Out of Darkness ~ Meaningful Suffering

I remember the moment I allowed hope back in. That very confused moment when I was caught between rebellion, anger, helplessness and fear. I felt God had abused me for decades and all He really wanted to do was see me suffer. Then, with the introduction of the possibility that the hell I had been through had some eternally significant meaning, I clutched onto the first ray of hope that had passed by in many years.

What if God despised the sin I had endured? What if He was heartbroken over what I had suffered? He had allowed my father to sin against me. He hadn’t stopped him. But what if God had a purpose, a GOOD purpose, in what I had been through? What if someday the horror of my childhood could be turned into hope for someone else? What if the devastation of my life could be turned into some kind of consolation for me and others? Could that happen? Could He make something good out of the worst thing I’d ever been through?

Just allowing that possibility to sink in was the first grace I had been able to perceive in a very long time. It was like a branch sticking out of the rock cliff I was falling off of. I grabbed on with all my might.

Months of hard work followed, but every day got better. With every grace I embraced, new graces came. That unbearable pain in my heart was fading into an echo of a nightmare I was waking up from. There was hope!

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
I loved that passage because it assured me that God wanted to comfort me in my affliction. That was the beginning of my tender view of my Heavenly Father. Also, it gave me the hope that someday I might be whole enough that I could pass that comfort on to some other woman who had gone through what I had gone through, or as the passage says, had gone through any other form of suffering. That gave my life a sense of purpose. It gave the devastation of my life a form of redemption.

Eventually, after many months of counseling, I was asked if I would share my story with people who were preparing to disciple others. My story had a powerful impact on those who heard it. I was thankful that not only had God comforted me, He had used my life story to instill confidence in others who were preparing to challenge people to open their hearts to the possibility that God could makes sense of their pain.

For a long time I thought that was the ultimate way God used suffering in our lives. But several years later, I found myself called into the Catholic Church. As my understanding of Catholic Spirituality grew, I became aware that suffering, when it is accepted in the proper frame of mind, could be joined with the suffering of Christ and used to assist in the salvation of souls! By enduring the suffering of my life for the sake of Christ and the souls He died to save, I could join with Him in His saving sacrifice! I knew that Jesus understood what it felt like to be abused, abandoned and called a liar. He was my comfort and consolation. He also gave purpose to what I had always viewed as the meaningless exploitation of my innocence. He redeemed my suffering and He restored my purity. And He made me a participant in His sacrifice and a partaker of His Divine Life.

Col. 1:24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church”

To be honest, if I had life to live over again, and I could direct the events of my life, I would not forego my years of suffering if it meant that I would not have this sweet fellowship with Christ and the awareness that what happened to me has eternal value to others who know what it means to suffer.

Phil 3:10 “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

After years of walking death, He had brought resurrection. After years of trying to mask the pain with my own useless devises, He brought me the bliss of union with Him.

For more on this subject, click the title.

I Get This Email Every Day . . .

from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, where my youngest daughter is a student. I especially love when they quote Sr. Ann Shields. I think I must get her book. Check it out >

“He has come for you and me! He extends mercy and healing for our innumerable wounds. He is the good doctor. He is not expecting us to fix ourselves up and present ourselves to him. So come to him with your diseases and wounds, spiritual and physical. ‘Come to me, all who labor and are laden, and I will give you rest’ (Mt 11:28).”

Sr. Ann Shields, S.G.L.Deeper Conversion Extraordinary Grace for Ordinary Times, St. Anthony Messenger Press

Justin and Sarah's Wedding Pictures

Check Out Patrick's Blog

I don't know if you stop by Patrick Madrid's blog on a regular basis but he has a great blog and I spend a lot of time on it. He has a beautiful article on the Mass from the Early Fathers that you should check out. I'm going to snag that picture from it here in a few minutes because it's one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. It explains the Mass in a visual way. I don't know if you have noticed, but along my margin I have a faded black and white picture that I got from an old book. It explains the mediation of Mary beautifully as well. It's very Catholic to teach the faith with and without words.

One of Today's Readings

I remember back in 2001 when I was preparing to enter the Church, my dear friend and catechist, Marie, sent me this passage on a particularly difficult day. It has remained a favorite and has been proven true every time I undertake some project the Lord lays on my heart.

