Several years ago, I wrote a column entitled, “Something Evil This Way Comes” because there had been so many incidents occurring which defied common sense and smacked of nothing short of evil.

Consequently, it came as no surprise that our Catholic diocese restored having the St. Michael prayer said at the end of each mass.

I sent away for a statue of St. Michael the Archangel that graces the mantle of our fireplace because he is the most powerful angel and my favorite.

I’ll bet many Catholics believe that Saint Michael is one of our saints but we adopted him from Judaism. He is first mentioned in the Book of Enoch (which is not in either the Catholic bible or Jewish tracts but is mentioned in the letter of Jude) and then in the Book of Daniel.

In Christian theology we believe that he is God’s mightiest angel and was responsible for defeating Satan. What I did not know is that Michael is the guardian prince of Israel and is responsible for the care of Israel.

What has happened in Israel is beyond evil and it is clear that Hamas terrorists have become Satan’s minions. What is even more alarming is what I’ve heard from progressive politicians like the Democrat ‘squad’ in Congress who dismiss the horror of Hamas’ actions as being caused by Israel. The average person with a strong moral code was appalled learning that Israeli babies were tortured and killed by Hamas militants but it’s not surprising that pundits on the left were unmoved since they’ve been supporters of partial-birth abortion which involves the pulling apart of nearly born babies in the womb, often beheading them.

Misguided celebrities -- no, let’s just call them stupid -- all fell for the Palestinian sob stories pushed by the PLO of the terrible refugee camp conditions and pledged millions of dollars towards that cause. I always wondered why they didn’t ask themselves why the PLO’s leader Yasser Arafat had become a billionaire spending all his time in Paris and why their donations were going to buy weapons instead of alleviating the suffering in those camps. Allegedly, Fuad Shubaki, former financial aide to the late Palestine Liberation Organization chairman, Yasser Arafat, revealed that Arafat used several million dollars of aid money to buy weapons and support militant groups. The Hamas group that has succeeded them in Gaza has carried on the same pattern of corruption.

I no longer watch the Oscars but in 1978, I did, and watched Vanessa Redgrave receive her Oscar for supporting actress for the film, Julia. In her acceptance speech she railed against, “Zionist hoodlums” for attacking her for producing and starring in her documentary on Palestine. In 2018, the then-81 year-old actress was interviewed by the Hollywood Reporter and is still unapologetic of her speech and said, "I had to do my bit.” 

I am curious to know what she thinks today after the totally evil attacks on innocent Israeli children.

Before I ever started writing for a newspaper, I was your ordinary mother of six, presiding over a local arts group and caring for my mother-in-law suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. While listening to various radio programs, I came upon a show called Jewish News and Views and the subject, of course, was anti-Semitic attacks in New York City.

I called in after hearing Jewish callers denying that this was such a big problem and accusing the hostess, Shefar Hoffman, of overstating the issue to cause trouble. I identified myself as a Catholic and said that I had encountered anti-Semitic remarks made by people in all walks of life because they knew I wasn’t Jewish. Sadly, those comments were also made by my mother-in-law until I asked her not to in front of my children. I was asked to come on the program and was called by Ms. Hoffman, a ‘righteous Christian.’ At the studio, she showed me the huge amount of hate mail the show received but what surprised me the most was the calls to me from cowardly Jews who wanted the show to stop 'whining' about the Holocaust, the pogroms, and other atrocities committed against their own people. In other words, stop making waves. 

When I dared to mention that we Catholics believe that the Jews were the Chosen people, the callers scoffed at this until, fortunately, time ran out.

It bothers me that strangers have the audacity to spout their criticism of their Jewish bosses, landlords, co-workers, even in-laws to me assuming I think alike. When I am in a position to do so, I can refute their assumption. It’s laughable that their principal complaint has to do with money and a Jew’s supposed parsimony yet the very thrifty Scottish Scrooge McDuck is only a lovable cartoon.

Israel has always been the scapegoat of the world whenever there’s a disaster. My husband worked at the Hyatt in Manhattan and one of his best friends was a co-worker named Ali, an Egyptian. That friendship ended abruptly when Ali said just after 9/11, “Well you know that Israel is to blame for what they’re doing.”

I do not know why anti-Semitism exists at all. I grew up dirt poor in Spanish Harlem and my landlord was Jewish but so were my neighbors who were struggling just as the rest of us. All the Jewish families I knew growing up were as generous as the nuns who helped supply us with our needs to survive.

The evil that is rearing its head today is permeating all walks of our lives and that of our children.

Here’s the St. Michael prayer which we pray on Sundays. I will omit the St. because he is our Judeo/Christian champion.

Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

What else can we do?

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License