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Religious Persecution talk follows Homily
Homily - 8/30/10
TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME (Year C)
I. Introduction
One of the great educators in American history was
Booker T. Washington, the son of black slave. After his
family was freed following the Civil War, Washington
worked in a coal mine as a teenager; then, after
receiving an education as a young man, he became a
professor and soon gained a national reputation.
Because of his impressive achievements, Washington was
chosen in 1881 to organize a special educational
institution for blacks in Tuskegee, Alabama. Shortly
after arriving there, he was walking down a residential
street past the home of a wealthy white family, and the
woman of the house, not knowing who he was, asked him to
chop some wood for her. Instead of being insulted or
saying, “Madam, don’t you know who I am?,” Professor
Washington took off his coat, chopped the wood, and
carried it into the kitchen. After he left, a servant
girl who had recognized him informed the woman of his
identity. The next day, the embarrassed woman went to
his office and apologized, but Washington said, “It’s
entirely all right, madam; I like to work, and I’m
delighted to do favors for my friends.” The woman was
greatly impressed by Washington’s charm and humility;
she became one of his greatest supporters, and she
persuaded all her wealthy acquaintances to donate
thousands of dollars to the Tuskegee Institute (Prochnow,
700 Illustrations, p. 28).
In almost all of our dealings with other people, we
have a choice between being proud or humble. Humility
is the better choice, because it brings us closer to
God. Pride cuts us off from God and other people,
whereas our humble willingness to help others assures us
of God’s blessing.
II. Development
As we see in today’s readings, humility allows us to
approach God and to be at peace in His presence. The
1st Reading from the Book of Sirach states, “Humble
yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will
find favor with God.” Humility doesn’t mean denying our
abilities and our inner goodness; it simply means giving
all the credit to the Lord and seeking His glory instead
of our own. God the Father created us; Jesus redeems
us, and the Holy Spirit sustains us in the way of
grace. By remembering this and acting accordingly, we
are able to share in the new covenant mentioned in the
2nd Reading--a covenant, or sacred agreement, allowing
us to share in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus tells us in
the Gospel that humility is necessary if we are to enter
into the heavenly banquet that has been prepared for all
true children of God. The Lord will exalt us in His
Kingdom only if we humble ourselves here on earth--and
as Jesus says, a practical sign of this humility is our
willingness to help and serve others without expectation
of repayment. Proud people are constantly calculating
how they might make a certain situation work to their
advantage. Jesus wants us to be humble, thinking not
about ourselves and our own benefit, but about how we
can glorify God and respond to the needs of the people
around us.
III. Conclusion
There’s a story about Harry S. Truman, who today is regarded
as one of our more popular and down-to-earth presidents.
After he had completed his term and left Washington D.C.,
Truman was returning to his home town of Jefferson City,
Missouri, being driven by an officer of the local police
department. While going down Highway 40 in Missouri, Truman
suddenly told the officer to pull over to the side of the
road. A woman was trying to round up a bunch of hogs who
had gotten out of their pen, and Truman told his driver,
“Let’s help that lady get her hogs in.” He and the police
officer did this. Later someone in Jefferson City asked
him, “Mr. President, is what we heard true--did you help a
woman round up her pigs?” Truman replied, “Yes, somebody
had to help her. Anyway, I was a farmer long before I
became a president” (Barnhart, Seasonings for Sermons,
pp. 31-32). There are great and important people, like
Booker T. Washington and Harry S. Truman, who know how to be
humble and helpful--and this is a lesson Jesus wants all of
us to learn and practice, too. Maybe it means stepping
forward when volunteers are needed in the parish or the
community, or saying “yes” when asked to do something, even
though it would be easier to say “no.” Perhaps we can
practice humility by going out of our way to compliment
other people, looking for opportunities to express praise
and appreciation. Humility might mean a conscious decision
to stop keeping track of how many people owe us favors; it
certainly means not acting as if we’re better or more
important than others, or thinking that we should always get
our way. Being humble often means taking an honest look at
ourselves, admitting our faults and weaknesses and seeking
God’s grace in order to overcome them.
