Backburner for Mary; Persecution on Deck

Sigh. As always, Mary goes on the back burner as I get my brain involved in something else! Thankfully, she'll be waiting until I call again.

I'm at the very beginnings of a new book entitled, "The Facts About Luther," by Msgr. Patrick F. O'Hare, LL.D. (And I have no earthly idea what all those initials are. Catholic clergy and consecrated have more letters behind their names than doctors!) I wanted to post something here for a quick reflection.

Msgr. O'Hare says: "Catholics expect the Church, which Christ established and organized for all time, to be misunderstood, maligned, ill-treated, pursued, persecuted and hated by the world. Her founder put the mark of the Cross on her when He said: 'If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. (John 15:20)'"

I honestly have never looked at it this way -- that the Church EXPECTS to be hated. I don't want to be hated! I think I have within me a natural desire to be loved and to be rejected is a suffering I would not wish on my neighbor. What a shock to know that my neighbor wishes me ill will and instead of being surprised, I should be expecting and accepting of it as a cross to bear.

He goes on to say, "Catholics know that Christ watches over the survival of the Church, and hence, in this day when the vast army of the ignorant and the rebellious rise up to check her development and stop her progress, they fear not, happen what will, for they are confident that as the sun will rise tomorrow and the next day and so on to the end of the world, so will the Master ever fulfill His promise concerning the Church, preserving her amid storm and sunshine til time is no more."

Here again, I see that I need to pray for a greater faith and trust that Christ is with the Church til He comes again.

But I also take solace in realizing that I'm not any different than any other Catholic throughout the ages. Msgr. O'Hare wrote this in 1917: "Catholics naturally feel indignant at the vilification, abuse and misrepresentation to which their ancient and worldwide religion is constantly subjected, but they are charitable and lenient in their judgment towards all who wage war against them. They are considerate with their opponents and persecutors because they realize that these are victims of a long-standing and inherited prejudice, intensified by a lack of knowledge of what the Catholic Church really upholds and teaches."

So it's natural for me to feel indignant! I'm validated!

But I also see that I need to work on charity, leniency, and to be more considerate. Huh. There it is again -- the solution to all things is love.