Declaring war on the world

[losh14]

A thought came to mind this morning while listening to yet another poorly-done story on the Conclave of Cardinals. The world makes war upon us, upon Christians in general and upon Catholics in particular, because we follow the Lord (Jn 15:18). The worldly tell us that we should reform our faith in order to be more like the world. The worldly tell us that our institutions are archaic, our ideas regressive, and we should be as enlightened as the world is. The worldly tell us that we will be marginalized unless we reject our Lord and His Teachings, but calls it tolerance and fairness.

Is this the answer to a rote prayer life, a feeling of spiritual wilderness, to take up arms alongside the Host of Heaven and fight back against the world? My prayers are always of the form “Lord, I love you, I praise you, I ask you for this, that and the other thing” and while we can approach the Lord with all our needs (Mt 7:7), should we not also pray “Lord,yours is already the victory over Satan! I pray your angels make war upon the Evil One and all his angels, and triumph quickly!”

Is there a “too far?”
May we pray that our Senators’ eyes are opened to the Lord, and that they kneel and repent? May we pray that nominally-Catholic Senators who espouse abortion may be struck voiceless during their speeches, or that their hands fall asleep when it’s time to vote?

May we pray that the abortion clinic on the other side of town burns down in the middle of the night after the janitors leave?

May we pray that proponents of gay marriage, that gossip-spreading news reporters, be found to harbor such terrible scandal that they lose all credibility with those who follow them?

May we pray for those who are evil to reveal themselves and name publicly those whom they serve, that even the most terribly misled may be able to choose between life and death (Dt 30:19)?

Certainly I won’t ask that we pray for the death of another, for that is the Lord’s to take and to give life. The Lord who calls on us to turn the other cheek, march the second mile, and hand over our shirt as well as our cloak (Mt 5:39 - 41) is the same Lord who brings the sword (Mt 10:34). How should we wield the sword that that the Spirit grants us (Eph 6:16-17)?

 

[JRKH]

We may pray for any and all of these things…but first last and always, we must pray for God’s Will. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”…

As fro going too far…Prayer goes too far when it departs from the Law of Love.

Peace
James

 

[Schatzl]

I agree. I remember someone told me one time to “get out of the dark ages!” That “this is the present!” It disturbs me to know that the world is becoming more and more hostile to religion. Catholicism especially. We have to pray that the Church wont give into these “progressive” ideas like abortion, female priests, and gay marriage. While I’m all for same sex couples being in a partnership, I just dont want it to be called marriage because after that, churches will be forced to marry these couples like they would anyone else.

 

[Holly3278]

Unfortunately there is a lot of persecution in the world against Catholics and other Christians as well. The Lord told us that this would happen. Indeed before Jesus returns there is going to be a severe persecution unlike anything the world has ever seen before.

 

[LegoGE1947]

I agree. I remember someone told me one time to “get out of the dark ages!” That “this is the present!” It disturbs me to know that the world is becoming more and more hostile to religion. Catholicism especially. We have to pray that the Church wont give into these “progressive” ideas like abortion, female priests, and gay marriage. While I’m all for same sex couples being in a partnership, I just dont want it to be called marriage because after that, churches will be forced to marry these couples like they would anyone else.

I see a lot of these ideas when I am reading secular news stories on the web. Today for instance there’s a story about some Cardinals who are yet to show up in Rome for the selecting of a new Pope. And there were comments from readers speculating that they are late because they had some “appointments with some altar-boys!”

 

[Schatzl]

I see a lot of these ideas when I am reading secular news stories on the web. Today for instance there’s a story about some Cardinals who are yet to show up in Rome for the selecting of a new Pope. And there were comments from readers speculating that they are late because they had some “appointments with some altar-boys!”

Well. They clearly know absolutely nothing about the Church! They seem to think that all priests are like that! All we can do is prove them wrong. I honestly dont know what else to say…Its sad that it has come to this. It really is.

 

[LegoGE1947]

Well. They clearly know absolutely nothing about the Church! They seem to think that all priests are like that! All we can do is prove them wrong. I honestly dont know what else to say…Its sad that it has come to this. It really is.

I only know that today watching the coverage on TV and seeing the excitement in Vatican Square when the new Pope appeared on the balcony. What an awesome sight!

 

[Schatzl]

I only know that today watching the coverage on TV and seeing the excitement in Vatican Square when the new Pope appeared on the balcony. What an awesome sight!

My dad was flipping through last night and saw that CNN had “coverage” of the conclave and they asked a Catholic priest who was in the Square whether or not the pope would change any of the Church’s views on things like gay marriage, women priests, birth control, etc. When he said no, the reporter sounded disgusted with him and the Church.

 

[LegoGE1947]

My dad was flipping through last night and saw that CNN had “coverage” of the conclave and they asked a Catholic priest who was in the Square whether or not the pope would change any of the Church’s views on things like gay marriage, women priests, birth control, etc. When he said no, the reporter sounded disgusted with him and the Church.

Personally I would have been disgusted had the priest said “yes”

 

[JRKH]

Ran across this in reading Warren H Carroll’s “A History of Christianity, vol 1”…pg 476.
Speaking about the Church at about 250 A.D. he says:
(The Church) was now clearly visible from Persia to Scotland,and had been planted even further out…In it’s very weakness was a strength that even it’s enemies were beginning,with growing disquiet, to sense. **The pagan world was faced with a peaceful rebellion from within,armored with a gentle invincibility that none of it’s weapons could touch. ** Seed time was becoming harvest.
When we reflect on the state of the faith in an increasingly secular world, we should keep firmly in mind that which defeated the previous “secular” world.
It is not our arguments that will save the world, but our example - our prayers and our Charity.

Peace
James

 

[LegoGE1947]

Ran across this in reading Warren H Carroll’s “A History of Christianity, vol 1”…pg 476.
Speaking about the Church at about 250 A.D. he says:
(The Church) was now clearly visible from Persia to Scotland,and had been planted even further out…In it’s very weakness was a strength that even it’s enemies were beginning,with growing disquiet, to sense. **The pagan world was faced with a peaceful rebellion from within,armored with a gentle invincibility that none of it’s weapons could touch. ** Seed time was becoming harvest.
When we reflect on the state of the faith in an increasingly secular world, we should keep firmly in mind that which defeated the previous “secular” world.
It is not our arguments that will save the world, but our example - our prayers and our Charity.

Peace
James

Years ago gospel singer Bill Gaither did a song titled “The Church Triumphant is Alive and Well” Although he is a Protestant the title is very true. Maybe even truer than Mr Gaither or any of us knows!