Saturday, March 24, 2012

Day 32 - A Church Stands Up

Yesterday I witnessed a Church rising up, a sleeping giant being awakened, and the voice of Jesus Christ being heard on the streets of Fort Lauderdale. Young and old, black and whie, Democrats and Republicans, even Jews and Christians gathered together to stand up for religious freedom. Our Lent really started on the 20th of January when the Department of Health and Human services laid out a health care mandate that would force us to violate our consciences. We have fasted, we have prayed, and we have done penance since then, but the battle is far from over. Jesus' journey to the cross was a battle against sin and evil, and we join him on that journey during Lent to root out sin and evil in our lives. As good Catholics and as good citizens, we must root it out of society when we see it standing between us and fulfilling the mission the Lord entrusted us with. Some may be growing tired of hearing about this or think that we're making a big deal about it. If you know a good Catholic that thinks along those lines please tell them to WAKE UP because their faith is under attack and lately I have seen those attacks come from within from those very Catholics that think that we're making too much of big deal over this HHS mandate. One rally won't end this debate, but it sure will fire us up and bring attention to this decisive moment in our nation's and in our Church's history. Easter may be two weeks away, but the cross of this unnecessary mandate will still be on our shoulders well past Easter unless hearts start changing. And how do they change? Pray, pray, pray!