user, Author at Yanke Academy

23/Aug/2019

Those who know me know that I really like superhero movies. A lot. When I was a kid, I watched Superman at least 50 times in a single Summer. I identify with him. He’s kind of the “speak softly” (Clark Kent) “and carry a big stick” (Superman) kind of guy. That’s me. Where most superheroes wear masks to conceal their human identity while they’re fighting crime, Superman’s mask is his human identity. He’s a fascinating character study… and it’s fun to imagine having his abilities.

What makes superheroes super? One obvious trait is their powers and skillsets are superior to normal human beings. Power itself doesn’t make them superheroes, though… the bad guys typically have comparable abilities for the heroes to overcome. The hero part is the unique trait. Who says the bad guys MUST be overcome? Who made it their job?

Heroes know right from wrong and must deal with the obstacles to doing what is right. This is the fun part for a comic book writer… coming up with the ultimate challenge for their character and then trying to write them through it. The comic book franchises test their characters repeatedly by putting bigger and more impossible obstacles in their paths. One thing a hero can’t do no matter how impossible the situation becomes?

Give up.

Those who don’t read comic books often assume they lack the depth of traditional novels. Perhaps the name conjures images of the Sunday funnies. Comic books are a genre of story-telling that is best described as graphic novels. There is depth in the characters and complexity to their interactions with the world. The characters are not just super, they have to deal with the consequences of their actions and identity. Some of these stories can be emotionally intense and some comic book titles have even earned literary awards.

The problem for movie studios? Fans already have a picture of their heroes ingrained in their memories. How can you match that image in a way that does justice to the fan’s interest and doesn’t come across as a live-action cartoon? Either listen to those who know the characters the best, the fans, or be a fan yourself.

Bringing comic book characters to the film industry has been a decades-long challenge for Hollywood studios. DC Comics hasn’t been able to successfully bring more than a trilogy together for any of their characters on the big screen. This is a sharp contrast to the Marvel side of the house. Marvel has been wildly successful in their recent offerings. What’s the difference?

Story-telling.

Both franchises have a rich history of stories but DC keeps starting over and trying to retell the same stories in new ways with new special effects and more drama. Each director adds a spin of their own and tries to remake the characters in their own vision. They refresh the characters with each iteration and show something new to existing fans. What they haven’t done well is listen to the fans. Batman keeps beginning and Superman keeps getting introduced to Lois Lane. When it doesn’t resonate, they start over again. They seem think comic book fans don’t want stories they love from the comics, they want something totally different. They don’t.

Marvel has been successful in translating their biggest story arcs to the big screen. They don’t keep rebooting, they move the story forward with situations and characters the fans recognize. They focus on the fans and their expectations. Their actors are encouraged to read about their characters in the comic books to understand their own mythology. Marvel has been so successful that the actors have become their characters to their fans. Can anyone argue that Robert Downey, Jr isn’t Iron Man, Chris Evans isn’t Captain America, and Chris Hemsworth isn’t Thor?

It’s that simple. Listen to the fans.

Marvel’s secret is telling the familiar stories in a familiar format and making the characters relatable from the comic books. The movies are made by comic book fans for comic book fans. Just like the comic books, each major character has their own title that comes together for the big issues they can’t handle individually–the Avengers movies. The studios have contracted with their starring cast for the anticipated number of movies in which they would appear. As the movies proved popular, they had big-name stars like Robert Redford and others requesting to be in them. Success breeds more success.

In the midst of the great stories, there is also great consistency. Kevin Feige, the Russo Brothers, and Jon Favreau had the overall vision and kept the plot moving forward through each character’s franchise. There are nods throughout to comic book fans’ expectations and Easter eggs hinting at upcoming story arcs. It was brilliantly conceived and exceptionally executed.

Spoilers beyond this point… you have been warned. If you haven’t seen Avengers: Endgame, don’t read beyond this point.

The anticipation for Endgame was palpable. Avengers: Infinity War set up the impossible task for the heroes to overcome and fans were in a frenzy trying to figure how it would play out.

One theory I read online (written before the movie premiered) identified each Avenger with an Infinity Stone. There are six original Avengers and six Infinity Stones. The theory was that the Infinity Gauntlet was too much for any one of them so each would handle a stone in defeating Thanos.

That got me thinking about what actually occurred in the movie.

I noticed the directors actually did something similar to the theory above but with a different twist. The fate of each Avenger at the end of the movie can be related to an Infinity Stone.