Sir 2:1-11My son, when you come to serve the LORD,stand in justice and fear,prepare yourself for trials.Be sincere of heart and steadfast,incline your ear and receive the word of understanding,undisturbed in time of adversity.Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;thus will you be wise in all your ways.Accept whatever befalls you,when sorrowful, be steadfast,and in crushing misfortune be patient;For in fire gold and silver are tested,and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.Trust God and God will help you;trust in him, and he will direct your way;keep his fear and grow old therein.
You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy,turn not away lest you fall.You who fear the LORD, trust him,and your reward will not be lost.You who fear the LORD, hope for good things,for lasting joy and mercy.You who fear the LORD, love him,and your hearts will be enlightened.Study the generations long past and understand;has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed?Has anyone persevered in his commandments and been forsaken? has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?Compassionate and merciful is the LORD;he forgives sins, he saves in time of troubleand he is a protector to all who seek him in truth.

I Love This Quote ~ St. Ireneus About St. Polycarp

I remember the events of that time more clearly than those of recent years. For what boys learn, growing with their mind, becomes joined with it; so that I am able to describe the very place in which the blessed Polycarp sat as he discoursed, and his goings out and his comings in, and the manner of his life, and his physical appearance, and his discourses to the people, and the accounts which he gave of his intercourse with John and with the others who had seen the Lord. And as he remembered their words, and what he heard from them concerning the Lord, and concerning his miracles and his teaching, having received them from eyewitnesses of the 'Word of life,' (1 John 1:1) Polycarp related all things in harmony with the Scriptures.These things being told me by the mercy of God, I listened to them attentively, noting them down, not on paper, but in my heart. And continually, through God's grace, I recall them faithfully. And I am able to bear witness before God that if that blessed and apostolic presbyter had heard any such thing [heresy], he would have cried out, and stopped his ears, and as was his custom, would have exclaimed, O good God, unto what times have you spared me that I should endure these things? And he would have fled from the place where, sitting or standing, he had heard such words. (Eusebius 5.20.5-7)

Out of Darkness ~ From the Beginning

I've spent my free time this week reworking my conversion story so that it is more complete. My friend, Steve Ray has posted it on his web site because I was afraid it would crash mine! It's one of those stories you might want to sit down for and maybe even pour a cup of coffee before you get started. I'm posting a link to it here.

This Is What I Mean

Here is yet another example of what I was talking about in my "I'm Offended" piece. If this were an image of Muhammad this would be a world wide scandal. But you can use the image of a Catholic Saint, in this case St. Martin de Porres, and use it as a novelty to make some money. First of all, don't mess with Catholic Saints! Secondly, don't insult St. Martin by replacing his image with the likes of the prophet of the god Moloch, aka Barach Obama.

I'm an offended Catholic! Anybody listening??? Hey, ACLU, my religion is being insulted.

A deafening silence prevails . . .

Out of Darkness ~ The Hardest Piece I've Ever Written

I hang out on Facebook a lot. One of my friends there, Patricia Arthur, durected me to an article by Heidi Saxton, who has a wonderful blog called Streams of Mercy. She posted this piece that she originally wrote back in 2007 after a blessed encounter with Elizabeth Elliot, one the most amazing Christian women I've ever heard of. She and her husband were evangelical missionaries to the Amazon region. Her husband and several of his associates were martyred there by the very natives they were trying to evangelize.

Later, she set up housekeeping with the same tribe that had murdered her husband and raised their young daughter among them. She opened the door to the hearts of the people through her unconditional love and her amazing courage.

Later in life her brother, Thomas Howard, demonstrated amazing courage by swimming the Tiber after discovering the historic Christian Church: The Holy Catholic Church.

I've secretly envied these two amazing people because of their strong love for one another that has allowed them to remain close and harmonious despite their differences. Others have commented to me that it is a shame that my brother and I could not have maintained that kind of relationship after my conversion to the Catholic Church. I agreed with them but wasn't able at the time to explain the reasons that was not possible.

Over the past year I have laid out the painful experiences that disfigured our family and destroyed my relationship with my brother. The secret is out, so to speak, so now I feel I can answer that question.

It's really quite simple. Thomas Howard and Elizabeth Elliot respect each other. They hold each other in high esteem and therefore they respect the decision each has made. Therefore, there is no name calling, back stabbing, insulting or arguing going on between them and they are able to have harmony and fellowship across the Tiber and in the love of Christ.

When I left for Moody Bible Institute in 1976, my brother respected me. He had looked up to me all his life. I had taught him things he was eager to learn, like how to write his name, play chess, etc. I had gone off to Bible college to surrender my life to Christian service. It was after I left that he, too, felt a call to ministry at the young age of 14.

