Fr. Michael Williams

Paul and Barnabas spent a good deal of their time and energy ‘putting fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith’. This was because the first Christians were under immense pressure to discard the practise of their faith. The ruling authorities had dispensed with Jesus by crucifying Him, and many of the first followers of Jesus, were persecuted and put to death, because of their faith in the Lord and His Church. In our own day there is immense pressure on people to discard the practise of their faith. For example, our society can promote material well-being to excess, often at the expense of spiritual realities. The secular media in particular can often pressurise people into focusing too much on how they look, which is of secondary importance. When we die we will be judged on our faith and our love, not on how we look. St Paul says, ‘Set your minds on things that are above, where Christ is…not on things that are on earth’ (Col 3).

There are other dangers to our faith today. Many people today seek spiritual experiences in the wrong way through séances, spiritualism, tarot cards and the like. To dabble with these things is to sup with the devil. When we are baptised we reject satan and his works, because they are a huge threat to our faith. Satan seeks to draw us away from the practise of our faith and from God, so that we will end up in the same place as him. Seeking spiritual experiences in the wrong place can have catastrophic consequences. We need to have true spiritual experience through prayer and the Mass.

Ultimately, our life will be deemed a success only if we reach our home with God in heaven. Not to reach that place would be the greatest personal disaster ever. To be in heaven is to be with One sitting on the throne who, ‘will wipe away all tears from their eyes, there will be more death, and no more mourning or sadness’. The goal of each one us is to reach Heaven, and it is not a foregone conclusion for any of us. The book of the Apocalypse gives us a glimpse of heaven where all is well, and all manner of things are well. To repeat what St Paul says, ‘Set your minds on things that are above, where Christ is…not on things that are on earth’ (Col 3).

Heaven is the place where love has triumphed. It is the love that Jesus speaks of today: ‘love one another, just as I have loved you’. The love of Our Lord was a love that didn’t count the cost; it is a love based on sacrifice. It’s the love spoken of in the letter to the Corinthians: ‘love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited; it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds joy in the truth. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust to hope and to endure whatever comes. Love never comes to an end’. That was the love Our Lord lived, it’s the love that we His followers are called to live.

The love the Bible speaks of is a love that can be demanding, but if we persevere in it we will live in the eternal love of Heaven.

Persevering in the faith and love can be a struggle. Indeed Paul and Barnabas told those first believers, ‘We all have to experience many hardships before we enter the Kingdom of God’. Jesus would say something similar: ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross everyday and follow me’.

To persevere in our faith and in our love is demanding; and there are lots of pressures today on people to discard the practise of their faith and love. Paul and Barnabas encouraged the first Christians, ‘to persevere in the faith’. We too must persevere in the faith and love amidst the difficulties and struggles, knowing that the reward being faithful to the God of love is everlasting happiness and peace.