For St. Fidelis, it was the Calvinists. For St. Mark, it was the pagan Egyptians, with their superstitions, sorcery, and polytheistic worship. The Gospel preached by the martyrs, was the truth. And just as Our Lord Himself was silenced for preaching truth, so is His Bride, the Church.
In the acts of the Apostles, today, we heard how “There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered.” For a few weeks now, those readings from Acts have included how the preaching of the Gospel threatened the established Jewish religion in Jerusalem. The Pharisees and Sadducees have the apostles arrested and beaten and threatened with death.
And it wasn’t just the apostles who were targeted, not just the bishops, but the people too. We heard today, “All were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.” The men, women and children of Jerusalem, who came to believe that Jesus the Son of God had risen from the dead were expelled from their synagogues and had to flee their homes and families because of their faith in Christ.
And did you notice what they did while they were driven from their homes? Acts said, “Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.”
You drive us from our homes, we will just keep on preaching wherever we are driven. That’s Christianity. That’s evangelization. That’s Easter faith. That’s our mission.
We cannot be afraid to preach the Gospel in its entirety because some of those aspects of the Gospel threaten worldly powers or established modes of thinking or established cultural values. Through our courageous witness God breaks down some these societal dysfunctions and deliver souls to Christ.
Sure you might lose friends over the Gospel, but through faith we make new friends and form deeper bonds with brothers and sisters in Christ, not to mention fellowship with the saints who come to our aid in times of distress. Will you be driven from your homes like the early Christians? Maybe not in this country. But in some countries right now, in 2023, there are Christians sacrificing their homes and family bonds for Christ. That sort of detachment and courage makes them powerful witnesses. And not only do they deserve our prayers, but also, our emulation of their example, 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.
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