[Greek] ὑπομένω (hypomenō), [Latin] persevere, [Latin] permanere, [Latin] sustinere, [Latin] remanere, [Latin] patientia, [Latin] suffererre, [French] persister, [French] continuer, [French] endurer, [French] maintenir

[Greek] ὑπομένω (hypomenō), [Latin] persevere, [Latin] permanere, [Latin] sustinere, [Latin] remanere, [Latin] patientia, [Latin] suffererre, [French] persister, [French] continuer, [French] endurer, [French] maintenir: to stay behind, to expect, to wait for, to endure, to persevere, to suffer, to expect; Mt.10:22, Mt.24:13, Mk.13:13, Lk.2:43, Acts 17:14, Rom.12:12, 1Cor.13:7, 2Tim.10,12, Heb.10:32, Heb.12:2-3,7, Jas.1:12, Jas.5:11, 1Pet.2:20

Sometimes it is in these struggles and difficulties that some are even called to be saints.  Nov.1 (All Saints Day)

Background information:

Greek Hellenism: This term means to remain, to be patient, to stand firm, to suffer, and to endure.

Herodotus’ The Histories 6.51: “Demaratus, son of Aniston, remained at Sparta.

Thucydides’ The Peloponnesian War 1.8: “The possession of capital enabled the powerful to reduce the smaller towns to subjection.”

Plato’s Gorgias 478c: “Because one is relieved of a great evil, and hence it is worthwhile to endure pain and be well.”

Andocides’ On the Mysteries 1.121: “He saw that I was standing my ground, intending to have me either put to death without a trial or banished.”

Old Testament: This term means to wait upon God, to wait patiently, and to be expectant. This term takes on more of a religious sense rather than of opposing evil.

New Testament: This term means to persevere, to remain behind, to bear, and to endure. For purposes of brevity, I will exclude normal (mundane) examples.

Parable of the weeds: Mt.7:36-43

1. The Son of Man is the one who sows good seed
2. The field is the world
3. The good seeds are the children of the kingdom
4. The weeds are the children of the evil one
5. The enemy who sows the weeds is the devil
6. The harvest is the end of the age
7. The harvesters are the angels
8. The Son of Man will send His angels to collect the weeds and throw them into the fiery furnace

The beginning of calamities: Mt.24:3-14

1. Nations will rise against nations
2. There will be famines and earthquakes
3. They will hand you over to persecutions and will kill you
4. You will be hated by all nations because of My name
5. Many will be led into sin
6. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many
7. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved

2Tim.2:10: [Paul]: I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they obtain salvation in Christ Jesus.

Jesus shows us how to endure and persevere: Heb.12:2-7

1. He endured the cross, despising its shame
2. He endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart
3. Endure your trials as discipline; God treats you as sons (and daughters) like a loving Father

The Christian life is likened to a race:

1. Blessed is the one who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will with the crown of life. (Jas.1:12)
2. The crown is the reward given to victorious statesmen, soldiers, and athletes
3. Let us persevere in running the race that lies before us (Heb.12:1)
4. [Paul]: I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. (2Tim.4:7)
5. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me. (2Tim.4:8)

1Pet.2:20: For whenever anyone bears the pain of unjust suffering because of consciousness of God (through circumstances beyond one’s control), that is a grace.

My own personal experience: For many years, I really did not understand why I never experienced dating, getting married and having a family. In addition to career struggles, I had experienced profound loneliness all my life. I was never called to be priest. (This was never on my spiritual radar, since I had no spiritual understanding of this whatsoever!) I was such in a very bad place that I just wanted to find some way to shift the focus from my situation. Then God brought someone into my life, he asking me if I would be interested in helping out in teaching a 9^th RE class at my church. As they say, the rest is history. (Such a cliche, but it’s true!)

Later over the years, I inexplicably discovered a great joy (not knowing how or why) in being a catechist. As a result, I have been a catechist since 1993, serving teenagers, young adults, and now adults with my catechetical blogging site. It took many years for me to finally figure out my path. God allowed me to tap into understanding why God created us in the first place: to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. Shortly after, I discovered that God had called me to a lay single vocation. I am not lonely anymore!

The Baltimore Catechism states: Why did God make you? “God made you to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world and to be happy with him forever and the next.”

Not surprisingly, this is my favorite scripture:

“No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial He will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Cor.10:13

Conclusion:

Persevere, perseverance, permanent, sustain, remain, remainder, patient, patience, suffering, suffer, persist, persistence, continue, maintain, maintenance

2Tim.2:10: This can be considered a concise summary of Paul’s mission.

Jas.5:11: Faithful perseverance can yield great rewards.

1Pet.2:20: This patient suffering can be likened to that of Jesus.

Update: There can be some comfort (consolation) in knowing that loved ones killed (from acts of terrorism) will receive great blessings from God.

Our post-Christian secular world is rampant with worldly values filled with sin. It is a constant challenge for faithful Catholics (Christians) to endure and withstand these influences.

Many faithful Catholics are now the enduring effects of Pope Francis and his inner circle’s efforts to remake Jesus’ Church into a worldly synodal Church. Examples include changing Church teachings, restricting the Traditional Latin Mass, worldly values, “inclusion”, “listening”, acceptance of sin (and sinful behavior), refusal to recognize sin, and diluted Church teachings.)

In his encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis (Sept. 8, 1907), Pope Pius X warned us about the Modernists’ harmful actions to the Church. Faithful Catholics are called to remain perseverant and faithful to Church teachings.

Faithful Catholics are called to remain ever vigilant against the confusion and insidiousness of Pope Francis’ words, encyclicals, and synodal actions. It becomes more and more difficult to distinguish between the weeds and the wheat in the field. Many false prophets (in the Church) will rise up and deceive and confuse many with liturgical chaos.

We all must be reminded that Jesus provides us with an example of what it means to suffer unjustly. Jesus gives us an example for us as to how to endure and to not grow weary and lose heart. This is how oftentimes one becomes a saint. Bearing unjust suffering can become a grace before God.

The faithful Christian, remaining faithful and perseverant, is one who has reached the finish line, receiving the crown of glory. Sometimes, this may become the crown of martyrdom.

Quotes:

“God will not permit any troubles to come upon us, unless He has a specific plan by which great blessings can come out of difficulty.” Unknown