Matthew 10:17-22
Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
The Gospel of the Lord ………
The Mass intention is for Bridget D’s Intentions
Commentary
We can learn from the example of the martyrs who underwent terrible persecution and suffering. St Paul Le-Baoh Tinh, a Vietnamese Christian who was a companion martyr with St Andrew Dun- Lac wrote:
God is with me always. He has delivered me from these tribulations and made them sweet, for his mercy is forever. In the midst of these torments, which usually terrify others, I am, by the grace of God, full of joy and gladness, because I am not alone Christ is with me. Our master bears the whole weight of the Cross, leaving me only the tiniest, last bit. He is not a mere onlooker in my struggle, but a contestant and the victor and champion in the whole battle.
The spirit of the devil is anti- love. It seeks to betray, divide, knock down, distort, and destroy the image of God in us. The Spirit of God is love. It restores the image of God within us. It is trustworthy and true, builds up communion and enables us to seek and build up the good in each other.
How will we fare if we are put to the test? One’s immediate instinct can be to run away from the Cross in fear, and a spiritual paralysis can set in. But when we turn and embrace the cross in the strength of God, trusting that he can bring good out of it, love begins to flow and transform the whole situation.
So, let us glorify the Lord and give praise to his name, and in thanksgiving take up his cross. He will be with us, he will uphold us and save us, and enable us to stand firm to the end.
