Though God is hidden He is mighty.

But because He is invisible, one must search for evidence of God in his everyday life.

And the Christian knows no matter how bleak things seem to be, God never ceases to make Himself known to all who cry out to Him.

“In the world you will have trouble…” (John 16:33)

Though evil seems to increase and prevail in every corner of the world, the Christian recalls John the Beloved Disciple’s encouragement to the early Christians facing persecution: He who is in the world is greater than he who is of the world (i.e. Satan) (1 John 4:4).

But how does one know this to be true?

Christians have historically been (and still are) the most persecuted group of people on earth, currently making up about 75% of all religiously-motived violence and oppression (see Aid to the Church in Need citation).

According to Open Doors’ Annual World Watch List of 2023, 1 in 7 are persecuted worldwide with 312 million Christians facing “very high” or “extreme levels” of persecution.

Yet through centuries of attempted annihilation, Christianity has not only survived, but has somehow thrived as the world’s largest religion at 2.3 billion–almost 1/3 of the world’s population (see the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom report below).

The most persecuted group of Christians today?

Nigerian Christians.

Nigeria, a new country recommended by the USCIRF to be included on the international watchlist of “particular concern” in the 2022 annual report of religious persecution of its own citizens, yet the targeted killings are still being largely ignored by the outside world.

The country with the largest Catholic seminary in the world?

Nigeria.

In 2022, Bigard Memorial Seminary had over 800 seminarians training to be priests (see https://missio.org.uk/update-from-bigard-memorial-seminary-nigeria/).

How can this be?

Because they are the suffering Church–Christ Crucified. And because of this, Jesus will make them victorious in the end.

Why? Because Jesus and His body, the Church, is indestructible.

“But take courage, I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33)

Jesus did not conquer the world by force as a military leader or religious zealot. He knew that way would not work because it uses the “world’s weapons”.

He needed to use the “heavenly weapons” of humility and self-emptying love.

Jesus conquered the world’s errors of pride and violence by doing the exact opposite–submitting to His Father’s will in obedience by offering Himself up to the Father in our place.

And since He was and forever will be the only One who has the authority to wipe us off the face of the earth, His willingness to submit his life as a restitution for our disobedience won the possibility of every person’s eternal life in heaven (CCC 615).

As Pope St. Leo the Great (-461 AD) pointed out, “He did away with the everlasting character of death so as to make death a thing of time, not of eternity.”

The Cross: therein lies the power

Therefore, since Jesus has united Himself to humanity, in a mysterious way, He also calls each Christian to participate in His Cross throughout his life.

This is not to make God satisfied, but to tether the Christian to Jesus, who is Life (John 14:6).

It is for the Christian’s sake.

Therein lies the power of the cross.

Intended as an instrument of torture and humiliation, Jesus changed it to be a means of every person’s path to great joy in heaven.

Crosses are exactly what break our grip on things of this world, and get us longing for the fullness of everlasting life.

God allows them to make us greater than our formidable opponent–he who is of the world.

And ultimately, to conquer the world in a different way.

May all Christians of the world unite and conquer evil in and with Jesus through sharing in His Cross.

I hope you, dear reader, have a blessed Holy Week.

“In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” (John 16:33, NRSV-CE).

Sources: Aid to the Church in Need, “Persecuted and Forgotten?”, https://acnuk.org/resource/persecuted-and-forgotten-2017-2019/.

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, “2022 Annual Report”, https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/uscirf-spotlight/persecuted-christians-around-world.

Open Doors, “Annual World Watch List 2023“, https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/.

Missio, “Update from Bigard Memorial Seminary, Nigeria, Message from the Rector: Fr Albert”, https://missio.org.uk/update-from-bigard-memorial-seminary-nigeria/.

Divine Office Breviary, Liturgy of the Hours, A sermon of Saint Leo the Great, pope, “The Cross of Christ is the Source of All Blessings, the Cause of All Graces”, https://www.universalis.com/-400/readings.htm.

https://biblehub.com/john/14-6.htm.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+16%3A33&version=NRSVCE.