Friday of the
Third Week in Ordinary Time
(Hebrews 10:32-39; Mark 4:26-34)
During World War II a Protestant community in rural
France saved an estimated 5000 Jews from the Holocaust. The Huguenots of Le Chambon-sur-lignon sheltered
and hid Jewish refugees from the Nazis and their French collaborators. The townspeople provided their persecuted
guests with papers and transport to freedom in Switzerland. Moved by the collective memory of their
ancestors being victims of Catholic persecution centuries before, they
responded with compassionate service to the horrific ordeal of the Jews. Their story reflects the first reading today.
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews reminds the
people of their heroism during an earlier persecution. He mentions how they joined in the suffering
of fellow Christians who were imprisoned for their faith. The author is encouraging the people not to
give up. Rather they must keep practicing
what they believe despite trials and the delayed return of Christ.
There are signs that we are entering into a new era of religious
intolerance. Hateful fundamentalists are
using militant sections of their religious texts to persecute peoples of other
beliefs. Equally discomforting, secularists are ridiculing religion as the
source of war among peoples rather than the great pacifier of abusive passions
that it has predominantly been. Like the
Letter to the Hebrews recommends, we must place our confidence in Christ. He will provide the spiritual resources to
endure present difficulties while working for peace among peoples.
