EMBRACING SUFFERING AND PERSECUTION AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS

 

Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Scriptural Texts: Jeremiah 20:10-13, Romans 5:12-15, Matthew 10:26-33

 

Once, I was invited to celebrate Mass for students in a mission school. During the homily, I asked the students how many of them would like to go to heaven. They all chorused yes. Then, I asked how many of them would want to die. The response I got was a loud silence. Apparently, they all wanted to go to heaven but none of them wanted to die. It is the same approach that we Christians have towards suffering and adversity. We call ourselves followers of Jesus but we do not want to suffer or carry crosses just like Jesus, our master and example. This surely is a contradiction. We forget that to be a follower of Jesus Christ is to be ready to embrace crosses, suffering, and persecutions.

The readings of this 12^th Sunday in Ordinary Time remind us that as followers of Jesus and proclaimers of his Word, we are not exempt from challenges, suffering, and persecution. In fact, as followers of Jesus Christ, we will encounter opposition, persecution, or trials due to our commitment to living out our Christian faith and values. The life of the prophet Jeremiah in the first reading attests to this. Jeremiah experienced immense suffering and persecution for faithfully delivering God’s message. He faced rejection, imprisonment, and isolation because of his prophetic work (Jeremiah 20:10-13).

Aware of the sufferings that his disciples would encounter on account of following him, Jesus in the gospel reading prepares his disciples for the hardships they will face as they proclaim his message. He tells them not to be afraid of those who oppose them, for everything that is now covered will be uncovered (Matthew 10:26). This includes the evil plans of the devil and the enemy. He goes further to tell the disciples not to be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, they should fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell fire (Matthew 10:28).

Jesus uses the analogy of sparrows to emphasize that if God cares for the sparrows, how much more does he care for his beloved children (Matthew 10:29). The message Jesus intends to pass across to us is that despite the challenges we encounter, we should take solace in God’s providence and care. Jesus reassures his disciples that God values them greatly and knows even the smallest details of their lives (Matthew 10:29-31). That is a reminder that God never abandons us in our struggles, but rather, he walks beside us, giving us the strength to persevere.

As followers of Jesus, we are going to encounter persecutions and trials. But then, in the face of adversity, we are called to boldly proclaim the truth and not be silenced by fear. The prophet Jeremiah for instance suffered greatly, yet, he remained steadfast in his trust in God’s plan, even in the midst of immense suffering (Jeremiah 20:10-13). St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans (Romans 5:12-15), teaches us that through Jesus Christ, the source of grace, we have received the power to overcome sin and death. This knowledge emboldens us to speak out against injustice, to embrace suffering and persecution, to stand up for truth, and to courageously share the Gospel message with the world.

Lastly, as Christians, we are invited to embrace the mystery of suffering and persecution, recognizing that it can be a means of purification, growth, and spiritual transformation. Embracing suffering allows us to identify with the sufferings of Christ and draw closer to him, deepening our faith and dependence on his grace. May we embrace the transformative power of suffering, allowing it to shape us into vessels of compassion, empathy, and greater reliance on God’s unfailing love. Amen.