The Holy Father lamented that “there are still – and there are many – those who suffer and die for bearing witness to Jesus, as there are also those who are penalized at various levels for behaving in a manner consistent with the Gospel, and those who fight every day to remain faithful, without fuss, to their good duties, while the world laughs at them and preaches something else.”
He pointed out that these people, like Saint Stephen, “may also seem like failures, but today we see that this is not the case. In fact, now as then, the seed of their sacrifices, which seemed to die, sprouts and bears fruit, because God, through them, continues to work wonders to change hearts and save men.
In this sense, Pope Francis invited the faithful to ask themselves: do I care and pray for those, in various parts of the world, who continue to suffer and die for their faith? Do I try to bear witness to the Gospel with consistency, meekness and confidence? Do I believe that the seed of good will bear fruit even if I do not see immediate results?”