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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4981 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Tue Jan 16th, 2007 02:26 pm |
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Matthew 5:11-12:
[11] "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
[12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you."
At mass this morning, during the Prayers of the Faithful, our priest asked us to remember those who are persected for the faith. I immediately thought of the priests who are incarcerated in China for refusing to accept the authority of the "National Church" and saying loyal to Rome instead, but then it occurred to me that many of you are facing persecution every day from friends and family for no other reason than that you are being drawn to Christ's Church.
Rejoice and be glad! As hard as it is to be "reviled" and "persecuted," and have "all kinds of evil [uttered] against you falsely on [Jesus'] account," our Savior tells you "your reward is great in heaven." The prophets were persecuted in the same way before you, including many of the great saints of the Church who were reviled in their time for keeping their Christian faith. From the martyrs during the early persecutions to the martyrs for the faith in America, Vietnam, Africa, and today in China; from St. Stephen the Deacon to the apostles to St. Thomas Becket to Bishop Oscar Romero to the missionaries being captured, imprisoned, tortured and killed today around the world; from those persecuted in the early Christian Church to those reviled by the world today like John Paul II and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, all share a common bond with you of persecution from authorities, friends, and family.
Some of you have lost your jobs and families over your faith journey. Many more face persecution and revilement every day at home and at work, from your friends and extended family to your spouse and children and those you love the most. Many of you have lost your closest friends and face the loss of your family and marriage.
Jesus says, "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you."
God bless you all on your journey.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Darlene
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 877 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Tue Jan 16th, 2007 09:06 pm |
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Thank you Cajunrick for this message of hope. I truly need to hear these words of encouragement at this time!
Darlene
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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BodRod
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 |
| Location: | Apple Valley, California USA |
| Posts: | 720 |
| First Name: | Cliff | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Raised an SDA, then Generic Christian, finally at home with ... |
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Posted: Wed Jan 17th, 2007 12:02 am |
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<<<......"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you."......>>>
That concept is what kept me going for the first couple of years or so in my association with the Church including my Journey through RCIA. I found such ideas as very comforting. 
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Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.
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