PLEASE pray!

You've probably heard about all the terrible things going on in Mosul lately, and in other parts of the world also.Those horrors that seem so unreal, so unlike our picture of humans today. We think that things like beheading people  are a thing of the past, but no, no they are very real in this age.  The brutality is unbelievable, but very very real. We think of Christian persecution as a thing of the past too, you know like Roman times… but no, it's not just the past, persecution is here.

Yes, I believe we are entering a new age of persecutions, and we've  got to stand up. It's true that we can't all travel to Mosul or Korea to fight, but as Christians, we have other ways. We have prayer. We have fasting. We have sacrifice. We have the Mass. We have so many opportunities to do powerful things, and we don't do them!

Even the little things we do, when offered to God in union with Jesus' sacrifice with love, have worth. Remember the St. Therese the little flower's "little way" of doing small things with great love. You could skip a snack, forego putting spices or condiments on your food, take a cold shower, not complain, accept annoyances with joy, give up electronics or a day or even a few hours, read the Bible, help out at a food pantry, work extra hard on something you'd rather not do (like your homework!), Be creative! You can give everything to God. You've got to beseech the Holy Spirit to set you on fire with zeal, and then YOU have to fan that flame!

We are entering a time of great trial. Christianity will NEVER die, because it's heart is Christ, the ever living God. It's also apparent through history that persecution often makes the Church grow. It's like pruning. If you prune a plant, it just gets bigger, more prolific and more beautiful. That doesn't mean it's good in itself, I'm just reminding everyone that God always brings good out of evil, and trying to show how futile their attempts to abolish Christianity are. We shouldn't be afraid, not matter what. . .  .

WAKE UP PEOPLE! Wake up and see what's happening here! Not all of us are in the core of the persecutions right now, but don't think you are safe from it where you are. I won't be surprised if it spreads, I know it will get here eventually. If we don't stand up now, who know how far this will go.

I urge you, I beg you, PLEASE pray for all the people who are being persecuted, and please pray that their persecutors have a change of heart. That's another beautiful thing about Christianity, we always pray for our persecutors, and well, look what happened to Saul. He became St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

I beg you to offer sacrifices, no matter how small, for the end of these persecutions. Pray for the courage and fervency that you need to do this, and pray for the courage that you may need in the future. 

I cannot stress how very important it is for us all to pray our hearts out right now. We need to offer all we can. We've got to stand up in prayer. Honestly, I feel the urge to beg you all to pray, to sacrifice, to offer whatever you can to God... I really am having a hard to finding words to express this importance, this NEED for prayer and sacrifice. If we don't do it, who will?