[stephenkhoo]

TRANSFORMING PERSECUTION INTO OPPORTUNITY AND GRACE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: ACTS 8:1-8; JN 6:35-40
http://www.universalis.com/20140507/mass.htm

No one likes to have opposition or persecution, whether in the political, corporate or religious realm. We prefer everyone to agree with us and have our plans carried out according to how we have conceived them. Opposition pushes us out of our comfort zones. Our status quo is challenged. Yet, without opposing views or challenges, there is always the danger of complacency, leading us to believe that we have the best solution and the best ideas. By discouraging opposition, we also kill creativity and destroy ownership, leading to apathy. When there are divergent views, we are forced to listen. They check us lest we become arrogant and disconnected with the ground. In truth, the opposition parties are actually our benefactors because they help us to see ourselves from a different perspective.


How do we as Church handle opposition from within and without? From within, there are dissenting voices with regard to certain doctrinal, moral or institutional positions. From without, there are many who are opposed to our religious beliefs, especially moral positions, ranging from abortion to euthanasia, sex and marriage. Unlike in the world where democracy is the order of the day, the Church is essentially hierarchical at its worst and organic at its best, even though there is a certain level of democracy based on consultation and collaboration. Yet, precisely because the Church is both hierarchical and organic, it prevents her from falling into the danger of authoritarianism or chaos. The Church therefore does not fear criticism or even persecution because she knows too well that this is a necessary path of purification and growth. God intends for suffering, persecution and opposition to be the means for growth, as can be seen in the growth of the early Church. This is the way the grace of God operates; never smoothly, neatly or orderly. More often than not, the grace of God works in surprising and unexpected ways. Otherwise, we would not call it grace! Just when we think the tide is against us, in reality, the tide is bringing us to our goal.


In the first reading, it was because of the opposition of the Jewish religious leaders and the ensuing persecution led by Saul, that the Church was forced to move out of Jerusalem to Samaria, Judea and beyond. What was supposedly a crisis for the early Church became an opportunity to spread the gospel beyond Palestine and therefore, unwittingly, fulfilling the promise made by Jesus to have the gospel spread to the ends of the earth! What was seen as a tragedy with the martyrdom of St Stephen became a tremendous grace to the Church, for Saul, who was a witness of his death, later became a recipient of grace himself. After his encounter with the Lord, he must have remembered how Stephen died. So the Church in Jerusalem began to move out only because they were threatened in their homes. And as they resettled in other areas, they also established new Christian communities.


It must therefore be said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. Of course, not all need to die for the faith in direct confrontation with their enemies. Some of them, like Philip, instead of facing martyrdom, escaped to other towns and took the occasion to proclaim the Good News to the people. So not all are called to martyrdom! It would be foolish and reckless to frantically run to the cross to meet death unless one is called. In fact, most are called to give their life as a witness through the proclamation of the gospel in word and in deed.


Indeed, the history of Christianity has shown, time and again, that it is through crises that the Church is purified, made stronger and expanded further. During the years after the conversion of Emperor Constantine, when the whole of Europe became Christian, moral decadence set in as the Christians became complacent. This was then followed by the Age of Monasteries, which undertook to purify the Church with individuals like St Francis of Assisi and his contemporaries. Then during the Reformation period, the Church was again tested because of the breakaway of the Protestants from the Catholic Church due to abuses. And recently, the Church too had been rocked by the scandals committed by her leaders. Instead of bemoaning the negative image of the Church, it is good that the Church leadership and her members once again learn humility and recognize the need to restore the Church’s fidelity to Christ. In this century, the Church’s fiercest enemies are relativism, amorality and secularism. There is a collective onslaught by the world in seeking to destroy the credibility of the leadership of the Church, her moral authority and relegating Christianity and all religions to the realm of the private life of individuals, banishing religions altogether from the public domain.


We must use such trials and tribulations as the means to purify our motives, our faith and our integrity. Like Philip, we must show ourselves to be authentic to what we believe in. Philip was welcomed by the people “either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves. There were, for example, unclean spirits that came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several paralytics and cripples were cured.” We, too, need to remain firm in our faith and beliefs, defending them whenever possible, but always in a Christian and non-violent manner, without succumbing to the intimidations of atheistic governments and the world. It is our conviction that will convince our opponents. It is our faith in God that He will work miracles in and through us as He did with Philip.


We can be certain God will make use of us in whatever circumstances we are in to deliver His Good News to all of humanity so long as we seek to do His will. Evil cannot triumph over goodness. As Jesus assured us, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I shall not turn him away.” Indeed, God the Father wants us all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. He does not want to lose anyone of us. And what is important for us to remember is that we must, like Jesus, carry out the will of the Father in bringing the Good News of His Son to all of humanity. Jesus Himself declared, “I have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of the one who sent me. Now the will of him who sent me is that I should lose nothing of all that he has given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day.”


Conversely, we must, as Church leaders, learn from history not to suppress people with different views. Using authority to stifle the voice of our members or parishioners will only lead to resentment. Even if they do not revolt, our people will fall into apathy with regard to their faith. In time to come, the living faith in Asia and Singapore will degenerate into an institutional faith that no longer speaks to the needs and aspirations of our peoples because we have become disconnected from their lives, living in our narrow worldview and most of all, in arrogance and complacency.


In the final analysis, to survive the persecution and trials of the apostolate, we must seek Jesus, for only He can give us the strength and the courage to endure to the end. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.” Jesus, as the Bread of Life in the Word of God and who comes in person in the Eucharist, will give us the fortitude and wisdom to transform all sufferings into joy. Yes, as Jesus taught us, “it is my Father’s will that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and that I shall raise him up on the last day.” So let us never give up in the face of discouragement, setbacks, opposition and persecution. Rather, let us place our entire trust in Jesus and His Heavenly Father, surrendering everything to His holy will. Our task is to remain faithful to Him and He will bring about the work of conversion.

Written by The Most Rev Msgr William Goh