Those who live faithfully may face persecution

November 20, Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: 1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63; Luke 18:35-43

There's an old proverb that says that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Sometimes people living their faith and striving for holiness are treated as squeaky wheels who need to be quieted. They make us uncomfortable by calling us to a higher standard and by making us aware of our own sins and failures.

We see examples in today‘s readings. People try to silence the blind man who is calling out to Jesus. The first reading describes the time surrounding the Greek conquest of Israel. Many people abandoned their faith and adopted Greek customs, ultimately leading to those who remained faithful to the covenant being silenced, sometimes violently.

Even in our day, those who live faithfully may face persecution. In some places, churches have been destroyed and worshippers have been injured or even killed. In other places, people are not permitted to speak of their faith and evangelize others. Let each of us pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters, that God will strengthen them, keep them safe, and bring them home to him.