Word of Life

 

On 8th May 2025 [VM 4]

Meditating the Words of Jesus from Holy Scriptures 

Lord, make us rejoice and be glad while we are persecuted

 

Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.  (Matthew 5:11–12, NJB) Whenever we experience abuse and humiliation, we should keep in mind how everyone tormented, mistreated, and degraded Jesus. Jesus says that we shall be persecuted because of his name and his life. According to Jesus, the suffering we shall endure in the last day will be unbearable and extremely terrible, so pray to the Lord during those days when the church will be persecuted. For then there will be great distress, unparalleled since * the world began, and such as will never be again. 22 And if that time had not been shortened, no human being would have survived; but shortened that time shall be, for the sake of those who are chosen.  (Matthew 24:21–22, NJB). The Jews and Roman troops also caused St. Paul a great deal of suffering. However, during his spiritual journey, he never gave up and relentlessly shared the gospel with the masses. No other apostle has endured as much suffering or traveled as widely as he did in order to share the gospel and bear witness to Christ our Lord. This roused the whole city; people came running from all sides; they seized Paul and dragged him out of the Temple, and the gates were closed behind them. 31 While they were setting about killing him, word reached the tribune of the cohort that there was tumult all over Jerusalem (Acts 21:30–31, NJB)