
Being a country boy myself, when I first saw the term black mass in the news I was reminded of the time when I went to the doctor for an MRI to diagnose a back problem and was informed that there was a large dark mass in my throat. It turned out to be a tumor that required surgery but, thankfully, it was benign and was successfully removed, never to return. But this Black Mass at Harvard was certainly not benign; it was a cancer of anti-Catholic cynicism and blasphemy and it caused quite an uproar.
An atheist group was invited by a social organization to perform this ungodly ritual on campus and the university had no problems with the concept. It would be a direct affront to Catholics since it insults the faith by making fun of, and ridiculing, the tenets and practices of Catholicism. And while Harvard is, like many other universities, hostile to Christianity and its doctrine, claiming its opposition merely due to its requirement to maintain a strong separation of its mission from supporting any particular religion, the administration really didn't seem to find any fault with a Satanic display being presented.
While I myself am not Catholic, I am a Christian and I found this to be repulsive to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ. And I was also glad when I heard of the outrage being displayed by so many alumni, students and community residents who actively demanded that Harvard put a stop to it. Finally, the university spoke up and cancelled the event, going so far as to say this was over the top and was outrageous. You know things have to be bad when Harvard takes notice but, then again, the thousands of people who demanded action couldn't be ignored.
And this brings up an issue that we see often today but just seem to ignore. Christianity really is under assault by many in this country. We've seen it in the military and in the media and there are those in high places who are doing everything they can to eliminate the influence of Jesus Christ in America. The religion of peace and love is being challenged on many fronts and it is incumbent on all Christians to stand with their Christian brothers and sisters when their rights are challenged. It seems that tolerance is required for all other viewpoints, but it is okay in our secularist society to persecute Christians.
You know, Jesus said that events like this would happen, that non-believers were afraid of knowing the truth and that they would try to silence us. And the Apostle Paul traveled the world after Christ's death explaining how we had to be strong, be faithful and never stop working for Him. One small battle was won Monday night at Harvard, but there will be many more, not just against Catholics, but Protestants as well and we must all stand together and support one another if we want to keep our freedom to worship Him alive.
Stand with and for our Lord and Savior. It is what is expected of us and the reward for living for Him when our days on earth are done will be simply divine. Love him and live!