In those days, Paul went to Derbe and Lystra. There was a disciple here named Timothy, son of a believing Jewish woman and of father Greek: he was highly esteemed by the brothers of Lystra and Iconius. Paul wanted him to leave with him, took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those regions: in fact everyone knew that his father he was Greek.
Traveling through the cities, they transmitted to them the decisions made by the apostles and the elders of Jerusalem, so that they could observe them. In the meantime, the Churches were strengthening themselves in the faith and were growing in number every day.
They then passed through Phrygia and the region of Galazia, since the Holy Spirit had prevented them from proclaiming the Word in the province of Asia. When they reached Mysia, they tried to pass into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus he did not allow them; so, leaving Mysia aside, they went down to Troas.
During the night a vision appeared to Paul: it was a Macedonian who begged him: "Come to Macedonia and help us!". After he had this vision, we immediately tried to leave for Macedonia, believing that God had called us to proclaim the Gospel to them.
At that time, he said Jesus to his disciples: “If the world hates you, know that it hated me before you. Were you of the world, the world would love what is of it; but since you are not of the world, but I have chosen you from the world, therefore the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you: "A servant is not greater than his master". If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my word, they will also keep yours.
But they will do all this to you because of my name, because they do not know him who sent me."
“If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (Jn 15:20)
“Blessed are those who are hated and persecuted because of Me! Blessed, yes, because if they imitate Me they will participate in My fate as true wives, they will fully share the fate of their Spouse... Blessed, because what is sweeter than suffering with those you love? …
Blessed, because they will have this double honor, to suffer with the Beloved and suffer for Him… Blessed, because, thanks to the same sufferings, thelove for me: it will grow to the extent of the pains they will suffer for me and this love growing will not be fleeting, but lasting, it will last over time and eternity… Oh!
Blessed are those who suffer persecution with Me, and whoselove it grows without ceasing in persecutions!
Do not refuse, never fear the pains, the hatred, the persecutions suffered for Me; on the contrary, welcome them with joy, blessing, thanksgiving, gratitude a God and to men, thanking Me from the bottom of your heart, praying for your enemies and your executioners, adding you, earthly angels, to their guardian angels to ask Me for their conversion, and rejoicing in your heart that you have been judged worthy to suffer humiliation and pain for love My!
Do not forget that I thus treat those whom I love with predilection; this is how I treated the patriarchs and the prophets, this is how I treated my Mother, this is how I treated My beloved father Joseph, this is how I will treat you Magdalene, this is how I will treat you, Peter, John, James, all of you my favorites! … and so above all I will treat Myself, I who must be the first in everything…
And how blessed will be the end of these pains!… The more you have loved and suffered for Me in this world, the more you have been persecuted for Me, the better you will see Me and the better you will love Me eternally in the next…
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
Whichthe spirit of the world?
What is this worldliness, capable of hating, of destroying Jesus and his disciples, indeed to corrupt them and to corrupt the Church? (…)
Worldliness is a culture; it is a culture of the ephemeral, a culture of appearing, ofmake-up, a culture “of today yes tomorrow no, tomorrow yes and today no”.
It has superficial values. A culture that knows no fidelity, because it changes according to the circumstances, negotiates everything.
This is worldly culture, the culture of worldliness. AND Jesus insist on defending us from this and pray that the Father defend us from this culture of worldliness. It's a cultureof disposableaccording to what is convenient.
It is a culture without fidelity, it has no roots. But it is a way of life, a way of life also for many who call themselves Christians. They are Christians but they are worldly. (Homily from Santa MarthaMay 16, 2020)
