As many of you may know i go to a public school. Well today in my English class we started talking about religion and i had to sit there( as i have many times before) and listen to kids in my class - my friends- badmouthing my faith. they said things like the catholic faith is oppressive and we feed people lies to make them believe. I carefully waited and bided my time so that i could give an educated response and so i could be sure that my answer would be the last. in doing that i raised my hand and said" why is it that anyone can badmouth the catholic faith but if a catholic speaks out about any other religion we are called racist and unjust. And furthurmore we don't feed people lies to make them believe. we give people true information that is back up by writings and doctrines and a little thing called 7 sacrements. if we are soooo wrong why are we the only christian religion that can firmly trace our faith and practices to Christ and the apostles and our religion wasn't started by a man that wasn't Jesus." the class was pretty silent for a moment but i doubt they were suprised since they know of my religious convictions. but why is it, brothers and sisters, that we allow ourselves to be badmouthed and told by non catholics about our faith and our teachings?
In Christ,
Katie g

Actually, you aren't the only Christians who can claim that lineage - the Orthodox Church does as well. Just thought I'd point that out....

In Christ,
Aaron

ok good point let me varify a little. by christians i meant groups other than eastern christians.
-katie g

Uh, Katie, what about the Roman Catholics, who trace the origins of their Church to the apostles Peter and Paul, who both died in Rome?
-Daniel, the Byzantine papist

Please, gentlemen. I don't think Katie is telling her story so that you can correct her. What she should be hearing from you is a Bravo for standing up for her faith! (and then you can correct her ) How many of us had the courage of our convictions while in high school? to speak out and contradict what all our classmates had just said?

I'm proud of you, Katie! The church -- of all stripes and traditions and compass directions -- needs more young people (and old people) who are willing to take the risk of proclaiming their faith.

May God continue to strengthen you, to teach you, and to fill your heart with fire. May those around you see the light of Christ burning within, and may they be drawn to that warmth. May you grow to be the woman more precious than gold or pearls. May God grant you many years!

With love, Penthaetria

I stand corrected; Bravo, Katie! Keep up the good work.

YES KATIE, YOU GO GIRL!

I am very proud of you for standing up and speaking the truth.

My oldest son always had a battle in high school, both Catholic and public, as he was in both. In the Catholic High School he always had the teacher mad at him. One of the erronius statments that he stood up to was when in the Catholic school, the religion teacher stated: God is a woman the Bible says he is multi-breasted. My son stood up and told her that was a lie, because he was multi-breasted and he sure wasn't a woman. Well now you know why he went to public high school.

In public high he was always running into similar situations. In one of his classes they were studying the Byzantine period and he got into a lot of troulbe for correcting the errors then. But the real straw was the paper he wrote. Not sure of which class if was for, he is now 29, but he had to prove that the choices McBeth made caused his death. He drew the analogy of Adam and Eve. I watched his write the paper with my own eyes, I knew well his work. The teacher went all of the school telling people about it and that he had to have plagerized it, but would not admit to it. Well she finally got to his english teacher, and Mr Nocella cracked up laughing at her. (the kids in that class at the time told us about the goings on) Reassured her that it was his faith and truly his understanding and writing ability.

So Katie stick with it, the road is long and hard but many blessings are in store for you and all who love the Lord.

Also, a priest friend once told a young man who was asking about non Catholic Christians going to heaven. Fr. Shoun told him, it was like driving a Cadilac and a Chevrolet. YOu are part of the universal sacramental Church, the Catholic Church and becasue of the Sacramental nature of the Church, you go to heaven in a Cadilac. The Chevrolet will get you there too, just not as comfortably...I laughed so hard. And I am sure I have forgotten a lot of what he said but that was the basis of it, that was almost 15 years ago.

Pani Rose

As a high school teacher, I can tell you that many
students tend to repeat the things they hear at home. Many people still have ignorant ideas about the Catholic Church. As a Spanish teacher, I am in a unique position to defend the religion as it pertains to the cultures of Spanish speaking people. One thing you can do, katieg, is invite your classmates to check out the truth by visiting Catholic sites that explain without defending or criticizing other religions. Or, Invite them to your church to see for themsleves, but remind them that they should not present as fact, that which they don't know to be so. Peace and good luck!

