12th February

Strength of our convictions

The more you harvest us the more we will multiply ourselves. The Christian's blood which you shed is like a seed which comes out of the earth and which abundantly bears fruit. Several of your stoician philosophers recommend in their letters to patiently suffer pain and death. The example of Christ's disciples is more eloquent than these words. This unconquerable firmness which you treat as stubborness and as a crime is a mighty instruction to convince. "Who can be a testimony without being shaken?"

Countless examples in fact show that those who made the believers suffer like this were so impressed by their moral strength of their convictions that as persecutors they became persecuted.

This is the story of Saul of Tarse. He went off to emprison and to send to death Jesus' disciples before becoming a disciple of Jesus himself. He spent a long time in prison before knowing himself the torture of death.

If I have to face turments, battles, trials, tests, pass through the melting pot where gold is refined, enter into the furnace or to cross rivers he remains my Saviour, my guide and my treasure.