SERMON/HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF EASTER17TH APRIL 2024

SERMON/HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF EASTER17TH APRIL 2024

Acts 8:1b-8; Ps.66; John 6:35-40

Persecution is no obstruction

One who does not love cannot bring others to Christ and Christ to others because witnessing is never without persecution. In today’s first reading, a fierce persecution against the Hellenist Christians took place. The goal of the persecution was to scatter the assembly of believers so that they will no longer speak in the name of Christ.

True to the expectation of the persecutors, the believers scattered about as they ran for their lives. But because the Lord has promised victory through the power of his resurrection, their fled did not bring an end to the mission of Christ. They fled but planted the gospel in the various places they found themselves. Thus persecution was turned into cross-pollination. From the earliest times, the Holy Spirit has always turned persecution into manure for evangelization. Dear Christian, you will be persecuted but you can never be defeated.

In every age, God looks for ordinary men and women who are willing to give themselves over to Jesus and to be his instruments in the world. It is our availability that is most interesting to Jesus. When we are available, God can work through us. To be unavailable is to lack love; one who lacks love cannot evangelize.

Just as no power could hold Jesus in the grave, in the same way, no situation can thwart the spread of God’s kingdom on earth. Today, we are called to re-evaluate our life of witnessing. What excuses do we give for not bearing the name of Christ? If we only want to preach the gospel when the condition is perfect, we will never preach it. Jesus tells us that if we are ashamed of him before men, then he too will be ashamed of us before His Father in heaven (Mk.8:38).