Memorial of Saint
Cornelius, pope and martyr, and St. Cyprian, bishop and martyr
(I Timothy 2:1-8; Luke 7:1-10)
Persecutions in the early Church were not as severe and
frequent as sometimes imagined but they did occur. The Romans were generally lax about religious
laws only insisting that people pay respect to their gods without necessarily
abandoning their own. Of course,
Christians could not acknowledge the existence of other gods and, therefore,
were persecuted when it was politically expedient. St. Cyprian was executed as
a witness to faith in Christ while St. Pope Cornelius died in exile for being
Christian.
In the first reading today, Christians are exhorted to
pray for those in authority so that they might avoid persecution. It is not to be a prayer for show but, as the
author states, that the authorities might realize God’s will of universal
salvation. The gospel likewise testifies
to this purpose as Jesus praises the faith of a Roman officer.
Some may find it quaint today to pray for the salvation
of non-Christians given Vatican II’s acknowledgment that one following his or
her conscience will come to be saved.
However, Pope Benedict has offered some insight into the situation when
he asks whether people who convert their opinions and desires into norms of
conscience and do anything they wish may be saved. No, the world desperately needs the saving
truth of Jesus if everyone is going to be transformed into a saint.
