Lions and Tigers and Bears

Early Christians weren't persecuted for what  they did. They were persecuted for the name. 

Not theirs. Bob, Fred and Joe weren't illegal. But Jesus was. And his name was enough to draw unwanted attention. 

His message in today's Gospel? Your faith will get all kinds of attention. Some good. A lot bad. If you love Christ, it doesn't matter what type of attention you get. What counts is the chance to shout out the beauty of his name.