Humility is a virtue all of us need to keep on developing
and practicing, especially by helping those in need and
doing so in a gracious, respectful way, without looking for
praise and without expecting to be repaid. One of the most
important, and difficult, places to be humble is within the
home. It’s so easy to take our family members for granted.
Humility means treating them as important persons who
deserve our appreciation and support: even the husband who’s
better at making messes in the kitchen than cleaning them
up, even the wife who borrows her husband’s tools and
forgets to put them back where they belong, even the
teenagers and children who have a habit of forgetting or
ignoring whatever their parents ask or tell them, and even
the parents who seem behind the times and have a habit of
embarrassing their children. We all have our faults, and
we’re all important in God’s eyes. Pride denies or forgets
these truths; humility accepts them and acts accordingly.
Pride is a dead end, because it ultimately leaves us only
with ourselves. Humility leads us to Christ’s Kingdom,
because it enables us to love God and our neighbor. Let us
live humbly in this life, so that God may exalt us in
Heaven.
Homily - 8/22/10
TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN
ORDINARY TIME (Year C)
I. Introduction
Once upon a time a traveler was walking home after spending
many years in a distant country. At sunset he entered a
vast forest, a forbidding but unavoidable obstacle on his
journey. Just as he realized he would quickly become lost,
he saw an elderly shepherd, and asked for directions. The
shepherd responded, “Alas! It is not easy to point out the
way, for the forest is crisscrossed by hundreds of trails
winding in every direction, and all of them except one lead
to the Great Abyss which surrounds the forest. Moreover,
the forest is filled with robbers and wild beasts, including
an enormous serpent, all of whom frequently kill unfortunate
travelers. However, don’t despair—I and my sons have
dedicated ourselves to guiding travelers safely to their
destination. We will help you, if you’ll trust us enough to
follow us.” The elderly shepherd seemed trustworthy, so the
traveler agreed; the shepherd held a lantern aloft with one
arm, and led the traveler by the other. When the traveler
became weary during the long journey, the shepherd told him
to lean upon him for strength, and this allowed him to
continue. In the middle of the night they came to a cabin
inhabited by one of the shepherd’s sons, who provided the
traveler with nourishing food, and then took over from his
father. The same thing happened twice more as they
continued through the forest; the traveler was led to a
place of rest each time, and another of the shepherd’s sons
continued guiding him safely on his journey.
At sunrise, they came to the edge of the forest, and the
traveler saw they were alongside a deadly cliff, which
dropped into a deep canyon whose bottom was too far down to
see. The shepherd’s son announced, “This is the Great Abyss
my father spoke of,” and then sighed from the depths of his
heart. “What’s wrong?” the traveler asked, and his guide
explained, “Every time I see this abyss, I think of the
numerous travelers who end up falling into it. My father
and brothers and I offer our services, but usually in vain.
Most people claim they don’t need us, or accuse us of
wanting to control them or limit their freedom, and go off
by themselves; they soon lose their way, and are devoured by
the serpent, murdered by robbers, or fall into the depths
below. See that small bridge over there? That’s the one
safe way across the Great Abyss, and my family and I are the
only ones who know of it—and now, because you followed our
guidance, you can cross in safety, and on the other side
you’ll find your true home.” The traveler thanked his guide
profusely, crossed the bridge, and soon reached home, where
his family welcomed him with great joy (Brian Cavanagh,
Fresh Packet of Sower’s Seeds, pp. 47-49).
This story by an anonymous author is obviously an allegory,
a symbolic tale in which each element stands for something.
The forest represents life, which is filled with potential
confusion and danger—particularly the serpent, or the devil,
who seeks to destroy us; the Great Abyss, of course, stands
for hell. The shepherd and his sons symbolize the Church,
which can help people find the single narrow path that
safely leads to eternal life and our true home of Heaven.
The stakes on this lifelong spiritual journey are much
higher than most people realize or admit. Jesus doesn’t
want anyone to be lost, but we must have the humility to
follow and obey those He has appointed to guide us.
