AS A CHRISTIAN, EXPECT PERSECUTION

 Friday, July 14, 2023


CAMILLUS DE LELLIS, P. (Opt Mem)


First Reading. Genesis 46: 1-7, 26-30

Psalm. 37: 3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40 (R. 39a)

Gospel. Matthew 10: 16-23


TOPIC FOR REFLECTION


CHRISTIANS MUST BE PERSECUTED

How do you feel when your fellow Christians persecute you? 😆 😆 😆


Kindly, journey with me.

1, 2, 3, go... Let's start.


In life, if non-Christians should receive persecution once, then any faithful Christian should expect double or triple such persecution.


Invariably, no faithful Christian will avoid persecution, no matter how little.


So, my dear, if you are not ready to suffer, it simply means you are not ready to be a Christian.


 JESUS SAID: “Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." 


***Sheep are loyal and obedient to their master, while wolves are not loyal. 

The truth is, regardless of human weaknesses, obedient persons who are loyal act more like their master who is the truth, the way, and the life, while those who are not loyal are prone to act like Lucifer, the devil. 

So, any person who is living a good life would be attacked by those who are living a bad life.

The life of a good person is a threat to the person who is living a bad life, hence the bad would attack and castigate the good person to destroy him or her.

Is that not suffering?


JESUS SAID: Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. 

***If the bad person attacks the good person and could not succeed to destroy him or her, such a bad person would hook up false stories to blackmail and tarnish the image of the good person in front of a higher authority.

This is the level people can go to.


Permit me to share my experience with you.

Such a situation happened to me. 

Seated in a meeting room were myself, my parishioner, and the higher authority.

This parishioner of mine lied against me before the higher authority, right in my presence (that is, before my very before 😆) that I am always cursing people on the altar any time I celebrate the Holy Mass, and that I am blackmailing, slandering, backbiting, gossipping the higher authority together with his dean before the people of God... 😆 😆 😆, and with other mightier than thou lies. 😆 


Meanwhile, for him to convince the higher authority, he had to swear with his life that he should die if he is lying against me.

😆 😆 😆 all the lies were just for the higher authority to convincingly stop me from revealing his true identity.

My dear, you will not understand how speechless I was, all I find myself saying was Ha! Ha!! Ha!!!..... Suddenly, I find myself smiling. 😆 


My dear, please laugh with me joor, 😆😆 😆.  I know you also have your own experience which may be similar to or worse than mine. 

Whichever way let us thank God for such an opportunity to suffer with Jesus. Though, not easy oooooo. But the grace of God will not lead us to where He will be absent.

St Peter said that our brethren all over the world are suffering the same thing. Cf. 1 Peter. 5: 9.


JESUS SAID FURTHER: When they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaks through you. Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 

***This shows that God is aware of our difficulties.

As I said, I find myself smiling, instead of reacting negatively.

I believe the smile was God's will for me at that moment. 

St James 1: 2-4 has this advice for us:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.


GOD'S PROMISE.

Anyone who endures the persecution to the end will be saved. 

Like I said, humanly speaking, it's not easy, but His grace is sufficient.


My dear, can you share your personal experience of how you were unjustly persecuted with us if you don't mind, and let us learn together? 


Peace ✌️ be with you.


Rev. Fr. Segun Oladeji, CRS.

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