brought before kings and governors. This will be your opportunity to bear witness.
So keep this in mind: do not worry in advance about what to say, for I will give you words and
wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.

You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends, and some of you will
be put to death. But even though, because of my name, you will be hated by everyone, not a hair
of your head will perish. By your patient endurance you will save your souls.

Reflect:

What is the most repeated, persistent command from God in the Scriptures? I guess it is the
command not to worry! Every time Yahweh or an angel of the Lord appears to a human being,
his first words are “Do not be afraid.” Postresurrection, these words get converted into a more
positive assurance: “Peace be with you.” Almost every human act of evil emerges from
deep-seated fear. In today’s Gospel, speaking of the persecutions that await his disciples,
Jesus tells them not to worry, but to trust in him. For a soul that has trusted herself into
the hands of God, nothing can be a tragedy. Jesus himself has set the example before us, by
commending his spirit into his Father’s hands, from the cross. The one who can so let oneself
fall in trust will find the law of gravity annulled and oneself being held in God’s palms.

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