Starting the Week Off Right This Sunday Morning
A while back I started talking about living our faith without compromise. I posted a special prayer that emphasized the importance of Christ in our lives.
After the recent election we Catholics find ourselves confronting a government that insists we compromise our faith by compromising our religious freedom. The government's current policy would have us participate in programs that offer abortion and contraceptive services through our health care. Many Catholics, even our Bishops, have said we won't compromise our religious freedom.
Either the government will back down, or we will be standing face to face in the coming months. But whatever decision the government makes, I hope you've already decided that you won't compromise your faith.
If you want to see what living your faith without compromise in the face of a hostile government is all about, watch the movie For Greater Glory. It didn't get much press. I'm not sure it was in theaters all that long. But we got a DVD and watched it Friday. If you're not familiar with it, the story takes place in the early part of the 20th century when the Mexican government's persecuted the Catholic Church, its priests, and the "Cristeros" who fought agains the loss of religious freedom.
The Cristeros proclaimed the kingship of Christ with the phrase, "Vivat Cristo Rey!" The proclaimed this in the face of the threats to their freedom, threats of violence, even in the face of death. They lived their faith without compromise. One of the main characters is a young boy, whose courage inspires even the tough, worldly-wise older general of the Cristeros, a man of uncertain, unsteady faith, who learns much from this young boy's uncompromising faith.
We are not threatened with physical violence or death - at least not at this time. So our decision to live our faith without compromise will not be as dramatic as the decision of the Mexican Catholics in the 1920s. It will not require the same degree of courage, but it will require courage. And it will require complete, unwavering commitment to the cause.
This movie is wonderful and will inspire you as you face a government determined to force you to compromise, to commit sin by supporting abortion and contraception.
Meanwhile, Thanksgiving arrives Thursday. The devastating superstore Sandy left a couple of friends of mine homeless. They continue to struggle to put their lives back together. Many others in their community struggle as well. The media doesn't talk about those still without homes, living amidst devastation you can't imagine. Last night, my friend told me that the FEMA representative who finally showed up at his home this week had also been in New Orleans after Katrina. This person told my friend that the devastation in his community was far worse than anything he saw in New Orleans. You wouldn't know it from the media. So please pray for all those living with their losses.
And watch For Greater Glory if you have the time this holiday weekend.
After the recent election we Catholics find ourselves confronting a government that insists we compromise our faith by compromising our religious freedom. The government's current policy would have us participate in programs that offer abortion and contraceptive services through our health care. Many Catholics, even our Bishops, have said we won't compromise our religious freedom.
Either the government will back down, or we will be standing face to face in the coming months. But whatever decision the government makes, I hope you've already decided that you won't compromise your faith.
If you want to see what living your faith without compromise in the face of a hostile government is all about, watch the movie For Greater Glory. It didn't get much press. I'm not sure it was in theaters all that long. But we got a DVD and watched it Friday. If you're not familiar with it, the story takes place in the early part of the 20th century when the Mexican government's persecuted the Catholic Church, its priests, and the "Cristeros" who fought agains the loss of religious freedom.
The Cristeros proclaimed the kingship of Christ with the phrase, "Vivat Cristo Rey!" The proclaimed this in the face of the threats to their freedom, threats of violence, even in the face of death. They lived their faith without compromise. One of the main characters is a young boy, whose courage inspires even the tough, worldly-wise older general of the Cristeros, a man of uncertain, unsteady faith, who learns much from this young boy's uncompromising faith.
We are not threatened with physical violence or death - at least not at this time. So our decision to live our faith without compromise will not be as dramatic as the decision of the Mexican Catholics in the 1920s. It will not require the same degree of courage, but it will require courage. And it will require complete, unwavering commitment to the cause.
This movie is wonderful and will inspire you as you face a government determined to force you to compromise, to commit sin by supporting abortion and contraception.
Meanwhile, Thanksgiving arrives Thursday. The devastating superstore Sandy left a couple of friends of mine homeless. They continue to struggle to put their lives back together. Many others in their community struggle as well. The media doesn't talk about those still without homes, living amidst devastation you can't imagine. Last night, my friend told me that the FEMA representative who finally showed up at his home this week had also been in New Orleans after Katrina. This person told my friend that the devastation in his community was far worse than anything he saw in New Orleans. You wouldn't know it from the media. So please pray for all those living with their losses.
And watch For Greater Glory if you have the time this holiday weekend.
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