Been a While

A few folks -- a tiny remnant of the irregular readers of this blog -- have asked me why I haven't posted very much recently. Actually, they're very kind, because I really haven't posted a thing since June. The reason? I've simply been busy. 

I spent a lot of time preparing for a course on Biblical Typology that I'm now in the middle of conducting. The preparation demanded more time and effort than I had expected. And in the midst of it all, Diane and I went north for a couple of weeks to visit our children, grandchildren, and some old friends. I've also been wrapped up in some of the administrative details related to a pilgrimage to Italy that Fr. Glen and I will lead in January. So, you see, I have plenty of good excuses.

But I'm also disheartened by our nation's political landscape, and how things seem to be moving. And for weeks I've been left without words, wondering whether I should address the issues publicly. I guess I will. Please understand, though, these are my personal views, and I do not presume to speak (or write) for the Church. 

I look at today's Democrat party and wonder how it moved so far to the political left and so quickly. I've always believed that Marxism (and, folks, socialism and communism are both founded on solid Marxist principles) is attractive to two kinds of people. 

First, there are the "useful idiots" as Lenin purportedly called them. They listen to the false promises of an ideology that will never deliver, and they actually believe what they hear...at least for a time: 

"We'll pay off your student loans; we'll make the downpayment on your home; we'll guarantee wonderful healthcare that will cost you nothing; we'll bring true democracy and equity and diversity and inclusion and anything else you cry for..."  

The second, much smaller, group are the Marxist elites, those that feed the masses with all those promises. Ironically, few of the elites actually believe in Marxist ideology, because they're not hoping for equality or democracy or the people's happiness. No, they seek only one thing: power. And, conveniently for them, the consolidation of power into the hands of a few happens to be a guaranteed byproduct of Marxism's full implementation.

Marxists also despise religion...well, not all religion because they offer the masses their own version of religious faith. Perhaps more accurately, they despise the faith and values of Jews and Christians, and will join forces with anyone else who mirrors their hatred. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend...for a while.

To the Marxist, religion is a serious competitor because it shifts the allegiance of the individual from the state to God and His Church. They can't have that, and so they attack the Church, at first through the media and laws and regulations. But once they have power, the attacks become viciously physical. Just look at Marxism's history in the USSR, China, Cuba, etc.

Remember when Joe Biden told the TV host, Charlamagne Tha God, “I tell you if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”

Of course, it was just another of Joe's racist statements in which he assumes all blacks, really all minorities, must think alike, that they must hold identical political and moral beliefs.

So, let me one-up him, and tell the faithful: "If you vote for today's Democrats, you ain't Catholic." 

In this instance, though, I appeal to the deposit of faith, the Church's foundational beliefs, beliefs that are rejected by this political party. Not only do they support abortion and infanticide, but they also attack Church teaching on virtually every moral issue. And did you happen to hear how the Democrat vice presidential candidate, Governor Walz, called his opponent, Senator Vance, "Weird"? Why? Because Vance is an intelligent, religious, family-loving, pro-life, Catholic. Yep, all those traits really bother today's new Democrats.  

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm no big fan of the Republican party either. But at least their platform and values seem more closely to mirror my own. Yes, some of them wander off into the bullrushes and support that which helps them personally, forgetting the needs and freedoms of those they represent. But most appear to toe the line that runs between life and freedom.

I suppose the problem with politics is that it's plagued by politicians; that is, men and women who think of politics as a career instead of an opportunity to spend some time helping others live better and more rewarding lives. Term limits have always seemed like a good idea to me: ten years in the House; two terms in the Senate. After that, go back and do some real work in the world, growing our economy rather than draining it. 

And maybe Christians who fill political offices should also be thinking about how they can help others on their journey to salvation. After all, the First Amendment of our Constitution is very specific:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

So, if, like me, you are a believing, practicing Christian, feel free to exercise your religious beliefs whenever and wherever the need arises. Of course, the Constitution protects you only from government interference; you may have to deal with others who are not so open to expressions of religious beliefs. In those instances, I find actions are often more effective than words. Practice your faith and show the world what you believe. Let them see how a Christian lives.

God's peace...and don't forget to vote.

Just In Case You Missed It

I haven't written much lately about the persecution of Christians and other religious groups, so I decided to share a few recent news stories that describe this growing worldwide trend. Some of these stories address real persecution by governments or other religious groups, while others describe the increased societal rejection of religious values, even in nominally Christian countries. Of course, life for believing, practicing Christians is almost intolerable in most Muslim and Communist nations.

I don't intend to offer much detail since you can simply click on the links I've provided and visit the original news stories. Here goes...