Then the letter came from my counselor at Moody. She confronted the sin of my father and let my parents know that someone outside the family knew and would intervene if this sin continued. The spiritual facade of my family crumbled and there was a scramble to damage control. As I related in a previous post, that damage control revealed the level of symbiont support between my parents. Rather than react by protection of her daughter, my mother sought to protect my father's reputation. Together they must have decided to tell my brother that someone at Moody had brainwashed me to believe that my father had molested me. After all, my brother had never seen any of this happen. My mother had removed herself years ago from the situation and had turned a blind eye to his nightly visits to my room. So in self-protective denial, they convinced my little brother that I was weak minded and had been influenced by an evil psychologist.

Well, my counselor was neither evil nor a psychologist. She was young and inexperienced and frankly baffled about what to do with this young lady in shambles sitting in her office who had just dumped her deep dark secret in her lap. I've spoken with her in the past year and she feels she was very unprepared to be of help to someone in such a difficult situation. But God is always willing and able to work through someone who is willing to be His instrument. Several things she taught me in those few months of our aquaintance stuck with me and served me well during my recovery. But she was by no means an overpowering influence injecting ideas into my head. She was more like a first year counselor looking like a deer in the headlights as she listened to my story.

But back on the home front, the cover up story was taking shape. Using evidence from my teenage years when I cried nonstop and when I had inordinate fears of things like dying and disease, my parents painted a pretty bleak picture of mental illness for my dismayed and confused brother. Apparently it has never occurred to them that those things were an outcropping of the hell I was enduring; a way of venting anxiety that avoided revealing my father's sin while crying out for help.

By the time I arrived home for Christmas, my brother's image of me had been completely destroyed. Now he saw me as a nut case who had turned on his honorable parents and he saw it as his duty to defend them.

As I wrote previously, he vented his anger one evening during my Christmas break by telling me that he felt we had wonderful parents and then bursting into tears and running off to his room. He had been forced to choose between his parents and his sister. Being completely unaware of the sin my father had committed against me (those things are always done in secret) he felt he had no choice but to turn on me.

For many years our family struggled to sweep these things under the rug and establish some kind of normalcy without ever really addressing the issue adequately. Our relationships were superficial and artificial. I loved them and longs to have a normal family, but the pain was always right under the surface.

Fast forward to the period of my healing in 1995 when I had gone with my Pastor and my husband to seek my parent's forgiveness for my bitterness and attempt to open the door of grace to them. As you may remember, things didn't go well. After our unsuccessful and violent encounter with them, they contacted my brother and informed them of my visit.

From that time on, I was gradually nudged away from any family gatherings. Any and all encounters with them were very exhausting. Any reference to a delicate subject, real or imagined, resulted in emotional explosions from my mother. It was a little like trying to dance in a mine field. My brother withdrew entirely and began accusing me of being mentally ill in letters and conversations with the elders of my church at the time. I found myself alienated and accused by the very people who hurt me in the first place.

Fast forward again to that day in October 2000 when my mother discovered my crucifix hidden beneath my shirt. I had cried out to God during my many months of deliberations over my conversion that this decision would forever keep my family from seeing anything I said about the Church as reasonable or worth considering. I knew they would see this as another evidence of my "craziness."

As soon as I had left the front doorstep of their home that day, I knew what was coming. My brother was informed later that day of my intentions to become Catholic. The spiteful letters started coming blaming my mental state for this decision and ignoring the many, many sane, rational, intellectual converts who had made the very same discoveries from the Early Church and had come to the very same decision to come home to the faith once delivered to the Apostles. I endured insult after insult about how I was doing this just to hurt my worthy parents who had never done anything to me. I was belittled and maligned on his web site and referred to as Mrs. Bonds rather than "my sister" or even Patty. I was used as a weapon against other converts who suddenly became as "crazy" as me since we were all doing something he saw as irrational.

I was accused of having alienated myself from his family long before my decision to become Catholic, when the alienation was really because of my encounter with them in 1995 when my pastor and I had attempted to be charitable and open the door for them to seek help in healing our family.

I love and miss my family. I would give almost anything to be able to sit down and talk with them in charity and in truth. But I can no longer deal with the superficial, artificial avoidance of truth. My father did molest me. I have experienced the healing grace of God and would love to see him do the same. I love my mother greatly and understand that she has sought protection from pain by clinging to my father. I love my brother and his family tremendously, but I have grown weary of their belief that I am either deluded or a liar. I want nothing but grace in our family. I pray for it constantly with tears. But truth is truth and it doesn't bend to pressure. Love and truth are inseparable companions. You cannot have one without the other.

