Thursday of 32nd Week, Year II: reflection

Theme: Spread the Good News in any situation you find yourself in.

Reading: Philemon 7–20

In today’s first reading, St. Paul demonstrates to us that anyone who truly believes in Jesus will continue to carry out His mission regardless of the circumstances he finds himself in. Paul was in prison because of the mission handed to him by Jesus, and instead of becoming angry with Jesus and renouncing his faith, as many people in our world do when they are faced with difficulties, especially on account of the gospel, he was busy spreading the gospel of peace and reconciliation through Christ by reconciling Onesimus and Philemon.

Why didn’t Paul feel betrayed by Christ and stop doing His bidding? One of the reasons is that Paul clearly understood that physical suffering, hardships, trials, and tribulations in this world are not signs that God has deceived or abandoned us. He understood that the One in whom he believed also went down the same road of physical torment in the hands of men of this world, and thus warned his followers that they would be treated worse than He was, but that their perseverance will win them victory.

Why, then, are many Christians in our world gradually losing this kind of strong faith of St. Paul in Christ? One of the reasons is that many Christians enjoy listening to lies from the so-called men of God rather than reading through the pages of the Bible or listening to sound Christian messages that reveal the true experiences of the people who had a firsthand encounter with Christ. Many Christians like to be misled in matters about Jesus and the conditions of our world.

Dear friends, whoever truly believes in Jesus would understand that trials, hardships, and tribulations do not separate us from the love of Christ and should not stop us from carrying out the mission given to us by Him. Whoever renounces his faith in Christ because of hardships and trials never had faith in Him in the first place.

May God grant you the grace to stand firm and be victorious in all situations. Amen.

Fr. Isaac Chima