St. Edmund Campion was a martyr of the English Reformation. He did many good works for Catholicism during his lifetime, including writing an article called “The Brag” to repel what the Protestants were doing at that time, which was killing Catholics and trying to eliminate the Catholic religion.
It is obvious today that the Catholic Church is at its worst point now as it ever was. There are few followers to it, just a handful.
In St Edmund Campion’s time, the Catholic Church was also at a low point. Most Catholics abjured their Faith, and those who stayed loyal were persecuted. St Edmund Campion wrote a circular letter in which he encouraged Catholics to stay true to the true Faith. The enemies dubbed the letter “The Brag” in order to discredit it. The part of “The Brag” which most applies to our lives today is the conclusion, in which St. Edmund states:
“Many innocent hands are lifted up to heaven for you daily by those English students, whose posterity shall never die, which beyond the seas, gathering virtue and sufficient knowledge for the purpose, are determined never to give you over, but either to in you heaven or to die upon your pikes. And touching our Society, be it know that we have made a league-all Jesuits in the world, whose succession and multitude much overreach all the practices of England – cheerfully to carry the cross you shall lay upon us, and never to despair your recovery, while we have a man left to enjoy your Tyburn, or to be racked up with your torments, or consumed with your prisons. The expense is reckoned, the enterprise is begun; it is of God, it cannot be withstood. So the Faith was planted; so it must be restored.
“If these my offers be refused, and my endeavors can take no place, and I, having run a thousand miles to do you good, shall be rewarded with rigor I have no more to say but to recommend your case and mine to the Almighty God, the Searcher of Hearts, Who send us His grace, to the end that we may at last be friends in heaven, when all injuries shall be forgotten.”
This Brag very well shows the dedication and spirit of missionary work, which many priests throughout the SSPX Marian-Corps exhibit today.
As mentioned in The Brag, The expense is reckoned, the enterprise is begun; it is of God, it cannot be withstood. So the Faith was planted; so it must be restored. There are important lessons we can learn from the Brag:
The expenses of our Faith, our religion are reckoned. We understand how taxing it is to carry our crosses every day. And yes, God’s work is not always easy, but does that mean we are excused from doing it? Absolutely not! God never gives us something impossible, and He gives us the strength we need to do His work. So let us take up our crosses, and strive to please God throughout our lives.
Secondly, the enterprise is begun. Yes, the enterprise of spreading the Faith is begun. It was begun very long ago, still continues today, and ever will continue! We are One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic! It welcomes people from all around the world to our Faith!
Thirdly, it is of God. Of course our Faith is of God! He is our Creator and Savior! Everything must be directed to Him.
Fourthly, it cannot be withstood. How could the one and only true Faith be resisted? Why would you resist a fact? Clearly, our Faith IS a fact, so why resist it? This is why it cannot be withstood.
Lastly, so the Faith was planted, so it must be restored. This perfectly describes our situation today! The Faith was planted long ago, and it still is here today, but it has gotten less and less “important” in people’s eyes. So that is why the Faith must be restored.
“The Brag” is a truly wonderful document penned by St. Edmund Campion. Let us always keep its fruits in mind, and let us live by them! And always remember that we hold the one and only true Faith! We must always live our lives in accordance to it, and everything we do must be done towards the greater glory and honor of God.
O Mary conceived without sin,
Pray for us who have recourse to thee.
O Mary conceived without sin,
Pray for us who have recourse to thee.
O Mary conceived without sin,
Pray for us who have recourse to thee.
St. Edmund Campion,
Pray for us.
Joseph
This is an excellent article. The lessons are most applicable to our times.
Sr Constance