Tuesday, 25 November 2014

THEY WILL PERSECUTE YOU

PRAYER MOMENT 


Wednesday 26 November 2014


THEY WILL PERSECUTE YOU
                     

Pause. Be still in God’s presence.


Reading: “Men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and imprisonment and bring you before kings and governors.” (Luke 21:12-19)


Reflection. The atmosphere of crisis continues in our daily readings as we come to the end of the year. The time of decision has come – with its consequences. The main consequence here is persecution. The dictionary defines this as ‘pursuing with enmity.’ When someone stands out in some way, puts their head above the crowd, and does or says something that someone does not like, they lay themselves open to being ‘pursued with enmity.’ That is exactly what happened with Jesus and it is happening now with one of our highest politicians in Zimbabwe. Persecution is, in a way, a measurement of our witness. If we stand for truth – or make any kind of stand that separates us out from others, we are liable to be persecuted, physically or verbally. The fear of persecution keeps people quiet and docile. But we know in our hearts that this fear also paralyses us and prevents us from doing what, if we listen to our heart, we know we are called to do.  
 

Prayer. Lord, give us the courage not to be afraid of persecution but to do what our heart tells us to do. Amen.  
David Harold-Barry SJ











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