Catholic Matters

THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF ONLINE CHURCH SERVICES ON CHRISTIANITY: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

KUDOS TO THE MUSLIMS ( I SAY WELL-DONE TO THEM)

The mayors of various UK cities, including London, Luton, Blackburn, Sheffield, Brighton, Birmingham, and Oxford, are Muslims, highlighting the significant representation of Muslims in local government. This achievement is notable, considering the relatively small Muslim population of 4 million within the total UK population of 67 million.

There are over 2,000 active mosques in the UK, which are consistently filled to capacity. Additionally, there are over 100 Sharia courts and more than 50 Sharia councils. A significant proportion of Muslim women (78%) and men (68%) do not work but receive support and free accommodation in the UK. The name Muhammed is the most common in the UK, and Muslims have higher birth rates compared to Christians.

In contrast, church attendance in the UK is declining, with some churches having as few as 7-10 members in attendance. The rise of online church services, prayer meetings, and other online activities is potentially exacerbating this decline. While online services may offer convenience, they can also erode the sense of community and unity that physical gatherings provide.

The Nigerian president and vice president, who are Muslims, demonstrate the importance of physical gatherings for unity and strength. In contrast, many Christians are relying increasingly on online services, which may be detrimental to the sense of community and love that is essential to Christianity.

The proliferation of online church services and prayer meetings raises important questions about the impact on Christian unity and love. For instance, do participants in online prayer meetings, such as those led by Pastor Jerry Eze, genuinely care for and support one another? Or are they primarily motivated by personal gain?

The current state of Christianity is marked by division and disunity, which may be exacerbated by the rise of online services. In contrast, Muslims continue to gather in mosques and demonstrate a strong sense of unity and purpose. Christians would do well to learn from this example and prioritize physical gatherings and community-building activities.

Ultimately, Christians must reevaluate their approach to worship and community-building. Rather than relying solely on online services, they should strive to create opportunities for physical gatherings and meaningful interactions. By doing so, they can foster a stronger sense of unity, love, and community, which is essential to the vitality of Christianity.

I've never seen anywhere where an Imam threatens to arrest or sue a fellow Muslim but Christians are busy doing the opposite beating fellow Christians up and jailing them. The case of the UK isn't immigration, NO! It's an INVASION!!!

Judeson Alex

DAY 28: OCTOBER DEVOTION: 28/10/2025
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
TOPIC: QUEEN OF MARTYRS

Why Mary Is Called, "Queen Of Martyrs"

A martyr is a person who willingly suffers death or persecution for their faith, beliefs, or principles, often refusing to renounce or compromise their convictions; they are witnesses to their faith, giving their lives for Jesus or the Gospel. From the killing of Stephen, the first of Christian martyrs as recorded (Acts 7:54-60) the church, Christianity has experienced countless persecutions. Martyrs who die are venerated; their relics collected and preserved. Initially, for a person to be considered a martyr, it was necessary that he or she voluntarily and physically die at the hands of his persecutors in proclamation of the faith. Later, even those who were not killed but suffered imprisonment and torture, broken in body, were considered martyrs.

So there is a martyrdom of the blood, a martyrdom of steadfast loyalty and in modern times a more subtle form of martyrdom which we can call 'a martyrdom of discrimination'. To this we add yet another martyrdom, that of daily living the Christian values or, as Jesus put it, "Unless a grain of wheat dies..."

Mary is often referred to as the "Queen of Martyrs" because of her profound suffering and sacrifice as the mother of Jesus. She witnessed her son's crucifixion, endured immerse pain, and remained faithful throughout. Mary's sacrifice and faithfulness make her a model for Christian endurance.

In proclaiming our Lady as, "Queen Of Martyrs", we saw in her the martyrdom of pain, sorrow and mental anguish which she underwent in living out her exalted vocation. It is accepted that mental anguish can be more distressing than physical pain. Psychic pain can be of such intensity as can cause blood ooze, as happened to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane: (Luke 22:44): "In his anguish he prayed more earnestly and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground"

Mary's complete and total obedience to God in complete submission to his will is one of, if not the highest level of Martyrdom. In physical Martyrdom, the victim gives up his head. The Martyrdom of our soul is the giving up of our will, which is the head of the soul in complete submission to God, as did Abraham and of course our Lord and master and saviour Jesus Christ. He was obedient even unto death. Abraham obedient even unto giving up his son. Mary so obedient that she never protested the lynching and killing of her only son, but would share in his passion and death in silent and complete understanding of what was going on because she had the mind of Christ.

