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Faith, Courage, and Compassion: Standing Together Against Oppression and For the Marginalized
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Hello, beloved friends and family of Saint Francis Parish and Outreach! I hope this finds you well and ready to step into another week together, rooted in prayer, action, and love. I’m grateful to share a few reflections with you as we look at our Sunday readings. The passages this week, 2 Maccabees 7:1-2,9-14, 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5, and Luke 20:27-38, are powerful guides for us as followers of Christ, especially in today’s world where standing up for what’s right and caring for those on the margins is so needed. Let’s look at these scriptures and see how they invite us into deeper faith, even as we face injustice and oppression in our communities and beyond.
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Scripture Reflection: Courage in Faith (2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14)
The story from 2 Maccabees is one of those passages that grabs you by the heart. It tells of seven brothers and their mother who are arrested and tortured for refusing to break the laws of their faith. The courage they show is nothing short of inspiring. As the text says, “One of them, speaking for the others, said, ‘What do you intend to ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers.’” (2 Maccabees 7:2, ESV)
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This is a gritty kind of faith, a faith that says, “Even if things get tough, even if the powers in charge try to force us down the wrong path, we’re not giving in.” Their story reminds us that courage isn’t about the absence of fear, but about standing strong for what we believe, especially when it costs us something. In our time, when voices of hate and systems of oppression try to silence or punish those who stand with the marginalized, this passage calls us to “be ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers,” and, for us, the law of love that Jesus gives.
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Scripture Reflection: Encouragement and Steadfastness (2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5)
Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians is, in many ways, a love letter to a community under pressure. He writes, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, ESV)
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Paul knows that faith isn’t always a walk in the park. It can be exhausting to do the right thing, especially when the world around us feels hostile or indifferent. But God’s grace is real, and it is enough. Paul prays for protection from “wicked and evil men, for not all have faith” (3:2, ESV), and encourages us to stay steadfast, to keep doing “every good work and word.” So, when we feel worn down by the endless need in our city or frustrated that the powers-that-be don’t seem to care about the suffering of the poor, we can take heart. God is with us, encouraging and strengthening us to keep going, together.
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Scripture Reflection: Hope in the Resurrection (Luke 20:27-38)
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is asked one of those “gotcha” questions by the Sadducees, who don’t even believe in the resurrection. They bring up a complicated scenario about marriage in heaven, hoping to trip Jesus up. But Jesus answers, “He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” (Luke 20:38, ESV)
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The heart of Jesus’ answer isn’t about legal technicalities; it’s about God’s promise of life. The resurrection changes everything. It means that injustice and oppression do not have the last word. The God who brings life out of death is still at work, and so our hope is not naïve, it is grounded in the reality of Christ’s victory. When we stand up for justice and care for the least of these, we’re living out the hope that God is with the living, and that love, not death, has the final say.
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Standing Against Fascism: Resisting Oppression Together
I know “fascism” can seem like a big, dramatic word, but let’s be honest, whenever any system or person tries to crush others, silence the vulnerable, or use fear to keep people in line, we see the same dark spirit at work. Scripture shows us that God stands with the oppressed, not the oppressors. The courage of the Maccabean martyrs, the encouragement Paul gives to his persecuted community, and the hope Jesus proclaims, these are all forms of holy resistance. As a parish, we are called to challenge any form of dehumanization or injustice, whether it shows up in the laws of our land, the ways we treat each other, or the biases we quietly carry in our hearts.
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Standing Up for the Marginalized: Our Parish Mission and Practical Steps
It’s not enough to talk about justice; we must do it. Our mission at Saint Francis isn’t just to worship together, but to make sure our love spills over into action. Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are those who think about the poor.” He said, “Blessed are the poor.” So, how do we make that real? Here are a few simple but powerful ways:
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- Show up for those who are being pushed to the margins. This could mean volunteering with an outreach pantry, calling for fair treatment for immigrants, or standing in solidarity with anyone who is being bullied, ignored, or hurt.
