The Holy Martyrs Menas, Victor and Vincent (138-61); Our Venerable Father and Confessor Theodore the Studite (826)
Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat
1 Thessalonians 2:14-19; Luke 11:23-26
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:14-19
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
From St. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, we hear about the persecution which the Thessalonians endured. They primarily were persecuted by the Greeks (“your own countrymen” (2:14)) just as the Judean churches were persecuted by their own countrymen. By listing the various ways the Judeans persecuted the Church, Paul was actually encouraging the Thessalonians by showing that they were united in tribulations and sufferings. They were standing up for the truth and were enduring the same bad treatment that Christ and the prophets faced. We cannot help but remember Christ’s words: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Mt. 5:11-12).
“A servant is not greater than his master” (Jn. 15:20). As servants of Christ, the church of Thessalonica, the churches of Judea, and we too in 2022 should not expect the Christian message to be received by the world with open arms. To live the Christian life is challenging, but we are nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ and have the Holy Spirit as our Advocate. As we face obstacles to spreading the Good News of Christ’s Resurrection and speaking the truth in love to others, let us remember the violent persecutions that Christians endured throughout the centuries. Whatever challenges we face, we know that those who came before us faced even greater challenges and were willing to lay down their lives for their faith in Christ. In patiently enduring sufferings and hardships for the sake of Christ, we live our lives in solidarity with Christians of all ages.