Today’s first reading begins the account of St. Paul’s second journey. Since there are children, mothers, and grandmothers at this Mass, I would like to tell you about Paul’s encounter with the young Timothy. Paul proposes to Timothy to follow him on the journey and he accepts. About ten years later, Paul will write two letters to the young bishop Timothy. He will remind him: “… from infancy you have known the sacred scriptures” (1Tim 3:15), mother Eunice and grandmother Lois taught you them (1 Tim 1: 5). Mothers and grandmothers are the first catechists of our children, sometimes even fathers and grandfathers. Please, teach your children and grandchildren to know the Bible, to love and serve God and brothers. It is your responsibility!
The gospel we have heard is at the end of John chapter 15. We are still during the Last Supper. The first sentence of Jesus speaks of a “world” that hates the disciples as it hated Jesus.
What is the “world”? What does John mean by “world”? We can immediately exclude that “world” is the Earth or creation. What did Jesus teach during his life? Love, and service to brothers and sisters. The message of Jesus is an alternative to a society founded on interest, hatred, dominance, corruption, and power. “World”, for John, is a system that does not tolerate, rather it is afraid and therefore hates free people. The love taught by Jesus who makes itself service to others is true freedom and this freedom is not granted by the system.
“If you were of the world…”. In the past, someone has interpreted these words by preaching the Fuga Mundi, the escape from the world. The concept was: let us separate ourselves from the society which is perverse, and depraved, and let us create angelic citadels of holiness, of goodness. And it was a big mistake. Whoever believes in Jesus lives in the world but is not of the world. Jesus’ invitation is not to be of the world, that is, not to accept those values that govern society, based on the three verbs to have, to climb, and to command. Jesus came to create a different society where instead of having there is sharing and instead of commanding there is service. Therefore, if you believe in Jesus you cannot be estranged from the world but in the world, you must become salt, light, and leaven.
Jesus says again: “because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you”. If we here were all thieves or all dishonest, a person who does not steal, who is honest, would be an indictment of us and it would be unbearable just to see him. Jesus invites us to make a choice: to be in the world, but without being of the world; be realistic, live in this society, but without accepting those unfair values that govern society, without any compromise.
In a society where there is selfishness and individualism, the free service is seen as an indictment against him and for this, it triggers persecution. Persecution is included in the disciple’s program. If one is faithful to Jesus, to his message, persecution in its various forms, hidden or evident, open or disguised, is always present.
Do you know when the persecution of religious leaders against Jesus began in the Gospel of John? When he healed the paralytic at the pool. Do you remember what Jesus told him? “Rise, take up your mat, and walk”. (Jn 5:8). The encounter with Jesus gets the person back on their feet and restores freedom, but walking does not depend on Jesus. Walking depends on the individual and is conditioned by taking the mat. But why does he have to take the mat? It’s been there for thirty-eight years, ew! If I had been Jesus, I would have said: rise, throw that mat away and walk. But no. Jesus is telling that man that if he wants to walk he must transgress the law of God, the law of the Sabbath. Carrying a burden was strictly forbidden, and a long series of curses were triggered. The man takes his mat, walks, and from that moment the persecution against Jesus is triggered because he showed that what prevented us from walking was, strange to say, precisely the observance of divine law. Jesus was breaking down a system and they couldn’t bear it; for this, they will kill him.

Jesus is saying to his disciples and to us today: if you carry out my project on you, civil society and perhaps also religious society – think of the hatred of Pope Francis even in ecclesial circles because he proposes a return to the Gospel and breaks established patterns – not only will they not applaud you, not only will they not appreciate you, but will unleash hatred against you. This is what happened in history and still happens today not far from us, in our land.
What should we do then in the face of possible persecution? Do we protest, or do we ask the government and the police to defend us? Who listens to us? Do we respond to violence with violence? We would not be of Christ. I find it difficult to put myself in the shoes of our brothers in the dioceses of Northern Nigeria who are living the experience of blind and absurd violence against them, among other things in the name of a God that the persecutors, as in the time of Jesus, do not know at all.
I only know what Jesus taught us: opposition to an iniquitous system does not pass through violence but the gift of myself, of my life. May the Lord help us to be consistent with the faith we profess. Amen.