A Christian Call To Arms! - New Evangelizers

Fellow Christians, we are under attack!

As followers of Christ, we are being persecuted globally, more specifically in the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia. Our faithful are being shot, burned, crucified, beheaded, raped, starved, beaten, and tortured for following their faith. In North America and Europe our religious freedoms are being actively stripped away to the glee of secularists, progressives and liberals, and they are showing no signs of slowing down. The Christian way of life we once knew is becoming a distant memory for many of us, in a single generation.

Though we seem to be living in an era that is hell-bent on our destruction as a people and church, our faith has, over the last 2,000 years, experienced such episodes before. Though this may seem new to many of us, it is old news to the Church. Jesus Christ Himself warned us of these times :

 “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.” (Matthew 24:9)

The Church’s history is paved with the blood of martyrs, who willingly spilled their life blood for the sake of Lord. These martyrs,  under duress, never capitulated and chose to die rather than betray their Savior.

Fellow Christians, this is a time when we have to take concerted nonviolent action and each one of us must make the necessary sacrifices required by our Lord and Saviour in whatever way He chooses that sacrifice to be.

Does this mean that we lay our bodies down in surrender to our persecutors?  No! It means taking constructive, assertive, prayerful and spiritual non-violent action up to and including the ultimate sacrifice. It means that we cannot sit back in comfort anymore. It means rolling up our sleeves, putting on our boots and leaving the comfort of our lives for the discomfort of sacrifice in the name of a Sacred Cause.

What does this look like in practice?

For starters, start living a truly Christian life. Set the example for those around you. Show the world that despite its hatred for what we believe in that you will courageously practice your faith as the Lord our God demands of us – in open faithful Christian living. Be a witness to Christ our Lord. Evangelize at every opportunity as it presents itself.

Your arsenal must include the following:

Prayer…Prayer..Prayer! 

• The Holy Rosary – daily
• The Divine Office – daily
• Divine Chaplets, Novenas, and Litanies
• Eucharistic Adoration
• The Prayer to St. Michael  (original long version found here)
• Stations of the Cross
• Scriptural readings and Psalms
• Any other prayer that you desire found in many Catholic prayer books and missals.

Attend Mass and confession regularly. Practice fasting if it is safe for you to do so and also meditation. All of these are an affirmation of your faith and an opportunity to keep the temple of your body cleansed and refreshed for the presence of the Lord. A cleansed soul allows you more intimacy with the Lord thus allowing the Lord to lead and guide you as He wills.

Speak to, call, or write letters to your senior government officials and representatives. Inform them of your displeasure and concern with the continuing persecution of your fellow Christian brothers and sisters. Ask them what they plan to do help them. Remind them that you ultimately hold the vote in your hand. In any upcoming election campaigns, be vocal at town-halls and community question and answer meetings. Be unabashed but respectful in your questioning.

Contact all the major and not so major media broadcasters, journals, and newspapers, asking them to present a fair and balanced view of your faith and request of them what they can do to help those being persecuted. Boycotting is a very powerful tool. Make use of all of the social media tools to evangelize and inform the public about the Christian faith and the persecution of our brothers and sisters. Encourage them to help in any way they can.

Meet with your local parish Priests, and Bishops, asking them how your local Church can help and provide aid to those being affected by the persecution. Donate to local charities that have been set up to help those being persecuted. If you cannot directly donate, then consider volunteering your time to help those same charities.

Participate in peaceful prayerful protest and community action in support of those being persecuted, always keeping it non-violent.

These are but a few options available to you. There are many others. Mix and match and be creative. I encourage you to get out there and do the work of the Lord!

Remember,  you are a Christian…live like one and if God wills it, be willing to die like one.

Copyright 2014, Luciano Corbo

Luciano Corbo

Luciano Corbo holds a Master of Arts - Integrated Studies from Athabasca University. His major interests are Culture, Work, Organizations and Leadership, within a context of Catholic Social Teaching Principles. He writes from Canada.