"These things have I spoken to you, that you may not be scandalised. They will put you out of the synagogues" (John 16:1,2)
In this passage, the caring Redeemer foretells persecutions awaiting His disciples. Christians persecution had a very important place in God's providential plans. They were to provide first class evidence to testify that Our Lord's work - His Church - is a genuine work of God. When we look at Church's history, the first Christian community was established in Jerusalem and soon after the "great persecution" started (Acts 8:1). The faithful were soon scattered away carrying Scriptures with them. Then, the Roman Empire turned against Christians and for more than three centuries the blood of millions of martyrs witnessed to the truth of Christ Church. With what effect? Pagans finally bowed their heads under Baptismal waters. Later on, Christian rulers turned against Church. Effects? At the end of this period, the Papacy enjoyed greater than ever esteem. In modern times, hordes of communists, socialists, freemasons and modernists attack the Church and Papacy furiously. The result is already known: "Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will built my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it " (Matthew 16:18). The effect? Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus, Christus imperat! Are we still afraid of persecutions? We should be very proud to belong to Church like this. Thousand times before, persecutors screamed loudly: "Away with Papacy, away with Catholic Church!" But sooner or later all enemies became prophets of Church's triumph, for at the end of St Matthew Gospel we read: "Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world" (Matth 28:20)
In this passage, the caring Redeemer foretells persecutions awaiting His disciples. Christians persecution had a very important place in God's providential plans. They were to provide first class evidence to testify that Our Lord's work - His Church - is a genuine work of God. When we look at Church's history, the first Christian community was established in Jerusalem and soon after the "great persecution" started (Acts 8:1). The faithful were soon scattered away carrying Scriptures with them. Then, the Roman Empire turned against Christians and for more than three centuries the blood of millions of martyrs witnessed to the truth of Christ Church. With what effect? Pagans finally bowed their heads under Baptismal waters. Later on, Christian rulers turned against Church. Effects? At the end of this period, the Papacy enjoyed greater than ever esteem. In modern times, hordes of communists, socialists, freemasons and modernists attack the Church and Papacy furiously. The result is already known: "Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will built my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it " (Matthew 16:18). The effect? Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus, Christus imperat! Are we still afraid of persecutions? We should be very proud to belong to Church like this. Thousand times before, persecutors screamed loudly: "Away with Papacy, away with Catholic Church!" But sooner or later all enemies became prophets of Church's triumph, for at the end of St Matthew Gospel we read: "Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world" (Matth 28:20)
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