In the Gospel Jesus warns His disciples of the days ahead. They are going to have the shattering experience of seeing their Master put on trial by their authorities, handed over to the hated Romans, dragged through the streets as a common criminal and finally barbarically executed on a cross. And all around them the world laughs and jeers and the leaders see it as a glorious victory. In time, they will come to learn that all this suffering is the prelude to the triumph and joy of the Resurrection, which opened the way to life for them and the whole world. It is like a mother who accepts the pains of childbirth as the price of bringing a child into the world. In our lives, too, we need to be ready to accept that our living out of the Gospel may involve pain and rejection on the part of some people. But, knowing that we are with Jesus, brings an inner joy that no one can take from us. There are many examples of this in the lives of martyrs and others who have been persecuted for their commitment to truth, love, justice and freedom. As the civil rights workers in the US sang on their way to jail - 'We shall overcome.'