Soul: This one is fairly obvious. Black Widow sacrificed herself so the heroes could attain the stone.

Time: Captain America is referred to as the “man out of time” throughout the series. At the end of this movie, he returns to his own time to live out the life he missed.

Space: Thor was meant to be king of Asgard after Odin died. Instead, he takes a different path and joins “the Asgardians of the Galaxy” in their return to space.

Power: Hulk is referred to often as “the strongest Avenger.” Using the Infinity Gauntlet left him wounded and weakened.

Reality: When Hawkeye lost his family, his reality changed. He became Ronin, an assassin. At the end of Endgame, he is able to return to his former reality when his family is restored.

Mind: The time heist was a product of the mind of Tony Stark. More than this, his armor allowed him to steal the stones from Thanos, bear them, and use them. His fate is due to the products of his mind.

I haven’t seen this theory anywhere else and I salute the brilliance of the writers for their story-telling skills. There is depth to the characters and meaning to their stories. They successfully brought the best attributes of comic books to the movies.

user

21/Aug/2019

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard…” Matt 20:1-16

It can be difficult to separate ourselves from our work. Work is the source of our income, our sustenance, even our self-worth and, for some, our identity. We want to be paid commensurate with our effort… and don’t mind an additional tip, if offered. We like to be complimented on a job well-done and noticed for our diligence. Our sense of justice is offended when we see others rewarded equally to ourselves when we know our work was greater.

The parable of the landowner who pays those who worked all day the same as those who came late in the day is a reminder of God’s sovereignty. Though we pray in the Lord’s Prayer for God to provide our daily bread, how many of us truly see it as our Lord’s gift and not our due for our own efforts? After all, we contracted for our wages, we did the work, and we purchased the bread.

The truth is, though, that we who put our trust in God’s providence do so with our whole being. We recognize that the very air we breathe is a gift. The time we have is fleeting. The faith we share is through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Is there truly anything we do on our own?

Yes.

We obey the will of God.

He called us to work in His vineyard. We obey. We do His will. It doesn’t matter how long ago we were called. Our reward for faithfulness is His to bestow… and He is generous. Through our Baptism, we have been reborn into the very household of God, taking on His Name; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our reward is our inheritance… undivided and undiluted. We are not mere day-laborers. We are sons and daughters called home to share in the heavenly banquet. Older children are not more precious than newborns. We are family.

What made the blessed virgin Mary “blessed among all women?” Was it because she was greater than any other woman who lived or will live? Was it because she sacrificed more or gave more in her life than any other? Or was it simply because she was made for a special purpose, faithful to God, and He rewarded her as He saw fit. Call it the luck of our lineage… some are born into royal families while others are born on the streets. Each has been gifted with life and purpose by the same God. We tend to see with earthly eyes of envy when we see another blessed greater than ourselves.

Opening ourselves to the heavenly reality helps us realize that our Lord is the giver of all gifts, the granter of all stations, and the author of all rewards. We should rejoice in all of His works, especially when He raises up our siblings in honor as a model for our own faithfulness.

May His Kingdom come and His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Amen.

user

04/Oct/2018

I don’t have to tell you how important this election is for the protection of human life in the womb—and for American culture as a whole. As great as our individual and collective efforts may be, they may not be enough. We need the big guns.

There is one group who could change the course of history with a word, but they continue a self-imposed silence… the bishops of the Catholic Church. Catholics are demographically ¼ of the voting population nationally and as much as ⅓ in several states… including New York and California. The silence of the bishops has allowed the culture of death to fester and grow for generations. Enough is enough! All that is required to defeat the lies of the world is to stand for truth… all truth. This failing to speak out has condemned generations in complicity with evil.

Below is the text of my last letter to the bishops before this election. I ask your help in spreading the message and encouraging clergy at all levels to take a stand for truth… before it’s too late.

——————————

Text:

Dear Bishops,

The Church teaches that the state is supreme in temporal matters. However when politics make religious proclamations (such as women have the right to end the life of their unborn babies or men must embrace the sin of homosexuality rather than simply loving the sinner) politics enters into the religious realm and claims supremacy over the human soul. Proclamations against candidates and issues that compete with religion, is not against politics but against counter-religion. Rebuttal has both temporal and eternal consequences for all.

