First reading: Jer. 20:10–13

Jeremiah said: “I hear the whisperings of many: ‘Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!’ All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. ‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.’ But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!”

Second reading: Rom. 5:12–15

Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned—for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come.

But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.

Gospel: Mt. 10:26–33

Jesus said to the Twelve: “Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And 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. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

In other words

Fr. Joey Miras, SVD (Canada)

The Catholic faith is expressed in many cultural forms. But the basic message is universally accepted. These two, the particularity and universality of the Catholic faith, go together, as R. Schreiter wrote, “Culture and context are not simply an accidental envelope for a greater substance, but that accident and substance are always given together.”

Why do sincere and honest believers who live and proclaim the Christian message encounter so many difficulties, like persecution, hatred, opposition, or rejection?

Is it because Christianity feels it is in a privileged position? When others do not agree with it, does it feel threatened, or does it feel under attack? Is it because the litmus test of the Christian faith is to “lose” one’s life and not to gain it? Therefore, just let the attacks continue? Is it better to be beaten than to beat someone else? Is it better to be the victim helped by the Samaritan?

Though the warning has already been sounded, as mentioned by Jesus when he said, “I send you out like lambs in the midst of wolves,” it is still worth asking, “Why is it difficult to preach the word of God, or to do the mission of God?”

One apparent reason is the changed context of the present time. In terms of reason, attaining objective truth is no longer appealing. There are no more “timeless truths” or universal or supra-cultural truths about “reality.” Another reason is the recognition that diversity and plurality are inevitable features of humanity, so we better face them squarely. A third reason could be the growing awareness and appreciation of the different religions and how they influence the Christians’ way of worship.

The feeling then of being persecuted, rejected, hated, or opposed invites Christians to examine how they behaved in the past, how they are behaving now, and how they will behave towards the world. There was a time when the Christians were martyred and persecuted. There was time when they became privileged persons when Catholicism became the state religion. There was a time when Christianization happened in a bloody way and others were forced to accept Christianity. There was a time when uniformity was implemented as the only form of unity in the faith. Now there is a growing development of Catholicity instead of uniformity to stress the unity of all believers. Christianity is moving towards being global, and Christians need to prepare themselves for the challenges that global Christianity will bring.

Is there a need for us to change our attitudes and perspectives as we face the changed conditions of the times? Do we become more aware of our contexts and the contexts of others? Having been made aware of our contexts are we willing to dialogue with others’ contexts?