The words of Jesus in today’s gospel are told specifically to his disciples in readiness for their programme of evangelisation with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost after his own Ascension into heaven. But they are timeless words. They echo through the centuries as a prophecy of the hatred, humiliation and death that might be experienced by Christians throughout the centuries. In our own time just as much as any more.
We see that Jesus was, what we might say, giving backbone to the disciples, making it clear that it would be no picnic for them if they were to be followers of his. If we look at the apostles and early disciples they all came to a violent end except John. So we had beheadings, stabbings, crucifixion and stonings.
The truth is that being Christian is to be a threat; a threat to an existence based on hedonism, ego and sin. To be Christian exposes a light on hypocrisy. To be Christian radicalises life: no longer can we accept that which does not regard us all as brothers and sisters in Christ.
History is full of martyrs across the whole world who have died for professing, like St Thomas, that Jesus Christ is their Lord and their God. The twentieth century saw more people killed for professing their belief in Jesus than the previous 19 centuries put together and there is no let up now.
We only have to look at hotspots across the globe to witness death through fear in Jesus Christ. So we see in Nigeria, Libya, Kenya, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan high profile and sometimes horrifically barbaric murder, but it continues further afield too. For wherever there is the message of the Risen Christ so there is challenge to the status quo.
We might not see it in our own land, but we only have to recall our history, even our local history to see the effect of fear in the Blessed Sacrament. St John Wall, St Nicholas Owen and Bl Edward Oldcorne all died at the hands of those who felt they were “doing a holy duty for God.”
So let’s put this into closer scrutiny in the here and now. We must never be afraid to profess the name of Jesus. We must be prepared to stand up to those who wished to question or abuse our faith. We must be prepared to profess the name that leads us to salvation: Lord Jesus Christ. We might not have our life threatened but that does not, must not, stop us from proclaiming Jesus is Lord.
We must be willing to evangelise in this land. It might not come naturally, but we must put our trust in the Holy Spirit that we will be given the right things to say. And if we do we will be rewarded.
Gospel John 15:26-16:4 ©
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘When the Advocate comes,
whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father,
he will be my witness.
And you too will be witnesses,
because you have been with me from the outset.
‘I have told you all this that your faith may not be shaken.
They will expel you from the synagogues,
and indeed the hour is coming
when anyone who kills you
will think he is doing a holy duty for God.
They will do these things
because they have never known
either the Father or myself.
But I have told you all this,
so that when the time for it comes
you may remember that I told you.’