In Africa, Uganda has seen its share of violent persecution. Just last month a Christian pastor was murdered outside his church, in front of his daughter, by three Muslim attackers who demanded he destroy his church because it was too close to the local mosque. Because he refused, he was beaten and slashed with machetes after being told, "Today you will face the wrath from Allah." Sadly, it's just one more story of violent anti-Christian attacks -- read more here.

In Nigeria, a country which has experienced far too much anti-Christian persecution, a Muslim militia group attacked a Christian community, killing 49 residents and kidnapping another 27. Read more about the almost daily attacks on Nigerian Christians here. 

Things are no better in Asia. In Myanmar, for example, the military has been attacking Christian settlements, destroying churches, burning homes, and even murdering clergy. In Afghanistan, hundreds of Christians have fled because of the intolerant, murderous policies of the Taliban toward other faiths. Many more, however, remain in the country, unable to make their way to a safe refuge. Based on experience with the Taliban, many of these will no doubt be slaughtered. Life was never easy for Afghan Christians, but our grossly incompetent exit from the country has made things far worse and will certainly lead to more persecution of these courageous, faithful people. 

French Catholics Threatened With Death. On December 8 a small group of about 30 Catholics in the Paris suburb of Nanterre were taking part in a torchlight procession celebrating the Immaculate Conception when they were accosted by perhaps a dozen Muslims. The Muslims shouted out threats to "the infidels" and called for the death of the priest leading the procession. This is just another example of similar attacks by anti-Christian groups that have become more common in France. Not long ago Leftist Antifa radicals violently attacked a similar procession in Paris. Between the years 2008 and 2019 attacks against Christians in France have increased by 285%.

Christianity: The #1 Target of Hate Crimes. Click on the link and read Raymond Ibrahim's article describing the disturbing growth of attacks on Christianity in Europe. Even though many European countries do not keep track of anti-Christian attacks, such attacks outnumber hate crimes against any other religion. Ibrahim, by the way, is always worth reading. He is among the most knowledgeable scholars and commentators on the Middle East.

Dying Catholic MP, Sir David Amess, Denied Sacraments by Police. On October 15 Sir David Amess, a Catholic Member of Parliament in the UK, was meeting with constituents in a local church hall when he was attacked by a Muslim and stabbed to death. His pastor, Fr. Jeffrey Woolnough, hearing what had happened drove to the scene with the intention of offering the sacraments to Sir David in the event the MP was in danger of death. As it turned out, he was, but the police refused to allow the priest access to the dying man declaring it was a crime scene. Priests, of course, are fully aware of the necessity to avoid causing problems with crime scenes, but the UK has become so officially irreligious that police and other authorities see no reason to accommodate clergy who desire only to minister to the dying. 

President Biden's Build Back Better legislation discriminates against religious facilities. The bill, which includes federal funds to improve child-care facilities, prohibits the use of these funds by religious based childcare facilities. This will no doubt lead to increased costs for these church-based facilities and end up forcing many of them to close, unable to compete with better funded secular facilities. It's just another form of subtle religious persecution by the Biden administration.

I haven't addressed the severe persecution evident in communist countries such as China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Cuba. Perhaps in my next post.

Pray for persecuted Christians here and throughout the world. 

The Church in Afghanistan

Thanks to omnipresent cellphone videos, we can all experience the trauma faced by those Afghans and American citizens trying to make their way to the Kabul airport. And as we watch this disaster unfold in Afghanistan, we begin to wonder what the future will bring. Only the most optimistic could find anything positive about all that has happened and likely will happen as a result of President Biden’s historic national security blunder. 

And then I heard an Afghan mention that things would be especially dangerous for Christians in the country. I’ll admit I didn’t realize there was a Christian presence in Afghanistan. I was aware that Afghan law — law established by a government we helped set up — considered apostasy from Islam a capital offense. The punishment for men who convert from Islam is execution, and for women, life imprisonment. Because of this, I just assumed there were very few Afghan Christians. It seems like 1st-century Romans and 20th-century Soviet and Chinese communists, I had underestimated the faith and courage of Christians. As it turns out, there are very few Christians in Afghanistan, but there are some. To find out more, I began to nose around. I was especially interested in the Catholic Church’s presence, if any, in Afghanistan.

