As I write this, it is a gloomy, cold and wet day.  It feels more like the end of November than September. The Farmers’ Almanac and recent weather forecasts have predicted that Canada and much of the Northern and Midwestern states will be experiencing another brutally cold and snowy winter.  Upon hearing this, I groaned.

It’s good to be prepared, not only emotionally, but practically as well.  For our family, that means making sure we have enough logs for the long winter ahead to keep us warm and always having extra provisions in case we lose electricity.

In the grand scheme of things, a cold winter can be uncomfortable, but not usually life-threatening, especially for the vast majority of us who live in well-insulated homes and have warm coats and cars. In fact, a brutal winter has the potential of being a positive experience because it can build our character and increase our patience.

Right now, Middle Eastern Christians and others are dealing with worse atrocities than cold temperatures.

With Social Networking, many of us thought that genocides (like the Holocaust) would not be possible.  Instead, extreme Islamist terrorists are using Social Networking to boast about and to spread their evil through their graphic beheading videos (which admittedly, I have not watched). Christians are being murdered and persecuted not only in the Middle East but also in Africa.

So what does all of this have to do with the Catholic writer?  A great deal. 

Catholic writers must have the courage to speak the truth through their blogs, columns, books, novels and Social Networking. In fact, nowadays, that courage to write the truth has already resulted in the brutal deaths of several journalists. Jim Foley, a Catholic journalist, was one of those beheaded last month by terrorists.

I see this courage to speak the truth daily as I read the inspiring and no-holds barred posts of some of our members (Rebecca Hamilton and Elizabeth Scalia to name a few).

Elizabeth shares an Op-ed article, but also comments that the world situation is, in fact, as bad as we thought in this gripping post.

I know some of us don’t want to read the depressing realities.  But as Elizabeth writes, “Sadly, this is essential reading; this is essential thinking. The long sleep induced by prosperity and power must now be broken. The choice to remain unengaged, fully tricked out with technology, is coming to an end, as is the easy habit of playing partisan games at the expense of human lives.”

We’re nearing the end of the Week of Prayer and Fasting for Peace so check out Lisa Hendey’s post for more information.

Finally, please take a look at this video from Cardinal Wuerl, “Where Are The Voices?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kujTZbwOMcc

We have no idea how this will play out for the rest of the world or, more specifically, for North Americans.  Right now, many of us are groaning and complaining about the impending cold winter.  But we are safe and we have freedom to practice our Catholic faith and freedom to live where we want.  This is not the time to be complacent or spend our time complaining. This is the time to prepare emotionally and spiritually for those difficult and challenging times ahead.  Let us offer our prayers, fasting and sacrifices for all those who are the victims of evil.  May God give us the courage to write about the truth. Amidst the darkness, Christ can and will be our light. As Catholics, we know that God’s goodness, love and mercy will triumph over evil.

Until next month, as always, please let me know if you have any comments, complaints or concerns.  You can email me at president -at- catholicwritersguild.com Please keep me in prayer as I keep you all in prayer.

In Christ,

Ellen Gable Hrkach
President, CWG