Katieg and young people like her is just another reason why I count it a magnificent blessing that God led us to the Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Church. Thank God for young people like Katie and her friends.

Dan Lauffer

Listen to "Light of the East" on 820AM Sundays at 11:30 a.m. or go online www.byzantinecatholic.com "Radio" and select a date.

Dear Katie,

You witnessed to people in much need of witnessing. We all here applaud you.
Have courage, I will keep you in my prayers.

Bill

Katie,

You are to be applauded for finally stepping up and witnessing to the apostolic faith. I work with young people such as yourself, and many don't know what they believe. They bad mouth what they don't know or what has been told to them by others. Many your age are truly searching inside for a faith that is grounded not only in Christ, but established by Him through the apostles.Your witness may have started someone or maybe some others to the road that will search out the church and lead to a lasting bind with Christ and His Church. Stay sensitive ad stay with your conviction. It will make you stronger for when you need it and will help guide others to the path of salvation.

In Christ,
Father Anthony+

Sayedna Cyril is here in Birmingham this weekend. At the parrish dinner tonight he gave a delightful talk. Said he was definately gonna spend his winter months visiting the parrish's in California and the South.

But more important he use a word they coined over in Beirute, where he was Bishop (well I think that is where they formed the word anyway). It is BAB, so they used this all the time to reaffirm each other in what they are suppose to do.

BAB = BRING ANOTHER BODY

He said that one of the students in his church had brought a Catholic friend. The friend told him that she thinks she is heaven when she is there. So from now on that is where she would spend her Sundays.

So the student did BAB.

Pani Rose

In the short time that I have known Archbishop Cyril, I have found him to be a very approachable, loving, caring Shepherd. Archbishop Cyril was the former bishop of Baalbak, Lebanon.

God grant him many years in good health and much happiness as the Shepherd of the Melkite community in America.

To be VERY HONEST, I cannot blame him for wanting to spend the winter in the warmer climates, especially after this winter. He certainly is a wise Shepherd.

Thanks for straiting me out on where he was from. I had trouble understanding what he was saying, and decided for myslef he must have been saying the other.

Pani Rose

Good for you, Katie. It's a wonderful feeling to see young people stand up for their faith. I wish we had more like you.

Hi Katie, you be the rock for your faith!!! My prayers are with you. I am glad to see young people defending their faith. Not too far from where I live a Greek Monastery and Convent in the past were accused by the local non-Orthodox community of putting drugs in the Holy Chalice just prior to Communion! One afternoon the bishop was out for a walk and was stopped by the local police who were "concerned" because he was walking with a staff, not a crozier, just a staff, and he was wearing a Panagia! They wanted to be sure he wasn't a threat to anyone. The monks and nuns have been refused service at a local restaurant. In the past 10-12 years I have seen a growing persecution of not just Orthodox or Catholics, but all Christian denominations in this country. I maintain "ignorance" is an enemy and I label it a sin myself. I love to study Theology, and when I meet the Mormons, etc., I listen for self-education, it doesn't mean I will convert. I want to know why other religions believe what they believe. I don't make a judgement, it is their faith and I have mine. If these students continue to bad mouth your faith, invite them to your church for Mass or Liturgy. In our home we have 350 icons and about 3,000 books on Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and the Eastern Rite Catholic Church. When my 13 year old son's friends came over the first time, they were very interested in the icons and what everything means. I am always delighted when youth take an interest in religion. I will end by quoting Fr. Seraphim Rose: "What is happening in the Soviet Union will happen in America." Sadly, Fr. Seraphim's prophecy is coming true, Christianity in this country is being attacked. Stay true to your faith and you won't be sorry.

Good for you, Katie, I'm so glad you spoke up! I very much doubt that any badmouthing of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc. would have been tolerated in your classroom. But for some reason, Christianity (and Catholicism in particular) is fair game.

Good job, Katie.

My prayer support for any future encounters...

In Christ and the Theotokos,

Mary Jo.