Elizabeth and Thomas, I envy you. Your friendship and mutual respect are a monument to the love of Christ. It is also a monument to the health and wholesomeness of your family. May God bless you and your faithfulness to one another.

I can tell you that there is nothing so painful as being severed from your own family by the very people who lacerated your very soul. My father holds the key to healing for my family. Until he comes clean and admits that what he did was evil and not the innocent actions of a doting father, there is no hope that my family will ever be healed.

Just a post script here: I recently witnessed the failing and passing of both of my former parents in law. This sad experience drove home to me the briefness of life. It also gave me a sense of urgency in my prayers for my family. See, I no longer believe that simply saying you're sorry without being honest about your sin and its gravity results in God's forgiveness. I no longer believe that just believing in Jesus as Savior saves you. I believe that we must expose every area of our lives to the light of Christ and be willing to allow Him to examine our hearts. I believe that we are judged on how we respond to His promptings. I want my family to be in heaven. Please pray with me for truth to reign and repentance to bring the balm of healing before it's too late.

No Price Too High

If you have never read or watched the story of convert Alex Jones, you simply must! I've watched it so many times I have part of it memorized. He was a Pentecostal Pastor who decided to teach his congregation about the early Church. The end result was that a good number of his congregation joined him at Easter Vigil 2001 in entering the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Here is a quote from his book:

“Oh boy! I thought, now how much are you really after the truth? If you acknowledge this truth, it could cost you everything you have ever loved and worked for. The Catholic Church is the Church of Jesus Christ. This is the Church that was inaugurated in the Upper Room. This is the Church that has the gifts of perpetuity and incorruptibility. This is the Church of Jesus Christ, and what it teaches is truth!”Alex Jones No Price Too High: A Pentecostal Preacher Becomes Catholic, Ignatius Press

Another Email from my friend Mimi

John Kennedy once said to a assembled group of scholars in the White House, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House - with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.

"The quotes below could prove his point.

When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe. Thomas Jefferson

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. Thomas Jefferson

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world. Thomas Jefferson

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. Thomas Jefferson

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. Thomas Jefferson

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. Thomas Jefferson

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. Thomas Jefferson

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Thomas Jefferson

Very Interesting Quote:In light of the present financial crisis, it's interesting to read what Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:

Banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

Doesn't this sound eerily familiar to what is happening in America today?

Woman Drivers

I have to admit, I'm not the best driver. I think men are much better drivers, even though 5 of them have smashed the back of my car in at some time in the past. But alas, it was a woman that t-boned me back in 2004 and gave me my first concusion. But this isn't about my car exploits, it's about the fact that we ladies are just a bit driving challenged . . .

Some Prophetic Voices from the Past

I stole this one as well. This time from Steve Ray's blog. You can tell where I hang out, can't you? This one is amazing as well. Apparently Thomas Jefferson saw this Obama nightmare coming. Check it out.

Thank You Father Richard Perozich

Click the post title for a very prophetic article about the gods of the present day. God bless Priests who will tell it like it is! St. Michael, defend them in battle! After reading this article I have just one thing I want to say:

There is one God and Jesus is His Divine Son, His Precious Blood shed on the cross is our New Covenant. His covenant promises eternal life to those who will follow in His footsteps and surrender their lives to His Holy Will. He cherishes each of us as His children and hears the cries of the helpless onces that are dragged off to their deaths through our disobedience and lust. He is both just and merciful. But He will not fail to avenge the blood of the innocent.

Take the time to read the article. By the way, I completely stole this from patrickmadrid.blogspot.com. He won't mind.

Need a Laugh?

Click the title for a little hee haw!

Whoohoo!!!

I've been behind in reading the blogs I follow and I was trying to catch up this evening when I discovered this post from Fr. Bud Pelletier from Carefree. Our former Pastor, who I really struggled to forgive Bishop Olmsted from swiping from us, is being made a Bishop. I've always said that Bishop Olmsted knows the heart of God because he spends so much time with Him. He could not have made a better choice. My prayers will be with you Father Jim!

You've Got To Be Kidding

This is a lovely compliment to the previous piece. So apparently in this world it's OK to blaspheme, but if you offer to pray for someone, you're likely to find yourself in hot water.

Still thinking I'm an alarmist? I'm telling you, we need to dig in deep and take our faith very seriously.

