The Old Testament foretells both Jesus and His Church. From Zephaniah, reasons to be Catholic are clear. One line in this short passage leaps off the page and into the mind of those blessed to receive and believe in Zep 3:14-18,
“Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.”
Catholics note the power of the prophecy. It refers specifically to Catholic Communion. Since Jerusalem was occupied by Romans, “He has turned away your enemies” could NOT refer to external invaders. the external invaders had already taken over and would soon destroy the Temple and city. “Your enemies”, therefore, had to refer to the devil and his demons. Those were the “enemies” He turned away.
“The Lord is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear“. refers to two things: First, Jesus would be among them. And, He would be “in their midst” in the form of Catholic Communion that put His Body and Blood within them as a group of worshipers and, on an individual basis, “in their midst”becoming a part of their very soul, mind, and body.
We are told “be not discouraged”, told again, “The Lord, your God, is in your midst” and that He is “a mighty Savior”. Again, since Jerusalem was occupied by Romans, and not a lifetime away from being destroyed by those same Romans, the “Savior” referred to He Who would save their souls, not their political structures.
“He will renew you in His love” is a clear prophecy of Communion that was fulfilled with The Last Supper and each Mass afterwards: “If you do not eat My Body and drink My Blood you do not have life in you.”
We have, from Zephaniah, reasons to be Catholic. They are good reasons that the wise will heed.
