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Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake

Written by

Mark Shea

in

Matthew 5:10

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

It is always astounding to people of small imagination that their ancestors could hate, persecute and kill saints. We imagine that we are 2000 years smarter than the people who put Jesus to death.  We think ourselves wiser than the people who despised Lincoln, or St. Thomas Aquinas, or Joan of Arc.  But the reality is that saints often come to us in very repulsive forms, challenging our deepest and most cherished bigotries.  They are antidotes to the popular poisons of the age.  And because they are antidotes they are often mistaken for poison and hated for it.  Jesus endured just such hatred.  He and His followers were assured by all the leading authorities that His lot was with the wicked and that anyone who followed Him would share His fate among the "accursed" who hung from the tree of the Cross.  But God had an altogether different opinion.  He called Jesus His Beloved Son and gave Him kingship, not only over heaven, but over the whole universe as well.  We shall share in that kingship, if we remain with Him.  And the paradoxical sign of our share in that kingship will be our share in His sufferings and the hatred of the enemies we are called to love and forgive.  Even such hate cannot touch our union with Him.

Comments

  1. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    With all due respect, I feel it my duty to inform you of an option for president that is the most in line with Catholic teaching as I've ever seen. His name is Ron Paul and he's running for the Republican nomination. His platform is simple and powerful: follow the Constitution. He is anti-war, pro-life, and believes that many of the tough moral issues belong to the states, and not the federal government. He strongly supports home schooling, a revised monetary system, and believes in a limited government without foreign entanglements. It's the kind of liberty that our Founding Fathers envisioned and it's catching on. His platform has taken notice on debates and public forums, and most of all on the internet where true democracy is visible.

     

    For those who are new to his message, please check the following links. I have never been much into politics, but when you hear someone speak the same words you hear inside your own head, and who speaks the truth about our situation in America, I take notice. I hope you will too. God Bless.

     

    Ron Paul Links:

    Abortion

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXZpuIXEzWk

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66jpPCIzza8

    http://www.l4l.org/library/bepro-rp.html

     

     

    Catholics For Ron Paul

    http://catholicsforronpaul.blogspot.com/

     

    Official Site

    http://www.ronpaul2008.com/

     

  2. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Hey Mark,

    Sorry for posting this here, it was intended for another article. But I noticed a gross lack of attention given to a candidate who so many Catholics are talking about. Please consider bringing Ron Paul up. The full truth may be in the Church, but I feel a good deal has landed on Ron Paul. Thanks.

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