I pray that this event never happens, but, don’t kid yourself, it might and could occur.  Don’t let us Americans think we are immune from the horrid acts of militant Muslims. What happened in Alexandria, Egypt, during a Christmas Mass and at the Moscow airport in January 24 can take place tomorrow in New York or any other American city.  As Abraham Lincoln said when warned about a possible assassin, “If a man wants to give up his life in order to take mine, nothing can prevent his doing so.”

          If you were a booker placing bets, what would you say are the odds that we “secure” Americans will be the next target? And why not?   These savage barbarian Muslims hate us because we uphold our Judo-Christian religions, we are closely allied with Israel, and we believe in freedom of thought and behavior. 

          So far, we have been extremely lucky in that past attempts to kill us have failed because of flukes (the bomb in NY’s Time Square that failed to explode, etc.).  But our good luck won’t last forever.

          On February 17, although he said he regretted the many attacks on Christians in his country, Habeeb Mohmmed Hadi ali Al-Sadr, Iraq’s ambassador to the Holy See, said the importance of these event has been magnified by “the media and international organizations.” He also said that in the total essence of the Islamic faith “to kill a soul for no reason is to kill the whole of humanity.” This sounds good except for the phrase “for no reason.” The Muslin terrorists’ reason for killing us Christians is to rid the world of the infidels and to assure a place in paradise for those involved in these murderous attacks.  By contrast, Father Maurice Zundel, the famed Swiss mystic who died in 1975, wrote: “Jesus is Catholic because he embraces all of humanity, and it we become his disciples we also must embrace all of humanity.”

          From an editorial in America magazine: “The plight of Christians abroad demands a vigorous response from church communities in the United States. Catholics and mainline Protestants must tackle these problems with as much organized effort as do evangelicals and Jews. The old tools of denunciation of abuses and of cooperation with moderate religious leaders, though necessary, have proved too weak to hold back the advancing tide of intolerance. They should be supplemented by new strategies for mobilizing both elite and popular opinion.”

I want the above fictitious news story (1) to make us more aware of and concerned about the Christophobia that exists in other parts of the world, especially in the Middle East where we Christians are now only 2% of the population. (2) We must have empathy for and pray for those who are enduring hardships and death in order to be Christians. (3) Lastly, as Joyful Catholics, let us appreciate our great fortune of being able openly to practice and demonstrate our religion.

God, please forgive America for its sins and protect us from our enemies.

(And let me have your thoughts about this: aljagoe@comcast.net)

Other recommended Catholic blogs 

The American Catholic

The Deacon’s Bench

Quantum Theology

 

Recommended readings

Some Thoughts on God and his creatures” in the February

                                                 Homiletic & Pastoral Review

“The Value of Nonprofits” in America, February 7.

“Cruel & Unusual” in Commonweal, January 28

Quiz

 The first to send the right answers to aljagoe@comcast.net will receive a gift copy of Light Reading for Good and Wayward Catholics.

1.     Including Sundays, how many days are there in Lent? 

2.     What two people appeared to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration?

3.  What biblical saint died and was buried twice? 

Those Frigging Militant Muslims

In Afghanistan, Mr. Musa, a 45 year old Red Cross worker and physiotherapist who lost a leg from a land mine accident in the 1990s, is to be hung because he converted to Christianity. By reason of his Catholic faith, he has been imprisoned for eight months, where he was tortured and sexually raped by inmates and guards. Because of death threats, no lawyer will defend him.

Aftermath of “The Pope is pregnant

 

We do indeed need to show joy as Catholics.  

 My motto — “Be happily and uncomplicatedly Catholic.”

Michael J. Sheehan

Archbishop of Santa Fe 

 

Aftermath of “The Pope is pregnant” 

I have compiled the comments about this issue into 3 sections.  It is interesting that the messages have been equally divided between the pros and the cons, providing I don’t include two threats.  Here there are:

1.  You have your nerve to poke fun at the Pope!

As a great admirer of Pope Benedict XVI, nothing could have been further from my mind. As you may recall, in a previous issue (“I could have baby-sat the Pope”), I confirmed my admiration and respect for this great holy man. Over 2000 years ago when God wanted to become man, he chose the most perfect human being to be the means of accomplishing this goal—the Virgin Mary. Today, if God wanted to repeat this miracle, He would again select that most perfect person on earth, whom I identified as our beloved Pope. If that is being critical, be my guest.

2. Thanks you for this great thought provoker.  I’ll admit at first I was dumbfounded. After re-reading it three times, I absorbed its most powerful messages.  I only wish our parish priests had the guts to use this in discussion groups with their parishioners.  If they did, what would you suggest as lead points?

- Do you believe that this could have happened—that God could have produced this miracle?  I imagine that only a handful of Jews in Bethlehem believed in Mary’s virginity. In your thinking, is there a glass ceiling on the will of God?  Are you a sincere believer in miracles?

- In your belief, how important is gender?  Do you think of the first person in the Holy Trinity as only God, the Father—or God, the Father, Mother and Essence of all Being?  Should the Parousia occur during your lifetime, would you accept a female baby as the Messsiah?

- When you receive Communion, do you sense the miracle of a new inner life?

3.  This is a real shocker and most Catholics are too complacent and provincial not to be offended.  What fun do you get by rocking the boat?       I admit I enjoy being a boat-rocker.  If someone doesn’t do it, the comfortable passengers might nap off and miss the beauty and experience of sliding through the blessed waters of life.  In the spiritual life of a Joyful Catholic, there should be no role for complacency.  Unless we constantly sense the ecstasy of our faith, we are poor receivers of God’s treasures that he showers upon us. A complacent Catholic is third rate.