32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

When it comes to the confrontation between martyrs and their persecutors the ultimate questions about the meaning of life are all too real. The persecutor cannot imagine any life other than the present and is amazed that his or her victim can be so foolish. Yet, for the martyr, the only life worth having is that which is in Christ. Without it this earthly existence losing meaning therefore to deny Christ is to die, whereas, to hold firm to him, even in physical death, is life. The young man in the First Reading today states: "One cannot but choose to die at the hands of mortals and to cherish the hope God gives of being raised again by him." (2 Macc 9: 14) St Justin Martyr, at his trial put it this way: "We hope to suffer torment for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so be saved. For this will bring us salvation and confidence as we stand before the more terrible and universal judgement-seat of our Lord and Saviour." The challenge for us, in New Zealand, is that despite being free from such persecution we face the same challenge - do we value our present earthly life more than we value our life in Christ Jesus? How do we manifest our choice for Christ in our everyday life? If there was a persecution in progress and we were to be brought before a court and accused of being a Christian would there be enough evidence for a guilty verdict?