The mission of a Christian apostle demands personal sacrifice.
In the early Church, a persecution arose in Jerusalem through the Jews' envy. After putting the Apostles into prison, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying: ‘"We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the apostles answered: "We must obey God rather than men."... When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them’.
Today, as always, the Christian faith finds obstacles along its way. For while she is on earth, ‘the Church, "like a pilgrim 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. By the power of the risen Lord, she is given strength to overcome patiently and lovingly the afflictions and hardships which assail her from within and without, and to show forth in the world the mystery of the Lord in a faithful though shadowed way, until, at last, it will be revealed in total splendor.’
Jesus had announced that in the world his followers would have tribulation. Thus, the Apostles, whom he chose, were sent into the world not to enjoy but to suffer, St Paul tells us plainly: “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which in Christ Jesus goes with eternal glory. And he adds with joy: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh, I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church."
Without personal sacrifice there will be no fruit. “The Cross is present in everything and it comes when one least expects it. But don't forget that normally, the Cross comes when you start to be effective."
We have to ask God our Lord to increase our hunger to serve. For “the laborers are few, and the harvest plentiful. Our apostolate is a sea without shores, and there are so few souls in the world who want to serve God! Imagine what would happen if those of us who are willing to serve were to be half-hearted about it."
Once and for all, we need to get rid of whatever separates us from, or even slightly hinders, our way as apostles. We can never forget that only when apostles are ready to sacrifice their own lives, through continuous self-denial in the service of others for God, will they be truly united to Jesus' work of redemption. Only then can their apostolate be fruitful.
“To imitate Christ, take his advice: If any man has a mind to come my way, let him renounce self, and take up his cross, and follow me."
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