Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

Today’s readings give us a rather jolting instruction on what it means to live out heaven on earth. Luke’s gospel today is an especially tough pill to swallow for anyone who had hoped for an easy life on this earth. Christ boldly commands us to be ready to endure tribulation for His sake, even to the extent that one should be prepared to be put to death by friends and family.

I know for myself it is difficult as a modern Christian to honestly imagine this kind of persecution. After all, many of us have grown used to the comforts of the contemporary world and its tolerance of many views, where Christians can more easily fade into the background of acceptance. As long as we are not too overt with our faith, life is relatively harmless. But what if we, as a Church, decided that we would not allow our faith to be in the background of our life? What if we loudly proclaimed the truth of our faith for all to hear? The truth is that while many of us would not likely be martyred as in days of old, we will have to face a new kind of social martyrdom. We risk being “canceled,” being labeled as extremists, or even having those we hold dear turn their backs on us for Christ’s sake. In our world where social relevancy means everything to many, this is a large price to pay. But if we are willing to follow Christ in this life, we have the promise that one day we may join the saints in heaven praising Him for all eternity. The only thing left to do with this knowledge is to honestly ask yourself the question: Am I willing to embrace this cross for His sake?

Reflection by Patrick, seminarian