Persecution and Promise

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the possibility that tuning to accept the Christian Life will place us in opposition to many of the positions of world politics and power.

Housing as a Promise for Life

The Reading from the Prophet Hosea proclaims Sincere Conversion and New Life.

* [14:1] Samaria: the capital of the Northern Kingdom will fall; this is the punishment predicted for Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom.

* [14:4] These good intentions promise a reversal of Israel’s sins: no more reliance on “Assyria,” i.e., on foreign alliances (see notes on 8:9 and 12:2), on “horses,” i.e., on human power (10:13), and on idolatry (8:4–6; 13:2). Israel will trust in the Lord alone.

* [14:9] Verdant cypress tree: the symbol of lasting life, the opposite of the sacred trees of the Baal cult (4:13). The Lord provides the “fruit” (peri) to Israel (2:7, 10), another instance of the wordplay on Ephraim (see notes on 9:16 and 13:15).

* [14:10] A challenge to the reader in the style of the wisdom literature. (Hosea, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 51 prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought.

* [Psalm 51] A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought. The poem has two parts of approximately equal length: Ps 51:3–10 and Ps 51:11–19, and a conclusion in Ps 51:20–21. The two parts interlock by repetition of “blot out” in the first verse of each section (Ps 51:3, 11), of “wash (away)” just after the first verse of each section (Ps 51:4) and just before the last verse (Ps 51:9) of the first section, and of “heart,” “God,” and “spirit” in Ps 51:12, 19. The first part (Ps 51:3–10) asks deliverance from sin, not just a past act but its emotional, physical, and social consequences. The second part (Ps 51:11–19) seeks something more profound than wiping the slate clean: nearness to God, living by the spirit of God (Ps 51:12–13), like the relation between God and people described in Jer 31:33–34. Nearness to God brings joy and the authority to teach sinners (Ps 51:15–16). Such proclamation is better than offering sacrifice (Ps 51:17–19). The last two verses express the hope that God’s good will toward those who are cleansed and contrite will prompt him to look favorably on the acts of worship offered in the Jerusalem Temple (Ps 51:19 [20–21]). (Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus warns His followers of Coming Persecutions.

* [10:17] The persecutions attendant upon the post-resurrection mission now begin to be spoken of. Here Matthew brings into the discourse sayings found in Mk 13 which deals with events preceding the parousia.

* [10:21] See Mi 7:6 which is cited in Mt 10:35, 36.

* [10:22] To the end: the original meaning was probably “until the parousia.” But it is not likely that Matthew expected no missionary disciples to suffer death before then, since he envisages the martyrdom of other Christians (Mt 10:21). For him, the end is probably that of the individual’s life (see Mt 10:28).

* [10:23] Before the Son of Man comes: since the coming of the Son of Man at the end of the age had not taken place when this gospel was written, much less during the mission of the Twelve during Jesus’ ministry, Matthew cannot have meant the coming to refer to the parousia. It is difficult to know what he understood it to be: perhaps the “proleptic parousia” of Mt 28:16–20, or the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, viewed as a coming of Jesus in judgment on unbelieving Israel. (Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Michele Bogard reminds us that our work as followers of Christ is always ongoing and incomplete. She shares the prayer below with students who are unsatisfied with their efforts not taking off immediately. 

A Prayer of Oscar Romero by Bishop Ken Untener of Saginaw

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything,
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders;
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future that is not our own. (Bogard, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes The Spirit of your heavenly Father speaks through you in every age, by Augustine of Hippo.

"To be sure, we heard in that reading, 'But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious how or what you are to speak... for it is not you who are speaking but the Spirit of your Father who speaks through you.' And he says in another place: 'Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world' (Matthew 28:20). Does this mean that the people who heard those words of the Lord would be here until the end of the world? The Lord was referring, rather, not only to those about to depart from this life but also to the others, including us and those who would come after us in this life. He saw everyone in his single body, and the words he spoke, 'I am with you even to the end of the world,' were heard by them and by us too. And if we did not hear them then in our knowledge, we heard them in his foreknowledge. Therefore, safe as sheep among the wolves, let us keep the commandments of him who directs us. And let us be 'innocent as doves but cautious as snakes' (Matthew 10:16). Innocent as doves that we may not harm anyone; cautious as snakes that we may be careful of letting anyone harm us." (excerpt from the Sermon 44a.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Hosea uses an image of turning away from God as a description for sin. He urges people to turn again to God to be able to accept God when they recognize their sin. Jesus' message in the Gospel of Matthew is to Trust in God depend upon God for everything. Jesus sends the apostle to proclaim the Gospel. They will be rejected and Matthew writing in 80 CE is witness to persecutions that have occurred in the community even by family and in one town after the other. Friar Jude comments on whether Jesus expected the world to end very soon. Only the Father knows the time of the “parousia”. It is difficult to know what Matthew understood it to be, perhaps the “proleptic parousia”. We pay a price for living a Christian life opposed and rejected by some.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 10:16-23 comments that In today’s Gospel, as He prepares to send His disciples out to proclaim the good news, He tells them, “I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves” (Matthew 10:16). That’s a lot of similes! So let’s look at each of them to understand Jesus’ words a little better.

