An old Irishman had met with an accident, a not too serious one. He was taken to the hospital, where his parish priest calIed to see him. Pat explained his accident, and then turned the conversation to the top topic of the day, the Ku Klux Klan.
"Father," said Pat, " the other day a fellow came to our house while I was at work, and he said to my wife: 'Are you a Catholic?'
'Faith, and I am,' she answered.
'Well,' says this fellow, 'we Klansmen are going to sweep you Catholics off the face of the earth.'
"She said no more, but grunted and slammed the door in his face. I wish I had been there. I would have told that guy a thing or two."
"I suppose there would have been a fight," said the priest with a smile.
"No, Father," answered Pat, "as much as I would like to punch his nose. I would have told him what the Lord said, something about building His Church upon a rock so that even the gates of hell would not shake it. And then I would have said to that Klansman: 'I guess you fellows can't be any worse than hell.'"
Sometimes it seems that the enemies of Christ's Church do come directly from hell, their hatred and persecution of the Church are so devilish. Jesus Himself told us:
"No servant is greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also; if they have kept my word, they will keep yours also." St. John, 15:20.Christ made it a mark of His followers that they would be persecuted, and yet He has given us consolation and assurance in the Sermon on the Mount, especially in the Eighth Beatitude:
"Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." St. Matthew, 5 :10.1. Persecution takes a number of forms: murder, physical suffering, exile, social and economic injustice, ridicule, prejudice, and bigotry.
In general, persecution here means trials and afflictions borne for the sake of God and religion. Its opposite is the false liberty and license of the world, which will bear nothing for the sake of God.
2. "For justice sake" means that the trial or affliction is borne for the sake of the faith, for some moral reason or issue, for truth or justice, or liberty or human welfare.
3. There are many ways of such suffering:
A. There are those who defend at any risk their Catholic faith. Recall the millions of martyrs of all ages and classes and professions and races, who gave their lives for what they believed. A simple denial of what they believed would have saved them from being burned, beheaded, thrown to the lions, sawed in two, hanged and even worse; yet, they died rather than give up their faith.4. To bear such attacks is to be blessed:
B. There are those who remain virtuous at any cost. There is, for example, the working girl who could sell herself to boss or co-workers. But she prizes her virtues more than furs and jewelry. She suffers the persecution of need and poverty, "for justice sake." Hers is the kingdom of heaven.
C. There are those who cling to God and His law despite opposition from their family, from fellow-workers, from superiors, even from their friends.
D. There are those who suffer hatred for their faith. Upon Catholic heads rains the hatred of such bigoted groups as the Klan, the Witnesses of Jehovah, secular humanists, and other dealers in hate. To bear that hatred for the sake of your faith, is to merit the kingdom of heaven.
E. Others are imprisoned for their faith. We are horrified at the news that a cardinals, bishops, priests and laity of the Church are arrested, especially when they stand up for common rights against godless dictators.
In a Communist prison years ago languished Archbishop Stepinac, condemned to years of hard labor for insisting upon the rights of Christ's followers. But the cardinal and the archbishop and all others who bear prison for their faith, will obtain the kingdom of God.
F. Many of us bear reviling, slander and calumny for our religion; secret, slimy, slippery attacks on what we believe. We meet this on the street, in the work-shop, in the college classroom, and even from some non-Catholic pulpits.
A. Persecution helps us grow in virtue.5. The kingdom of heaven will bring joy and glory for the insults and sorrows of earthly persecution.
B. It helps the triumph of faith and grace.
C. It leads us to trust in God and distrust the world.
D. It makes us resemble Christ more closely.
E. It keeps alive the spirit and zeal for the faith.
F. It brings about our salvation. Yes, it assures us of the kingdom of heaven.
G. It merits for the persecuted the special protection of God. Read the lives of the martyrs for proof.
Those so-called religious people, the Scribes and Pharisees, were not truly just. Jesus tells us that our justice must be greater, deeper, and truer than theirs. Our justice is that which seeks the will of God and the spread of God's faith.
As the old Irishman so firmly and positively knew: the gates and powers of hell would never overcome the Church of Christ. In your own personal suffering of persecution, in the persecutions that come to the Church in any community or nation, always remember the promise of our Lord, that they who suffer persecution for the sake of their religion, will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
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Adapted from Prayers, Precepts and Virtues
by Fr. Arthur Tonne, OFM (©1949)
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