I'm Offended! (Click Title)

I’m offended. I’m extremely offended. But don’t expect to see anything in the press or in court, because I’m an offended Catholic. The things I hold sacred do not matter to our society at all. In fact, in this country which was founded in order to protect its citizens’ religious and political freedom, the government actually funds projects that have no possible value to anyone except to insult the Catholic faith. Tax payers’ money is spent so that some fool can denigrate and mock the faith of millions of Americans.

Now understand that if I were to publish a picture of Mohamed here on my web site, I could face charges before close of business today. I would probably receive threats from offended Muslims which is something my Catholic religion prevents me from doing in retaliation. But the powers that be in this country would defend any and all Muslims that filed a complaint against me in a New York minute!

If I burned a Star of David in my front lawn (which I would never do) I’d catch heck as well. If I stuck a Buddha in a toilet and called it art, I’d be up on charges. But anti-Catholic bigots can take the most Sacred Sacrament of the Catholic Church, the Eucharist, Jesus Himself, and do unthinkable things to Him and get a US Government Grant to pay for the project!

Am I the only one that sees the injustice here? Am I the only one that believes that the reason we are the only faith so maligned these days is because we are the One Church established by Christ and therefore the source of all truth and the enemy of evil on this earth?

Mark my words folks; it’s going to cost us dearly to be Catholics very soon. Jesus warned us that friendship with the world would mean enmity with God. Well guess what, friendship with God means enmity with the world. The battle lines were once almost indistinguishable. As long as Catholics were good citizens the government was on their side. But now days the battle lines are clear. If you dare stand for what is right, you’re on the outside looking in. Stand for marriage, chastity, or the sacredness of life and you will find yourself taking on the world’s aggressive opposition.

I have two suggestions for those of us who find this situation troubling. First, stay close to the Sacraments. Stay close to the Church and live as Christ taught us. You will need all the grace you can avail yourself of to endure.

Secondly, devote as much time and sacrifice as you can in reparation to the Lord. After viewing this video, make a Holy Hour and Adore Him in the Blessed Sacrament. Don’t ever walk into your Parish without taking a moment to adore Him in the Tabernacle. When you drive by a Catholic Church, make the sign of the cross and send Him your love and adoration as you pass. Every time you see Him insulted, devote yourself to His comfort. Then pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet every day for those who get their kicks by mocking the Holy Son of God and His Church. You might be the one Catholic who maintains God’s mercy on this country.

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You. +Amen

Integrity

Thanks to my friend Mimi for sending me this article from Spirit and Life . . .

One of my most memorable experiences in Marine Corps boot camp was the lesson of integrity. Certain infractions of the strict code of discipline were considered “integrity violations” such as lying or undermining the chain of command, etc. We all implicitly understood that term to mean the breaking of rules of conduct or ethics that bind men together for the common mission. We did our best to avoid committing any violations of integrity, not merely to avoid penalties, but more so because we sought to form ourselves as honorable, trustworthy men deserving of our uniforms.
Ironically, the country our honorable Marines serve is currently being led by a President who has begun his term of office with an extensive list of “integrity violations,” setting new lows for integrity in American history, and on the way to shredding the last bits of moral fiber left in our nation. But this is what we get when we elect a confirmed champion of the culture of death to the highest office of our land.
Count with me a couple of these violations that occurred in the President’s first two weeks in office: click here for the rest of the article.

Rest In Peace Orvel Bonds

My former father-in-law went home to Jesus this evening just after 7 p.m. Father had just anointed him and I had asked the Lord to take him quickly if he was going to take him home to heaven. A few minutes later he breathed his last. Pray for the repose of his soul and the comfort of my children and their father who was home alone with his father as he passed.

Grandpa was such a help to us and the girls when they were little. He and Grandma worked so hard helping us balance work and children. Bless them Lord for their selflessness.

Oh, by the way, the picture is because Grandpa loved reading Zane Grey books. I think he had every last one of them.

Should We Be Ashamed of the Crusades Pt. 3 of 3

In the fall of 1571, as the Muslims prepared for an all-out advance into Europe, the Pope implored everyone to pray the Rosary.

WICHITA, Kansas (Catholic Online) - The First Crusade was the most successful. Jerusalem and Antioch were captured and held by the Europeans. Through the next two hundred years, these and several other small polities would go back and forth between the Crusaders and the Muslims and between factions among the Crusaders.

