EVERYONE WHO ACKNOWLEDGES ME BEFORE OTHERS

Eph 1,15-23; Ps 8; Lk 12,8-12
20 OCTOBER

Martyrdom for the right faith was not born with Christ Jesus, but with Abel himself, at the origins of man’s creation. He was killed in envy by his brother Cain.

In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil, while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen. So the Lord said to Cain: “Why are you so resentful and crestfallen? If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.” Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out in the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him (Gen 4,3-8).

Abel does not say a word to his brother. However, he does works pleasing to the Lord. Cain cannot bear that God likes his brother’s works and refuses his. The Book of Wisdom reveals that the mere presence of the righteous annoys the wicked, in whose heart a desire arises to do evil, which also reaches the point of physical elimination.

Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, Reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the Lord. To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, Because his life is not like other men’s, and different are his ways. He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father. Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him. For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him” (Wis 2,12-20).

Jesus sends his apostles into the world. They will have to not only proclaim the Gospel, they must first of all live it. They will have to testify before every word, law, thought, will, unjust desire of the men that they are governed by the Word of their Master and Lord. Every temptation to evil must be rejected by them. They cannot. “I am a disciple of Christ Jesus”: this must be their one and only answer. The world does not accept contradictions and different distant ways from its discordant thought and often intervenes also inflicting death.

I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. “Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defence will be or about what you are to say. For the holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”

Jesus speaks to his disciples with divine clarity. If they do not recognize him before men, He will not recognize them before the angels of God. He will be recognized and welcomed in his eternal kingdom who on earth will testify that only He is his way, his truth, his life, his light and his hope. His presence as a true disciple of the Lord annoys the world. A single Christian in a city is enough to illuminate it with divine light. This light annoys the world of darkness and certainly it will do everything to shut it down. Knowing this, the Christian perseveres in his testimony as son of the light, confessing Jesus his eternal Light. It is not the disciple the one who will have to choose martyrdom. That is why in the courts he must let the Holy Spirit speak. It is the Spirit of God who decides who must pass through violent death and who instead must continue to be clearly visible light in the midst of men.

Immaculate Mother, Angels and Saints make us true witnesses of Jesus with words and deeds.