Word to the Wise
Saturday, May 12, 2007 - Saturday in the Fifth Week of Easter
[Acts 16:1-10 and John 15:18-21]"If the word hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you."
Although these words are written as part of the Last Supper Discourse in the Gospel of John, they are also intended for the audience that would read and preach from this text. This could include not only those who were undergoing persecution in the time that the gospel was put into writing, but also for disciples in our own time. The "world" in the Gospel of John is the unbelieving and converted people who refuse to accept Christ. Jesus is quoted as telling the disciples that he was hated just as they would be. In our own time, we have plenty of examples of persecution in our own country. Several states have passed or are trying to pass legislation to force Catholic hospitals to perform immoral procedures and distribute medications that cause abortions. When the secular state refuses to respect the religious beliefs of Catholics, this is persecution pure and simple. When the secular state attempts to dictate to Catholic colleges and universities what they must teach or not teach in order to qualify for assistance, that is persecution. When popular media distort Catholic teaching in order to sell their programs or newspapers, that is persecution. We can't say we weren't warned by the Lord to expect it. AMEN
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