Memorial of Saint Catherine of Alexandria
The end of the world is one thing, but what about today?
This week’s focus on the end to come might strike us as a bit much, especially considering the difficulties we find day-to-day in living our faith. Many of us consider the end times to come as being a distant reality, though many Christians in the world are living aspects of that reality right now.
We needn’t let ourselves be overwhelmed with what is to come; there is nothing Jesus asks of us for which He doesn’t also equip us. He speaks in the Gospel today of a time when we will be handed over to the powers of this world, all because we followed Him. But we need not be afraid: Jesus promises to defend us Himself and to give us the wisdom we need to face whatever may come. St. Catherine of Alexandria is a perfect example of this: she stood before the emperor in her day and defended the faith so eloquently that hundreds, including the emperor’s wife, became Christian. However, this also led to St. Catherine’s martyrdom.
What’s more is He knows that every day we find ourselves on trial in small ways, called before “the world” to explain ourselves. It may be a conversation at work, on the Internet; it may be as simple as choosing what we wear, what we watch on television, how we spend our Sundays, and all manner of choices we make, big or small. If we are striving to be faithful subjects of Christ the King we will, inevitably, find ourselves at odds with the “rulers” of this world. Fear not! The wisdom you need to make the right choice has been promised to you.