Optional Memorial of Saint Angela Merici, virgin

 Lectionary 321

Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened, 
you endured a great contest of suffering.
At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction; 
at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated.
You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison 
and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property... 

As this passage from the Letter to the Hebrews shows, the early church suffered waves of antagonism from both Jewish and government authorities. Hebrews was written during the last decade of the first century to a congregation which had suffered and now enjoyed a respite from persecution. But hostilities would resume and continue off and on for centuries. 

They continue to this day and it seems some part of the Church is always contending with opposition. It is sometimes violent but more often its challenge is subtle, demanding, and demeaning. We're told to conform or face the consequences. 

If American Catholics today enjoy a first amendment "freedom of religion" they should not suppose that will continue forever. History makes no such promise. 

As the Divine Author urges us: 

Do not throw away your confidence; it will have great recompense. You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.

And the Lord promises opposition, and that we will overcome the opposition:

Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. John 15: 20-21

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also reminds us of that opposition: 

❡675 Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the "mystery of iniquity" in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.

No one can know whether they will pass through that final trial with their faith unshaken. We can only prepare for it with daily sacrifices of prayer, personal discipline, and charity. (prayer, fasting, almsgiving). 

I see Catholics sponsoring and volunteering in soup kitchens, women's shelters, and hospitals. They attend Bible study and Catechism classes. They oppose racism, abortion, euthanasia, and eugenics. Among their colleagues and neighbors they make no secret of their Catholic identity. They practice marital fidelity and demonstrate their devotion to their children and grandchildren. They work with anyone who loves the truth, regardless of their religious beliefs. 

The Holy Spirit will never abandon the Church; it will always raise up men, women, and children to testify to the truth of Jesus Christ. Personally, I hope to be worthy of such company.