Davao observes Day of Persecuted Christians

Homily of Msgr. Paul C. Cuison during the Red Wednesday Mass celebration at the San Pedro Cathedral, Davao City on November 27, 2019

The readings of today’s mass, which are readings of the day, speak to us eloquently about theme of the celebration today known as The Red Wednesday.

Red Wednesday is a day of prayer and commemoration initiated by the organization known to us as the Aid to the Church in Need. It is celebrated today, November 27, all over the world to express our solidarity with the 300 million Christians who are persecuted because of their Christian faith.

In a country such as ours, a Christian country, with a very high degree of tolerance in matters of religious practices and confessions, we wonder why this phenomenon of religious persecutions is still possible. “Posible pa ba sa atong panahon nga lotuson ka tungod sa imong pagtoo?” The Catholic Church faced this question squarely during the Second Vatican Council and issued a pivotal document, dignitatis humanae, to strongly express the protection of religious liberty in the right of every human being to worship God in his or her own religious convictions.

But sad to say, according to the world report in 2018, that religious persecution is still prevalent in almost 80% of all acts of religious discrimination in the world today are directed against Christians. This includes our suffering brothers and sisters in places like Marawi and Sulu. The world after all is not really a very peaceful place to live, even to peace loving Christians like us, Catholics.

I listened to the Gospel proclamation today, and I said to myself that Jesus’ words are very prophetic especially when He forewarned his disciples about the sufferings and persecutions which they have to endure because of their faith, and he said, “They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. They will put some of you to death and you will be hated by all because of my name.”

You know, His words were fulfilled in the early years of Christianity when countless martyrs were brutally killed because of their faith. But this happened as well in the years and centuries that followed in Paprican say, that all through the years from the time of Jesus until our time today, countless Christian faithful have stood firmly as a witness to their Christian faith even suffering death itself.

His words are also directed to us right here, right now. We may not have suffered physical persecution in our place, in our time, and like in places such as those in the Middle East but we do suffer persecution because persecution takes on various kinds and forms. I’m thinking, for example of the so-called cyber bullying, you open your Facebook and most likely you would read of stories of Catholic who are harassed because they speak out their religious in moral convictions about certain issues of the day. Often, the church teachings are mocked and attacked and our religious leaders are caricatured and made fun. You speak out your mind and express your religious convictions and most likely, you will become vulnerable to ridicule in harsh words.

The world is not really very friendly to our Christian faith as we wish it to be but I find comfort and assurance in the message of the gospel reading today, as it speaks to us of God’s unconditional love and faithfulness. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand for I myself shall give you wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or to repute and not a hair of your head will be destroyed, by your perseverance we will secure your lives, it is this faith in hope that we are holding on. Even when the world is not friendly and peaceful as we wish it to be, it is the wisdom from above and the power from on high that we cling to especially as we courageously face our enemies, the enemies of our faith, we shall not be cowed, we shall not be afraid because our God is a powerful God and he will remain faithful to His promises to us.

Today, as we gather to pray and express our solidarity with our persecuted brothers and sisters, we especially ask the lord for spiritual strength and wisdom that they will be able to face their challenges in faith wherever they are in the world. We also pray for ourselves, for the same strength and wisdom, that we may face our own challenges in life with fortitude and love, so that like the country saints and martyrs in the history of the church, we will also be standing firmly and gently and give witness to the faith to others who are in need of it.