Jesus reminds us: know who you are! Perhaps we may proclaim our identity each time we pray. In our quiet place of contemplation, we may even say it (pray it) aloud: “I am a child of God. I am a loving follower of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our Savior. I profess the great mystery of the Holy Eucharist, and I receive with pure love and joy the Body and Blood of Jesus, Our Lord.” Now we may take our seat with the crowd at Jesus’ feet.

The prophet Jesus speaks to the people in today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke. This is not a parable. This is a crystal-clear prediction of what will happen to those who follow Jesus and act to spread the Good News: “They will seize and persecute you; they will hand you over …they will put some of you to death…You will be hated by all…”

Christians today face persecution that is not so much actual physical harm as a passive (but massive) wall of indifference and dangerous ignorance. Physical torture and death may be rare, but derision and mockery flourish. The false idols today are not worthless metal, wood, and stone ones brushed aside with contempt by the prophet Daniel as he foretells the downfall of the king and the entire kingdom of Babylon (the first extended reading from the Book of Daniel). Now, the idols we worship are misguided, focusing on fame and notoriety (social media), power, and money.

We publicly declare “I believe!” every Sunday. We do not face the trials of Daniel or the tribulations of Jesus’ early disciples. “However, the essential thing which should never weaken is to act through pure faith in mercy, in the goodness and power of God…” (Father Eymard to Camille d’Andigné)

Let Us Pray:

Dear God, strengthen my belief in you and your divine work of salvation. May I always pair belief with real decisive action in your name through the power of the Eucharist. Amen.