In today's reading Jesus speaks of the persecution that many of the faithful will undergo before the end of their life here on earth. In my reading and meditating upon this gospel, I was struck by the final sentence. "By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

The words of Jesus are timeless and are addressed to any persons of any age who will listen and hear them. They are addressed to me and to you and to all who read these reflections and all who read St. Luke's gospel. These words tell us that if we persevere, that is if we faithfully follow the words and teaching of Jesus, we will be saved. We may suffer in this life, but we will attain eternal happiness in the next.

Jesus also talks about the trials and sufferings that come with persecution. The words: "you are not to prepare your defense beforehand" remind me of the example of so many martyrs. Their stories show us how human they were. They reacted with fear in the face of torture and death. They found it difficult to find words to defend themselves. Yet over and over again the stories of martyrs show us that Jesus gave them a wisdom that confounded their persecutors. Today they provide us with a powerful example of fidelity to the words and teaching of Jesus. And their stories impress upon us that Jesus is faithful to his promises.