Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Luke 21:12-19
Jesus said to
his disciples: "Before all this happens, however, they will
seize and persecute you, they will hand you over
to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will
have you led before kings and governors because of my
name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember,
you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for
I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that
all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or
refute. You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of
you to death. 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.”
Introductory Prayer: Jesus my Savior, thank
you for another day and another chance to grow in
holiness with your grace. I love you and wish
to make you the true center of my thoughts, desires
and actions.
Petition: Lord, help me face
the difficulties of practicing my faith day-to-day.
1. Persecution: Opposition from
the world is the price we pay for following
Christ. No pain, no gain. Why should that surprise us?
If living the Gospel were easy, all the
world would be saints. But the Gospel is demanding. It
rubs against our fallen human nature. It demands of
us — and even makes us unpopular. Why? Because
people who do good are a thorny reminder to those
who don´t. It shouldn´t surprise us that the neighbors
look down on us for having so many kids. Or
that the guys in the dorm snicker at us
for living chastely. Or that the boss overlooks us
for a promotion because we wouldn´t donate to that pro-abortion
group last Christmas during the company fund drive. Do
I realize that to be a Christian is to
be persecuted?
2. No Defense: When Christ tells us not
to prepare our defense he´s not telling us to sit
back and do nothing. Rather, he wants us to
use our talents for the Kingdom. Christ is inviting
us to trust that ultimately the victory of good over
evil belongs to him. God has his time and
place for everything. In the meantime we are called
to build the Kingdom wherever we can — in our
families, our offices, our schools, our communities. How am
I building the Kingdom in the areas around me?
3. Wisdom
from Above: "I myself shall give you a wisdom
in speaking…" When we stay close to Christ in
prayer and deed, he takes over our lives little by
little. And that´s good. Our selfishness fades. Our heart
grows. We die to ourselves. "He must increase; I
must decrease" (John 3:30). But we have to ask ourselves:
Do we really believe in the Gospel? Do we
believe in it enough to use Christ´s words when
we have to respond to the nonbelievers around us? How
often do we identify ourselves as Catholic in public?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, you know it´s not
easy to be seen as your friend. People laugh at
us — if they don´t feel sorry for us.
They don´t understand where we are coming from. Help
me understand some of the loneliness you must have felt
when you went against the world´s standards. Help me
be faithful to you regardless of the cost.
Resolution:In
conversation or in an e-mail I will use a
line of Christ’s wisdom from the Gospel.
Spiritual Life
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