Thirty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time-C
As we come to the end of the liturgical year, it is not surprising that the Gospel reading for this weekend concerns end times. It begins with Jesus in a group of people talking about the ornamentation of the temple with costly stones. During the conversation, Jesus says, “All that you see here–the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”
Those present asked Jesus when the demise would come. He responded, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” Before this, Jesus adds that Christians will be persecuted, but they should not fear because God will protect them.
If we take a step back, it becomes evident that every age has its own trials and turmoil. Our age is no different. We see the violence of Christian persecutions presently, especially in Nigeria. Reports indicate that over fourteen years, over 56,000 Nigerians were killed because they believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Thankfully, for those Christians who live in the United States, the fear of bodily death is not an everyday fear. Outside of pity and prayers for these poor souls, how does a Christian live in solidarity with them? We haven’t experienced the horror these Christians face daily. Literally, they live in the constant threat that their lives will be ended in violence.
Delving deeper into the question of Christian persecution, Nigeria is not the only hotspot. According to worldwide reports, more than 380 million Christians are persecuted for their belief in Jesus Christ. Most people are unaware of the breadth and width of what is happening to our fellow brothers and sisters. It should be a shocking revelation of our ignorance that believing in Jesus, so easy for us, is a matter of life and death for so many around the world.
In our country, where persecution is relatively low, how should we relate to the knowledge of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ faced with such a future? It has to begin with prayer. We cannot live our relatively easy faith lives without regularly praying for these individuals. By including them in our prayers, we engage in a solidarity demanded by Christianity. St. Paul reminds us of this mandate, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Besides praying, there are other ways we can bear one another’s burdens. How lucky we are to profess the faith openly, yet so many choose not to. Have we ever taken a minute to thank God that we are not put to the test? Have we ever looked upon these Christian victims as an example we should follow? Probably not. We can end that now. The persecuted Christians throughout the world are examples of individuals who hold fast to their faith even in the face of death. Our courage and profession of our faith are strengthened by realizing that the minor annoyances do not add up to a life-or-death decision to follow Christ, even to the grave.
The last part of our Gospel today should be taken seriously. Jesus says to his followers, “You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance, you will secure your lives.”
By trusting and believing what Jesus assures us, it is a priority of our faith, and by accepting those words, we are in solidarity with those actually suffering and dying.