christian beliefs are trivialized today ... 7th week easter friday

Paul is now in jail for two years.  He was imprisoned by the procurator Felix and after two years his successor, the procurator Festus, was wondering what to do with Paul.  So Paul as a Roman citizen used his right as a citizen to appeal his case directly to Caesar.  As a Roman Citizen he can present his case directly to the emperor, this time to Emperor Nero and plead for his judgement.  The procurator can only agree to it because that is the Roman law of which Paul as a Roman citizen is entitled.  And so Paul was sent to Rome as a prisoner.  There he will await an audience to emperor Nero and then wait for his judgement.

Paul’s imprisonment started because of his assertion the Jesus rose from the dead.  And for that the Jews wanted him condemned to death. 

When the procurator Festus talked about Paul’s situation and imprisonment to King Agrippa and Bernice they had little sympathy, and showed no concern at all, not only on Paul but also on the things that they were accusing him of.  Like the men of the world that they were, they considered these quarrels of Paul and the Jews irrelevant and farfetched.  Why debate on the resurrection, who is this Jesus and why quarrel over him?  Jesus is irrelevant to these three worldly people.  For them Jesus and his values does no makes sense.

One of the persecutions that a Christian could suffer at this day and age is when people treat what Christians believe in as trivial.  The values which Christians held with honor are now trivialized in a world that has become more and more materialistic and secular.  Some of these beliefs are even ridiculed.  Some are even considered obstacles to progress.  For example our traditional views on marriage and family life are now considered by some as archaic – now people want divorce, now people want access to abortion, now people want same sex marriage.

More and more too the ideal vocations, the vocation to the priesthood and religious life are no longer as valuable and attractive.

Our beliefs as Christians do not make sense to more and more people today.  And it is difficult to live these values when they are no longer held in high esteem.  But like St. Paul we must go against the tide – we are called to become salt, to make a difference and not just simply to go with the flow.