The Democratic Party has been the champion of the culture of death for more than 45 years since Roe v Wade. During this time, the bishops have proclaimed a moral silence on this truth to avoid meddling in politics. Is it any wonder Western Civilization is crumbling in moral decay? When the Church is silent in the face of evil, evil advances. This was the first failing of Adam in the Garden of Eden. He was there by Eve’s side when she faced temptation. His failure to defend his bride with the light of truth led to the fall of man.

“The grave danger today is not religion in politics but politics in religion.” — Venerable Abp Fulton Sheen

Objection: “The Church advocates for the protection of human life in all stages, including for the poor and vulnerable, immigrants and refugees, and those suffering on the margins of society.” What is the best way go about each of these? There are ways that encourage the dignity of men and those that do not.

Do we help the poor with government handouts, meaningful employment, or individual charity? This should be a moral transaction. When individuals give of their own spirit, they express love for their fellow human beings and the receiver feels gratitude for the gift. When the government gets involved, it extorts taxes from citizens at the point of a gun to fund government “generosity.” The moral transaction falls apart as the citizen now feels resentment and the receiver feels entitled. Advocating for social welfare programs sponsored by government may not be the best way for the Church to protect the poor and vulnerable.
Do we help immigrants and refugees when we create conditions which encourage human trafficking? There isn’t a popular cry in this country to end lawful immigration. You will hear a cry from immigrants and natural citizens alike for lawful entry. The Church should never advocate for lawlessness… but many bishops have done so on the issue of immigration. If you or I decided to illegally enter Mexico, we would be arrested. That is their law. That is the law on our books as well for those who break our immigration laws. Look around the world and find that every country controls their lawful borders. Why are our borders the only ones not worthy of respect? See what is happening in Europe with unfettered refugee infusions. Lawlessness and violent crime are on the rise and the Christian culture is under attack. Would it not be better to protect vulnerable refugees within their own cultures rather than moving them around the world to undermine Western Civilizations built on the foundations of Catholic teaching?
Are those suffering on the margins of society best helped by government or the Church? These populations include those in the LGBT community who have gone right past seeking inclusion in society to demanding celebration of their perversions. There are many in the Church seeking normalization of sin (Fr James Martin comes to mind). Can the Church be holy and at the same time welcome unrepentant sin? Can our country be moral and also require the celebration of immorality? This is an area where the Church has been following secular culture rather than leading… and we are seeing the decay of culture in all western societies. Church leadership is needed to help those on the margins, not government programs.

On each of the issues above, we can have discussions about how best to accomplish the goals of caring for the poor, immigrants, and those on the margins of society. In fact, these are discussions of political policy. There can be no discussion on abortion and homosexual marriage—both are always wrong in all ways. We must stand against them in the truth of the teachings of the Church. Both are priorities of the Democratic Party codified in their platforms at all levels of government. The “seamless garment” advocating for the equal weighting of all issues of the human condition misses this greater truth and confuses the faithful. Catholics should stand together as one Faith in one Truth, but we are divided by lies and confusion. You have the ability and the duty to repair these rifts caused by politicians and a politically-motivated media.

Objection: “The Church does not intend to tell people for whom they should vote, or which party deserves our allegiance, but to propose that the message of the Gospel and promotion of the sanctity of human life should provide a moral roadmap for our nation and the world.”

I don’t want the Church involved in politics. She should absolutely not tell people for whom they should vote nor endorse any political party. However, when a political party stands for intrinsic evil as part of their mission outlined in their party platforms… it deserves condemnation from the bishops. That political party has stepped into your realm of authority. You are not talking politics—they are talking human life and dignity. Given the strength of the Catholic vote, such a condemnation should be electorally fatal. Any political party wanting power would have to cease supporting intrinsic evil in order to recover from such a sanction. Do you want to end State-sponsored abortion in this country? This is how you do it. Are there pro-life Democratic candidates for office? Yes… and their first vote will be to elect their leadership to control Congress. The Democratic Party platform will then be implemented. This is a problem larger than individual candidates.

I assume you watched the Supreme Court nomination process for Judge Brett Kavanaugh. The Democrats announced their opposition before he was even named. Why? They oppose President Trump’s picks for the Supreme Court because he has committed to appointing pro-life judges. All of the other noise aside… isn’t that an extreme pro-death position worthy of condemnation by the Church? The culture of death has been advanced through the courts because it can’t be advanced through the legislative process. Americans don’t support it. It has been imposed through dictatorial fiat and lies. It is a process diametrically opposed to democratic ideals. If the Democrats lose the courts, the culture of death will falter. They are fighting tooth and nail to prevent it. How hard are we fighting to restore respect for human life and dignity?

