Catholics under persecution: Will we restore in Christ or reset in Satan?

 

Blessed art thou, Lord God of our fathers, renowned and glorious is thy name for ever! In all thy dealings with us, thou hast right on thy side; so true to thy promises, so unswerving in thy course, so just in thy awards! No punishment thou hast inflicted upon us, or upon Jerusalem, holy city of our fathers, but was deserved; for sins of ours, faithfulness and justice that stroke laid on. Sinners we were, that had wronged and forsaken thee, all was amiss with us; unheard thy commandments, or else unheeded, thy will neglected, and with it, our own well-being! Nothing we had not deserved, pillage of thy contriving, plague of thy sending, and at last the foul domination of godless foes, of a tyrant that has no equal on earth! Tongue-tied we stand, that have brought disgrace on the livery of thy true worship. 

In these days we are without prince or leader or prophet, we have no burnt-sacrifice, no victim, no offering; for us no incense burns, no first-fruits can be brought into thy presence and win thy favour. But oh, accept us still, hearts that are crushed, spirits bowed down by adversity; look kindly on the sacrifice we offer thee this day, as it had been burnt-sacrifice of rams and bullocks, thousands of fattened lambs; who ever trusted in thee and was disappointed? With all our hearts, now, we choose thy will, we reverence thee, we long after thy presence; for that clemency, that abundant mercy of thine must we hope in vain? By some wondrous deliverance vindicate thy own renown; theirs be the vain hope, that would do thy servants an injury. Fools, that would match themselves with omnipotence! Crush down their might; teach them that in all the world Lord there is none, God there is none, glorified as thou. (Daniel 3: 26-32; 38-41)

When we are being scourged it means that God still loves us, and asks for our repentance. We can either imitate the saintly Three Young Men or we can follow Barabbas. Does that mean we rejoice that we are in Babylon? No. But it does mean we meditate why we are in exile. Surely there are some terrible sins to make reparation and repent of. Let us just think of the millions killed in abortion, or the sins against morality and family, the innumerable outrageous and mocking violations of The Commandments by Catholics, millions, nay hundreds of millions of Catholics. Or, let us just consider the silence of millions of others as these crimes went on. Just as Israel of old was punished for her infidelity, so too, Israel of today is being punished for her infidelity. God will not be mocked. Yes, he is a loving Father, but he is also a just Father.

For those Catholics who have and wish to remain faithful to the Father, He also desires us to use the intelligence and reason He gave us. Just read the Bible. Read Daniel (was he not a consultant for the pagan King, without compromising the Faith?), Esther (did she not marry the pagan King, without compromising the Faith?), Maccabees (did they not use their wits and intelligence without compromising the Faith?), Habbakuk, Lamentations, and Job (did not the Prophets teach us humility and repentance?). 

Let us go and do likewise.  

 Sts. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, pray for us.