Word to the Wise
Saturday, November 17, 2018 - Saturday in the 32th Week in Ordinary Time
[3 John 5-8 and Luke 18:1-8]Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and sisters, especially for strangers; they have testified to you love before the Church. Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey. [3 John]
NOVEMBER 17 ST, ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY
The message of the gospel was able to spread because there were people who were willing to put their lives on the line to proclaim it outside its beginnings in Jerusalem. But they needed local help in their very dangerous journeys. St. Paul is an obvious example. His career prior to his conversion included being part of the mob that stoned St. Stephen to death and he was the equivalent of a bounty hunter hired to arrest and bring in Christians for prosecution. After his conversion, he carried the message of Christ around the eastern Mediterranean to Greece and parts of what is now Turkey. He mentions in his letters those who helped him on the local level. He also mentions his various trials and tribulations (2 Cor. 4 and 6).
There are still parts of the world where Christian faith can mean a death sentence and missionaries are considered enemies. The perseverance of these missionaries is a sign of the power of faith in God, even under persecution. The Gospel According to Luke today speaks of this perseverance. Luke's community was suffering persecution. We who live comfortably with our faith here in the USA need reminding of the faith of those who are willing to bring the message in the face of danger and support them any way we can. AMEN