Trusting as sheep. Shrewd as serpents. Simple as doves. These are the qualities that make for effective missionary disciples. They don’t all come naturally, but they do come as we practice them. They come as we step out in faith and try our best to share our faith in the Lord. So don’t give up! Jesus has called you to proclaim his gospel; and if he has called you, he will empower you!

“Lord, teach me how to share your great good news!” (Meditation on Matthew 10:16-23, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author Debie Thomas who reflects on the many ways the Beatitudes have been understood and what she believes the Beatitudes are not.

The Beatitudes are not sentiments.

They are meant to startle us awake… Yes, they are pastoral, and yes, they give us hope. But Christian hope is not a sedative. Christian hope gets us up and out the door.

The Beatitudes are not to-do items. 

They are not suggestions, instructions, commandments, or quid pro quos… There is nothing transactional about them, nothing that smacks of a “should,” a “must,” or an “ought.”

The Beatitudes are not shame tactics.

The takeaway Jesus intends for his listeners is neither shame nor self-condemnation. The last thing Jesus’s Beatitudes should do is defeat us.

The Beatitudes are not permission slips for passivity.

There is nothing in the Beatitudes that excuses injustice, nothing that relativizes abuse, nothing that frees us to tell suffering people that their suffering is God-ordained and redemptive.

Jesus acts. He doesn’t simply speak blessing; he lives it. Through his words, his hands, his feet, his life, he brings about the very blessings he promises. Insisting that pain in and of itself is neither holy nor redemptive in the Christian story, Jesus works to bring healing, abundance, liberation, and joy to everyone who crosses his path.

This is the vocation we are called to. The work of sharing the blessings we enjoy is not the work of a distant someday. It is the work we’re called to now. The Beatitudes remind us that blessing and justice are inextricably linked. If it's a blessing we want, then it’s justice we must pursue. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ask the Spirit to strengthen our resolve to be disciples of Christ as we turn to the mission of bringing the Life of Christ to our daily interactions with the community.

References

Bogard, M. (2026, July 10). Daily Reflection July 10, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 10, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-10-2026 

Hosea, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 10, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hosea/14?2 

Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 10, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10?16 

Meditation on Matthew 10:16-23. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 10, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/10/1611592/ 

Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 10, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). What the Beatitudes Are Not. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 10, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/what-the-beatitudes-are-not/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Sheep in the Midst of Wolves - Wise and Innocent. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 10, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

War Against Peace and Love

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us that the restriction of the truth of Jesus' Way continues to be practiced by political forces in their fear of loss of control.

Path for Peace and Love

In the Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the Twelve immediately resumed public teaching

* [5:17–42] A second action against the community is taken by the Sanhedrin in the arrest and trial of the Twelve; cf. Acts 4:1–3. The motive is the jealousy of the religious authorities over the popularity of the apostles (Acts 5:17) who are now charged with the defiance of the Sanhedrin’s previous order to them to abandon their prophetic role (Acts 5:28; cf. Acts 4:18). In this crisis the apostles are favored by a miraculous release from prison (Acts 5:18–24). (For similar incidents involving Peter and Paul, see Acts 12:6–11; 16:25–29.) The real significance of such an event, however, would be manifest only to people of faith, not to unbelievers; since the Sanhedrin already judged the Twelve to be inauthentic prophets, it could disregard reports of their miracles. When the Twelve immediately resumed public teaching, the Sanhedrin determined to invoke upon them the penalty of death (Acts 5:33) prescribed in Dt 13:6–10. Gamaliel’s advice against this course finally prevailed, but it did not save the Twelve from the punishment of scourging (Acts 5:40) in a last endeavor to shake their conviction of their prophetic mission.

* [5:30] Hanging him on a tree: that is, crucifying him (cf. also Gal 3:13).

* [5:31] At his right hand: see note on Acts 2:33. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 34 implores God to rescue and give them protection

* [Psalm 34] A thanksgiving in acrostic form, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this Psalm one letter is missing and two are in reverse order. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Ps 34:5, 7), can teach the “poor,” those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone (Ps 34:4, 12). God will make them powerful (Ps 34:5–11) and give them protection (Ps 34:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 34 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is proclaimed as The One from Heaven.

