DO NOT BE AFRAID OF PERSECUTIONS.
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED.
"The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?”
"The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.”
"Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
"If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
"Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.
"He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said, “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” And many there began to believe in him." (John 10: 31 - 42).
Friday March 22nd in the 5th Week in Lent.
The common theme in the Gospel Reading and the first Reading from Jeremiah 20: 10 - 14 is Persecution.
Sirach the Sage teaches:
"My child, if you want to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials." (Sirach 2: 1).
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5: 10).
The human nature shrinks from every type of suffering. As we see from Sirach and Jesus, it is impossible to avoid suffering as a child of God.
The best examples of humanity are the saints. They are the cremè de la cremè. But they all suffered and are persecuted.
Moses, David, Elijah, John the Baptist, Peter and Paul, Teresa of Avila, Mother St Teresa of Kolkata. They all suffered. They suffered persecutions from the forces of evil. They suffered persecutions from human beings instigated by demons.
There is no escape from persecution as a child of God.
Trials are baked into the human condition because of Original Sin. To erase the effects of Original Sin is why Jesus Christ came to earth.
Again let us reflect on the words of the Sage:
"My child, if you want to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials."
The Masters of Spiritual life teach that the best way to prepare for tomorrow is to imagine all possible trials that can befall you, viz: Illness, accidents, bankruptcy, flood, war, etc. Since we humans do not control events, since all events are controlled by God's mighty and sovereign Providence, be prepared to surrender every event to God. The same merciful and loving Providence teaches us not to be afraid of trials.
THE CHURCH HONORS ST JOSEPH IN MARCH.
St Joseph is the man chosen by God to be the foster father and guardian of Jesus.
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