Since most Crusaders returned to Europe immediately after winning Jerusalem, these little “kingdoms” never had more than a small handful of fighting men at any given time. The little kingdoms were primarily populated by indigenous peoples – Christians and Jews (the dhimmi, freed from their servitude by the Crusaders) and by Muslims.

The fortunes of these kingdoms waxed and waned with the strength of the Muslim forces around them. They entered into local alliances and treaties with Muslims and with other Christians. The most important function of the later Crusades was to provide reinforcements and to win back territory lost.

Enthusiasm for Crusading petered out by the end, but the liberation of the holy places, the churches and relics of the saints – external signs of the faith – was genuinely important to the Europeans. While it’s true some individual Christian nobles personally gained by the Crusades, they also preserved a Christian presence in its own birthplace for two hundred years and made holy pilgrimage once again possible.

The Mongols upset the fragile balance of power that had developed in the Middle East. In 1256, Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Kahn, conquered Persia and completely destroyed Baghdad. The Caliph was beaten to death. Christians and Muslims alike quaked with fear before the Mongol advance until the Mamluk Baybars of Egypt defeated them -- and then went on to conquer the little Christian states. The 8th Crusade failed, and by 1291, the Crusaders had been completely swept from the Holy Lands. The Islamic Empire again ruled unopposed.

The Resumption of Muslim Advance into Europe

After they soundly defeated the Crusaders, the Muslims resumed their efforts to take Europe. The Barbary Pirates, part of the Sultan’s navy, continued to terrorize and enslave Europeans living on Mediterranean islands and along the coasts.

The Byzantine Empire was hacked into ever smaller pieces. By the 15th century only the cities of Thessalonica and Constantinople remained free. Finally, after long and careful preparations, Constantinople was taken in 1453. Eastern Christendom was submerged in an Islamic ocean, and Orthodox Christians in the East were forced into dhimmitude. Today Constantinople is known as Istanbul. The great mother Church of Eastern Christianity, the Hagias Sophia, was converted into a mosque and is now a museum.

Islamic forces continued to push into Europe, with Muslim expeditions into Eastern Europe and as far west as Austria. All of Europe quaked with fear of these Muslim incursions. The Mediterranean and its coastlines were unsafe. The Middle East was impossible to traverse. Fortunately for us, this forced the Europeans to seek trade routes to the East by going west into the fearsome Atlantic ocean.

The Battle of Lepanto and Second Siege of Vienna

In the fall of 1571, as the Muslims prepared for an all-out advance into Europe, the pope implored everyone to pray the Rosary. Don Juan of Austria responded to his pleas for defense, and in an amazing victory, defeated the Muslim armada on October 7th, at the Battle of Lepanto. The Feast of the Holy Rosary (Our Lady of Victory) is celebrated on October 7th in honor of this great turning point for Europe.

The victory was not permanent, but it changed the European perception that they were destined to remain the underdog in defending their territory against Islamic aggression. They had reason to hope and gained confidence.

The Muslims quickly rebuilt their navy and continued to pound Europe. Finally, on September 11th at the Second Siege of Vienna in 1683, they were held out of Europe definitively.

Not that there were no further skirmishes or that piracy ended completely. History never cleans up that neatly. The Barbary Pirates continued to harass the Mediterranean, continued to hamper shipping, continued to take slaves. By the 18th century, the fledgling United States found itself involved. President Adams paid tribute for the safe passage of our ships. Still, thousands of American seamen were taken as slaves. Thomas Jefferson, famous for the quip, “Millions for defense. Not a penny for tribute,” started the United States Marines to protect American interests and lives abroad.

The United States went to war with the Barbary Pirates, who were based in Tripoli, Libya, in 1801-1804 and definitively in 1815. (Remember the Marine theme song: “From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli. . .?”) Thousands of Americans were freed from slavery, and piracy gradually began to subside. Nonetheless, the Ottoman Empire was a force to contend with into the 20th century.

When seen in context, it becomes clear that the Crusades were defensive wars and that the Europeans had every right to be proud of their attempt to defend the Christian holy places. For their part, the Muslims regarded the Crusades as honorable wars – which they soundly won.

**** Jeri Holladay writes from Wichita, Kansas, where she has been Director of Adult Education at the Spiritual Life Center of the Diocese of Wichita, Associate Professor of Theology, Chairman of the Theology Department and founding Director of the Bishop Eugene Gerber Institute of Catholic Studies at Newman University. She teaches moral theology and church history.This is the third and final installment in her series on the crusades.