Dear Felicity, I knew that college would challenge your faith more than high school, but I didn\u2019t think it would happen so fast.\u00a0 Even so, you shouldn\u2019t be alarmed.\u00a0 Why do you think God instituted the sacrament of confirmation?\u00a0 Because we need an extra boost of grace to be faithful followers of and witnesses to Christ in this unchristian world.\u00a0 The joys of the Christian disciple are deep and real (actually, they are incomparable), but they do not displace difficulty and suffering.\u00a0 Therefore, be brave, be strong, be like your Lord, and he will take good care of you.\u00a0 The story of today\u2019s martyrs may boost your morale. The story is simple.\u00a0 Felix was a dedicated, happy Roman priest apprehended for his faith when the Emperor Diocletian commenced his famous persecution.\u00a0 They tortured him, hoping to convince him to sacrifice to the pagan gods, but he stayed firm.\u00a0 As they marched him off to execution, a stranger (also a Christian) watched him pass by.\u00a0 He was so inspired by Felix\u2019s calm and joyful countenance in the face of death that he made a public profession of faith right there in the street, crying out: \u201cI confess the same law which this man professes; I confess the same Jesus Christ; and I also will lay down my life in His cause.\u201d\u00a0 The judges took him at his word, and the two knelt side by side on the chopping block that very day. So, my happily named niece, by bearing up under modern pagan onslaughts, you are worthily upholding your ancient brothers\u2019 torch.\u00a0 May the inscription on these two saints\u2019 tomb be an encouragement for you.\u00a0 It was written by Pope St Damasus: \u201cO how truly and rightly named Felix, happy, you who, with faith untouched and despising the prince of this world, have confessed Christ and sought the heavenly kingdom.\u00a0 Know ye also, brethren, the truly precious faith by which Adauctus too hastened, a victor, to heaven.\u201d See you soon, God-willing, Uncle Eddy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Felicity, I knew that college would challenge your faith more than high school, but I didn\u2019t think it would happen so fast.\u00a0 Even so, you shouldn\u2019t be alarmed.\u00a0 Why […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":145992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3719],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-142212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncle-eddy"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"","pp_force_visibility":null,"pp_subpost_visibility":null,"pp_inherited_force_visibility":null,"pp_inherited_subpost_visibility":null,"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n