Homily: Monday of the 6th Week of Easter - "That you will not fall away"

A wise man once said, it is not a question IF Christians will be persecuted for their faith, but how well they will endure the persecution that comes their way. 

Jesus in the Gospel today is very clear that his followers will be persecuted.  Many of the early Christians were Jews.  For believing that Jesus was the Messiah, they were “cast out of their synagogues”.  This meant they were barred from gathering for worship in perhaps the only house of worship they had ever known, they were barred from fellowship with their fellow Jews. 

They would also be shunned; Jews wouldn’t come within six feet of the offender; and if they persisted in their Christian belief, Jewish family members would treat them as if they were dead.

Jesus said, “I’ve told you this in order that you do not fall away.”  Jesus knew that it would be a temptation for people to give up their faith when they were persecuted.  So he prepared his disciples for the coming persecutions and promised that the Holy Spirit would be sent to help them endure hardship and persecution calmly and heroically.

An ancient letter from the 2^nd century called the Letter to Diognetus, describes the steadfastness of the early Christians.  Listen to its words:

Christians love all men; but all men persecute them.  Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again.  They live in poverty; but enrich many.  They are totally destitute; but possess an abundance of everything.  They suffer dishonor; but that is their glory.  They are defamed, but vindicated.  A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult…they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then they rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life.

It will always be a temptation to hide our faith, to not share our faith out of fear how others will react.  It is a temptation not to pray in public, not to speak the truth in the public political forum. 

Persecution, hostility, hardship become signs that we are living the faith well, sharing the Gospel as we should. 

The rejection of Jesus and the Father is at the root of the fallenness of the world; may we never reject our faith when our faith is tried, but by the help of the Spirit remain courageous throughout all our hardships for the glory of God and salvation of souls.