OT XII [A]: Jer 20:10-13; Rom 5:12-15; Mt 10:26-33  

In the first reading, we have the prophet Jeremiah bewailing his pitiful situation where he is being persecuted and hemmed in from all sides by his detractors, some of whom had been his friends. He complains that the Lord had ‘seduced’ him so that he cannot stop prophesying disaster. His suffering, pain and anxiety are real - there is no doubt about this. He understands that if he stops proclaiming the truth, the persecution will stop, his friends will return, and the situation will normalize. But then, instead of giving up and giving in, Jeremiah proclaims his faith: “The Lord is at my side, a mighty hero …Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil men.”

 

Rather than allowing his emotional and physical torment to move him to abandon his mission, Jeremiah doubles down on his resolve to remain faithful, and to persist in trusting God, despite all the challenges that are thrown at him. His story is a lesson for us too. When our hearts align with God’s values, we will view the dangers around us differently. Death, discomfort, and dire circumstances don’t have the same sting when we have God’s eternal perspective.

In the last Sunday's gospel, we heard Jesus choosing the twelve and sending them out to preach. Today we hear him warning them about the persecution they may likely suffer and advising them on their attitude: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna”(Mt 10,28).

 

Jesus' speech is paradoxical: on the one hand, he tells us “Do not be afraid”, and he presents us with a providential Father who cares even for sparrows; on the other hand, he does not tell us that this Father will save us from troubles, rather the opposite: if we are his followers, we are likely to share his fate and that of the other prophets. So, how can we understand this? God's protection is his ability to give life to our person (our soul), and to provide happiness even in tribulations and persecutions. He is the one who can give us the joy of His Kingdom —which we can already enjoy here— and is our hope of eternal life: “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father” (Mt 10,32).

Do not be afraid of speaking the Truth; do not be afraid of intimidation from those who wish to silence us: do not be afraid of opposition, persecution and even martyrdom at the hands of our enemies; do not be afraid because we are of great worth in the eyes of God. At the end of the day, do not be afraid of proclaiming the gospel.

 

There is no denying that it is tempting to stop preaching the gospel or to soften the message in order to make things easier and protect ourselves from suffering and opposition. It may seem for now that whatever the Truth may be passed off by society as a lie, but we are assured by the Lord that those who bravely proclaim and defend the Truth will experience vindication one day.

 

Therefore, despite all the opposition and vilification that we will receive, Christians must continue to speak “in the daylight” and proclaim the gospel “from the housetops.” Such bold proclamations may lead to martyrdom; there is no denying that. But our Lord reminds us that the goal of a Christian witness is not just survival and personal safety but salvation. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell.” Therefore, we should fear God more than our persecutors. Tell the truth and risk the wrath of the mob. But tell a lie or deny to speak the truth and risk the wrath of God. We should prefer the former to the latter. The martyrs whom we have encountered will testify to this.

This past week we had the memorials of Sts John Fisher and Thomas More. Both of them dared to face the ire of king Henry VIII for refusing to acknowledge the royal divorce and the king’s declaration of himself as the head of the Church of England. Both were not afraid to lose their lives for standing up for the truth of the Catholic faith.  Like them, the real motivation for our decisions, our actions and our speech should not be the fear of public reaction but rather, the judgment from God. These days more people are worried about what others may think about their decisions, and they are least bothered about what God would think about them.

 

Pope Francis said:" There is no Christian mission marked by tranquillity! Difficulties and tribulations are part of the work of evangelization, and we are called to find in them the opportunity to test the authenticity of our faith and of our relationship with Jesus."

“The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it… Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation…” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1816).

In closing, let me reflect with you the words of St. John Chrysostom: "I have his promise; I am surely not going to rely on my own strength! I have what he has written… What message? Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world!"