Our liberal Catholic neighbors don’t listen to us. They listen to the biased Press and the lying politicians. In the absence of truth coming from the bishops, they are acting on those lies. They have been taught to form their own consciences and the USCCB’s voting guide has been written vaguely enough to give cover to any position and rationale. Buried in the middle of your guide is the statement, “Abortion, the deliberate killing of a human being before birth, is never morally acceptable and must always be opposed.” This should be in the front of your guide as the first hurdle any candidate or party must cross before soliciting Catholic votes. Your readers should only go past page one for any political party not supporting abortion and other intrinsic evils. The Democratic Party is the greatest advocate for abortion outside of China and they should be opposed by Catholic voters according to your own guide. It’s time we preach this simple truth and protect human life.

This may seem like the wrong time to be on this message with the Church in crisis… but I believe these issues are related. I have only heard one homily applauded during Mass. In the Fall of 2016, a local priest gave a homily where he laid out the issues in my book and named the Democratic Party as the sponsors of these evils. The congregation stood up and applauded. Why? We know the truth. It shouldn’t be so Earth-shaking to hear it… but it is. The Church’s moral authority has been hurt by silence. The lies and coverups are only another manifestation of this silence. The faithful long for truth (especially the painful truths) from the Church. Where else can we turn? The Church failing to stand for truth (all truth) is a scandal of its own.

Unless bishops speak out forcefully, ½ of American Catholics will continue to support the sponsors of the culture of death with the blessing of their consciences… to the eternal peril of their souls.

The Supreme Court is changing… and that is good. How bad will it be for the Church, though, to not be seen as relevant as Donald Trump in standing for human life in America? In my mind, it isn’t enough that abortion is narrowly defeated in its next Supreme Court challenge. The challenges will simply continue until the court is sympathetic again. The sponsors of the culture of death must know that the Church will stand against them as long as they promote abortion and other intrinsic evils. They must know this will doom any campaign. This is a lasting testimony to them and any other party seeking power. That is a pro-life legacy for generations.

We don’t need councils and synods. We need bishops with courage to stand and proclaim the truth—even if alone. I encourage you to speak out while there is still time and will pray for you and your brother bishops.

Sincerely and respectfully,

Patrick Yanke
Speaker and Author

Encl: Flyers for Parish Bulletins: General Flyer & Party Comparison Flyer

user

26/Sep/2018

Text:

Dear Cardinal DiNardo,

I appreciate your response to my letter and the book I sent you on August 9th. I would like to have a dialogue with you on the substance of your letter, if you don’t mind. There are a couple of areas where I think more conversation is beneficial to our efforts for the life and dignity of human persons.

I agree the Church advocates tirelessly to defend the unborn and to promote the sanctity of marriage and the safeguarding of religious liberty. I also agree that a great deal of this tireless effort is undermined by the soft advocacy given by the Church to the Democratic Party. This soft advocacy takes the form of Social Justice teachings which neglect the greater truths and letter-writing campaigns for issues such as immigration reform, healthcare reform, and climate change… generally portrayed by the Press as Democratic Party priorities. Aligning on these issues is aligning with their agenda. We are scandalized in our pro-life efforts as our own Church favors those who champion the culture of death. As your quote from Pope Benedict XVI stated, we can not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice. Just so, we also can’t play on both sides of the field.

“The Church advocates for the protection of human life in all its stages, including for the poor and vulnerable, immigrants and refugees, and those suffering on the margins of society.” What is the best way go about each of these? There are ways that encourage the dignity of men and those which subvert it.