- Speak up when you see injustice. Sometimes it’s scary, but silence is never neutral, it sides with the oppressor. Whether in conversations with friends or in the voting booth, let your faith guide your voice.
- Pray for courage. The kind of love Jesus calls us to isn’t always easy, but we don’t do it alone. Ask God to fill you with the same Spirit that inspired the saints and prophets before us.
Personal Stories: How Our Community Lives These Values
I’ve seen you all living out these values in amazing ways. When we collected blankets for the homeless in Augusta, when parishioners stood with those fighting against kings, when we made space for hard conversations about race, gender, sexuality, and inequality, these are acts of courage. They might seem small, but they matter. Each time we choose compassion over comfort, or justice over convenience, we are following the example of the Maccabean family, the perseverance of the early church, and the hope of Jesus himself.
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Conclusion: A Call to Action, Hope, and Unity
As we go into this week, let’s remember that standing up for justice and supporting the marginalized aren’t just “extras” in our faith, they are the heart of the Gospel. Our scriptures remind us that God’s love is fierce, and God’s courage is contagious. So, let’s encourage each other to keep showing up, speaking out, and loving boldly. We are not alone. We are part of something greater than ourselves, a community rooted in faith, hope, and love.
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May the God of the living fill us with comfort, courage, and conviction as we journey together. Let’s keep being the hands and feet of Christ, right here in Augusta and beyond.
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Join us every Sunday at 3:00 PM at 557 Greene Street in Augusta Georgia in the sanctuary of the MCC of Our Redeemer. Rosary starts at 2:25 PM every Sunday.
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November 9, 2025: Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Mass Intention: For the growth of our parish family.
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November 16, 2025: Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Mass Intention: For all the sick and suffering in our parish and our community.
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For the St. George family; Fr. Bryan Wolf; Mary Nehls; for Kelesh’s daughter; James (Cancer); Linda (Cancer); Jacob (Cancer); James Long (Cancer); Mickey; Jacob Williams; Kelesh and family; Lindsay; Sherlock Bones; Tatum Johnson (Job); Brittney (Cancer); Jennifer (DV Survivor, Homeless); Bishop James Long; David; John; Joy; Greenbear; Bishop Ben and Darlene Williams; Ryn Ingells; growth for our parish family; all those in the path of the wildfires and severe weather, end of hostilities in Ukraine and the Middle East; for an end to gun violence.
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Can't make it to Mass?
You can still join us virtually, you can by using any of the following outlets:
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Action Alert!
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Join us for this powerful movement to stand against fascism!
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Support our Parish!
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We are in desperate need to financial support to keep our parish going. Please donate today using the following links or QR Codes:
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Venmo: @saintfrancisparish
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CashApp: $saintfrancisparish
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Joint Fellowship Opportunities
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Parish Bible Study
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Our Parish Outreaches
Human First Outreach
This ministry focuses on providing food and toiletry supplies to the homeless in the Augusta, Georgia area. We provide feminine hygiene products to those that need them and food for the pets of our homeless friends and family.
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We are working to bring a human touch to this ministry as we encourage volunteers to engage with the individuals we are helping in a compassionate and loving way. We expect all volunteers to refrain from proselytizing and preaching to those we serve. Instead, take a hint from Hamilton “talk less, listen more”.
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If you would like to donate to this important ministry, you can visit our Amazon wishlist and purchase items to be sent directly to us.
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Reclaiming the Cross Outreach
Check out our newest outreach in which we work to set the record straight on what the Bible says about many of the issues facing our society today!
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Reclaiming the Cross is an outreach of our parish headed up by Subdeacon Luna Godsey.
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Podcast Outreach
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Sunday Selfies
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Don't forget to take your Sunday Selfie and send them to us! You can email them to us at info@oursaintfrancis.org or tag us on Facebook using #saintfrancisparish and #sundayselfie.
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Our Parish goes social...
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