I decided to check out the website listing the worldwide Catholic Hierarchy and there I found Fr. Giovanni Scalese, a 66-year-old Italian priest, a member of the Barnabites (The Clerics Regular of St. Paul) who is listed as the Superior of Afghanistan. This good priest might be, from what I can discover, the only Catholic priest in Afghanistan. I suspect there are probably others, but Fr. Scalese must not even refer to this possibility lest he place them in physical danger. Anyway, his name rang a very distant bell and so I checked my favorite journal, First Things, and sure enough, back in 2017, they published an interview with Fr. Scalese that gave a clear picture of the Catholic presence in Afghanistan four years ago. One need not be a prophet to realize things are far worse today. Here’s a link to the interview: The Church In Afghanistan.

After reading this interview, I decided to look for something more current from Fr. Scalese and, wouldn’t you know it, I found it. Fr. Scalese is today pleading for prayers for the people of Afghanistan. In his words, “We are living in days of great apprehension as we await what happens… pray, pray, pray for Afghanistan! Thank you.” Here is a link to the article: Kabul Catholic priest pleads for prayers…

I found another article — Fr. Scalese: Afghans Fear Another Civil War — published online in April of this year, in which Fr. Scalese is asked his opinion regarding the decisions by Presidents Trump and Biden to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan. Even though he is hopeful a Taliban victory will not completely eradicate the freedoms many Afghans have come to cherish, one can sense his fears for the people he has come to love.

I’ll return to this subject soon, but in the meantime pray for the people of Afghanistan, that the Lord of All will grant them the peace and the hope for which they yearn and which only God can provide.

Praised by Jesus Christ! Now and forever!

Disconnected Thoughts

First, I’ve neglected the blog for a week or so because our elder daughter and her five children have been visiting. One, the eldest of the five, had to leave us to return to his job in Charleston, but the others remain to delight our lives. After they flew in from Boston, we spent several days in Orlando and then headed for our home in The Villages. Unfortunately, one of the family also brought us a gift: a bug that left the rest of us, including Diane and me, with rather nasty head colds. It’s left Diane and me very tired, with runny noses and mildly sore throats, but thanks to meds from Walgreens we’re on the mend…slowly. We hope to be all healed and soon up to our usual slow speed.

Second, I’ve also neglected my dear Bible Study regulars, now numbering almost 100 parishioners, and it’s been nearly a month (perhaps longer) since I’ve written one of my study guides. Diane and I went off on a few little trips during April and May, followed by the arrival of daughter and grandchildren, so I suppose I have an excuse. I hope to get busy on a new one next week. In the meantime, you can always reread one of the existing study guides posted on our Bible Study Website.

Anyway, as I recover from this pesky common cold, I’ve been thinking about lots of odd things, mostly about our world and how its rational inhabitants largely ignore the God who created them. At the risk of boring you all, especially those few stalwarts who occasionally read a post or two, I decided to share some of these thoughts.

A few years ago I read The Christians as the Romans Saw Them,  a wonderful little book by Robert Louis Wilkin, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Virginia. Surprisingly, although the Romans had quite a lot to say about Christians, they had very little to say about Jesus. Most of the Romans who mentioned Christians despised them and their teachings. And because Christians refused to worship the Roman gods, but instead worshiped a man who was crucified as a criminal, they were thought to be atheists. Reading what the Romans had to say, one would think Christianity just sprang up out of nowhere and it’s founder, a nobody from a minor province, wasn’t worth mentioning. Of course, from the world’s perspective, that’s exactly who Jesus is: a nobody. I suppose most educated Romans considered Jesus Himself simply unworthy of much mention. This really shouldn’t surprise us, since Jesus is the very font of the humility He preached to His disciples. How did St. Paul put it?

Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross [Phil 2:6-8].

The Son of Man lived in the world, and lived in the deepest humility. The world, in which Satan thrives, cannot comprehend humility and will always try to ignore Jesus or, failing that, attack and belittle Him. We see this today among the self-proclaimed elite and especially among the politicians who endlessly proclaim their Christianity while openly ignoring Jesus and the Magisterial teachings of His Church. We who claim to be Christians ignore Jesus at our peril. As St. Paul continued in his hymn-like teaching to the Philippians, Jesus, the Son of Man, is far more than a humble, itinerant preacher, for He is also Son of God:

Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father [Phil 2:9-11].

Yes, indeed, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” but many tongues do not yet confess this truth. As Paul reminds us, “…at the name of Jesus every knee should bend.” Every knee should, but so few do. 

Not long ago, a parishioner and Bible Study regular told me she was sure Jesus would convert the world before He returned. I told her I hoped she was right but didn’t believe that would happen. I referred her to something Jesus asked, a series of questions that has always caused me to question the depth of my own faith:

Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? [Lk 18:7-8]

It’s that final question that gives me pause, and leads me to what Jesus had to say about those final days:

Many false prophets will arise and deceive many, and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a witness to  all nations, and then the end will come [Mt 24:11-14].