II. Development
A very common assumption these days is that virtually
everyone will be saved—but that’s not what Jesus implies in
the Gospel. When asked “Lord, will only a few people be
saved?,” He doesn’t give a direct answer intended to satisfy
someone’s intellectual curiosity. Instead, Our Lord
responds with an urgent and unmistakable warning: “Strive
to enter through the narrow gate, for many . . . will
attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” He also
uses the image of a deadline in which the door to eternal
life is locked once and for all, with people shocked to
discover themselves irretrievably locked outside; the very
strong implication is that none of us can afford to take our
salvation for granted. “Rubbing shoulders” with Jesus, or
merely observing the outward signs of religion, won’t be
enough; a true commitment is required. The good news,
however, is that everyone who does make such a
commitment will be welcome in Heaven, regardless of
nationality, race, or social status; as Isaiah foretells in
the 1st Reading, people of every land and language will be
invited to share in God’s glory. The Letter to the Hebrews
reminds us that God treats us as His children—which means He
will discipline us when necessary; if we forget or ignore
His commandments and the leadership of the shepherds He has
appointed, He’ll allow us to experience the bad results of
our stubbornness in the hope we’ll come to our senses and
turn back to Him.
III. Conclusion
It’s true that in “the old days,” there was too much
emphasis on hell and too many “fire and brimstone”
sermons—but now the opposite seems to be the case; the
reality of hell is rarely mentioned. There are several
points to consider, however. The first is that in the
Gospels, Jesus actually talks about hell or eternal
damnation more than He mentions or describes Heaven.
Secondly, if we acknowledge Jesus as our Savior, that leads
to a simple but vital question: what is He saving us
from? Obviously from something terrible and
disastrous—what we call hell. To the objection that since
Jesus saved us, we have nothing to worry about, a third
point must be considered: if salvation is automatic, why
did Jesus give His Church such great spiritual power and
authority over sin, particularly through the Sacraments of
Baptism, the Eucharist, and Reconciliation? Obviously
damnation remains a real possibility, even after Christ’s
saving death and Resurrection. Our Lord certainly doesn’t
want us to become fearful or obsessed with hell, but He does
want us to be aware of the spiritual dangers surrounding
us—precisely because if we stay on our guard, then we can
safely proceed through life in a spirit of joy and
gratitude.
As the traveler in the story discovered, the way to do this
is by following the guidance of the shepherds whose task it
is to point out the path that leads us safely home. In the
same way, Jesus wants us to be faithful, active, committed
members of His Church, humbly accepting the spiritual
teaching and guidance of the Holy Father and those religious
leaders in union with him, instead of stubbornly insisting
on going our own way. Life in Heaven is wonderful, but it
isn’t automatic or guaranteed; we must do our best to live
in a way that shows our genuine and grateful acceptance of
this great gift.
BASIC IDEAS IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE
The Origin and Nature of
the Devil
Lucifer (later known as
the devil, or Satan) was one of God’s greatest creations
(Isaiah 14:12), but he and one-third of the angels,
motivated by pride, revolted against God (Revelation
12:4). They were driven out of Heaven by St. Michael
the Archangel and those angels who remained faithful to
the Lord (Revelation 12:7-9); in revenge, the evil
spirits seek to tempt humanity into joining their doomed
revolt (Genesis 3:5). There is lasting enmity between
Satan and the children of God, particularly as
represented by the Virgin Mary (Genesis 3:15; Revelation
12:5-6); through the devil’s envy, death entered the
world (Wisdom 2:24). The devil tempted even Jesus
Himself (Matthew 4:1-11), and Our Lord called him the
“father of lies” (John 8:44). Jesus has authority over
evil (Mark 1:21-28), and at the end of time Satan will
be cast into hell (Revelation 20:8-10).
Warnings from Scripture
“Be sober and
vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around
like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow
believers throughout the world undergo the same
sufferings” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
“Draw your strength
from the Lord and from His mighty power. Put on the
armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm
against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is
not with flesh and blood but with the principalities,
with the powers, with the world rulers of this present
darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able
to resist on the evil day and, having done everything,
to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins
girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a
breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the
gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a
shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil
one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians
6:10-17).
Teachings of the Church
According to the
Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Scripture
witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus
calls ‘a murderer from the beginning’ [John 8:44], who
would even try to divert Jesus from the mission He
received from His Father. ‘The reason the Son of God
appeared was to destroy the works of the devil’ [1 John
3:8]. In its consequences the gravest of these works
was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey
God” (paragraph 394).
