“We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel. “We must be prepared to undergo great trials in the not-too-distant future; trials that will require us to be ready to give up even our lives, and a total gift of self to Christ and for Christ. Through your prayers and mine, it is possible to alleviate this tribulation, but it is no longer possible to avert it. . . .How many times has the renewal of the Church been brought about in blood! It will not be different this time.” – Bicentennial talk given in the United States by the future St. John Paul II, then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Kraków, Poland (1976) How then to confront and combat the Anti-Church? Imitate the lives of the first Christians! Consider this justly famous description of Christians in the anonymous “Letter to Diognetus,” written in 79 A.D.: For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. . . .They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. (2 Corinthians 10:3) They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. (Philippians 3:20) They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. . .they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; (2 Corinthians 4:12) they are insulted, and repay the insult with honor; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. from: Fr. C. John McCloskey http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2014/the-final-confrontation.html
Thanks for posting this, Kathy. Great stuff. Can you recommend some books to read about the first Christians?
I haven't really read much about them. Seems like time to start, right? Anybody out there have some suggestions for us?
I have read "the History of the Church" by Bishop Eusebius from around the year 320 AD. Penguin Press still prints it! It has some shocking history on Christians being martyred for things we modern Christians seem to think are "no big deal" nowadays. Very interesting and sobering book.
If I had the dough and the time I would build up a little library from a Patristics series like this..... sigh dream on.. (This one is Orthodox I hunted for a Catholic series..they are out there of course.. but couldn't find one.) http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=stripbooks&field-keywords= PATRISTICS SERIES&rh=n:266239,k: PATRISTICS SERIES
I always wondered if he knew of the Garabandal prophecies (before he was Pope ) when this was written. Its now secret he was a supporter of the apparitions and the messages when he was Pope.
