Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us that at the end of time, before His Second Coming, there will be persecution of the Church. I had always imagined that that persecution would be similar to the Nazi and Communist persecution of the Church or, earlier still, the persecution of the Church that rose with the French Revolution. Little did I imagine that the persecution would take place in the United States, in the Church herself and in families. I should of realized there would be such persecution. Our Lord tells us that members of a family will persecute other members of the family and St. John and St. Paul in their writings indicated that there would be a great apostasy (falling away from the faith) before His Second Coming and that anti-Christs would rise to deceive and mislead the faithful. But to read about it and to openly experience it are two different things.

As with St. Paul, before my conversion, I was a persecutor of the faithful. I didn't realize it at the time but when I ridiculed and rejected my parents' faith in Christ I was persecuting Christ and His mystical Body, the church. I made my parents' lives miserable at times but their faith in God and love for me finally won me over.

As a priest I daily encountered brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer persecution for their faith in Our Lord. They are ridiculed and mocked by members of their own families. They face open opposition and even intimidation in their work place. I've known people whose jobs were threatened because they were considered too demonstrable in their faith. More and more any outward sign of faith at work such as religious pictures on desks, bibles, bible-studies, and prayer at lunch time is discouraged and opposed.

The persecution in form of ridicule is most dramatically shown by the media. Catholic leaders and views are presented in the worst possible light. We have all seen where the Church's pro-life and pro-family position is mocked and held up as something hateful and unloving. Anti-Catholicism is often called the intellectual's Anti-Semitism. I think it can be argued that the media in our country is, by and large, Anti-Christian.

The media and other ruling elements in our society are determined to remove every vestige of the Christian heritage of our country and they have nearly succeeded. God has for all intents and purposes been removed from public life. Prayer is forbidden in schools. Any reference to Christ at Christmas in a public way is frowned upon. The expression of the Christian faith in extra curricular activities on campuses is not even allowed. The ruling elite of our society is prejudged against Christianity and persecutes its followers.

Perhaps even more alarming than the persecution of the faithful in society is the persecution of the faithful in the Church. Many so-called Catholic seminaries, colleges and universities openly oppose and reject the teachings of the Church. Those who are vocal in the defense of the faith are often harassed, threatened and removed from these institutions. Those who control much of the Catholic Church in this country are determined to redefine the Catholic faith. Anyone who opposes them is labeled a "fundamentalist" or out of touch with the post-Vatican II Church.

Many so-called Catholic biblical scholars interpret the Scriptures in a liberal Protestant way. The miraculous and supernatural in the Bible are minimized or openly rejected. Traditional Catholics who believe in biblical miracles are dismissed as literalistic and unenlightened.

Some so-called Catholic scholars openly reject the basic tenants of the Catholic faith with impunity. For me one of the greatest scandals to the faithful I ever experienced occurred at a Catholic University. A woman who claimed to be a witch was allowed openly to express her beliefs and was warmly applauded for them by numerous priests and nuns.

Such scandals continue to multiply in the Church while traditional forms of piety and devotions are discouraged and mocked by many who govern the Church. Devotion to our Lady is particularly singled out as outdated and unacceptable. Devotion to our Eucharistic Lord is also discouraged. I remember how shocked I was as a recent convert to hear that a nun referred to Eucharistic Adoration as "cookie worship". We live in another age of iconoclasm (the destruction of sacred images). Statues and relics have been removed from our churches and discarded. The tabernacle is often "hidden" in our churches. Even Lutherans kept the crucifix over the altar but not so with many of our Catholic liturgical and architectural experts.

All of this is persecution! It is an attack against faithful Catholics and the Catholic faith. Our response must be to defend the faith, to be willing to suffer persecution for Christ and His Church. As Americans we must be willing to be counted among those who still "speak the truth in love" even when it goes against public opinion. We make a stand for our Lord and His Church in the firm conviction that the ultimate victory will be Christ's and ours.