Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10, 17-22
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”
St. Stephen
1. Persecuted. We often forget that Catholics have been, are and will be persecuted. Being persecuted is quite different from victimizing ourselves. We are called to bear witness to Christ, to testify with our life and that’s the reason why we are persecuted. We know that we’ll have the same fate as Jesus, but we also know that we are not alone. God is with us and gives us the strength of the Holy Spirit.
2. Stephen. There are many ‘Stephens’ in our times, people who are not afraid of what others will say, and who show their faith without fear. Today there are people who forgive those who mistreat them and attempt against their faith and against their lives. Today there are many contemporary ‘Stephens’ who remind us that, in spite of being persecuted, we must forgive from our hearts.
3. Heaven. Yesterday we celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ on earth. Today we celebrate the first Christian to be born into Heaven. Because we are reminded that life is this, to be born on earth, but knowing that we are just passing through, on our way to Heaven. Therefore, let’s pray for all those brothers and sisters who have been and still are persecuted. Remember we have been here for more than two thousand years, and we continue to proclaim the love of God.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
