3rd Week of Easter 2022 - Wednesday - Easter Persecutions

 It seems strange that during this joyous easter season, we have these readings from the book of Acts about how the Church was being persecuted. Last week, we heard of how the apostles were thrown into jail for their Christian faith. Today’s reading picks up right after the martyrdom of Stephen, deacon of the Church of Jerusalem. A severe persecution broke out in Jerusalem following Stephen’s death, and Christians were scattered to the country side. 

Why, during this season of joyful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, do we focus on imprisonment, suffering, persecution and martyrdom?

Well, these readings from acts help us to understand the hostility we will experience when we are joyfully faithfully proclaiming Christ. 

While it is true that “joy is a net that catches souls” as Mother Theresa said. Christian joy will also attract some hostility from the world. 

As I tell the RCIA candidates after easter, now that you are Baptized, the enemy hates you more than ever. Because of sin, you belonged to him, and now you belong to God, and he hates you for it. Where he was cast out of heaven for his pride, you are now filled with the life of heaven inside you, and this causes the enemy to be furious. No doubt, he will tempt you in ways you’ve never tempted before. You may find that the worldly will be more impatient and rude toward you then you’ve ever experienced before. Certain doors will be shut to you because you are Christian. 

But, other doors will be open to you now, doors that God wants you to enter; doors into people’s homes and hearts. God will bring people into your life that he wants your help to convert.

And so, yes, you will experience hostility, but like the apostles, count it a blessing when you experience persecution for the sake of the name. God will use your sufferings to win souls. Opportunities for evangelization will be created, just like in the acts reading. Even when they were scattered due to persecution, God gave Philip opportunities to transform hearts and work miracles.

Just as God brought about the greatest victory in history through the suffering and death of His Son, so too does God bring about great victory through the sufferings and martyrdoms of His adopted sons and daughters, us.

Hard times are good times for Christians. Because God brings about goodness when we persevere in faith during those hard times. We show just how powerful our faith is when in the face of persecution we continue to preach and worship and praise God. And that’s attractive to the right sort of people, the souls who are open to Truth. 

So, we don’t lose hope when the world hates. We don’t compromise our faith because the world disagrees us with. Rather, we remain solid in our faith, trusting, as the Lord Jesus teaches in the Gospel today, that those who believe in Jesus and follow him will have eternal life and be raised on the last day, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, the pope, bishops, and clergy, that they may govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd, leading the Church to embrace hardships for the sake of the Gospel.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ.

That our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received. 

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.