Module 3
Module 3
Module 3
l. Introduction
The word persecution refers to the violent actions directed against the
early Christian Church by their enemies. In this module, we will recall the
sufferings experienced by the Christians during the first two centuries of
this common era. In so doing, we will get in touch with the heroism of our
forebears in faith as they established their identity as followers of Jesus.
Jesus had anticipated that his Church would be persecuted and would
meet many difficulties along the way.
Article Analysis
No cause is more worthy than the cause of human rights. Human rights
are more than legal concepts: they are the essence of man (woman).
They are what makes us human. That is why they are called human rights:
deny them and you deny your humanity.
We have the right to live in a manner that befits our human dignity and
enables us to bring our talents to full flower. From this right spring
countless other rights, such as the individual’s right to a descent
livelihood, and the people’s rights to determine their own future. None of
them should ever be compromised or sacrificed in any way. We cannot
have one without the others; or the others without the one.
For what is freedom when there is no food, or justice when there are no
jobs? A starving man (woman) does not have much freedom of choice and
there is no justice in poverty. Food without freedom, jobs without justice,
would be like leaves without a tree.
If we do not struggle with all that we have and do all that we can do to
vindicate our right, we cannot only condemn our rights to death; we also
condemn our hopes and dreams, our present, and our children’s future.
Of course, there is no guarantee that we will succeed. No one can give us
such a guarantee except God – and we have no right to demand
guarantees from Him. All we can do is fight he good fight and leave the
outcome in His hands, confident that we have done the best we could and
that He in turn, will do what is best for us.
And as we continue to press our efforts, there will be no doubt about times
when we will become weary and disheartened. None of us is a superman
(super-woman). When that happens, let us give in briefly to temptation;
and after indulging in self-pity, let us resume our task.
We will struggle on, no matter how long it takes or what it costs, until we
establish a just community of free men and women in our land, deciding
together, working and striving together, but also singing and dancing,
laughing and loving together.
Jose Diokno
(Excerpts from various
speeches on human
rights)
1. Quote the phrase or statement from the article that can be related
to the persecution of the early Christians. Explain.
lll. Abstraction/Deepening
The death and resurrection of Jesus became the starting point of the
Christian faith. The first Church at Jerusalem consisted of Judaeo-
Christians who continued to worship in the Temple and to fulfill the law of
Moses. Their faith in Jesus as the Christ led them to develop a new life
style of communal sharing of goods. In their daily celebration of the
breaking of bread they remembered the covenant love of God with His
people in and through the death and resurrection of Jesus (Read Acts
2:42-47).
Stephen, a Jewish deacon, full of faith and the Holy Spirit, was arrested
and stoned to death when his enemies could not refute his wisdom (Read
Acts 6:8-15). This triggered a general persecution in Jerusalem so that
Jesus’ followers sought refuge elsewhere, preaching the gospel wherever
they travelled.
Paul’s conversion (Read Acts 9:1-9) to faith in Jesus Christ and his
subsequent missionary journeys (Read Acts 13:1-28:31) to read the gospel
across Asia Minor and around the Mediterranean became a great turning
point in the history of the early Church. The Romans considered him as a
leader of a sect preaching a revolutionary form of Judaism, and as such a
threat to the social order.
During the first three centuries of the Christian era, the early communities
experienced series of persecutions from hands of the Roman civil
authorities. The Romans considered their emperors as divine and their
laws as sacred. The Christians were not convinced about it and did not
agree to follow the Roman laws, which were against the teachings of the
Christian faith. These behaviors displeased the Romans. Hence, the
outbreak of the persecution of Christians.
In 64 AD, a great fire broke out in Rome which destroyed a large part of
the city. Emperor Nero (54-68) was suspected of deliberately setting it on
fire to make room for his new palace. In order to divert the blame for
himself, he accused Christians of having caused the disaster. Many
Christians were brought to trial and were tortured, c. 67 CE (Tenney, New
Testament Survey). Martyred during this time were St. Peter and St. Paul.
“The Church of Christ was born from the sacrifice on the cross, and she
continues to grow and develop in virtue of the heroic love of her most
authentic sons and daughters. ‘The seed is the blood of Christians’
Tertullian, Apologeticus, 50). Like the shedding of Christ’s blood, so the
martyrs’ offering of their lives becomes in virtue of their union with Christ’s
sacrifice a source of life and spiritual fertility for the Church and the whole
world. The constitution Lumen Gentium (n 42) states the reason very
concisely “By martyrdom a disciple is transformed into an image of his
master, who freely accepted death on behalf of the world’s salvation; he
perfect that image even to the shedding of blood. The Church therefore,
considers martyrdom as an exceptional gift and as the highest proof of
love.” (Pope Paul Vl) “The Church of the first millennium was born of the
blood martyrs. At the end of the second millennium, the church has once
again become a church of martyrs.” (Pope John Paul ll)
The Church, “like a stranger in a foreign land, presses forward amid the
persecutions of the world and the consolations of God”, announcing the
cross and death of the Lord until He comes. But by the power of the risen
Lord she is given strength to overcome in patience and in love, her
sorrows and her
difficulties both those that are from within and those that are from without,
so that she may reveal in the world, faithfully, however darkly, the mystery
of her Lord until, in the consummation, it shall be manifested in full light.
Lumen
Gentium
V. Application
1. Watch the recorded mission stories of SVD Fathers presently
assigned at DWCL. After watching consider the following
questions:
What is the challenge of their mission story to you?
Do something at home as your way of fulfilling your mission
especially at this time of the pandemic.
Vl. Resources
Pulvinar, Sonia et al. 1998 The Church and the Sacraments. Vibal Publishing
House, INC, Metro Manila
catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-to-catholics
college.holycross.edu./faculty.
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