Catholicism under attack

Nov 29, 2009

As I reflect on our faith and how in the past many great saints went out to the world to share the love of Christ with the peoples of the world regardless of what may happen to them I am reminded that I and many Catholics do not do enough to share the love of Christ with others. There seems to be either a fear or apathy about spreading the faith or maybe it is part of a weakness of one’s own faith that stops a person doing so.

Today we Catholics are blessed to have many opportunities before us where we can bring the love of Christ into the lives of others because so many today do not know Christ and His Divine love. However, instead of taking hold of these opportunities we so often do nothing and let them slip by and so may let a soul miss the opportunity of knowing the fullness of God’s love in Christ, Our Lord.

Secularism is increasingly attacking Catholicism trying to draw people into believing in no God at all and only to believe in the here and now and what the world offers. In Europe, the European Court ruled Crucifixes should not be on display in Italian schools. In Switzerland the churches are controlled by the government and the lay people and not the priests or Bishops.

Many tread very carefully so as not to offend Muslims but when it comes to Catholics governments, the media and people freely attack the Catholic Church with no regard to the people’s belief or feelings. It seems because Catholics do not respond with violence or in anger but with a forgiving love that makes us easy targets for those who would not speak out against Islam because of fear. This makes these people no more than bullies attacking those who appear weak but avoiding offending those who would respond violently.

Protestants openly attack Catholics and try to draw Catholics away from the truth of Christ into the acceptance of whatever is mans belief and not what Christ, Our Lord taught and asked of us. With the belief that anyone can interpret Holy Scripture it is easy for the protesting denominations to embrace homosexuality, gay marriage, contraception and female ministers and bishops.

Muslims openly attack both physically and with force of law the Catholic faith. In some Muslim countries it is an offence to wear a crucifix, to speak of Jesus, to celebrate Mass or to pray in a prayer group. Catholic Bishops, priests and religious are subjected to murder, rape and torture. I was in England several years ago in Bradford speaking in the Catholic Church. The church was surrounded by high walls with barbed wire on top. Security cameras and security gates had to be installed. This was because Muslims in the area attacked the priest several times and often try to damage the church and abuse people going into it. Their claim is that Bradford is a Muslim town and no Catholic church should be in the area even though the church has been there long before the Muslim population and England is a not a Muslim country. There also have been approaches to the council to close the church because it offends Muslims.

However, we Catholics should not despair as Christ is with us and it is in times of persecution that the Church is graced and strengthened by God who brings up people to boldly profess the faith to all.

Today we are all called by God to be these people, to be the saints who stand firmly but gently in the truth of Christ. It is through us God will show His loving power and touch many in the world with His Holy Spirit to convert their hearts to the full truth of God.

We are called to live our faith openly so that all can see Christ in us.

We are called to stand against all wrong so that the truth of God can be seen through us.

We are called to reach out to all in the name of Christ so that all can come to know His Divine love.

We are called to share without fear the faith we know and love as the true faith.

Let us be the ones who show the world that secularism and political correctness is the cause of so many of the world’s wrongs.

Let us be the ones who reach out to our protesting brothers and sisters inviting them to the full truth of Christ.

Let us be the ones who take to our Muslim cousins the knowledge of the Divinity of Christ so that they can truly come to know the Trinitarian God of love and peace.

I encourage each person to begin today and to continue every day praying for Muslim hearts to be open to Christ, Our Lord. I hope each person would pray three Our Fathers for Muslims to know The Father and The Son and the Holy Spirit. Pray in love and in the desire that they come to know the love of Christ which leads people deep into the heart of The Father by the grace of The Holy Spirit. Ask all those you know to pray for them, ask your prayer groups, your friends...everyone. Let us create a mountain of loving prayer that reaches up to heaven in a chorus of love for our Muslim cousins.

Please join me in this and persevere even when nothing seems to be happening as in time God will pour out the blessings needed to change hearts and souls and to open them to the full truth of God.

God love you,

Alan Ames