Courage in Christ

                                              TIME TO GET THE FIRES LIT!    

THE WORLD IS TORN, CHRISTIANS ARE THE MOST PERSECUTED IN THE WORLD: 
http://frontpagemag.com/2013/andrew-harrod/persecuted-on-all-sides-christians-in-the-modern-world/

     The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, of whom shall I be afraid?

  Lord, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.

  As an American, I hear it and I feel it :::

   Don't talk Politics & Religion.
                     You might offend someone.
                     Don't be arrogant and righteous.

  In the New Evangelisation within the Catholic Church, respect is highly valued. But not talking is giving in, not pursuing is submission.

  When one does not dare, one is left to stare.

  In other words, we lose.

  We lose our values in the public spectrum. Our statues are taken down. Our children are preached to a different strain.

  A strain for complete tolerance, which at the crux of the paradox, leads to intolerance and conformity.

  There will always be conformity in some uncertain form.  If I may not proclaim the Good News, then I am left with nothing new, but all that society says I should.

FOOLS! THIS IS LIFE OR DEATH!

 With Him there is no DEATH! For He IS Life!  He IS Light and not Darkness.

  The forces of evil are on the move, always have desired to be so, and are seeking our souls to suffer as they suffer.

 How do I know this?
     Jesus' everlasting message, the miracle of Pentecost, St.Paul's conversion, the persecution of Christians to the conversion of Constantine, the courage of the martyrs throughout the centuries, the great lives of the Saints, the miracles of the Eucharist, the miracles of the stigmata, the resolution of the possessed by exorcisms, Lourdes, Fatima, and the long standing, unbreakable Church despite the constant attacks on it through the ages both within and outside it.

  It is said that all that I named is an instance of Faith.  But I will say it has not been disproven as much as 100% proven.  I put it to you that there is more truth here than in our science books as science is just as much based on faith as these as a scientist must have faith in the idea that nature is explorable and unified in law.  Scientists do not just put things to the test when they explore, they put their faith in science itself. 

 This world is not for the weak, there is justice and there is injustice. Crime & punishment, GOOD & EVIL.

song: Psalm 23:

  It is a war, as all our ancestors knew.  It is not a time to be nice for the sake of nothing. It is time we wake up each other and say ,' Glory Glory is His name, Jesus Most High, Lord of the Living and the Dead, He takes away the sins of the world, have MERCY on us. For His is the Kingdom and the Power, the Glory. Now and Forever Yours. For I shall have no fear in Him, because He is my shepherd, the forces of evil shall not prevail for there is only One Lord of Lords, One Creator, and all power resides in Him. I seek His Mercy. I seek His Truth. I seek His offerings and dispel the offering of those who proceed against Him.  '

  We see this sort of message carried out in Revelations.  We know not our hour or time, so LIVE NOW in Him.  No use waiting. No use thinking. What's the matter? Why do we not see this? Why can we not take up our arms of justice and see this is our calling.  To cry from the fires of our bellies that this world has been given a great gift in the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

What's the Matter You People? /song recites Prayer of St Francis Assisi

  What is being polite if one is not honest? What is honest if Truth does not exist? Why should one not declare His name in front of millions, believers and non-believers?

  If you look around, you will realize that we are a populous of thinned skins.  Where is true justice if we can not be honest?

    
   In the Catholic new Evangelisation, we are called not to be afraid of Truth.  Not to be afraid at all, yet still withhold respect as we are ALL God's children.

   This pope, taking the name of Francis not only gives us a mission towards the meek and the poor, but it is a great name of evangelisation.  The pope himself seems to be a shining example of living out the scriptures, the Good News.  Sometimes Christian love is seen as weak, but it is very courageous. Courageous because it is not afraid of speaking for and living out the Truth, and in this Truth there is NO death, No evil to fear.

  Truth is NOT telling a gay person they are hated, telling a prostitute that she is no friend of God's, telling a divorcee that they have no chance for redemption.
   Indeed, true love is redemptive.  Forgiveness is the greatest expression of love, and God both forgives and is Love.

   But it's still a WAR.  Not too surprising if one reflects a bit that Francis Xavier and Assisi were two veterans of war, people who learned true courage in the face of death and two great successes of the Counter Reformation.
  Indeed, we are to be GREAT MEN, chivalrous, as Christians, and we should have a courage and fire to fear nothing, yet do it in the most Christian ways.  I see very little that speaks so much to that message than the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace
  Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
    Where there is doubt, faith.
   Where there is injury, pardon.
     Where there is despair, hope.
    Where there is darkness, light.
    and where there is sadness, joy.
    Divine Master, grant that I may
    not so seek to be consoled,
     as to console;
   To be understood as to understand,
    to be loved as to love;
   For it is in giving that we receive -
 It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
  And it is in dying that we are born
       to eternal life.

  It says Lord, give me the courage to Do and SEEK in any terrain as I have FAITH in Your Most Holy Name.

  Jesus, Himself, said He brought the sword.  We are to be GREAT MEN of courage and faculty.

 I will end this with a call to my Protestant friends : I do not wish to destroy your Faith, but renew it in the spirit of Easter and Christian Renewal :

   I think if you have the courage to find time and the heart to listen to this : You won't be Protestant! You'd find the True Faith !

And then for ALL I wish to leave you an exemplary example of Great Christian Action and Courage !

  Here is something which was shared with me (and my Prayer Group)
Shows God tends to call to those on the outside as St. Francis's reflected. He probably did so so the weak would not be weak, but be instruments of both his MERCY & LOVE.

God chooses the weak... And this list could be much longer.