The Catechism
continues, “The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not
infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact
that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot
prevent the building up of God’s reign. Although Satan
may act in the world out of hatred for God and His
Kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may
cause grave injuries—of a spiritual nature and,
indirectly, even of a physical nature—to each man and to
society, the action is permitted by divine providence
which with strength and gentleness guides human and
cosmic history. It is a great mystery that providence
should permit diabolical activity, but ‘we know that in
everything God works for good with those who love Him’
[Romans 8:28]” (paragraph 395).
Ten
Tricks of the Devil
1. Satan tempts us to
resent other people, especially persons we dislike, and
to be jealous of others’ successes.
2. When we’ve decided
to do something morally good, the devil will suggest we
delay acting on our good impulses; he hopes we’ll later
change our minds or forget what we were going to do.
3. Whenever we’ve
done a good deed, Satan wants us to feel superior and
self-satisfied; this sort of pride greatly lessens the
value of our good deeds and spiritual achievements.
4. The devil will do
everything possible to keep us from being humble, for he
knows that humility destroys his influence over us and
allows God’s grace to work within us.
5. If we resist
Satan’s attacks by remaining humble, he’ll continue
attacking us—by making us proud of how humble we are!
6. When we’re
deciding what to do in a moral situation, the devil will
try to make us afraid of what might happen if we do the
right thing.
7. Satan wants us to
deny our sins and refuse to admit our need for mercy; in
this way we won’t seek God’s forgiveness, and our
adversary will have an easier time drawing us more
deeply into sin.
8. When we’re
bothered by temptations, the devil wants us to believe
they’re too powerful to resist and that they won’t go
away until we give in; in this way he keeps us from
holding out and using the grace God offers.
9. If we hesitate to
give in to a temptation, Satan will try to convince us
that it’s no big deal, suggesting that “everyone’s doing
it,” or “it’s just a little sin,” or “God doesn’t really
care.”
10. When we’ve
sinned, the devil wants us to feel terribly guilty and
afraid to ask God for forgiveness; in this way he can
keep us imprisoned in our sins, and gradually gain
control over us. God, however, wants us to turn to
Him and seek His forgiveness, no matter how terrible our
sins might be. He is eager to be reconciled with us,
and as Jesus says, “There will be more joy in Heaven
over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine
righteous people who have no need to repent” (Luke
15:7).
The
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
As a result of a
vision he experienced on October 13, 1884 (in which
Satan boasted to Jesus that, given enough time, he could
destroy the Church), Pope Leo XIII composed the
following prayer. It’s a very useful and powerful
defense against evil (and worth reciting daily).
St. Michael the
Archangel, defend us in battle; be our safeguard against
the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke
him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O prince of the
heavenly host, by the power of God cast into hell Satan
and all the evil spirits, who wander through the world
seeking the ruin of souls.
Binding of Evil Spirits
Only duly authorized
priests may perform exorcisms (casting out evil spirits
from demon-ically possessed persons), but all Christians
have the spiritual authority to bind evil spirits in
Christ’s Name (Mark 16:17). if there’s a chance that
you or someone else physically near you is being tempted
or negatively influenced by a demonic spirit, simply
pray (silently or in a very soft voice): “Evil
spirit, I bind you in the Name of the Lord Jesus
Christ.” (If you know the name of the particular
temptation or form of evil involved, you may address it
directly: “spirit of fear,” or “spirit of lust,” or
“spirit of deception,” etc., “I bind you in the Name of
the Lord Jesus Christ.”) This is not an exorcism,
but a temporary block or obstacle to the power of any
evil force that may be present.
NOTE: Not all
problems or temptations are caused by evil spirits; many
other factors may be present instead (psychological
problems, human weakness, irrational thinking, etc.).
While we want to be on guard against the devil’s
influence, it’s far more important (and psycho-logically
much healthier) to be aware of God’s presence, and to
cooperate with His grace.
