MONDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER
Feast of St. Yves (1303), Priest, Patron of Lawyers

Dear Father:

HE IS RISEN! Alleluia!

I just finished watching the film ALL MY LOVED ONES. THe film was inspired by the real life experiences of English stockbrocker Nicholas Winton, who saved hundreds and hundreds of Czech Jewish children from the Nazis in 1939. The movie is the story of one of the children's family, the Silbersteins.

At the end of the film was a news clip of the real Mr. Winton in 1988. He was met with many of the children he saved. Nearly all of the children's parents died in the war. It was a touching scene, one in which Mr. Winton broke down in tears, and so did I.

This is the true meaning of being Christian to do what Mr. Winton did. Although he received a major award from the Queen, I am sure he will receive even a greater reward in heaven.

It is easy in our comfortable homes and relativesly peaceful nation to take our faith for granted. What would we do if faced with real crisis like those who faced Hitler? Would we stand up for our faith? We need to remember that although there were 6 million Jews killed by Hitler, there were also 3 million Catholics killed. Would we stand for our faith at the point of a gun? Would we risk our own lives to protect the Jews, or any oppressed people? I wonder.

Personally, I would find it a blessing and a privilege to be in a position such as that of Mr. Winton. To be able to serve God and our neighbor in such a way, to even die for that cause, is a tremendous blessing.

St. Ignatius of Antioch wanted to die as a martyr. He wanted to give his life for Christ, to testifiy to Christ before the Romans. When he was arrested and taken to Rome to be executed he appealed to his Christian brethren to not interfere in some attempt to rescue him. He was going peacefully, and going where he wished to go -- to die for Christ.

I have made the same prayer many times -- to have an opportunity to die for Christ, to risk my life for others. I have had the chance to do that in some small ways. My life has been threatened several times in the work that I did years ago to protect children from exploitation in pornography and molestation.

I remember one incident I was doing the laundry in the apartment complex laundry room. It was a dungeon of a place, dark and secluded. At the time I was investigating a satanic group of homosexuals who were molesting children. A man came into the laundry room and tolod me that I better back off if I wanted to stay healthy. I looked him in the eye and said, "You go tell your people to do whatever they desire to do with me, because I am not backing off."

A month later, partly due to the information I was able to give to the FBI, the State police and FBI raided a "retreat" of these people and rescued a 9 year old boy and arrested one man on charges of child rape. He spent a couple of years in prison -- essentially because of me. The threats, by the way, never were realized.

Such things do not bother me, but I feel like I need to do more. There is an outside chance that I may be able to Pakistan to help with the Catholics who are being oppressed there. MY health and other matters may not allow me to go physically, but I have already been in contact with the Bishop there with an offer to help design a website that may attract needed donations that the Catholic schools need in the region. Every little bit helps.

But like St. Ignatius of Loyola, I still desire to go myself, but may never be allowed. Nevertheless we need to serve where we are and allow God to work through us in anyway He chooses.

We each need to ask ourselves -- CAN WE DO MORE?

Your miserable servant,
Brother Bubba

PermaLink: URL to use to Link to this Entry

---

---