Modern Martyrdom – It’s For Real

James Foley is, seemingly, a saint; a living witness to the faith.  He very literally gave his life for the sake of the Kingdom.  He was beheaded for being a Christian.  From what I can tell, he lived heroic virtue, especially in the face of persecution, even to the point of death.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes martyrdom as “the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith: it means bearing witness even unto death. The martyr bears witness to Christ who died and rose, to whom he is united by charity. He bears witness to the truth of the faith and of Christian doctrine. He endures death through an act of fortitude.”  (CCC 2473.)

James Foley was a journalist working to make the plight of the Syrian people known to the world.  They have been oppressed and tortured, and most recently, as I hope we are all aware, have been brutally murdered, often by beheading, by Islamic terrorists.  His work put him in terrible situations, and he knew his life was in danger.  He was proud of the work he was doing, and knew well the reality of the holy war taking place in the Middle East.

Jim was a Catholic, and believed firmly in prayer.  During his time in the Middle East, he was held captive, and ultimately, was beheaded by the terrorist cell The Islamic State (IS).  Their cowardly act of absolute destruction of human life was horrific, while Jim’s witness was absolutely beautiful.  He was a TrueMan!  In the face of danger, he was courageous.  In the face of persecution, he was faithful.  In the face of evil, he was true goodness.  He lived charity, and gave his life as a witness.

In a recounting of his first captivity in Libya in 2011, Jim wrote about how prayer, the Rosary specifically, got him through.  He wrote: “If nothing else, prayer was the glue that enabled my freedom, an inner freedom first and later the miracle of being released during a war in which the regime had no real incentive to free us. It didn’t make sense, but faith did.”

Here’s a video showing his parents – talking a little about Jim and his faith.

So the question for us now is, “Do you realize that martyrdom is a real possibility in our world?”  I often hear people talking about “those other people” who were martyrd, as if it couldn’t (and won’t) happen to us.  I suggest that each man reading this post consider what he will do in the face of oppression, so that when that day comes, he will know and will be prepared.  Brothers, we cannot wait to prepare, because the forces of evil are strong, and they are coming for us.  Whether it be terror cells like the IS, or some other form of hatred towads Catholics, we will experience persecution, and it may even lead to our death.  If you’re living virtuously now, it will make all the difference then.  Virtue = authentic masculinity.  Virtue = TrueManhood.

TrueMan up!

Black and Pro-Life – Awesome Video!

I just saw this awesome video from the National Black Pro-Life Coalition (BlackandProLife.org).  Take 60 seconds and watch it.  It is true and profound.  Just because I am not black does not mean that I cannot stand up against this blatant racism and extermination of my fellow Americans.  Let our voice be heard, ABORTION MUST STOP!

Black men – I want to direct your attention to something.  You can play a vital role in the end to abortion!  Your role may be THE most important.  The statistics do not lie.  Stand up for women and children and fight to stop abortion now!

TrueMan up!

Earth Day 2010 – Nature’s Greatest Gift

Congrats to Brian Burch and the folks at CatholicVote.org for putting together an awesome Pro-Life marketing movement, using Earth Day as the catalyst… and for encouraging Americans to think about nature’s greatest gift.  These posters have been plastered on buses, subways and trains in numerous large cities around the country, including Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles.

Check out the video they put together getting folk’s thoughts on the street.  Click HERE if you can’t view the video.

Tomorrow, Thursday, April 22, 2010, is Earth Day.  I challenge you to take a good look at how you view Earth, nature, creation.  Do you value it as the incredible gift that God has given to you or do you take advantage of it?  Squander it?  Disrespect it?  Heck, don’t only do that on Earth Day, do that every day.

TrueMan up!