Friday of the
Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
(Revelation 10:8-11; Luke 19:45-48)
A few years ago John Allen, one of the leading Vatican
journalists, wrote a disturbing book titled The
Global War on Christians. The book
wakes comfortable Christians from their slumber. Many think the days of religious persecution
ended with the Puritan witch hunts. The
truth that Allen records is that persecution of Christians in places like
Korea, China, and in many predominantly Muslim areas is rampant.
Sunday we celebrate Christ the King, the hope of
Christians suffering religious persecution.
They know that sooner or later Christ will triumph over religious
bigotry, no matter the setbacks now being experienced. The reading from Revelation today hints of
this victory. The sweetness that John,
the visionary, tastes comes from his narrating the ultimate triumph of
Jesus. The sourness in the stomach
reflects the great suffering that must be endured in the process.
Some are predicting religious persecution in the United
States soon. The Church has certainly
lost its credibility among many people.
The global experience of Christians should advise us that harassment at
least is possible. But whether or not
there will be full-fledged persecution of the Church, we too look to Christ the
King for assurance that justice will ultimately prevail.
