Friday of week 3 in Ordinary Time
or Saint Angela Merici, Virgin
First reading – Hebrews 10:32-39
“For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you happily accepted being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting”. This is the key to welcome all challenges and difficulties on our way of following Christ, the light of our life. That is why we read, “Remember all the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, in earlier days”. When we start following the light, we meet with challenges and difficulties. Not only inner difficulties but also public difficulties and challenges. “sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to insults and violence, and sometimes as associates of others who were treated in the same way”. Then the question is how do you face it? The Letter says that we can do it when we own something that is better and lasting. Owning something, being identified with something. This is not something but that is a person, the person of Jesus Christ. When we feel that we belong to Jesus Christ, we have His love and His love is better and last forever, we can face any difficulties in following Him. We accept the difficulties not ourselves alone, but together with Jesus Christ. And then even we go to a further level. We will try to share the sufferings of others, “not only shared in the sufferings of those were in prison”. The more I feel like being part of Jesus Christ, driven by Jesus Christ, the more happily I face difficulties and I share the difficulties of others. We don’t draw back or drown in it. We keep going with the light to be light for others. Let’s reflect: Do I feel that I belong to Jesus Christ when I face difficulties in my life?