Some of the things we need to be prepared for when we want to serve God is the possibility of rejection, persecution, and even being put to death. Over the centuries, we have seen many saints and martyrs who proclaimed the faith with vigour, and some even went to their death for the faith. Some may have been spared torture or persecution, but they experienced hardship and many difficulties, especially when the faith was being proclaimed in new areas where the people and the conditions of the place was generally unknown.
In today's reading, we are being affirmed and encouraged to persevere while serving God. The reading tells us: "My son, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal. Be sincere of heart, be steadfast, and do not be alarmed when disaster comes. Cling to him and do not leave him, so that you may be honoured at the end of your days. Whatever happens to you, accept it, and in the uncertainties of your humble state, be patient, since gold is tested in the fire, and chosen men in the furnace of humiliation. Trust him and he will uphold you, follow a straight path and hope in him." Let us not give up or waver in our vigour, but increase our efforts, knowing that God will guide us and help us in all we do, for His greater glory.
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