conscience

Has it been in the news lately?  The mandate issued a week or so ago that will force everyone - including Catholic hospitals, schools, etc, to provide "health" care that covers abortions, contraceptives and the like?  Even though it goes against the very beliefs that we profess.  I don't know - I don't watch TV much, but it has surely been all over the internet - in some of the blogs that I read.  On Facebook.

Am I surprised that it has come to this?  No - absolutely not.  Am I saddened?  Yes.  Mad?  Probably not mad enough.  Our freedoms are just eroding beneath our feet.  Sooner or later, we will just all fall off of the cliff into the abyss. 

Regardless of your feelings on contraception, this is an attack on religious liberty as a whole.  I saw this picture this morning on Facebook. 

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. 

And while we're on the subject of FB, there is a group that has been formed.  At last count - they were at about 1500 members.  Consider joining them: 

There is a feeling of being powerless.  Nothing we "little people" do seems to matter.  One thing that we can all do is to pray.  Friday is being offered as a day of prayer and fasting for our Bishops.  They are the soldiers on the front line of this war.  They are the ones who will have their necks on the line come August whateverth when the mandate must be enforced.  We can do this for a day. 

Some people look at prayer as a last resort or something to do when all your other options fail.  Not true!  Prayer is powerful.  Prayer has the power to change things.  Fasting is an added weapon in the arsenal.  

And there is a petition to sign.  You can get to it on the Why I am Catholic Blog on my sidebar. 

I read a recent quote from a bishop of an American diocese.  He said that he expected to die in bed.  He expected that his successor would die in jail.  And he supposed that HIS successor would die in as a martyr in the public square.  A sobering thought to be sure.

Join me?