Even all the hairs of your head are counted

13 JULY (Mt 10,24-33)

That of the disciple of Jesus is a life completely handed over to the Gospel. All his energy belongs to the Gospel. The spirit, the soul, the will, the feelings, the heart, the same body are of the Gospel, even the blood belongs to Christ and his Word.

This is the truth of the Christian. He is entirely handed over to Lord Jesus. Death for Jesus is his gain. Living for Jesus his only battle. This truth has been taught and lived admirably by St. Paul.

For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, (for) that is far better. Yet that I remain (in) the flesh is more necessary for your benefit. And this I know with confidence, that I shall remain and continue in the service of all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound on account of me when I come to you again. Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear news of you, that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind struggling together for the faith of the gospel, not intimidated in any way by your opponents. This is proof to them of destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. For to you has been granted, for the sake of Christ, not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him. Yours is the same struggle as you saw in me and now hear about me (Phil 1,21-30).

(But) whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and (the) sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ (Jesus). Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus (Phil 3,7-14).

The Christian walks head-on in the world. He is not afraid to die for Christ the Lord. Martyrdom is his baptismal choice. Having chosen to become the body of Christ, he also chose to be crucified as the physical body of Lord Jesus was crucified. One life, one death, one resurrection, a single eternal bliss. If the Christian is afraid of martyrdom, he certainly has not yet made his choice.

No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! “Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.

The Heavenly Father keeps watch on the Christian. Everything that happens in the Christian is permitted by Him so that Jesus Christ is known in his fullness of truth. It is not the man that wants, it is the Father of heaven that allows and he always allows in view of a greater knowledge of the mystery of salvation contained in the Redeemer of the world.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints teach us our truth.