Today's readings are about God's love for us, the persecution we must endure as Christians, and the pure happiness the faithful will enjoy in heaven on earth.

Acts 14:21-27
Psalms 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
John 13:31-33, 34-35
Revelation 21:1-5

When they had preached the Good News to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into God’s Kingdom. When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.

They passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. When they had arrived, and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations. Acts 14:21-27

Is today's persecution of Christians a new affliction? The earliest Christians were fed to the lions. St. Paul himself was imprisoned, beaten, and beheaded. But Paul encouraged us to keep the faith to win the race, to "enter into God's Kingdom."

[The Lord] is gracious, merciful,
    slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.
9 [The Lord] is good to all.
    His tender mercies are over all his works.
10 All your works will give thanks to you, [Lord].
    Your saints will extol you.
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom,
    and talk about your power;
12 to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts,
    the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
    Your dominion endures throughout all generations.[The Lord] is faithful in all his words,
    and loving in all his deeds. Psalms 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13

Does God realize how much his people suffer as they try to remain faithful to his precepts? Of course. That's why he is so gracious, merciful, kind and even-tempered. He knows we are weak and will fall many times on our journey. He's always there to pick us up and to nudge us in the right direction if we lose our way. 

Yes, it seems that God grades our efforts on the "curve." Many of us would not have passed some of our college classes if the professor had not graded us on the "curve." I received a "12" on my biology midterm and that turned out be be a "B!" The professor even approached me in the library shortly afterward and asked if I had thought about pursuing a career in science! Who says miracles do not happen today?! Apparently, God was not going to let me fail biology. Thank you, Father, for being so kind and merciful to me in biology! (And no,I did not major in the sciences. I majored in French and Spanish education. A man's got to know his limitations!)

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him immediately. Little children, I will be with you a little while longer. You will seek me, and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come,’ so now I tell you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:31-33, 34-35

So how are we to treat those who persecute us? We must love them as Jesus loves us. Wow! The Old Testament only required that we love God and our neighbor. Now we must love our enemy as well. We all have been hurt by insensitive and sometimes evil people. We do not forget, but we must forgive. Jesus forgave his enemies from the cross. In the "Lord's Prayer," we beg God to forgive us as we forgive those who offend us. 

The secular world will recognize us as Christians by the way we display our love for others, especially our enemies. I have a strong feeling that Jesus will also judge us at the Judgment Seat according to how we loved and forgave others. Jesus is quoted as saying to a sinner as he cast her into hell, "I do not know you!" In other words, Jesus could not see himself in the sinner who made no attempt to love others as he had loved her. 

I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.”  He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He said, “Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.” Revelation 21:1-5

And how does our love for others culminate in regard to God? In marriage! We, the Church, are the bride; God is the groom. But unlike our earthly marriage where we promise to love our spouse even in sickness and poverty until death, God pledges to give us nothing but happiness and an end to suffering, pain and mourning. Who would not want a marriage like that?

So let us keep running the race, persevering in our faith, striving to do what right and just, and loving others as Jesus loves us.

May the Lord bless you and protect you. May he look with favor upon you and be gracious to you. May he give you peace by healing you and providing all that you need to live life abundantly.

John