WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2023
WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRTY FOURTH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME A
Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-25
Luke 21: 12-19
LIVING ABOVE PERSECUTIONS AND THE CRUELTY OF MEN
The Christian faith brings with it great challenges and risks to the lives of adherence to the faith. It is described as persecution and can lead to martyrdom. All the apostles of Jesus Christ from the beginning experienced great persecution and even death from their adversaries. None was spared. That was the experience of the early apostles up to the fourth century of Christianity.
Today, Christianity is not totally free from same persecutions and martyrdom. The only difference is that it has transformed into other forms of persecution. Such as ideological persecutions, rejections, segregation and castigations. Though, some other forms of persecutions like the apostles experienced cannot be ruled out entirely.
The arrogance and cruelty of men against God, his ministers and even ridicules of all sort are still experienced. As we found in the first reading, Daniel was called to interpret the hand writing on the wall which came about when the King Belshazzar in his arrogance transgressed the law by using the vessels of gold, silver and bronze taken captive from the temple to drink. He also gave his wives, concubines and all who gathered to celebrate with him same vessels from which they drank their wine.
This was an abomination which incited the handwriting on the wall. And as interpreted by Daniel, it shows the arrogance, carelessness and lawlessness, with great disrespect to the God of Israel whom they ridiculed. Sacred vessels are not to be debased and used for mundane purposes. Such acts of sacrilege was not condoned by our God. It was met with great resistance and instant judgement. And this judgement was interpreted by Daniel. That his iniquity is seen and his cup is full, that his kingdom is cut short and will be taken away from him and given to the medians and Persians.
God does not condone man’s arrogance when sacrilege is committed. Though merciful and compassion but he will repay those who persistently commit such. We must always try to be faithful, humble and respectful to sacred ordinances, sacred vessels and sacred things.
More importantly, Christians must always remember that their lives and professions as Christians runs counter to the norms as seen in the world. We tend to be running against the current of this world in terms of morality, ethics and lifestyle. Our faith in Christ is a big challenge to many outside the faith. And their reactions sometimes may put us at risk and tend to set us against the people for obvious reasons that we stand as moral judge of their consciences, and moral compass for their lives.
It is this singular reason that we experience persecutions and challenges to our faith and attendant cruelty and enmity with the world. But because also our lifestyle make us susceptible to their cruelty and anger, we tend to condone not counter, love not hate, submit not attack, accommodate not deter their reactions of hostility over us. This accounts why they sometimes succeed in their persecution and inflict much sufferings upon us.
But the assurance we receive from the Lord Jesus is that we will not be broken, dejected nor be alone. Our endurance will surely win us our lives. We are therefore urged to persevere and endure in the face of persecutions. It must surely come at its time and we must expect us. But do not worry about it. It must come at a time from any person, family members especially, friends, and even strangers and clansmen and women. No matter where it comes, be firm, be reassured of the presence and divine protection of our God at those moments.
Lord Jesus Christ, you experienced temptations and persecution and even death. Same experience was met by your apostles and disciples of old. Grant us the endurance, persistence and strength to withstand persecutions, and all forms of attacks as a result of our faith and commitment to you. Keep us faithful, honest and sincere in our resolve to follow and live out the faith. Give us wisdom, strength and fortitude to overcome all and remove fears and anxieties from our minds as we live out our faith through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
