{"id":17227,"date":"2016-01-10T01:01:31","date_gmt":"2016-01-10T06:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.cancaonova.com\/catholicismanew\/?p=17227"},"modified":"2016-01-08T08:36:15","modified_gmt":"2016-01-08T13:36:15","slug":"be-strong-forged-into-christs-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cancaonova.com\/catholicismanew\/2016\/01\/10\/be-strong-forged-into-christs-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Be Strong\u2014Forged Into Christ's Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Be<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Today is the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord, it ends the Christmas Season and at the end of this mass, we return to Ordinary Time for about a month. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is an interesting message in today\u2019s celebration. First, we are no longer dealing with Jesus as a child, he is an adult at thirty years old when he is baptized. This becomes the beginning of his ministry. <\/span><\/p>\n

Yet immediately after this, he goes out to the desert, led by the Holy Spirit, where he is tempted by the Devil. Why would the spirit do this, to strengthen Jesus for his mission. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is an interesting thought that the Devil appears at the end of Jesus life as he is praying in the garden. No, that is not fully accurate. The Devil is working against Jesus from his birth, but especially from this moment and Jesus has to deal with the devil. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is well known that the work of pharisees, scribes and sadducees is rooted in a hardness of heart that becomes demonic. They refuse to accept Jesus and decide they will do all they can to destroy his mission and him. However, He is God\u2019s son, you would expect He would have an easier time of it. <\/span><\/p>\n

So it must be with us. You represent God\u2019s son as you were baptized in His Spirit and given the mission then to be His voice, literally. There are many that want to silence you and they will do all they can to do so. They will use all the techniques in the Bible at times in order to destroy this parish and what is worse to make it more secular. <\/span><\/p>\n

Do not be surprised if this happens, we have an important message and the devil wants it silenced. The more effective our work, the more some will work against us. We need to expect this resistance and to be rooted in Christ so that, like Him, we can persevere through it. <\/span><\/p>\n

You may have professors trying to get your grown children to reject Christ at college. I was explaining to the confirmation students that millions is spent on trying to get people to reject our church, millions and maybe billions. Why, because the spirit of this world wants us silenced, because we cost them money and power to do things that will damage this race. The issue is not that this happens, but that you must not be surprised that this happens. <\/span><\/p>\n

People will complain: “Why do they always want to attack the Catholics? We have a right to express our faith just like anyone else.” What we should say instead, is: \u00a0\u201cWhy are we surprised they always attack the Catholics? We are the Church that Christ founded and many in our world want us silenced.\u201d We preach truth and many do not want to hear truth. <\/span><\/p>\n