I remember coloring in the lions on the paper my Catechism teacher had handed out. The lions in the coliseum were approaching a group of huddled Catholics.
My CCD teacher asked us if we too were willing to suffer for our faith the way the martyrs of old did? I remember looking at those cartoon lions and deciding that yes, I very much had the stuff to stare down a cartoon lion. Easy.
But it’s easy to answer in the affirmative when we’re talking about cartoon lions. It’s different when we’re talking real life. Real lions have teeth.
And make no mistake, real life is what we’re talking now. We have a government that mandates what pro-life counselors must say. We have a government now that mandates that Catholic institutions pay for things it considers sinful. We have a government that now says the cost of being an American is to not act like a Catholic.
February 1, 2012 at 4:40 am
Persecution of Catholics always happened under a monarch. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" Lord Acton. In a democracy, when people are respected for being sovereign persons, when life is respected, when law and order is respected, and genuine authority is accepted, life prospers and flourishes under Divine Providence. The crime in America is that Divine Providence has been denied to us. Now is the backlash.
February 1, 2012 at 4:51 am
Remember when Pope John Paul II went to Poland and the people chanted: "We want God", "We want God". Here in America: "We want God","We want God"
February 1, 2012 at 2:56 pm
I think the real terrorists are in our government.
February 1, 2012 at 3:23 pm
With the Obama administration asking Catholics to violate their consciences, there is absolutely no doubt that Obama looks and acts nice but is really evil and wicked inside. Any Christian who supports him is a modern day Judas.
February 1, 2012 at 3:29 pm
The Bishops should convene a meeting immediately and every Catholic Cardinal, Archbishop and Bishop in these United States, together as a group, publicly, unequivocally and without exception, tell this Administration and like-minded members of the U.S. Congress, State Legislatures and local governing bodies in one united single voice that when it comes to any attempt at any level of government to direct Catholics to abide by any law, rule, or regulation that is inconsistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church there is only one response acceptable to God: No! Never! We will not comply!
Catholic Charities, Catholic social agency’s, schools and universities must not comply with any government directive that violates the tenets of their faith. The Catholic members of these organizations should not be forming alternate legal entities through which they intend to participate in programs that are contrary to Catholic teaching. The same teachings that compel the Catholic Church to stand up for Truth apply to individual Catholics as well.
I believe it was Cardinal Cooke (or maybe Cardinal O'Connor or both), who whenever any government entity suggested or directed that Catholic organizations comply with laws, regulations or directives contrary to Church teaching, did, as we should be doing now: announce his intent to close down every Catholic program impacted by such unacceptable rules, if they were not rescinded. Guess who blinked first?
This should not be a game. No doubt, many will be inconvenienced and some may not get services they need. But first and foremost should be the concern for the salvation of souls.
Tell these attempted usurpers of our God-given right to practice our religion without government interference that all Catholic social, charitable and health related programs will cease operation within 30 days if the proposed unconstitutional mandates are not repealed.
Let them accept full responsibility for what will follow from their unconstitutional action and let us defend the truth, save our souls and honor our God!
We have the upper hand in the earthly plain – the Catholic network is too large for the government to replace. More importantly we have the upper hand morally because we are simply doing what our God expects.
For some time, we have been warned that a time would come when it would cost dearly to be a Catholic and to defend the Catholic Faith. That time is here.
Who will we serve: God or man?
http://harvestingthefruitsofcontemplation.blogspot.com/
http://catholiclane.com/forgotten-truths-to-set-faith-afire-words-to-challenge-inspire-and-instruct/
February 3, 2012 at 12:32 am
The state shall have no gods before them.