And so the Battle Begins

The Church has ever proved indestructible. Her persecutors have failed to destroy her; in fact, it was during times of persecution that the Church grew more and more; while the persecutors themselves, and those whom the Church would destroy, are the very ones who came to nothing.
--St. Thomas Aquinas

We regularly hear, throughout our daily lives, about conflicts throughout the world. We hear of revolutions and uprisings in the Middle East, violence and suppression in Asia, and even within the U.S. we hear stories of violent protests and police clashing with the public as seen during the "occupy" movement.  While it is necessary to stay informed and up to date on such issues so as to remain a responsible citizen, it is equally necessary to recognize an entirely different type of warfare, which has, of late, entered more prominently into the public square.  Make no mistake, a spiritual battle is on the horizon.  This battle is far beyond the scope of human warfare, with its guns and bombs.  Instead, it is fought on a higher plane, with much more sophistication and far greater danger than any mortal war could pose.

It is quite rare that I ever use any type of apocalyptic reference because I feel that such references are often misinterpreted. However, in this instance such a reference to spiritual warfare is necessary, for that is exactly what is occurring.  This entire issue began not long ago when the Obama administration issued a mandate forcing religious institutions to provide insurance coverage for contraception, even if it were gravely against their moral beliefs.  The pope, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as many local clergy gave an resolute and unwavering refutation to this proclamation. Catholic social services would sooner be shut down than to comply with this mandate. The assault on Catholicism in the U.S. continued when Obama invited the bishops to meet with him at the White House to discuss this disagreement. The bishops gathered with Obama in order to "work out the wrinkles" of the "maligned exemption" as Cardinal Timothy Dolan wrote.  Instead, they were surprised to find that they were about to receive a lecture on the "correct" interpretation of Catholic moral teaching. Dolan, the president of USCCB said that, "The White House seems to think we bishops simply do not know or understand Catholic teaching." The audacity of the Obama administration to lecture the leadership of the Catholic Church in the U.S. on their own moral teachings is honestly quite shocking to me.  However, the battle continues. In the Obama administrations most recent move to play hardball with the Catholic Church, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named the Vatican as "jurisdiction of concern" in her report on money laundering and financial crime. As such, the United States government increases regulations on the Vatican in order to combat this perceived concern. This attempt to pay political hardball with the Catholic Church is insulting to me as a Catholic and completely  embarrassing as a citizen of the United States.

Now I have just quickly summarized some of the recent events that have unfolded in the spiritual battle that we are currently facing. These events paint a grim picture for American Catholics in the coming years.  Even Cardinal Dolan warned the American bishops to prepare for hard times.  However, there is cause for hope. In fact, from my perspective I see two reasons for such hope.  First, the recent attack on Catholics has caused Christians of any denomination, as well as those of many other faiths to unite under the same cause of religious freedom. In fact, I recently watched Glenn Beck (a devout Mormon) speak on this issue in one of his recent videos. He too took up the now familiar catchphrase, "We are all Catholics, now." Indeed this is true, for the Obama administration is attacking the largest and most centrally organized religion first.  If dismantled, how could independent protestant churches ever hope to resist the government? Through his recent attacks, Obama may have unintentionally united a religious force which has not been seen in a long time.  This type of positive force for religious freedom causes me great hope.

The second reason that I see for hope in this situation is due to faith. In fact, we know the outcome of our tribulations already. Christ wins. Quite simply, this is the end result.  The trials we must face may be terrible in order to get to this point, but it is all Christ's work. How much greater will our reward be in heaven once these trials are endured for Christ's sake? Therefore, one simple message remains.  Every day, every hour, even every action of our lives must be lived as Christ's witness here on Earth. We all have our roles to play in this spiritual battle, and we are on the winning side. Take heart then, and live for Christ.

If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it...Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Luke 9:23-24,26