MORE SUBTLE PERSECUTIONS
Our
continuous Gospel passages bring us now to Jesus’ instructions
regarding the inevitable persecutions which His disciples were to
undergo eventually.
It is not only the martyrs who underwent persecutions. This last word
certainly does not only refer to torments such as being nailed to the
cross, being tortured and jailed, being scourged or burned at the stake,
and similar ordeals. There are other more subtle and insidious
persecutions. Ours is a society built by pride, materialism and
maintenance of the status quo: all these spawn trials and difficulties
to a genuine follower of Christ. And in a world built on free will
instead of God’s will, we are being challenged to be martyrs in the
broad sense (the original sense, in fact — that of giving witness).
Our saint for today is a fine example. Benedict, known as the Patriarch
of Western monks, didn’t die a martyr’s death. However, he had to face
so many persecutions of different sorts: combatting temptations of the
flesh, confronting conflicts from notorious monks, enduring
assassination attempts and political intrigues, and overcoming his own
selfish tendencies. As for ourselves, there isn’t much difference. While
we may not be called to martyr our lives, we must “martyr” our way of
life. We must put our selfish ways to death, and march to the beat of a
different drummer. There may still be religious persecutions up
to now against Christians in certain countries, but we must recognize
the newer and more understated forms of persecutions and be ready to
face them with the help of God. May St. Benedict be our inspiration,
model and strength. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB
REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What persecutions have you encountered in following Jesus? How did you overcome them?
Strengthen me, Lord, whenever I meet persecutions in following You. Help me not to give up as I fulfill Your mission for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment