HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
HOMILY THEME: SUFFERING FOR THE SAKE OF THE NAME JESUS
BY: FR. OBINNA EZEAPUTA
In today’s first reading (Acts 5:34–42), we see the apostles facing persecution for their belief in Jesus. Despite facing flogging and orders to cease preaching, the apostles depart with joy, feeling a sense of honor in bearing witness to Jesus’ name. This response may seem strange to us, but it reflects the teaching of the Catholic Church about suffering for the sake of the faith.
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The Church teaches that suffering can be a means of sanctification, a way of drawing closer to God and sharing in the sufferings of Christ. When we suffer for faith, we unite with Christ in his passion and death, and we can offer our sufferings as a sacrifice to please God.
So, how can we practically offer our suffering to God? We can start by praying, “Jesus, I offer this suffering to you, unite it with your passion and death, and use it for the salvation of souls.” We can also make a conscious effort to accept our suffering with patience and trust, rather than complaining or becoming bitter.
Additionally, we can offer our daily struggles, such as chronic illness, pain, or difficult relationships, as a sacrifice to God, asking Him to use them for good. We can also use our suffering as an opportunity to practice acts of self-denial, such as fasting or giving up a favorite activity, and offer them to God as a form of penance. In this way, we transform our suffering into a means of holiness and draw closer to God.
This does not imply that we should seek out or glorify suffering. Rather, it is a recognition that suffering is a part of life and that we can offer our sufferings to God as a way of uniting ourselves with him.
In Acts, the apostles were willing to suffer for their faith, knowing that their suffering was not in vain. They knew that they were suffering for the sake of the truth and that their suffering would ultimately lead to the spread of the Gospel.
“Suffering, when it is accepted and offered to God, can be a source of great blessing and sanctification” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1521). Let us pray for the grace to accept suffering with faith and courage and offer it to God as a sacrifice pleasing to him. May we be united with Christ in his sufferings and may our suffering lead to the spread of the Gospel and the salvation of all.
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