Dominica III post Pascha - Counsels to a Persecuted Church

PRESENTATION: A familiar scene

The First Epistle of St. Peter, which we heard this morning, could be considered the first “Apostolic Letter,” a type of papal document still issued today. Apostolic letters, unlike Encyclicals with which we are probably more familiar, are not addressed to the whole Church but to a particular group and have a more pastoral tone rather than being a legal document.

In this case, the First Epistle of St. Peter is addressed to the Christians in Asia Minor, who are suffering at the hands of their pagan neighbours. The Epistle offers counsel on how to live as Christians in the midst of a corrupt and hostile society, something with which we should be intimately familiar.

Like those Christians in the First Century, we do not have the luxury of being surrounded by public institutions that uphold Christian values. Indeed, for most of us here, we have witnessed, over the course of our lives, a society that has transformed from one that was apathetic to Christianity to one that is openly hostile.

We often envision the first three centuries of Christianity as times of widespread persecution and martyrdom, with Christians being sent to the lions in the arena or crucified on the roadsides. While there were periods of bloody persecution when many Christians died for the faith, these were generally local and lasted at most a few years until a new emperor came to the throne or a new local governor took over.

No, until Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, many Christians had to endure sufferings not unlike the ones we face today. Christians would suffer mockery for their beliefs, they would be the subject of suspicion for holding views contrary to the prevailing public belief system, they would suffer false accusations against their character, and much more.

What do we face today? Christianity is the constant subject of jokes and mockery in popular entertainment; we get verbally attacked online, and in person for the beliefs we hold, and we suffer from character assassination and slander, called bigots, misogynists, and other words unworthy of repeating.

St. Peter’s counsel to those First Century Christians then, is just as relevant for us today as it was then.

EXPLANATION: Living in a corrupted world

Given just how similar the audience of St. Peter’s Epistle is to us today, we would be wise to take his counsel to heart. So what does St. Peter advise in this passage?

The first thing that we might be tempted to skip over, but of which scholars take careful note, is the reference to the readers as “strangers and pilgrims.” This is not implying that they were foreign people who had moved to that region, rather it is a reminder that, as Christians, our permanent citizenship is not in this world. We are just visiting, staying for a while but set to go home one day. That fact, however, does not exempt us from civic responsibility, as we will see in a minute.

St. Peter’s first counsel in this passage is to refrain from carnal desires. Rome, as you may know, was well known for its indulgence and perversion. Citizens were encouraged to satisfy their hunger with ever more exotic foods, and their other appetites with debauchery and violent forms of entertainment.

Today, we not only celebrate obesity but condemn those who dare to speak of the health risks; young people openly boast of their double- and even triple-digit “body counts,” children are taken to displays of sexual perversion as a normal family activity, and while we do not have gladiatorial combat anymore, you can get your fill of violence by watching Game of Thrones or playing Grand Theft Auto.

In a culture filled with such evils, we must be counter-signs, fighting the war against the flesh, with the weapons of the spirit.

We also need to hold ourselves to a higher standard in our conduct with others. Whatever names we are called, whatever insults are hurled at us, we cannot return insult for insult. If someone cuts us off in traffic, we cannot return an obscene gesture or an angry word. When conversations turn to base subjects, or detractions and gossip, we cannot join just to fit in. While others might speak evil against us, they must see in us the good works that glorify God.

We must be obedient to lawful authority. We must engage in the political process respectfully. So much of the political process has been reduced to name-calling and personal insults; we must engage in the process civilly, and while we may object rightfully to the policies of governments which contravene faith and morals, we must be as respectful of politicians we dislike as we would hope those on the other side would be respectful of those we do.

When we are called upon to defend the faith, whatever the circumstance, we must do so free from malice and hatred for our opponents. We are servants of God and of the truth, which means we must speak the truth with love for all.

We must especially love our fellow Christians and fellow Catholics. The greatest sign of contradiction against the Christian message is division among Christians who are supposed to be united in the love of Christ.

Finally, we must be good workers. Work is not the goal of our lives, as some think who put it before everything else, but neither is it a necessary evil. Work, for most of us, is our daily means of sanctification, which means being conscientious employees, who are respectful of their superiors, even when those superiors are not respectable.

It is far too easy to want to turn inward, to associate with our fellow Catholics and leave the rest of the world to fall apart around us. It is also far too easy to just go along to get along, leaving our faith behind so that we can “fit in” more easily. St. Peter does not offer either of these strategies as an answer. As Christians, we must live our faith in the midst of a corrupted world, but we must shine with the light of Christ in the midst of the darkness.

IMPLICATION: Drawing strength for suffering

While we do not have to fear being fed to the lions in the arena, as Christians living in an openly anti-Christian culture, we must expect to suffer.

Whether that is insults, suspicion, or attacks against our character, we will face the wrath of the world. St. Peter provides us with the blueprint for living in this world, while not withdrawing from it, nor conforming to it, but it is not something we can do on our own.

If we want the strength to persevere, we need to draw it from the source, from Christ. That means, first and foremost, having a rich prayer life. Going out into the world today, or inviting it into our homes through modern media, without a solid foundation of prayer is like trying to land a plane without engines. You might just be fortunate and land safely every once in a while, but most of the time, you are going to crash.

Having a solid foundation of prayer also means praying together, strengthening one another. Just coming to church once a week for Sunday Mass might be fine if the culture around us is there to support us during the week, but it just does not cut it anymore. Attending a weekday Mass, and receiving Communion at least one additional time per week is a good start. Communal prayer of the Divine Office is the next most beneficial thing we can do together, which is why we have Sunday Vespers every week and communal Compline at Evenings with Father.

The Holy Rosary and other devotions are also essential to aid us, which is why we have First Friday and First Saturday devotions every month, as well as other devotions frequently, like our Rogation Procession last Tuesday, and our May Crowning in two weeks.

The culture around us hates us more and more with each passing year, but Christ placed us in this world to transform it, not join it or hide from it. We must expect to suffer, insults and shame just as He did, just as the Christians of the First Centuries did, but following the wise counsels of our first pope, we will not just persevere, but begin to reclaim this world for Christ.