{"id":41,"date":"2015-09-13T17:01:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-13T22:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2015\/09\/taking-up-the-cross-in-difficult-times.html"},"modified":"2016-03-25T17:20:07","modified_gmt":"2016-03-25T22:20:07","slug":"taking-up-cross-in-difficult-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2015\/09\/taking-up-cross-in-difficult-times.html","title":{"rendered":"Taking up the cross in difficult times"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
This morning I preached this homily at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Savannah. \u00a0Part of the homily came from an article I wrote about one year ago about my two priest friends from Aleppo, Father Michel Kayal and Father Antoine Tahan. \u00a0When Mass ended, an elderly man dressed as a priest approached me and began thanking me for this homily. \u00a0He was a retired Syriac Orthodox Bishop. \u00a0It confirmed to me that this homily needed to be preached this morning.<\/div>\n
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Before starting the Vigil Mass for Palm Sunday two years ago I decided to check the headlines on a Catholic news website. \u00a0My heart almost skipped a beat as I read towards the bottom of the page, \u201cSyrian priest kidnapped as war rages on.\u201d<\/div>\n

During my time in seminary I became a very close friend of two Syrian seminarians from Aleppo. \u00a0Throughout the three years that we studied together in Rome I compared the conditions that awaited me in the United States and those that awaited them in Syria. \u00a0Any personal challenge I foresaw was quickly crushed by considering the challenges they would face by returning to Aleppo. \u00a0I admired their courage and bravery. \u00a0I was returning to a sandbox, they were going to a war zone.<\/p>\n

I hesitantly clicked on the headline and to my horror saw a picture of Father Michele Kayal in red vestments. \u00a0My heart sank and I shed a few tears. \u00a0I immediately emailed my other friend, Antoine, and he responded confirming the sad news. \u00a0On February 9th, 2013, Father Kayal and a Greek Orthodox priest were taken off a bus by rebels near Damascus and they were never seen again.<\/p>\n

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Me with Father Michel as seminarians in 2006<\/div>\n

On July 2013 I heard from Father Antoine again. \u00a0Aleppo was under siege by rebels making it impossible to leave the city. \u00a0Food was scarce and expensive. \u00a0Factories lay in ruins. \u00a0He described the situation as \u201ctruly difficult.\u201d \u00a0His greatest fear was that Christians in Syria would imitate Christians in Iraq and leave their homeland.<\/p>\n

In mid-2014 while taking some time to rest in Rome, a missile hit his bishop\u2019s residence in Aleppo. \u00a0Part of the complex was destroyed, much of it damaged, including my friend\u2019s bedroom. \u00a0Father Antoine wrote to me, \u201cfor the moment there is no hope because the war is already so long.\u201d<\/p>\n

In February of this year his church was bombed and it had to be closed. \u00a0My friend now lives with his parents, teaches at a school.<\/p>\n

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In the midst of all this, Father Antoine continues to serve the many families entrusted to his care. \u00a0He does so faithfully and courageously. \u00a0Any money he receives he divides among his parishioners; there are now many orphans and widows.<\/p>\n

Someone recently asked me regarding my friend, \u201cwhy doesn\u2019t he stay away? \u00a0He goes to Rome occasionally, he goes to Lebanon, why does he return to Aleppo?\u201d<\/p>\n

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The answer is in today\u2019s Gospel:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. \u00a0For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Saint Paul traveled in Syria centuries ago, he heard the following words from Jesus himself: \u201cSaul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?\u201d \u00a0This led Paul to the realization that those he persecuted were part of the Body of Christ; the same body that was nailed to the cross.<\/p>\n

The body of Christ continues to be desecrated and profaned today as Christians are killed for their faith. \u00a0A recent figure estimates that 100,000 Christians die each year on account of their faith. \u00a0All Christians, as part of the same body, must feel the pain of those suffering tremendously. \u00a0Their pain must be ours. \u00a0Their sorrow must be ours. \u00a0We cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Christ. \u00a0They are not just a headline or a statistic; they are one with us in the communion of saints. We must stand in solidarity with the suffering Body of Christ. \u00a0If we do not care about the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Christ, then who will?<\/p>\n

Persecution is not something new in the Church, but rather, something that has existed from the beginning. \u00a0Christ did not present to us a nicely manicured Church, but rather a radical way of life that pricks the world\u2019s conscience \u2013 something the world often dislikes.<\/p>\n

Responding to the question Jesus poses to his disciples (and to us) has consequences: \u201cWho do you say that I am?\u201d \u00a0To believe that Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God who has risen from the dead changes everything. \u00a0If this were not the case, why else would the Christians suffering in Syria remain faithful? \u00a0They have responded to Jesus\u2019 question with faith and they will not go back on their word.<\/p>\n

Today we criticize those who remained silent during the Holocaust\u2026 will we be judged for not speaking against the systematic atrocities happening today in Syria? \u00a0Four million refugees, eleven million internally displaced people and a Christian minority that is quickly disappearing.<\/p>\n

We must remain informed about the situation in Syria. \u00a0We must not dismiss the suffering of these ancient Christian communities. \u00a0We must share with others what is happening. \u00a0We must pray for them to persevere in faith and not waiver. \u00a0Make contributions to Catholic institutions that directly help the churches in Syria.<\/p>\n

May Jesus Christ grant us the grace to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him, even if it means following the footsteps of the Syrian Christians.<\/p>\n

Pictures are mine, all rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This morning I preached this homily at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Savannah. \u00a0Part of the homily came from an article I wrote about one year ago about my two priest friends from Aleppo, Father Michel Kayal and Father Antoine Tahan. \u00a0When Mass ended, an elderly man dressed as a priest approached […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2533,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nTaking up the cross in difficult times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This morning I preached this homily at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Savannah. \u00a0Part of the homily came from an article I wrote about one\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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