Under persecution -- stay or go?

A curious disconnect between the first reading for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary time for year C which was proclaimed at Mass yesterday and the report of a Syrian Orthodox Archbishop in London encouraging Iraqi Christians to abandon their homes (story here) in the face of the "ethnic cleansing" being perpetrated on the community.
The Reading taken from 2 Maccabees 7 is the one in which a mother encourages her seven sons her sons to remain faithful to the Lord to the point of death under torture. It is tough to imagine a mother able to take such a stance, yet lest we consign the possibility of such sacrifice to the pages of history perhaps we should take into account the example of the parishioners of Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation church who gathered together for Mass just one week after Islamic militants attacked that congregation and left 58 people dead. This suffering community gathered again yesterday and offered prayers for their persecutors as well as for the victims. (story here). Iraq's top Catholic prelate, Chaldean Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, has encouraged the country's remaining 1.5million Christians to stay.
The Syrian Archbishop demonstrates a loving concern for Christians in Iraq and offers sage counsel. The Cardinal and the Catholic community of Our Lady of Salvation church are inspiring in their reliance upon God for protection. I can only prayerfully consider what choice I might be led to make under similar circumstances and ponder if there is a point at which courage and faith become foolhardiness.
Meanwhile in the United States perhaps 25% of those who describe themselves as Catholic managed to find time to worship God this weekend. As Americans we tend to value things according to their relative cost and too readily fail to recognize the treasures we have.

Just tell the truth and own up to your bias...

You have to admire Archbishop Dolan for his forthrightness and willingness to speak the truth even when that involves stepping on toes.
Witness this post on his blog.

Turning the other cheek is tough...

A lot of people think I'm either too sensitive or paranoid re: attacks on the church today. But just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get me.
In the news today, more than 500 Christians were murdered by the Muslim Fulani ethnic group in Nigeria where the Catholic Church has been under persecution for years. (story here) A few months back I had the opportunity to share some time with a young priest from Nigeria who related several stories that I found hard to understand in this day and age. Persecution is alive and well.
In another story on Saturday I read of the Muslim journalists who apologized after having boasted that they had desecrated the by receiving and spitting out a communion wafer in Malaysia. The apology claims that any insult was unintentional and resulting from ignorance. (story here)
I'm sure the Christian response will be a bit more moderate that might be expected of the Muslim community had the tables been turned.
At least in the United States persecution of the Church tends to be more limited to attempts on the part of politicians and secular society to marginalize Christians or to deny Catholic bishops the right to weigh in on moral issues in the public sphere.