Posted on 07/21/2019 7:05:01 AM PDT by marshmallow
The first time a band of Islamic State militants “visited” the monks, they presented the monks with a kind of suggestion, in a nonthreatening manner: “Why don’t you become a Muslim?”
Already, the four monks at the ancient Syriac Catholic Mar Behnam Monastery in Khidr, Iraq, had felt they were under siege. Ten days earlier, on June 10, 2014, five carloads of militants roared through the peaceful road leading to Mar Behnam, announcing through megaphones that the Islamic State was in control. Not long before that, the Iraqi army had withdrawn from a checkpoint near the monastery, located southeast of Mosul.
“Visits” from the terrorists the next few weeks intensified: banging on the monastery doors and accusations of the monks being infidels.
“Quite frankly, we were more than frightened,” said Syriac Catholic Father Youssef Sakat, who had served as Mar Behnam’s superior.
The monks kept up with their regular daily routine of prayer and Mass in the monastery, which dates back to the fourth century. They prayed for protection through the intercession of St. Behnam, a martyr, with faith that “we were in a blessed place,” mindful that generations of Syriac Catholic Christians had also faced persecution, and still the faith had endured, Father Sakat told Catholic News Service.
The monastery “was built by local people, stone by stone,” he said of Mar Behnam. “I’m sure they put their hearts into their work. I feel it was made with love.”
Under Father Sakat’s direction since 2012, Mar Behnam had flourished, welcoming up to 250 visitors on weekends — even from around the world — for retreats and lodging with the goal of helping people to better understand the monastic life. The monks would engage the children in lively faith-based activities.
“We wanted to show them that Mar Behnam is their.....
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicherald.co.uk ...
Wow..now THAT is a story that should renew anyone’s faith. Yes, we have many Crosses hoisted onto our shoulders, and we pray for a plethora of things. Sometimes the Lord says “no” but often He says “yes.” In this case, in the midst of an awful situation, we see a “yes” in a miraculous way.
Thanks for posting this
excellent example of faith and
God’s providence.
7
They did pray to Christ.
Remember we are as believing Christians united both to Christ and to our brothers and sisters in Christ on earth and Heaven.
Thank-you for posting this. God Bless.
You sound more like ISIS than the Christians in the story.
ISIS? Really? Methinks he sounds more like one who knows the Word and what it says.
Bummer you don’t believe in life everlasting.
You obviously NEVER asked anyone to pray FOR you..pity..
It’s my belief Pope Francis by his continuing social engineering pontificating and attempts to equalize the mono theistic claims that Islam honors the same Judeo Christian deity. Is only encouraging the continuing attacks and murders of African and Asian Catholics as well as attacks elsewhere including Russia, France, even California and destruction of their churches. by Islamic followers. This Pope by decrying the sale and use of arms which Christian’s could use to defend themselves or warn the faithful not to proselytize or be “fundamental” to discourage conversions. are used by Islamists because they appear to support Islam’s mono theistic claims which is the way Islamists interpret the Pope’s remarks. Seemingly supported by Francis’s refusal to condemn or refute when those theological Islamic claims authorizing murder, deceit and deceptions are used while committing these atrocities becomes the unintended result..
Pasha’s flagship banner decorated with Quranic verses from the 48th surah Al-Fath (The Victory) hung near the tomb of St. Pius V in Santa Maria Maggiore. In 1965 Pope Paul VI attempted a gesture of goodwill by returning it to the Turks. Indulging some apophasis, it is not necessary to comment that Paul VI was not a military man. The gesture was perplexing to those who harbor a memory of sacrificial valor, and it must have been an awkward reminder to descendants of the defeated. The banner now hangs in the Naval Museum of Istanbul.
Not if they are going to pray for me by asking a dead man to help.
I ask others to pray in and through Christ for me. He is very much alive and sitting at the right hand of God, and He is God.
Praying in the name of a dead human will get you no where.
I do not believe in praying through a Saint.
I do not pray in Pauls name, Peters name nor any other dead human.
I pray in Christ’s name and only Christ’s name.
You do not ask for dead humans to intercede for you.
You only pray for Christ to intercede.
Peter, Paul, John never ever prayed through any name but Christ.
I pity and pray for anyione who thinks anyone but Christ can help one who needs prayer.
Show me where in the Scriptures Christ tells us to pray for dead humans to intercede for us?
Nowhere, we are to only pray through Christ.
And Christ is very much alive.
Thanks you.
While I love my dear Catholic friends, I wholeheartedly disagree with the way they ask dead humans to intercede for them instead of Christ and only Christ.
The saints are in heaven with Jesus....your anti Catholic bigotry is showing.
I take prayers anyway I can!
“Why don’t you become a Muslim?”
The correct response to that question posed in that manner is a hail of gunfire until nothing is left twitching.
L
“And Christ is very much alive.”
While I do believe that it’s become quite apparent to me that He is busy elsewhere right now. I don’t pretend to know His mind or His plans for the world. But it’s obvious that He’s not going to show up and personally defend these good people from the horde of barbarians who regularly rape, maim, and slaughter His followers with such reckless abandon.
So my advice to the good Father is to heed the words of our Lord and Savior: “Let he who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.”
Seems pretty clear to me. But I’m not a highly educated man of the cloth so what do I know.
L
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