Remembering #Incel

We are at the beginning of the Memorial Day Weekend.  

Traditionally, Memorial Day, which took shape after the Civil War, is considered a day to honor those who were killed in or as a result of participating in battle. These are some fast factoids about Memorial Day:

·       Memorial Day began as Decoration Day. ...

·       Decoration Day only recognized fallen soldiers of the Civil War until World War I. ...

·       Memorial Day was not an official holiday until 1968. ...

·       Memorial Day is one of the few days flags are ordered to fly at half-staff then full-staff.

The simplest thing you can do to explain and honor this holiday is to spend time talking to others what Memorial Day means to you. Take the day to talk and reflect on the subject of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the past, in the present and what do we want for the future.

This year in the present-day US, for Memorial Day people are placing wreaths, flowers and commemorative items to mourn the lives of schoolchildren and teachers and church attendees and shoppers who were ambushed and made the ultimate sacrifice in the battlefields of schools and churches and even shopping centers across all of society. We have devolved from “We have met the enemy and they are ours (from Commodore Hazard Perry in the War of 1812” to (Walter Kelly’s Pogo 1970) “We have met the enemy and he is us” to (US Secret Service Report March, 2022) “the federal government released a study on the growing terrorism threat from men who call themselves "anti-feminists" or "involuntary celibates" labeled “Incel” and draw motivation for violence from their inability to develop relationships with women” Since 2014, attacks inspired by the "Incel movement" and spanning the U.S. and Canada have left dozens dead.

“Incel” is a new word to me. I met it this morning in the NY Post. Incel is a portmanteau--a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two other words. Portmanteau words adopt the meanings of both words. The French word portmanteau describes a two-part suitcase. It combines the words porte, which means “to carry,” and manteau, meaning “cloak.” Like the suitcase, a portmanteau word holds or carries the meaning of two or more words. Incel are the two words “involuntary celibates. ”

 An Incel is a member of an online subculture of people who define themselves as unable to get a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one. The Incel, the Angry Young American Male is our greatest public health crisis. He is no longer a Lone Wolf; he is fostered and organized online. Check out Maureen Callahan at the NY Post for May 26, 2022 for further insight.

As an earthly Mother, I mourn the evil of our slain schoolchildren, and church attendees and shoppers and their broken-hearted families and local communities. As our Heavenly Mother, we believe Our Lady wants to message us how to heal our Angry Young Men…….

Several times during the month of May, Mary’s Month, I have watched a DVD, Mary’s Land. It is a documentary about you and me: lukewarm believers with unresolved doubts about whether God and Creation are real or just a fairy tale—a collective memory.  Was it just “once upon a time”? The protagonist is an observer, not a player in the Church. No one notices by his actions that he is a Catholic.  You know, he is a “cultural” Catholic, and he intellectualizes the beliefs. He is chosen for the mission to find out if people who do act out the morality spoken in the Bible from the Family relationship of Father, Son and Brother and a woman they call Mother are people who follow them because they are true believers or are they drugged or deluded or even mentally unstable. The thesis of the movie is if God created everything and there is life everlasting, one must order and prioritize one’s life accordingly. To develop the plot, the protagonist identifies as “The Devil’s Advocate” created in the Church 400 years ago to ensure the Truth of any investigation. The Devil’s Advocate receives a new mission: to fearlessly investigate those who still trust Heaven’s formulas. Are they swindlers? Are they swindled? The cinematography of Creationin this takes your breath away. The smooth, deep, melodious sound track is so integrated into the movie I thank Edison and Case for their genius every time I hear it. The Fantastic Visuals and a story line lead us and others to understand the Marian devotion in the Catholic Church. Half of it is spoken in Spanish for those native speakers; or you can turn English subtitles on for that part. The other half is in English when the dialogue is natively spoken English. An excellent use might be shown in a Catholic high school setting in Spanish class or Religion class, as well as being shown to a high school youth group or college young adult group. Perhaps it is appropriate for a Day of Recollection for RCIA or even a course basis or even reflection before confessions.

The development of the plot consists of interviews with 8 real persons who share their testimony of hearing Mary’s Message and how it changed their lives. They are John Rick Miller, a businessman who founded For the Love of God Worldwide. Amanda Rosa Perez is a famous model who transformed from a sensual top model to a spiritual top model. Salvador Iniquez, shares Mary’s love for those marginalized by prostitution and drug use. He patrols their dangerous streets with Rosaries (the whip for Satan according to Amanda Rosa Perez). He carries the Rosaries in prescription bottles and hands them out with pictures of our Blessed Mother and Divine Mercy. Fr. Francisco Verar, Founder of Magnificat Community for women with mental problems and children needing care, has an amusing and heart-warming interview including his mother who steals the show. He uses Christ Therapy /work as a prescriptive for the women to heal themselves. You will meet Dr. John Bruchalski whose heart had become hardened by performing abortions and in a turn-around founded Tepeyac Family Clinic operating under the umbrella of Divine Mercy Care pro-life services. Dr. Bruchalski has a very engaging personality. The Devil’s Advocate even goes to Las Vegas to interview the dancer Lola Falana –no spoiler given.  And there is a young woman who attributes her miracle cure from paraplegia to Mary’s Miracle Blessing. There are over 300 apparitions worldwide under investigation by the Church at present. This movie visits Medjugoria which is in a predominately Muslim country under Communist control. The Devil’s Advocate continues to discover the Truth from guide, Filka Mihalj. Although not an approved site like Fatima and Lourdes, the spiritual fruits of the numbers of confession and the JOY of the Pilgrims verify holiness.

How does this sacramental documentary shed light on the killing machine actions of the Incel, the Angry Young American Male? What messages might we anticipate from God’s Advocate, Mary, as we contemplate and grieve for the fatalities, for the martyrs, for the murderees on not only Memorial Day but in trying to foresee the danger of future attacks on our blood-splattered country’s battlefields of schools, churches, shopping centers?

Look in the eyes of the Incel. They are blank. They say that eyes are the windows of the soul. Their souls are blank. They are spiritually, physically and morally starved and sick. This will only be a very weak future. We have swindled them of God! They likely think it was just “once upon a time” that God created us. They have been in a spiritual battle where evil lurks in the darkness of the internet and the isolation of the pandemic and on the streets where Salvador Iniquez risks his safety. Uninhibited and promiscuous sexual pursuits are of the darkness. Mary’s message is to reach out and take their hand and hold it to give a sensual comfort in showing how we must love and care for one another. Stop the darkness of the battlefields of the unborn and foster re-building families in the light of a stable society.  We must bring God back into the classroom and place His commandments back in the Public Square.

The Devil’s Advocate of the documentary discovered that Faith and Belief are not externals. He discovered we must open our hearts to let in the Eternal.  Our country veering so far away from the Good, the True, and the Beautiful have swindled all of us and most hurtfully the Incel. We must work and pray for our leadership to steer us away from their bogus goals and devious practices back to the Eternal. Keep the Faith. Carry the Faith to the voting booth, to the Public Square, to your media outreach.

To Dear Mary, God’s Advocate

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.