Gospel Mt 10:26-33
Jesus said to the Twelve: “Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”
Homily
Some years ago nine executions were carried out by the then government of Trinidad and Tobago. A group of religious women, all opposed to the death penalty held an all-night vigil and during the executions which could be heard from the street outside the prison, they stood in an open plot of land and prayed the Rosary. They were spoken of disparagingly by leaders, called by all sorts of uncomplimentary names. It took courage for them to take that public stance in a population which has consistently called for the death penalty to be implemented.
Today the Gospel given to us for our meditation reminds us that there are certain battles which we must keep on fighting in spite of what others may think of us or do to us. So we are told, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell”
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To keep on fighting battles by oneself, in the face of great opposition requires a tremendous conviction in the rightness of one’s cause and determination not to let once self be sidetracked by fear of what others may think, or by the prospect of unpopularity, social ostracization or even death. And so the Gospel reminds us, “Do not be afraid of those who can kill the body…” It is because this admonition has been taken seriously by so many down through the ages that the church can celebrate so many martyrs and saints. As a matter of history, the last century in the words of Pope St. John Paul II is the century which produced the most martyrs.
While it is true that persons who fight these very often lonely battles are people of great determination, it is also true that they seem often to find a strength which is beyond most people. In a very true sense the words of the prophet Jeremiah ring true. “But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero…” It is that presence, a presence promised to Moses and Joshua and many others right down through the history of salvation to the present day which assures us that in the end, if our battle is a battle against all that dehumanizes, the battle will be won.
We thank God then for all those who have shown us that by relying on the presence of God with them and by their perseverance founded on that presence that the battle can be won in the face of tremendous odds and great opposition.
The culture in which we live militates against this stance however. We live in an instant age and we expect instant victories which when they do not happen instantly, cause us to lose hope. The Gospel and the witness of so many tells us that we must not expect instant victories, at time we will seem to be failing, or going nowhere, if however we rely on the presence of God and keep up the struggle as lonely as it may be we will conquer.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-living God, we live in a culture of instantness. We expect everything to be instant even the battles we must fight for the sake of right. Help us your children to recognize that the journey may be long but if we lean on your presence, YOU will give us the courage and perseverance to keep up the struggle in spite of those ranged against us. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, our mother and your Son Jesus. Amen
