Letter from Rome – Babylon

My Dear Parishioners,

As we enter the Seventh Week of Easter, we continue our journey through the First Letter of St. Peter. Some biblical scholars question whether St. Peter the Apostle was the actual author. I do accept, as fact, that the Letter was definitely written by St. Peter, the Prince of Apostles and our first Pope.

St. Peter most likely wrote the Letter from Rome, which he calls “Babylon.” “Babylon” was a code word for Early Christians for Pagan Rome. He probably composed the letter during the reign of Emperor Nero and then not too long before his own crucifixion.

The letter is directed to a persecuted Church. This was a Church being persecuted by Jews, who believed that Christians were a dangerous sect of heretics. This was a Church also being persecuted by pagan Romans, who treated Christians as scapegoats, blaming Christians for everything going wrong in the Roman Empire.

Since St. Peter was writing to believers, he did not see the need to write a theological treatise. He did however see the need to write a moral exhortation to his persecuted Church.

He was encouraging Christians who faced confiscation of property, imprisonment, torture, and death to hold fast to Christ and to true religion: Beloved: Rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let no one among you be made to suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intriguer. But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the name (I Peter 4: 13-16).

He was also warning those who might feel tempted to fall back into old sinful ways not to do so, but to imitate Jesus Christ in Holiness: as He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in your conduct (1Peter: 1:15).

His exhortation is important to us, as we face persecution from an increasingly secular world. Secularism is a philosophy that claims that it does not make determinations based on religion but based on the empirical sciences alone. Secularists so then “claim” to be “neutral” on the matter of religion.

Sadly, in practice, secularism is far from neutral on the matter of religion. On the contrary we have found out that secularism is outright hostile to true religion. The godless can never truly be at peace around the Godly. Thus, secularists who claim, in theory, not to discriminate on the basis of religion, do, in practice, discriminate against those who hold fast to true religion.

The persecution under secularists is not the physical persecution that we faced under Nero. No, it is a philosophical and intellectual persecution. Thus, it has been more subtle and yet just as evil. For instance, the whole issue of “gender identity,” along with many other challenges to traditional family values, comes from the secularist movement.

Moreover, faithful Christians in the workplace have found themselves being passed over for jobs and for promotions for simply remaining faithful Christians. Faithful Christian students have found themselves being ridiculed for their Christian beliefs and encouraged to abandon those beliefs. For workers and students, this persecution can be very intense in our colleges and universities around the country.

In the face of this new era of persecution, St. Peter calls us to always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence, and keep your conscience clear, so that when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s Will, then for doing wrong (I Peter 3: 15-17).

This is easier said than done, especially if our livelihood is in danger. It is also easier said than done when those closest to us have embraced secularism and have now become hostile to anyone holding true to our Catholic Faith.

Thankfully, we have the guidance of St. Peter, and we hold fast to our Faith. We hold fast to Christ not only for our sake and the sake of our souls, but for the sake of our persecutors and for the sake of their souls. For as long as we hold fast to our Catholic Faith, and in love, offer encouragement even to those who are now persecuting us, we have that opportunity to save their souls too. Let us never give up, but always do good, avoid evil, and continue to work for the Glory of God and for the salvation of souls: ours and theirs.

St. Joseph, Patron of the Church and our Patron, pray for us!

Fr. Michael J. Pawelko, Pastor