July 10, 2015
Friday, 14th Week in
Ordinary Time
1st Reading:
Gen 46:1-7, 28-30
Gospel: Mt 10:16–23
Jesus said to his disciples, “Look, I send you out like sheep among wolves. (…) You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings because of me, and so you may witness to them and the pagans. “But when you are arrested, do not worry about what you are to say and how you are to say it; when the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. For it is not you who will speak; but it will be the Spirit of your Father in you. “Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn against parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved.“When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For sure, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel
in the Assimilated
Life Experience)
Today’s Gospel teaches the post resurrection church of Matthew how to deal with persecutions. The materials that Matthew brings into discourse are sayings of Mark 13, such as warnings about persecutors from among one’s own household. Among others, Jesus warns us in today’s Gospel reading: “Brother will hand over brother to death…” (Mark 13:12-13). The earlier source of this quotation is Micah 7:6. This takes persecutions of Christians closer to home. But in both gospels according to Matthew and Mark Jesus gives the assurance that “whoever stands firm to the end will be saved”.
Perseverance is sure winner against persecution since God will match with his grace any sincere effort to persevere. Even the Koran acknowledges this when it says in Chapter 8 that God is with those who persevere. Because God is already involved when we strive, the effort required of us may just be below our breaking point. “Heroism consists of hanging on a minute longer” (Norwegian proverb).
Perseverance does not mean running headlong towards the eye of the storm. “When they persecute you in one town,” the Gospel says, “flee to the next…” This Gospel advice has reference to the prophecy about the destruction of the Temple interpreted in those days as the coming of Jesus to judge the unbelieving Israel. This warning is as valid today as it was in biblical times. While we fight evil tooth and nail, we should not pull the devil by the tail. Call it active-non-violence. Let us flee whenever we can instead of clashing head on with the devil. We can never be more powerful than Satan’s minions. Let us not antagonize the evil fool lest he unleashes powers to the full and do more harm to our soul. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website: www.frdan.org.
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