SERMON ON THE MOUNT
BLESSED ARE YOU WHEB THEY PERSECUTE YOU AND HATE YOU FOR MY SAKE
I have been thinking recently why the society I live in and the government that is there to serve the “common good” are so often unfriendly and sometimes, even threatening, to a practicing Catholic who puts God’s Law and his conscience first.
At the same time, I worry how much pressure there is in the Catholic community on the Church Magisterium to water our doctrine down to accommodate the world and other religions.
Over the last few decades some practices, centuries old, have changed. Fasting Days in the Catholic Church were reduced some time ago. Holy Days of Obligation have been reduced as well. Homilies on sin or hell are remote and spare. Today, you see in some dioceses across the globe accepting same-sex marriages, inviting divorced and remarried Catholics without an annulment invited to receive Holy Communion and Protestant spouses of Catholics invited to receive with their spouses. And the beat goes on…
I just don’t see how becoming more like every other denomination is attracting more to the Catholic Church. What must attract people to the Catholic Faith is its authenticity to the Gospel, its sacraments, and its liturgy, the Mass. A watered down Catholic Church is a “lukewarm” Church.
Jesus was counter-cultural. “You have heard it said, but I say to you.” Jesus taught with authority. His authority came from the Father. “Who sees me, sees the Father.” Jesus founded a counter-cultural Church on Peter, the Rock and promised the Holy Spirit to guide it on earth from error. Catholic Church teaching condemns abortion, contraception, divorce and remarriage, same sex marriage and gender identity theory.
All right, so we pull ourselves up, tighten our belts, and go forward as soldiers of Christ. What can we expect? Jesus gave us the answer. “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first….. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. John 15:18 – 23 Well that isn’t very comforting is it? But why do we expect more than our Savior who gave His all for all of us?
Hold on, there is more…Jesus also tells us what happens if we persevere
to the end. “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you because of me Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven, they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11
]Catholicism remains the staunchest opponent to the culture of the times. Our doctrines are stubborn things, even for some inside the Church who would like to change them. The Rock of Peter, whatever the human limitations may be. By God’s own promise, the gates of Hell slam against the Rock but cannot prevail.
REFLECTION
PHILLIPIANS 2:6-12
Taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;*
and found human in appearance
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.*
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name*
that is above every name,
That at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,*
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth
And every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