Do we help the poor with government handouts, meaningful employment, or individual charity? This should be a moral transaction. When individuals give of their own spirit, they express love for their fellow human beings and the receiver feels gratitude for the gift. When the government gets involved, it extorts taxes from citizens at the point of a gun to fund government “generosity.” The moral transaction falls apart as the citizen now feels resentment and the receiver feels entitled. Advocating for social welfare programs sponsored by government may not be the best way for the Church to protect the poor and vulnerable.
Do we help immigrants and refugees when we create conditions which encourage human trafficking? There isn’t a popular cry in this country to end lawful immigration. You will hear a cry from immigrants and natural citizens alike for lawful entry. The Church should never advocate for lawlessness… but many bishops have done so on the issue of immigration. If you or I decided to illegally enter Mexico, we would be arrested. That is their law. That is the law on our books as well for those who break our immigration laws. Look around the world and find that every country controls their lawful borders. Why are our borders the only ones not worthy of respect? See what is happening in Europe with unfettered refugee infusions. Lawlessness and violent crime are on the rise and the Christian culture is under attack. Would it not be better to protect vulnerable refugees within their own cultures rather than moving them around the world to undermine Western Civilizations built on the foundations of Catholic teaching?
Are those suffering on the margins of society best helped by government or the Church? These populations include those in the LGBT community who have gone right past seeking inclusion in society to demanding celebration of their perversions. There are many in the Church seeking normalization of sin (Fr James Martin comes to mind). Can the Church be holy and at the same time welcome unrepentant sin? Can our country be moral and also require the celebration of immorality? This is an area where the Church has been following secular culture rather than leading… and we are seeing the decay of culture in all western societies. Church leadership is needed to help those on the margins, not government programs.

On each of the issues above, we can have discussions about how best to accomplish the goal of caring for the poor, immigrants, and those on the margins of society. There can be no discussion on abortion and homosexual marriage—both are always wrong in all ways. We must stand against them in the truth of the teachings of the Church. Both are priorities of the Democratic Party codified in their platforms at all levels of government. The “seamless garment” advocating for the equal weighting of all issues of the human condition misses this greater truth and confuses the faithful. Catholics should be able to stand together as one Faith in one Truth, but we are divided by lies and confusion. You have the ability and the duty to repair these rifts.

“The Church does not intend to tell people for whom they should vote, or which party deserves our allegiance, but to propose that the message of the Gospel and promotion of the sanctity of human life should provide a moral roadmap for our nation and the world.”

If you read the letter and book I sent to you, you would see that I don’t want the Church involved in politics. I agree She should absolutely not tell people for whom they should vote nor endorse any political party. However, when a political party stands for intrinsic evil as part of their mission outlined in their party platforms… it deserves condemnation from the bishops. That political party has stepped into your realm of authority. You are not talking politics—they are talking human life and dignity. Given the strength of the Catholic vote, such a condemnation should be electorally fatal. Any political party wanting power would have to cease supporting intrinsic evil in order to recover from such a sanction. Do you want to end State-sponsored abortion in this country? This is how you do it.

I assume you’ve been watching the Supreme Court nomination process for Judge Brett Kavanaugh. The Democrats announced their opposition before he was even named. Why? They oppose President Trump’s picks for the Supreme Court because he has committed to appointing pro-life judges. All of the other noise aside… isn’t that an extreme pro-death position worthy of condemnation by the Church? The culture of death has been advanced through the courts because it can’t be advanced through the legislative process. Americans don’t support it. It has to be imposed. It is a process diametrically opposed to democratic ideals. If the Democrats lose the courts, the culture of death will falter. They are fighting tooth and nail to prevent it.

Our liberal Catholic neighbors don’t listen to us. They listen to the biased Press and the lying politicians. In the absence of truth coming from the bishops, they are acting on those lies. They have been taught to believe that they should form their own consciences and the USCCB’s voting guide has been written vaguely enough to give cover to any position and rationale. Buried in the middle of your guide is the statement, “Abortion, the deliberate killing of a human being before birth, is never morally acceptable and must always be opposed.” In my opinion, this should be in the front of your guide as the first hurdle any candidate or party must cross before soliciting Catholic votes. Your readers should only go past page one for any political party not supporting abortion and other intrinsic evils. The Democratic Party is the greatest advocate for abortion outside of China and they should be opposed by Catholic voters according to your own guide. Teach it!

Unless the bishops speak out forcefully and together, ½ of American Catholics will continue to support the sponsors of the culture of death with the blessings of their consciences… to the eternal peril of their souls.

The Supreme Court is changing… and that is good. How bad will it be for the Church, though, to not be seen as relevant as Donald Trump in standing for human life in America? In my mind, it isn’t enough that abortion be narrowly defeated in its next Supreme Court challenge. The challenges will simply continue until the court is sympathetic again. The sponsors of the culture of death must know that the Church will stand against them as long as they promote abortion and other intrinsic evils. They must know this will doom any campaign. This is a lasting message to them and any other party seeking power. That is a pro-life legacy for generations.

I encourage you to speak out while there is still time and will pray for you and your brother bishops.

Sincerely and respectfully,

Patrick Yanke

Letter from Cardinal DiNardo – USCCB President