Blessed Are the Persecuted

According to Matthew’s Gospel, as he began his public ministry, in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus outlined the challenges his disciples would need to face as his disciples. We know these as the Beatitudes. Jesus’ list culminated with,

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

Thus, they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Jesus predicted persecution would be a great challenge for his followers because it was something he often encountered as an itinerant preacher who was challenged countless times by the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes. Almost a hundred passages in the New Testament counsel how Christians should react to abuse from opponents.

The topic comes to mind because of an incident at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics last month, where a float depicted a scene similar to Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper as a drag banquet. Many Christians, including the Vatican, expressed outrage. Christian disgust was met with the usual gaslighting, such as, you read it all wrong, sorry you were offended, it was innocent fun gone too far, just Europeans being artsy, and other half-hearted denials. It was a case of secularist bullying.

Some Christians seem to have reacted almost gleefully to the incident. They took umbrage and used it as an opportunity for cultural warriorism. Is that what Jesus would want from us? While he didn’t back down from confrontations with opponents, he didn’t let them steal joy and hope but instructed the Apostles to shake the dust from their feet and move on.

Pope Francis, in his encyclical Evangelii Gaudium, quotes Pope Benedict. To paraphrase Francis’ quote of Benedict, we often encounter signs in today’s world that seem hostile towards faith and Christianity but show a thirst for God at their heart. People of faith can give examples by their lives that point to the Promised Land and keep hope alive. They become a source of living water that others can drink. This effort is a cross for the faithful Christian, but opposition to the Gospel can’t be allowed to rob us of hope.

Christianity is the most persecuted religion in our world. Aid for the Church in Need estimates that 646 million Christians live in countries that do not respect their religious freedom, and OpenDoors USA estimates that 5000 Christians were killed for their faith in 2023. Popes Francis and Benedict are correct; whining and outrage over hurtful incidents don’t change minds and hearts. Christians who are examples of righteousness and faithfulness are undisputable signs of God’s grace active and alive in our world. Let’s use joy and hope as our weapons of choice to confront and overcome secularism and hate and bring peace and love to our world.

Are You Ready for a Challenge?

The 2024 Holy Redeemer Annual Collection is making progress. The parish conducts the Annual Collection as our most important fundraiser held each August and September. We ask full-time and seasonal parishioners to make a one-time generous gift to support the parish through the leaner winter months. This year, we have budgeted a goal of $85,000 to be raised by the collection. We are more than halfway there. This week, parishioners who have not yet contributed to the Annual Collection were sent a follow-up letter. Please send in your donation promptly.

A parishioner has offered us a challenge. They are willing to match, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000 worth of contributions made to the Annual Collection above the $85,000 goal. We would use these proceeds to renovate our parking lot, replace the doors to Our Lady of Grace Chapel, and completely replace the siding on Holy Redeemer Church. Even if you have contributed to the Annual Collection, maybe you would like to contribute to meet this exciting challenge.

Reaction to our recent church renovations has been overwhelmingly positive. They are beneficial to all. A capital campaign conducted last year funded part of the renovation costs. Just over 200 of our 600 parish households contributed to that effort; if you didn’t respond to the campaign, hopefully, after seeing the renovation results, you want to now.

Can you increase your weekly budget contribution if you can’t donate to the Annual Collection? When was the last time you reflected on the gift you give to God and the work of the church? The parish experiences inflation and increased costs like everyone else. Prayerfully consider your support of our parish and be as generous as possible.