I suppose we haven’t yet preached the gospel to everyone throughout the world, but we’re getting close. There’s certainly been an “increase in evildoing” while the love of many, sadly even many Christians, has grown very, very cold. 

Will the entire world experience a mass conversion in a big kumbaya hug with the returning Jesus? Jesus doesn’t tell us that. He tells us to “persevere…and then the end will come.”

Because I have no idea when that end will come, I refuse to be consumed by worry or fear. But in the meantime you and I should certainly pray for our nation and our world, and pray for the conversion of all. But we must also realize that the end days will be preceded by some very difficult times that call for our perseverance.

Dealing with Hatred

I can't recall ever encountering so much hatred in our nation as seemingly exists today. Certain groups, apparently founded on and continuing to espouse Marxist principles, simply cannot abide the presence of any contrary beliefs. For example, Black Lives Matter "protesters" who openly support the looting and burning of businesses in American neighborhoods are now invading restaurants, creating physical havoc by upending tables and chairs, all the while demanding that the diners support them. 

This video was taken in Rochester, NY and shows the tormented tots of BLM storming a local restaurant. Don't they sound like little 5-year-olds in the midst of a tantrum because mommy and daddy didn't give them the toy they wanted?

Here's another, in Washington, D.C., a bit more placid but still remarkably stupid. Watch this collection of spoiled white kids who never learned a thing from their equally ignorant professors. Their poor parents paid tens of thousands to colleges and universities that failed to educate their children. How sad for them all...except the schools. As a result all the little ones are able to do is parrot the inane words screamed into a megaphone by their verbally challenged  "leader." Again, how sad. Not an original thought in the group.

These, of course, are among the more "peaceful" of the BLM and Antifa demonstrations now plaguing our nation. Believe me when I warn you that your city or town, your neighborhood, could well be next. These yahoos have no intention of limiting their violent activity to the big cities. Right now, those cities, run by equally stupid far-left mayors and city councils, are the neo-barbarians' best hunting grounds because they know the police won't challenge them. But because they're not very bright, they'll begin to think themselves invincible. That will be their mistake. The folks who live in America's heartland won't tolerate what you saw above in unarmed cities like Washington, DC and Rochester, NY. If the barbarians get really stupid they will suffer stupidity's unintended consequences. One can only hope things do not go that far.

But how should we Christians respond to all this? If we turn to Sacred Scripture and Church teaching, we can find some good answers. 

Some Christians maintain that we must tolerate those who want to do us harm, that any resort to violence is no better than the violence that threatens us. The Church, however, has never taught this and has, indeed, always supported the human person's right to self-defense. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says quite a bit about this right, which for many becomes even a duty. I've extracted only a few paragraphs

2263 The legitimate defense of persons and societies is not an exception to the prohibition against the murder of the innocent that constitutes intentional killing. "The act of self-defense can have a double effect: the preservation of one's own life; and the killing of the aggressor...The one is intended, the other is not."

2264 Love toward oneself remains a fundamental principle of morality. Therefore it is legitimate to insist on respect for one's own right to life. Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow...

2265 Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. For this reason, those who legitimately hold authority also have the right to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their responsibility.

2266 The efforts of the state to curb the spread of behavior harmful to people's rights and to the basic rules of civil society correspond to the requirement of safeguarding the common good. Legitimate public authority has the right and the duty to inflict punishment proportionate to the gravity of the offense. When it is willingly accepted by the guilty party, it assumes the value of expiation. Punishment then, in addition to defending public order and protecting people's safety, has a medicinal purpose: as far as possible, it must contribute to the correction of the guilty party.

Church teaching, then, is clear: we have a right to defend ourselves against those intent on harming us. We can also use less than lethal defensive measures to prevent those prohibiting us from exercising our God-given human rights.

Some, however, seem to believe that evil does not exist, or that people cannot be overcome by evil -- that such people are simply misunderstood. They are decidedly wrong, as the history of humanity shows us. Overcome by the presence of evil, men and women soon forget God, who is the personification of goodness and love. They become habituated to the presence of sin in their lives and disorder fills them -- disorder of body, mind, and spirit. We see this in those who have ravaged our cities. They cannot accept the freedom of others. They cannot tolerate that others find happiness and joy in God's creation, in His gifts, and desire to live only in peace. These others they accuse of causing their own self-generated failures. 

What are we to do? Well, in addition to defending ourselves, we must confront evil with the truth. Interestingly, the readings for today's Mass (23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A) address this beautifully. 

