Fr. Francis Scaria

Persecution that the Church faces demonstrates that Jesus continues to live in the Church. He who lived in a mortal body chose to continue to live in the community of His disciples. The question that he put to Saul, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me? is being repeated in the world today. It is our Lord’s body that is persecuted. St. Paul understood this great truth. That is why he says, “I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Col 1:24). Our Lady standing at the foot of the cross sharing in the sufferings of Christ symbolises and personifies the persecuted Church. In times of persecution Christ’s suffering in His Body is actualised. Persecution thus manifests the authenticity of the Church. It is the noble task of the Church to be on the cross with Jesus in order to establish the Kingdom of God in this world.