Bishop Tobin on Who the Enemy Is

"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people and set them free . . . He promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. (Lk 1:68; 70-71)

 "In his canticle, Zechariah rejoiced that the Lord had come to the People of Israel to save them from their enemies, from those who hated them. But it begs the question: Who is the enemy today? It's a good question since, according to one count, the word enemy (or 'enemies') is found in the Bible 372 times! So, who are our enemies?

"First, just as Israel had enemies in its day, so too does the Christian Church have enemies in our day. The Church has always had enemies, beginning with Saul of Tarsus, during the Roman Empire, and continuing throughout the ages. And in some parts of the world, even today, Christians are persecuted and martyred. Closer to home the disdain for the Church is on full display in the vandalism of churches and statues, in punitive lawsuits, in the halls of Congress, and in our secular society."

In a recent commentary, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, of the Diocese of Providence (RI), reflected on who our enemies may be - including enemies of the Church, personal enemies, ourselves,and Satan.

To access Bishop Tobin's complete essay, please visit: 

The Imitation of Christ: And Who Is The Enemy? (14 OCT 21)