Spiritual
Precautions
Besides avoiding
anything to do with the occult, observing the following
precautions will virtually eliminate Satan’s influence
in our lives, and protect us from his snares and
attacks:
1. Remain in a state
of grace—in particular, attend Mass and receive Holy
Communion each weekend, and regularly receive the
Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession).
2. Cultivate a
devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St.
Michael the Archangel, and your own guardian angel and your favorite saints, and ask for
their guidance and assistance.
3. Keep blessed
crucifixes and religious items in your home, and
regularly bless it and your possessions (property, cars,
and other important items) with holy water.
4. Wear or carry a
blessed crucifix, medal, scapular, or other
religious article at all times.
5. Try to come closer
to Jesus each day, and trust in His power and mercy—for
He has completely triumphed over Satan and all the
forces of evil, and ardently desires to share His
victory with us.
RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN THE UNITED
STATES?
It Happened in Pittsburgh
“The police . . . brought in a double-decker bus, complete
with tinted windows (thus it was impossible to see what was
going on inside the bus. . .) Brutality started on the
bus. Angela was dragged onto the bus by her hair. People
were billy-clubbed, kicked, and punched. Police dragged
women in the bus by pulling up skirts and bras over their
heads, exposing them in so doing. . . . The men were denied
food for thirty hours. . . . Upon arrival at the . . . jail
there were over thirty police . . . lined up along five or
six flights of stairs. . . . Women were then dragged up the
steps, some by the hair and others by the neck. You could
hear the sounds of heads smacking against the steps. The
warden was at the bottom of the first flight of stairs, and
he kicked [the people] as they were dragged by. . . .
During this entire procedure there was foul language,
obscenities, and threats of putting women . . . in rooms
with male prisoners to be sodomized and raped. . . . They
were asked to strip in front of male guards and male
prisoners. All refused. They were then forcibly stripped
by both male and female guards, kicked, and punched. Women
. . . were fondled, verbally abused, and threatened”—the
experience of Christians protesting outside an abortion
clinic on March 11, 1989 (from How to Prepare for the
Coming Persecution, by Larry Poland: Here’s Life
Publishers, San Bernardino, 1990).
Parallels Between Germany in the 1930s and
Contemporary America:
--
an obsession with death (especially abortion
and euthanasia)
--
an emphasis on environmentalism and
animal rights
--
thousands of laws and regulations (giving the
government the potential to arrest innocent,
unknowing civilians)
--
an occultic or New Age dimension
--
judges and government officials ignoring the
Constitution whenever they wish
--
gun control laws (with U.S. laws almost
identical to German laws of 1928 & 1938)
--
rejection of traditional heroes and the
nation’s Christian heritage
Reasons for a Persecution of
the Church
The first widespread
persecution of Christian-ity in the Roman Empire occurred
under the Emperor Decius in 250. St. Cyprian, Bishop of
Carthage, later identified three reasons God allowed it to
occur: (1) Christians had been unable to maintain their
spiritual fervor in the face of extended peace and
prosperity; (2) Christians in every level of the Church fell
into materialism and worldly concerns; and (3) because of
materialism, they lost their zeal for the Faith. Does
this describe
America today?
Recognizing a Coming
Persecution
Experts agree that five
stages of a coming persecution can be identified. (1) The
targeted group is stigmatized; its reputation is attacked,
possibly by mocking it and rejecting its values. (2) Then
the group is marginalized, or pushed out of the mainstream
of society, with deliberate efforts to limit and undo its
influence. (3) The third stage is to vilify the group,
viciously attacking it and blaming it for many of society’s
problems. (4) Next, the group is criminalized, with
increasing restrictions placed on its activi-ties and
eventually even its existence. (5) The final stage is one
of outright persecution.
Many commentators believe the United States is now in
stage three, and moving into stage four.
Scripture Passages on
Persecution
Ps. 142:6-7; Mt. 5:11; Mt.
5:44-45; Mt. 13:20-21; Mk. 10:29-30; Mk. 13:9-13; Jn.
15:18-21; Jn. 16:1-2; Acts 5:41; Rm. 8:35; Rm. 12:14; 2 Cor.
4:8-10, 2 Cor. 12:10; 1 Th. 1:6-7; 2 Tm. 3:12; Heb.
