Wednesday of the 34th Week of Ordinary Time

posted in: Homilies, Liturgy, The Church Year | 0

Today's readings

I think for most of us, the whole idea of giving testimony to anyone or anything can be more than a little daunting. And then to be dragged in before courts, and national rulers to do it – well, that just puts fear into our hearts doesn't it? That is, however, just what Jesus promises that will happen in those cataclysmic days of the end of time. For those who are not used to speaking in front of people, that can be frightening. But Jesus also promises that we need not worry about what to say on those occasions, because he will provide us with the defense that we are to speak.

Which is why it is so important for us to always work on our relationship with the Lord. For those who don't have a relationship with him, they will never know the words they are to say, nor could they possibly recognize them if they were given those words. But for those who seek the Lord every day of their lives, they will be used to seeing God's grace and knowing the right words to say.

It's a little like the woman who was desperate for the solution to a problem in her life. She finally knew that she had to pray about it, but because she hadn't really done that very much, she didn't know how to pray. So she got the old dusty Bible off the shelf, opened it at random, closed her eyes, pointed to a verse and read, "Judas went out and hanged himself." She knew that couldn't be the answer, so she tried again. She opened up to a random spot, pointed to a verse, and read, "Go and do likewise." That frightened here a bit, so she figured she would try one more time. Opening the Bible at random, she pointed to a verse and read, "Go quickly and do what you must do."

That's an old joke, but it illustrates my point. If we want to be prepared to witness to Christ before courts and nations and rulers, we need to know who Jesus is. If we want to have the words to speak on those frightening occasions, we have to have a relationship with Him in the first place. Then we truly need not worry about what to say, because we will be able to sing God's praises before the whole world. And we can join in the song with all the victorious ones in the Kingdom of God:

Great and wonderful are your works,
Lord God almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O king of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
or glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.