Things Worth Fighting For

At the eighth annual conference of the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders this past weekend, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia praised the work of the organization and encouraged those gathered to continue their good work in the face of secularism, in order to bring new life to America. He said:

Hispanic culture still has a soul formed by an encounter with Jesus Christ, and the humanity and compassion that flow from it…

These things are worth fighting for and sharing with others. Faith matters because it gives meaning to the word ‘human’ in ‘human beings.’ It matters because it makes us children of a loving God.

Archbishop Chaput lamented the fact that many American Latinos have left the Catholic Church. Our Lady of Guadalupe, please pray for this organization and others, that they may help draw our Latin American brothers and sisters back into the Church.

Religious Liberty and Political Civility

Vatican News highlighted the recent International Religious Freedom Report released by the U.S. State Department. Religious liberty is in danger abroad, and as we’ve written here before, religious freedom is endangered in America as well.

American citizens are blessed that these threats come in the form of policy mandates and not in the Church bombings we see in the Middle East today. Some think that we are on our way to that type of persecution, but until then we still have the political process as our weapon.

One step towards protecting our precious American freedom is debating with a civil and respectful tone. A recent Knights of Columbus-Marist poll found that 78 percent of people in the U.S. are frustrated with the tone of current politics. This is why the Knights have launched their Civility in America campaign, to encourage political leaders and media to maintain a civil discourse and a Christian respect for opposing parties.

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia wrote a great piece about this. The whole article is worth the read, but the most important thing to remember is: Jesus has already claimed victory.

So we should march towards Him in this battle for religious liberty. No matter what happens, we will be victorious with Him in the end.

We Want You - to be a missionary in America

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. St. Ignatius is very well-known—his legacy provided renewal for the Church when She was in need and it still lives on in many ways today. His conversion, his Spiritual Exercises, and of course, the Society of Jesus are precious gifts that we remember him for.

Among his many accomplishments is the part St. Ignatius played in the conversion of St. Francis Xavier. The two were roommates while studying at the University of Paris, and during that time St. Ignatius’ example had a life-changing impact on St. Francis’ life.

St. Ignatius was on the path to fame and glory as a soldier when he experienced a radical conversion. Injured in battle, he spent his recovery time reading about Christ and the lives of the Saints. He was touched by these stories, and as he healed, he committed to a new life for God and for others. After a period of quiet prayer and pilgrimage, St. Ignatius began his priestly studies at an older age than most. The timing was perfect, though, because he met the first Jesuits: his fellow students who learned from his radical decision to abandon everything to the will of God.

St. Francis Xavier was slow to come around. He was a devout man, but he already had a very specific idea of how he wanted to serve the Kingdom of God. For six years he resisted his roommate’s influence, because giving in would mean giving up the life he wanted—to be a Church scholar. St. Ignatius still kept a close relationship with St. Francis, and eventually his witness to the Truth and abandonment led to St. Francis’ conversion. St. Francis opened his heart to God’s will, and as a member of the Society of Jesus, he set off on Far East missions, bringing Christ to pagan territories that were desperately in need of His light.