One Minute Reflection – 28 October – “The Month of The Most Holy Rosary and The Holy Angels” – The Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles – Ephesians 4:7-13 – John 15:17-25 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“You are not of the world … I have chosen you out of the world, therefore, the world hateth you.” – John 15:19
REFLECTION – “All good and faithful Christians but above all, the glorious Martyrs, can say: “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom 8:31) The world conspired, peoples plotted in vain, princes formed a league against them (Ps 2:1); people invented new torments and formulated incredible forms of torture. They were covered with disgrace and deceitful accusations, they were locked into unbearable dungeons, their flesh was wracked with nails of iron, they were massacred by the sword, they were thrown to wild beasts, given to the flames and these Martyrs of Christ, called out: “If God is for us, who is against us?”
The whole world is against you and you say: “Who is against us?” But the Martyrs answer: “What does this whole world matter to us, since we are dying for the One by Whom the world was made?” Thus, may the Martyrs say and say again and may we hear it and say it with them: “If God is for us, who is against us?” They may let their fury loose, they may revile us, accuse us unjustly, heap calumny upon us; they may not only kill us but torture us. What will the Martyrs do? They will repeat: “But surely, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.” (Ps 54:4). … But if the Lord is the upholder of my life, how can the world harm me? … It is He Who will also restore my body … “The hairs of our head are all numbered.” (Lk 12:7) … So let us say – let us say with faith, let us say with hope, with a heart on fire with love: “If God is for us, who is against us?!” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 334 for the Holy Martyrs).
PRAYER – O God, Who has given us a way of coming to know Thy Name through Thy blessed Apostles Simon and Jude, grant us to honour their everlasting glory, by becoming more holy and to become more holy by honouring it. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
AnaStpaul 