Jesus says today: “You will be hated by all because of my name.” How accurate this Gospel reading is on this day when the church remembers the holy Vietnamese priest-martyrs who were killed only because they proclaimed that Jesus is the Lord. But there are many other martyrs who gave up their lives for Jesus’ name. Even today, people in the world are persecuted and killed because they are Christians. We will be hated by this world because of Jesus’ name. It is interesting that Jesus’ mission and the continuous mission of His followers is to bring to this world love, peace, forgiveness, joy, and hope. Yet many don’t like this message, and that’s why they hate and persecute those who proclaim -- Jesus is the Lord. We shouldn’t be surprised if others will criticize us, laugh at us, or even hate us because of the name of Jesus, and if we keep our faith until the end, then -- Jesus promises us -- “not even a hair on your head will be destroyed.”
Comments