Blessings of peace, mercy, and divine love to all of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Today, we gather under the gaze of the Almighty, who sees the suffering of His children and calls us—each of us—to be instruments of His justice, His compassion, and His healing. The world groans under the weight of injustice, war, and exploitation, yet we must never forget that we are an Easter people, a people of hope, called to transform the darkness with the light of Christ.
The Cry of the Persecuted
The words of our Lord in the Gospel of Matthew echo through the ages: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:10). Yet today, we see the scourge of persecution—real or imagined—used to sow division rather than unity. Whether it is the suffering of Afrikaners in South Africa or the countless others oppressed for their faith, their race, or their convictions, we must never remain silent. The world is quick to weaponize suffering, to turn victim against victim, while the true evil—the sin of hatred—goes unchallenged.
But imagine, dear brothers and sisters, a world where we do not merely debate who suffers more, but where we stand together as one human family, refusing to let any child of God endure injustice alone. That is the kingdom we are called to build—not through words, but through action.
The Scourge of War and the Dream of Peace
The prophet Isaiah speaks of a time when nations "will beat their swords into plowshares" (Isaiah 2:4). Yet today, the earth trembles beneath the march of armies, and hospitals in Gaza crumble under the weight of war. The innocent suffer, the wounded cry out, and the world watches—divided, paralyzed, or worse, indifferent.
But imagine a world where leaders do not settle disputes with bombs but with wisdom; where the resources spent on war are poured instead into healing, into feeding, into teaching. This is not a naïve dream—it is the will of God! And it begins with us, with our prayers, our voices, our refusal to accept war as inevitable.
The Sin That Cries to Heaven
And then there is the darkest evil of all—the exploitation of children. Our Lord’s warning is terrifying in its severity: "If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." (Matthew 18:6). Yet in the shadows of illegal mines, in the alleys of forgotten cities, children are bought, sold, and broken. How can we call ourselves followers of Christ if we do not rise up in holy anger against such evil?
Imagine a world where no child fears the night, where no little one is stolen, where every boy and girl is cherished as the precious gift they are. This is the world Christ demands we fight for—not tomorrow, but today.
The Church’s Call in a Broken World
Yet even as we look outward, we must also look inward. One of the great wounds in the Church today is the scandal of division—the way we allow politics, pride, and personal ambition to fracture the Body of Christ. How can we heal the world if we are not first healed ourselves? How can we preach unity if we are divided?
I call upon you, my brothers and sisters—lay down your quarrels. Seek reconciliation. Let the Church be a beacon of unity in a world torn apart by strife.
A Choice Between Two Futures
The path before us is clear: either we rise as one to build the kingdom of God, or we will watch as the world descends into greater darkness. If we do not act, persecution will spread. If we do not act, wars will multiply. If we do not act, more children will be lost to the abyss.
But if we act—if we pray, if we serve, if we love without limit—then we will see miracles. We will see swords turned into plowshares. We will see justice roll like a river. We will see the day when no child weeps in fear.
This is our mission. This is our calling. Let us not fail.
Amen.
What can we do?
In the face of persecution, injustice, war, suffering, and child exploitation, it’s easy to feel powerless. But every individual has the ability to contribute to positive change—starting in their own daily lives. Here’s how:
Against Persecution and Injustice
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