* [3:31–36] It is uncertain whether these are words by the Baptist, Jesus, or the evangelist. They are reflections on the two preceding scenes.

* [3:34] His gift: of God or to Jesus, perhaps both. This verse echoes Jn 5:8. (John, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

Angela Maynard declares that If we believe in Jesus, we confirm that he is trustworthy. This is important! Not only do we affirm Jesus and his teachings, but we now have the responsibility to live our faith. We must walk the talk. That can be challenging. There are many barriers in our society that preclude us from living a Christ-centered life.

Take some time today to reflect on the responsibility that comes with the privilege of having a relationship with God. What or who get in the way of my ability to remain centered around Jesus and serving as my creator intended?

We are in the Easter season, a time of renewal. It’s never too late to make some adjustments and live our lives with intention just as Jesus taught us.

 

“Hence, to claim one’s rights and ignore one’s duties, or only half fulfill them, is like building a house with one hand and tearing it down with the other.” ---St. John XXIII (Maynard, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Always bless the Lord!” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"When are you to 'bless the Lord?' When he showers blessings on you? When earthly goods are plentiful? When you have a plethora of grain, oil, wine, gold, silver... - while your mortal body remains healthy, uninjured and free from disease; while everything that is born on your estate is growing well, and nothing is snatched away by untimely death; while every kind of happiness floods your home and you have all you want in profusion? Is it only then that you are to bless the Lord? No, but 'at all times.' So you are to bless him equally when from time to time, or because the Lord God wishes to discipline you, these good things let you down or are taken from you, when there are fewer births or the already-born slip away. These things happen, and their consequence is poverty, need, hardship, disappointment and temptation. But you sang, 'I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be in my mouth always,' so when the Lord gives you these good things, bless him, and when he takes them away, bless him. He it is who gives, and he it is who takes away, but he does not take himself away from anyone who blesses him. (excerpt from EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 34.3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 5:27-33 comments that some believers are only discouraged from sharing their faith, but in other parts of the world, people are imprisoned or even put to death for preaching the good news of the risen Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI once said that even in the face of persecution, “all Christians in their own way can and must be witnesses of the Risen Lord”

Let’s keep all our brothers and sisters around the world in our prayers. Let’s remember that we all have the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us the courage to proclaim the risen Lord. Peter said that God has given his Holy Spirit to “those who obey him,” and today’s Gospel tells us that “he does not ration his gift of the Spirit” (Acts 5:32; John 3:34). So open your heart to the Holy Spirit and become a witness to the resurrection!

“Jesus, I want to be your witness.” (Meditation on Acts 5:27-33, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Acts the members of the Sanhedrin ask why they were not obeyed. The apostles respond that they obey God rather than the chief priest. In Acts, the Holy Spirit guides the growth of the Church and makes them bold. In the Gospel, Jesus gives witness to what the Father has given Him and what God has sent Him to do. Jesus came to save the world. Friar Jude notes that Jesus' mission comes from the Father and He and the Father are One.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Brian McLaren who at the Fall 2025 ReVision Conference, highlighted the contemplative witness of the philosopher Boethius (d. 524), a contemporary of Benedict of Nursia who is imprisoned by King Theodoric for defending one of the king’s critics.

In prison, Boethius is removed from public life, like Benedict in his cave. And like Benedict, people come to see him. He uses his remaining months in prison to teach, and eventually to write a text, The Consolation of Philosophy, that is still studied today as the last great work of the Roman classical period and the first great work of medieval literature.

Sophia, the feminine figure of wisdom, offers him calm, helps him recenter, and guides him into contemplation you might say. The writing of this book becomes a contemplative practice for him that influences generations of people across the following centuries, through and beyond the decay and complete collapse of the Roman Empire.

Shortly after finishing The Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius is brutally tortured and executed. The government in which Boethius worked and strived to do good turns on him and executes him.

These two men, Benedict and Boethius, were called to two completely different paths to live out their Christian faith. [Read about Benedict here.] One stayed in the center of power and tried to influence it, holding fast to his faith. The other left the centers of power and went to the margins to build an alternative community where they could keep the way of Christ alive and maintain some sort of wisdom in a world that was obsessed not with truth, but with power and wealth, violence and weapons. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to guide our contemplation of the resonance of the political situation in the texts today to our experience of the restriction of the truth in our political discourse today and the action we need to take to proclaim Jesus Way. 

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/5?27 

John, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/3?31 

Maynard, A. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-16-2026 

Meditation on Acts 5:27-33. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/04/16/1544749/ 

Psalms, PSALM 34 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/34?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/taking-a-stand-in-government/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). He Who Believes in the Son Has Eternal Life. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/