They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me

6 MAY (Jn 15,26-16,4a)

In the Old Testament, the prophets being sent to the one people of the Lord, they were ridiculed, humiliated, persecuted and killed only by the people of the Lord. The martyrs of God were always the result of the sin of the children of Israel.

Shephatiah, son of Mattan, Gedaliah, son of Pashhur, Jucal, son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur, son of Malchiah, heard Jeremiah speaking these words to all the people: Thus says the Lord: He who remains in this city shall die by sword, or famine, or pestilence; but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be spared him as booty, and he shall live. Thus says the Lord: This city shall certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon; he shall capture it.

“This man ought to be put to death,” the princes said to the king; “he demoralizes the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such things to them; he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin.” King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”; for the king could do nothing with them. And so they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah, which was in the quarters of the guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

Now Ebed-melech, a Cushite, a courtier in the king’s palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern.The king happened just then to be at the Gate of Benjamin, and Ebed-melech went there from the palace and said to him, “My lord king, these men have been at fault in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, casting him into the cistern. He will die of famine on the spot, for there is no more food in the city.” Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite to take three men along with him, and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he should die. Ebed-melech took the men along with him, and went first to the linen closet in the palace, from which he took some old, tattered rags; these he sent down to Jeremiah in the cistern, with ropes. Then he said to Jeremiah, “Put the old, tattered rags between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, and they drew him up with the ropes out of the cistern. But Jeremiah remained in the quarters of the guard. (Jer 38,1-13).

In the New Testament one is instead a martyr of the people of the synagogue – only at the beginning – of those who say they are believers in Christ and they are not according to the truth and the whole world. In fact, the Christian is called to be a prophet before every man, bearer of the Spirit of truth, always and everywhere. According to the Word of Jesus a Christian is a martyr of his own family in the flesh. Not even blood ties hold.

Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Mt 10, 21-23).

Now the disciple of Jesus knows what he will have to face. He is called to be a martyr of the Church, of his own family, of the whole world. Before every man he must always recognize Christ as his only truth, eternal life, justice and charity.

“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. “I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you. “I did not tell you this from the beginning, because I was with you.

The Christian might bear witness to Christ Jesus if he is perpetually filled with the Holy Spirit. There is in fact the ordinary testimony and the extraordinary, final one. If there is not the ordinary witness, never there will be the extraordinary one. The world will not recognize him as a true disciple of Jesus and will abandon him to his lies and his sin. With the Spirit of the Lord soul that animates, moves, leads our days, one is always a true disciple of Jesus and always his true witness. The world sees the truth of Christ the Lord and can adhere to the faith, because the Spirit that is in us touches the heart of the other.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints fill us with the Holy Spirit.