Blessed are you in these last days...

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. 

Some people say that there is only one prejudice still allowed to be expressed in America and that it is okay to be against anything Catholic.  Today the prejudice against the Church is much more subtle than it was in former years.  Our ancestors bore the brunt of the persecution of Catholics.  Catholics were distrusted in the 19th and early 20th Century because Catholicism came attached to people from Italy, Ireland, and Eastern Europe.  These immigrants were not looked upon as a blessing for the "Know Nothing" types that led the crusade against the Catholic Church.  In the press of the times, you can read want ads that specify that no Irish or no Italians need to apply for the job listed.  

Today, prejudice against Catholics still raises its ugly head from time to time but for the most part, we Catholics are now pretty much accepted into mainstream society.  Our Church has gone through some pretty rough times in the last decade. The scandal caused by renegade priests abusing the young under their care has given the Church a black eye.  The Catholic League has done a study about the scandal and over the years .004% of priests who have been accused of this behavior have had the accusations confirmed.  The balance was found to be unsustainable charges.  But the Church, simply because it was the Church, caught a lot of bad publicity because of this scandal but she has survived and against wishes of anti-Catholic bigots, she is thriving.  There is a lack of candidates for the priesthood but that is not because of the priest scandal, it is more likely because of the breakdown of the family unit in the United States.  Where families once had four, five, six, or more children, now couples are waiting longer to start their families and having fewer children.  Also, in previous years Americans, Protestant and Catholic alike based their values on the teachings of Christ while today political correctness is the rule and God is not to be mentioned in polite society.  But I digress.  

The future for Christians is a bleak one. While we may be getting a short reprieve while Mr. Trump is in office, I fear it will be short lived.  Once the liberals take back control, the anti-Christian policies engendered by Barak Obama will once again come to the forefront.  The Church and her unchanging doctrine will be called to change and we will bring upon ourselves persecution.  In the near future, Christians and especially Catholics will have to be strong in their faith and be ready to weather the coming gale.  

I am not a person who worries about the "end times."  Christ will return when the time is right.  Until then, we must do what we can to remain faithful.  We must be ready to experience what our forefathers experienced and that is persecution for our beliefs. We must prepare now while the storm clouds are far off on the horizon.  For once the tempest hits it will be too late. 

Pray and make yourself ready.  Clothe yourself in the armor of prayer.  Learn all you can about your faith.  What is absolutely required in these days is to Trust in Jesus and remember that He has already won the victory.