading throughout the empire. 

It wasn't all bad news after all!

I love my country, every beautiful square inch of it, even those places disfigured by hate and violence. I hate to think of my country collapsing in moral degeneracy and disappearing from the face of the earth. But history doesn't just reflect lessons of disaster; there are lessons of hope. The Visigoths, under King Alaric, sacked Rome in 410, but what happened next?: 

...their interaction with Roman society and the Church led to a transformation in their religious beliefs. Over time, the Visigoths shifted towards Nicene Christianity, aligning themselves more closely with the doctrinal positions of the Roman Catholic Church.

This conversion marked a profound shift in the religious landscape. The Visigoths' embrace of Christianity created a bridge between their tribal traditions and the theological doctrines of the Church. The Visigothic conversion was not merely a change in religious affiliation but a process of cultural integration, where pagan practices were gradually replaced by Christian rituals, and ecclesiastical structures became integral to their societal fabric. [source]

Not all the pagan invaders went the happy way of the Visigoths, but that experience should confirm all Christians in hope and in a determination to work and pray for conversions, because, as St. Paul tells us:

And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints. Romans 8:28

So let's roll while we cling to the pillars of the Eucharist and the rosary calling on Jesus our Lord and Mary His Co-Redemptrix and Mediator of all Graces. 

For the amazing story of the sacred vessels depicted in the artwork at the beginning of the post go here. Study history which offers lessons for today. As George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Let us not be among those forgetful souls.