The Holy Priest-Martyr Januarius and Those with Him (305-11); the Holy Martyr Theodore of Pergia (138-61)
Read
Acts 4:1-10; John 3:16-21
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
There is a wonderful film called “For Greater Glory” that presents the Cristero War of the late 1920s in Mexico. This war was caused by the state-sanctioned atheist policies of the Mexican government which sought to eliminate the influence and presence of the Catholic faith and the Church.
In the face of persecution and eventual martyrdom, young Jose along with countless others continue to exclaim, “Viva Christo Rey!” In today’s reading, in the face of persecution and questioning, Peter and the other apostles continue to proclaim the universal power and reign of Jesus Christ.
Persecution is not a new phenomenon and many of us have experienced it in various ways in our lives. In the face of the persecution we may face today, may we ask God for the boldness to continually exclaim and affirm that “Christ is Risen!”