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Gospel: Luke 12: 1-7
At that time:
So many people were crowding together
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
“Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.
“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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I’m a convert to Catholicism.
While there are many reasons why, one reason is because of early Church history. I remember asking questions in college like, “What was life like for Christians immediately after the resurrection? Did they celebrate Mass? Were any martyred?”
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Yes, Christians did celebrate Mass (and Catholics have continued this divine command uninterrupted for two-thousand years!) Yes, life was hard for them. Yes, many were martyred.
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Today we celebrate the Feast of Pope Saint Callistus I.
As pope, he was martyred early in the 3rd century AD. Prior to his ordination to the priesthood, Callistus served as a deacon in an underground Christian cemetery in Rome, which now bears his name. Officially, they’re called the, “Catacombs of Saint Callistus.”
Nearly half a million Christians are buried there, including 16 popes and several Saints!
Christians were known for celebrating Mass in the underground catacombs because of fear of persecution. If Roman guards discovered them, often they were martyred on the spot.
You can read more about the Catacombs of St. Callistus online: www.catacombesancallisto.it.
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So, what might the example of Callistus and these early Christians say to us today?
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That Jesus was raised from the dead! It’s a truth worth staking your life on. As Jesus says in the Gospel today, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but after that can do no more… You are worth more than many sparrows.”
You are a child of God. You are worth everything in his eyes.
May we follow him unreservedly today.
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Image credits: (1) Catacombs, Early Christian Art (2) Saint Callistus, TripAdvisor (3) mylutheranroots.com