The psalmist reminds God's people that many will ignore God, and in doing so, will turn to evil. Even their fathers had fallen prey to this failing:

"...your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works" [Ps 95:9]. 

Yes, even living in the midst of God's creation, surrounded by His wondrous works, we can forget His presence:

"You are the God who does wonders; among the peoples you have revealed your might...and no one saw your footprints" [Ps 77:15,20].

Evil exists, and driven by ignorance and self-worship it must be confronted by the truth. In today's first reading the prophet Ezekiel reminds us that by warning those who do evil, we are doing God's work:

"But if you warn the wicked, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall die for his guilt, but you shall save yourself" [Ez 33:9]. 

In today's second reading, St. Paul reminds the Romans and us that our attitude toward others -- even those who do evil to us -- must be grounded in love:

"Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law" [Rom 13:10]

And then, in today's Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus doesn't pull any punches. Our attitude and approach to those who stray, who generate disunity in the Body of Christ, must be one of love. But the one attitude we must always avoid is that of indifference. God desires reconciliation and peace among His people, and to allow disunity is to reject the will of God. We must, therefore, take positive steps to restore the unity God desires. 

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector" [Mt 18:15-17].

Here we encounter a deeper understanding of the teaching found in Old Testament, a teaching that immediately precedes God's command to "love your neighbor as yourself."

"You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your neighbor, lest you bear sin because of him" [Lv 19:17].

Like Leviticus, Jesus places the responsibility to act on the offended party. So often today, when we are offended or treated badly -- when someone "sins against" us -- we ignore those first three steps and immediately jump to the last. We just toss the other person out of our lives. But Jesus instructs us to make every effort to "win over" our brother. Indifference, then, is not permissible. 

Jesus, of course, took this same approach in His dealings with those who obstinately refused to follow God's revealed Word. He never allowed the Pharisees to get away with their willful and self-centered attitudes and behaviors. And yet, at the same time, Jesus' rebukes and questions were always consistent with His long-suffering desire to bring about the conversion and redemption of all. 

Jesus, then, remains the Good Shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep to bring him back into the fold. His teaching here is one of those highly practical teachings to help His Church deal with the reality of the world in which it must thrive. 

St. Paul, who focused so much on needs of the early Church, never tired in reminding us that love must always be joined to truth. Aware of our own weaknesses, we must still:

"...preach the Word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching" [2 Tim 4:2].

Yes, indeed, love married to truth. That is our challenge, but always remembering:

"What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?...No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through Him who loved us" [Rom 8:35,37].

(A friend just reminded me that I had written about fraternal correction some years ago and should provide a link to it. For what it’s worth, here it is: Fraternal Correction)

Egyptian Muslims Shield Christians from Terror

So often, it seems, when Christians are attacked or persecuted in Muslim countries, the majority of Muslims say little or nothing in their defense. But things are very different this week in Egypt. As you have no doubt heard, Islamist extremists bombed a Coptic church on Christmas Eve killing 21 people. Muslims in Egypt have apparently decided they have had enough of the terrorists who kill in the name of their religion. A number of very prominent Egyptian Muslims have not only condemned the attacks against Christians, but have also called on Muslims to act as human shields outside Christian churches during religious services.

One of the key people involved in this initiative, Egyptian journalist Ekram Youssef, stated that "It is time to change and unite...it is time for Egyptian citizens to act to revive the true meaning of national unity." Although many Muslims have joined the effort and stood alongside Christians at last night's Masses celebrating the Coptic Christmas, their reasons for doing so vary. Some see acts of terror against Christians as a major threat to national unity. Some are acting to express solidarity with their Christian neighbors. For others it is more personal since they knew one or more of those killed in the bombing. Youssef, in explaining her own presence, stated, “We all have Christians as part of our family. I am a Muslim but I’m sure my great grandfather was a Christian.”

Those involved include the famous and the not-so-famous. Several popular movie actors and entertainers have joined with a number of Muslim preachers as well as President Hosni Mubarak's two sons. In addition to these Egyptian celebrities, thousands of their countryman are taking part. As one Muslim student stated, "This is not about us and them. We are one. This was an attack on Egypt as a whole, and I am standing with the Copts because the only way things will change in this country is if we come together.” He acted on his words by attending mass at Virgin Mary Church on Maraashly.

Perhaps the example of these courageous people, both Muslim and Christian, will be recognized in other nations and inspire the same kind of solidarity. It's certainly something to pray for.

To read more, click here: Egypt's Muslims Serve as Human Shields.

God's peace.