WHY DOES THE TRUTH GENERATE HATRED? (HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 17TH WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME
WHY DOES THE TRUTH GENERATE HATRED? Jeremiah 26:11-16.24; Matthew 14:1-12 It is popularly said that 'no one is so much hated than the one who speaks the truth. The truth, the sages will say is always bitter and whoever stands up for the truth should be ready to stand alone. Consequently, the question is why does the truth generate so much hatred? In the first reading from the book of prophet Jeremiah, we hear of the attempted mobilization by the officials of the temple to condemn and arrest the Prophet Jeremiah simply because he spoke in defence of the truth against the misdeeds within the Temple of Jerusalem, while he reached the word of God. He declared, “In truth, the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears” (Jer 26:15). Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the destiny of every witness to the truth is that he/she is always mocked, hated, despised, ridiculed, disparaged, derided, laughed at, accused of lack of understanding, narrow-minded, old-fashion, unpop...