10:32-39; 1 Pt. 4:12-19; Rev. 6:9-11.
Pope John Paul II on
Persecution
“We must be prepared to
undergo great trials in the not-too-distant future; trials
that will require us to give up even our lives, and a total
gift of self to Christ and for Christ. . . . it is only in
this way that the Church can be effectively renewed. How
many times, indeed, has the renewal of the Church been
effected in blood? This time, again, it will not be
otherwise.”
(from an informal statement
given in 1980)
A Model for Prayer in Times
of Danger or Persecution
(from Acts 4:23-31, NAB)
After their release [Peter
and John] went back to their own people and reported what
the chief priests and elders had told them. And when they
heard it, they raised their voices to God with one accord
and said, “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the
sea and all that is in them, You said by the Holy Spirit
through the mouth of our father David, Your servant: Why
did the Gentiles rage and the peoples entertain folly? The
kings of the earth took their stand and the princes gathered
together against the Lord and His anointed. Indeed they
gathered in this city against Your holy servant Jesus Whom
You anointed, Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the
Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do what Your hand and
will had long ago planned to take place. And now, Lord,
take note of their threats, and enable Your servants to
speak Your word with all boldness, as You stretch forth Your
hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the
Name of Your holy servant Jesus.” As they prayed, the place
where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God
with boldness.
Recommended Reading
Storm Warning: The Coming
Persecution of Christians and Traditionalists in America,
by Donald McAlvany
(Hearthstone Publishing, 1999). 350 pp.
Persecution: How Liberals
Are Waging War Against Christianity,
by David Limbaugh (Regnery
Publishing, 2003). 352 pp; $27.95.
The Criminalization of
Christianity, by
Janet L. Folger (Multnomah Publishers, 2005). 252 pp.;
$19.99.
The Marketing of Evil: How
Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption
Disguised as Freedom,
by David Kupelian (WND
Books—an imprint of Cumberland House Publishing, 2005).
240 pp.; $24.95.
The Great Chastisement:
Books I – IV, by
Stephen C. Mahowald (MMR Publishing; P.O. Box 37348, Omaha,
NE 68137).
Book I: An Introduction;
Book II: Practical Matters;
Book III: Teaching the
Children; Book IV: Strategy and Tactics.
Groups to Consider Joining
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil
Rights: 450
Seventh Avenue, New York,
NY 10123.
(212) 371-3191; website:
www.catholicleague.org.
The American Family Association:
P. O.
Drawer 2440,
Tupelo, MS 38803.
Website:
www.afa.net.
Preparing for a Persecution: Steps to Take
(ideas in part from the book Storm Warning):
1. Realize that persecution is normal; many believers
throughout most of Christian history have experienced it
(including millions around the world today). If they can
persevere with God’s help, so can we. Our attitude should
be one of trust and acceptance, not guilt or fear.
2. Keep a proper perspective. Christians are persecuted
not because we’re losing, but because we’re winning. The
gates of hell will not prevail against the Church (Mt.
16:18); Satan’s fury reflects the truth that his time is
limited and his kingdom is crumbling.
3. Remember that persecution may come not only from the
Church’s enemies, but also from fellow Christians who betray
others out of fear or weakness (cf. Mk. 13:12, 1 Jn. 2:19).
We must as shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves (Mt.
10:16), trusting others only after careful prayer and
discernment. We must also resolve any quarrels with fellow
believers.
4. Refuse to give into fear. If we suffer for our faith,
the Holy Spirit will take away our anxiety and give us the
words to say at the proper moment (Mk. 13:11).
5. Maintain links with other believers. “If the believer,
because of fear, cuts himself off from all contact with
other Christians, Satan will have won. A Christian cannot
survive victoriously for long if he is spiritually cut off
from fellow-ship, worship and teaching” – Brother Andrew of
Open Doors Ministry.
6. Pray—for all who are persecuted, for our fellow
believers, for those who persecute us and those who betray
us. We must also pray for strength, courage, and
discernment.
7. Remember that God loves us, is with us always, knows our
limits better than we do, and will give us all the resources
we need to remain firm in our faith and to emerge victorious
from our trials.
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