My dad is almost 91. He is a war veteran, who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. One of the stories he tells us is that when he was student at his parochial school, he had to walk through the Lutheran neighborhood. He would have been about eight or nine years old when the Lutheran boys began throwing rocks at him when he walked by their houses on their way to the public school.
My dad said he learned to run really fast. This all happened about 1931 on. The last acceptable prejudice in Iowa was anti-Catholicism. This prejudice still exists. But, there is a twist. The anti-Catholicism is within the Church, not outside the Church.
All those Catholics who are disobedient in any way, such as taking contraceptions, having abortions, supporting ssm and women priests, skipping Sunday Mass and so is really a new "anti-Catholicism". "I do not have to believe what the Pope says." "I follow the Holy Spirit and He is also outside the Church, so I can believe what the Lutheran believe." "No one is going to tell me what to do in my bedroom." "The Church needs to change."
And, so on...
Anti-Catholicism is simply disobedience. Not to think and reflect about the teachings of the Church is to neglect one's duty in being a Catholics. Anti-Catholicism is also anti-intellectualism.
Rocks are being thrown at the faithful Catholics in the Church. We are attacked by so-called Catholics, who do not want to be Catholics, except superficially, which I do not understand.
Why be a Catholic if one is not going to be faithful? What is the point?
Rocks are thrown for one reason-malevolence. Hatred for Rome and hatred for any of the beautiful, sublime teachings of the Church come from one source. The devil, who hates God and hates us, the children of God, hates the Church.
This battle, these rocks which are thrown at the good servants of God will continue until the day we die.
Ephesians 6:11-18
King James Version (KJV)
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
I owe my faith to my father and mother and I owe much of the discipline and prayers from them. I learned about the domestic church from them, and how to sustain a Catholic identity from them. For these things, I am eternally grateful. But, in the past six years, we have split over politics. They cannot understand their daughter who has chosen the very narrow way, who has chosen to be a sign of contradiction in the world, and yet, I learned this from them..I think it is because they did not think I would have so many rocks thrown at me and therefore, I live in dire poverty and on the margins of society. So, please pray for my elderly parents, especially my father, who endured rocks for the faith, to come to the end of their lived resting completely in the truth of the Catholic Faith.
To watch others suffer is hard, especially when the person you are watching has taken everything you have said seriously.
In 1965, my dad said to me that to be in the world as a Catholic was to be counter-cultural. I took him seriously. I take my Father in Heaven seriously. One of the gifts God gave me is an overwhelming love of His Church. I love the Church and would die for the Bride of Christ. But, there are some who cannot understand that to love the Church is to be hated by the world and the devil. The American dream of tolerance has ended, and those democratic ideals for which my father fought are disappearing. I cannot imagine the pain.
Rocks, and more rocks............
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
I owe my faith to my father and mother and I owe much of the discipline and prayers from them. I learned about the domestic church from them, and how to sustain a Catholic identity from them. For these things, I am eternally grateful. But, in the past six years, we have split over politics. They cannot understand their daughter who has chosen the very narrow way, who has chosen to be a sign of contradiction in the world, and yet, I learned this from them..I think it is because they did not think I would have so many rocks thrown at me and therefore, I live in dire poverty and on the margins of society. So, please pray for my elderly parents, especially my father, who endured rocks for the faith, to come to the end of their lived resting completely in the truth of the Catholic Faith.
To watch others suffer is hard, especially when the person you are watching has taken everything you have said seriously.
In 1965, my dad said to me that to be in the world as a Catholic was to be counter-cultural. I took him seriously. I take my Father in Heaven seriously. One of the gifts God gave me is an overwhelming love of His Church. I love the Church and would die for the Bride of Christ. But, there are some who cannot understand that to love the Church is to be hated by the world and the devil. The American dream of tolerance has ended, and those democratic ideals for which my father fought are disappearing. I cannot imagine the pain.
Rocks, and more rocks............
John 15:18
Douay-Rheims
18 If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you.