By Fr. Charles Nwora Okeke, Posted on Courageous Priest, Sept. 2017
The trial of persecution is no fun: “We should not wish persecution upon ourselves, and it does us no good to always be thinking of it. However, if God would permit that we experience persecution, we pray that He grants us the grace that we may find the courage to live our faith without flinching”.
It is not uncommon to meet with Catholics who are more ready for the final persecution than they are willing to deny themselves presently, take up their cross and follow Jesus. They know everything about the purported three days of darkness, and have stocked up on blessed candles, etc. Some have even set up rooms at home for the private celebration of the Mass during the persecution. It is so crazy out here.
Our spirituality should not be rooted in vain preparation for persecution, final or not, but rather in the desire to go to heaven and be with Christ forever. We should not wish persecution upon ourselves, and it does us no good to always be thinking of it. However, if God would permit that we experience persecution, we pray that He grants us the grace that we may find the courage to live our faith without flinching.
True Preparation
Instead of raising our anxiety levels and those of others by constantly harping on the end-time persecution, we should spend more time building up on sources of strength and boldness that feed our resolution to firmly live the truth under all circumstances. We train ourselves daily in virtue rooted in the holy fear of God; we foster our desire for eternal glory. Keeping in mind that we are living members of the Mystical Body of which Christ is the Head, we spare no efforts to attain to holiness so as to be worthy of this Body in which we are united in bonds of grace and love. In this single Body, we must love one another; help one another and serve one another. In this way, we grow spiritually strong, ready for whatever trial God permits to come our way.
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