Noah got drunk.
Abraham lied about his wife.
Sarah laughed at God.
Jacob was a deceiver.
Moses murdered an Egyptian.
Rahab was a harlot.
Gideon was fearful.
Jephthah made a foolish vow.
Samson had serious problems with lust and anger.
Eli failed as a father.
David was an adulterer and a murderer.
Solomon married foreign wives who turned his heart toward idolatry.
Elijah struggled with depression.
Jonah ran away from God.
Matthew was a tax collector.
Peter denied Christ.
Paul argued with Barnabas.
Barnabas compromised the gospel.
James and John wanted special seats in the kingdom.
All the apostles argued about who was the greatest.

And it continues throughout the history of the church until today. We can fit many names on that list because somehow God chooses the weak, the losers, the outcast, the sinners and gives them a great treasure. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." (2 Cor 4, 7)

Do you still still think that evangelization is for the others?

 

LASTLY: I WANT TO REINFORCE WHAT CHRISTIAN MANHOOD IS... IT IS A KIND OF CHIVALRY

 The Knight's Code of Chivalry was a moral system that stated all knights should protect others who can not protect themselves, such as widows, children, and elders. All knights needed to have the strength and skills to fight wars in the Middle Ages. Knights not only had to be strong but they were also extremely disciplined and were expected to use their power to protect the weak and defenseless. Knights vowed to be loyal, generous, and "of noble bearing". Knights were required to tell the truth at all times and always respect the honour of women. Knights not only vowed to protect the weak but also vowed to guard the honor of all fellow knights. They always had to obey those who were placed in authority and were never allowed to refuse a challenge from an equal. Knights lived by honor and for glory. Knights were to fear God and maintain His Church. Knights always kept their faith and never turned their back on a foe. Knights despised pecuniary reward. They persevered to the end in any enterprise begun.^[2] Essentially, a chivalric knight is a Christian military soldier. "Certain law" stated a man must be a baptized Catholic in order to become a knight.^[1]

 ^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chivalry}

  

+Prowess: To seek excellence in all endeavors expected of a knight, martial and otherwise, seeking strength to be used in the service of justice, rather than in personal aggrandizement.

+Justice: Seek always the path of 'right', unencumbered by bias or personal interest. Recognize that the sword of justice can be a terrible thing, so it must be tempered by mercy, as God commands. If the 'right' you see rings true to the teachings of the Church, and you seek it out without bending to the temptation for expediency, then you will earn renown beyond measure. Be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil. Destroy Evil in all its monstrous forms. Avenge the wronged.

+Loyalty: Perform scrupulously your feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God. Never lie; remain faithful to your pledged word. Remain faithful and true to God and to those to whom you owe fidelity. Obey the laws of Chivalry, and all those of King and country which are not contrary to the laws of God. Never abandon or betray a friend, ally, or worthy cause.

+Defense: Seek always to defend and love your native land, your family, and those whom you believe worthy of loyalty. Defend the weak and innocent. Respect and protect women. Respect all those weaker than yourself, and constitute yourself their defender. Crush the monsters that steal our land and rob our people and defile our women. Defend the young and the old, and have reverence for life.

+Courage: Do not recoil from your enemy. Be prepared to sacrifice all in the service of God and virtue. Fight with prudence, but with courage. Never attack an unarmed foe. Never use a weapon on an opponent not equal to the attack. Never attack from behind. Exhibit courage in word and deed. Fight with honor and courage, even in the face of fear. Be Just and Merciful in victory. Do not torture. Die with valor.

+Faith: A knight must be devout in his Faith, for, apart from Salvation, faith roots him and gives hope against the despair that human failings create. He must obey and defend the Holy Catholic Church. Make war against the infidel without cessation and without mercy.

+Humility: Value first the contributions of others; do not boast of your own accomplishments, let others do this for you. Tell the deeds of others before your own, according them the renown rightfully earned through virtuous deeds. In this way the office of knighthood is well done and glorified, helping not only the gentle spoken of but also all who call themselves knights.

+Largesse: Be generous in so far as your resources allow; largesse used in this way counters gluttony. It also makes the path of mercy easier to discern when a difficult decision of justice is required. Be a benefactor to the poor, especially widows and orphans. Respect the special grace and dignity of those who strive in poverty through no fault of their own. Remember that stewardship requires you to care for and use with kindness all living creatures.

+Nobility: Live your life so that it is worthy of respect and honour. Do not lie. Do not cheat. Live for Freedom, Justice and all that is good. Exhibit self-control, respect for authority, and love of duty. Do your duty in all things. You can not expect to do more. You should never wish to do less. Seek great stature of character by holding to the virtues and duties of a knight, realizing that the quality of striving towards these ennobles the spirit, and refines it to take its place in Heaven. Nobility influences others and uplifts the weaker man by your example.

+Chastity: Keep yourself chaste for the sake of her whom you love. Do not choose to love one whom a natural sense of shame forbids you to marry. Be modest, polite and courteous at all times, and seek always to serve and protect women.

+Courtesy: Seek always to be polite, mannerly, respectful, and reverent. Cherish, as far as duty allows, the comfort of all you meet.

+Integrity: Seek to emulate everything I have spoken of as sincerely as possible, not for the reason of personal gain but because it is Right. Do not restrict Chivalry to individual areas of your life, but seek to infuse every aspect of your life with these qualities. Strive to become so infused with this code that your every action follows smoothly and naturally and without thought or consideration, so that any deviation from the Code becomes an outrage and an abomination to you. Should you succeed in even a tiny measure then you will be well remembered for your quality and virtue.