Daily Mass Reflections - 10/20
“The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord, and you also will testify.” ~ John 15:26
In today’s Gospel (Luke 12:8-12) we are taught a lesson in persecution and how best to stand tall in the face of it. The sin-soaked secular world we live in will always have the Church squarely in its crosshairs so these are valuable teachings for those who choose to journey towards our Father’s House in ways that glorify and praise him, the ways of truth as taught to us by Jesus in the Gospels.
“When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say." Jesus tells us, and throughout the history of our church we of course know that to be the truth.
Whether it be Saint Peter, Saint Paul or even Saint Isaac Jogues whose Feast Day we celebrated earlier this week, the Holy Spirit has always served to fortify and strengthen his chosen people in their seminal moments. Legend has it that Saint Lawrence, who was viciously burned alive at the stake for proclaiming the word of God, turned to his executioner a few moments into his sadistic torture and said “OK I’m done on this side; you can turn me over.” I don’t know about you folks but if I get a minor burn on my index finger from lighting an Advent Candle, I complain about it all week. Do you think that the Holy Spirit might’ve been working in glorious and miraculous fashion within the inner soul of Saint Lawrence?
So what are we to? I believe it begins with a careful and measured detachment from the world that is passing away, while striving each day to secure our place and the place of all those whom we encounter in the Kingdom that will never end.
We must confidently, boldly and uncompromisingly live the Gospel.
