By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Despite increased persecution and
attacks against Christians, the faithful must strengthen their courage and
joyful desire to follow Christ no matter the cost, Pope Francis said.
By choosing God’s path of truth, “light and
life” over all else, Christians continue to give witness and persevere in
“living according to the logic of the Gospel and refusing the logic of the
rulers of this world,” he said at a noon blessing Dec. 26 at the Vatican
to those gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
The pope spoke on the feast of St. Stephen, the first
martyr, saying that by choosing truth, St. Stephen also “became victim of
the mystery of wickedness present in the world. But in Christ, Stephen
won.”
Jesus forewarned his disciples that they would be hated
and suffer in his name, the pope said, adding that such persecution continues today with so many men and women experiencing oppression,
violence, hatred and even martyrdom because of their faith.
“Why does the world persecute Christians?” the
pope asked.
For the same reason the world hated Jesus, “because
he brought God’s light and the world prefers darkness for hiding its evil
deeds.”
“Following Jesus means following his light, which was
lit in the night of Bethlehem, and abandoning the darkness of the world,”
the pope said.
The same cruelty experienced in the early church continues to exist and “there are more martyrs today” than during the early
centuries, he said.
The pope asked people to think of those “who
suffer persecution, to be close to them with our affection, our prayers and
even our tears.”
He cited the courage of Iraqi Christians, saying those
who had celebrated Mass Christmas Eve in their destroyed churches were “an
example of fidelity to the Gospel.”
Hundreds of Iraqi Christians attended Christmas Eve Mass
at St. George Chaldean Catholic in Bartella, near Mosul, in northern Iraq, after
the area was freed from Islamic State forces who had occupied the area for more than two
years.
“Despite the hardship and dangers, they courageously
give witness to their belonging to Christ and live the Gospel dedicating
themselves to the least, the most neglected, doing good to everyone without
distinction, in this way, witnessing charity in the truth,” the pope said.
With Christmas being the time to make more room in our
hearts for Jesus, “let us renew the joyous and courageous desire to
faithfully follow him as the one and only guide,” he said.
After praying the Angelus, the pope thanked everyone who
had sent him Christmas greetings and prayers, apologizing for not being able to
personally respond to the many messages he received.
A “heartfelt thank you! May the Lord reward you with
his generosity,” he said.
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Follow Glatz on Twitter: @carolglatz.
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