Mary underwent many difficulties, from almost facing the disgrace of a failed marriage, to watching people mock her son, to watching her son die, and receiving his dead body etc, all these she endured in silence. If we were to describe the difficulties our Lady encountered at every step of her life, it would go beyond the scope of this write up.

The prophetic words of Simeon: "A sword will pierce your own heart too," (Luke 2:35) was a recurring reality in the life of our Lady. The day Jesus left her to commence his ministry of proclamation, his rejection by his own people, the assertion that he was crazy and that he was possessed by the power of Beelzebub, were darts that kept piercing her soul.

The climax of her sorrow was when our Lady stood beneath the cross of Jesus. No words can express the anguish. It is for the devoted soul to delve into the abyss of pain - the sword struck deep! We have every reason to proclaim her "Queen Of Martyrs"

LET US PRAY
O thou mother fount of love touch my spirit from above. Make my heart with thine accord. Make me feel as thou have felt, make my soul glow and melt with the life of Christ my Lord. Amen.
(Hymn: from the stations of the cross)

©️ Judeson Alex

DAY 24: OCTOBER DEVOTION: 24/10/2025
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
TOPIC: QUEEN OF ANGELS

Why Mary is called, "Queen of Angels".

Mary's title "Queen of Angels" stems from her role as Mother of God, granting her a dignity above all creation, including angels. Her involvement in the incarnation and encounters with angels, like the Annunciation by Archangel Gabriel, reinforce this title. It also highlights her exceptional sanctity and the reverence angels show her.

The angels spoke of her and told of her role in salvation history. "Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign: The Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14).

God prepared, the Virgin for his son, who could be anybody and that person will be called, "highly favoured one" and that person is Mary, the mother of Jesus christ.

Throughout history, various popes and church fathers have acknowledged Mary's queenship. Pope Pius XII, in his 1954 encyclical "Ad Caeli Raginam," asserted that Mary's queenship is based on her divine motherhood and her association with Jesus' redemptive work

We read in the Bible that when Aaron was consecrated to the priesthood, a crown of gold was placed upon his miter. The crown had a second fillet of blue lace, a color chosen as the type of Heaven, "an ornament of honor, a work of power, and delightful to the eyes for its beauty." Over this crown was a golden diadem, with the inscription, "Holiness to the Lord." The diadem, a fillet of silk, was two inches wide, sometimes white, sometimes blue, sewn with pearls or other gems and enriched with gold. It may be noted that the diadem, not the crown, was the real insignia of royalty. How applicable to Mary, the Queen of Heaven, is this diadem with its blue fillet, Her own color, the color of the firmament.

One of the loveliest and truest titles of Mary is that of Queen—Mary, by the grace of God is Queen and Empress of the universe.

"If the Son is a King, the Mother who begat Him is rightly and truly considered a Queen and Sovereign." (St. Athanasius).

"No sooner had Mary consented to be Mother of the Eternal Word, than She merited by this consent to be made Queen of the world and all creatures." (St. Bernardine of Siena)

Holy Mother Church has guaranteed that royal title to Her. In the Mass of the Seven Dolors She sings: "Holy Mary, the Queen of Heaven and Mistress of the world, stood by the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ full of sadness;" and in the Communion Verse of the Mass of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: "Most noble Queen of the world, Mary, ever Virgin." Three of the four great Antiphons of Our Lady salute Her as Queen, the Regina Coeli, the Ave Regina Coelorum and the Salve Regina—"Hail, Queen of Heaven, Hail Mistress of Angels!"

The great messenger of the Annunciation was St. Gabriel. He saluted Her, as the one inferior salutes the one superior. Even St. Gabriel was awed at the beauty of Mary's soul and the dignity which no angel could even hope for. St. Gabriel, "the strength of God," had appeared to the Prophet Daniel, he had appeared to Zachary; they were holy men and pleasing to God, but She was "full of grace," and he knew that while in that little house of Nazareth he was in the very vestibule of Heaven, the very first one to salute the Queen of Angels.

LET US PRAY
Hail queen of heaven the ocean star guide of the wanderer here below. Thrown on life's surge we claim your care. Save us from peril and from who. Do you bright queen start of the sea. Pray for the wanderers pray for me, pray for your children pray for me

By
Judeson Alex