OCTOBER 17, 2026 FATHER PETER JAE CHOI
I heard that a diamond starts its journey from being pure carbon, buried underneath the earth’s surface between 150 to 250 kilometres deep. After enduring intense and constant high temperatures of about 1,000 to 1,200 degrees Celsius for over a billion years, it patiently waits for its turn to be brought up to the surface through a volcanic eruption.
The diamond only becomes beautiful, sparkling, the hardest known material on the planet, and very expensive, after a very long period of transformation.
Diamond rings have become not only an important part of marriage proposals, but also a kind of symbol for marriage. A diamond is formed under extreme pressure and heat and only becomes a durable and strong material because of what it endures. A marriage, in the same way, matures and strengthens over time by withstanding life’s pressures and challenges. Marriage becomes a durable and unbreakable bond through a total and enduring commitment that is exercised over and over again.
But what is true of marriage is true of any relationship, even our faith. What makes any relationship durable and lasting is love and commitment.
Back in 2018, there was a romantic comedy movie called Crazy Rich Asians. It was a fictional story about a billionaire, Nick Young’s family. His family wealth, unfortunately, had drawn lots of attention from many disingenuous women who were chasing after him for his family’s fortune. So, Nick left his home country of Singapore in search of true love.
Nick fell in love with Rachel, who was a university professor in the US. Rachel grew up very poor and was raised by a single mother. She had no clue that her boyfriend was the only child of a billionaire family. When Nick’s mother disapproved of Rachel, Nick was about to walk away from his family fortune to be with his true love. Spoiler alert: Nick’s mother eventually accepts Rachel.
The truth is, when you are successful and money is flowing, you’ll be surrounded by people who want to have a good time with you, but they aren’t your best friends. So, how do you know who truly loves you?
It’s when you have little to nothing to offer, when you lost everything and hit rock bottom. In those moments, it’s those who are willing to go the distance and suffer with you, make sacrifices to be by your side, they are your true friends who truly love you. Love is not proven on your best days, but on your worst days.
Today we are celebrating the feast day of St. Ignatius of Antioch. He lived through a very turbulent and dangerous time to be a Christian. He died a martyr, and thousands of Christians also died for their faith. But persecution did not destroy the Christian faith; it made the Christian faith grow stronger.
Even though it’s not like that for us today, there are many Christian brothers and sisters who face religious persecutions and discrimination every day. From my experience, those with strong faith actually come from places where they suffer religious persecutions.
I’ve met people who came from Pakistan, Africa, and the Middle East – not only do they know the faith by being able to intelligently explain our faith, but they also are committed to their faith by going to church every Sunday, even though going to church can be very dangerous.
I think it’s correct to say that strong faith makes people capable of enduring discrimination and withstanding religious persecutions. The more accurate way would be to say that that those difficult circumstances actually made their faith stronger.
Back in 2015, the terrorist group ISIS captured 21 migrant workers in Libya. 20 of them were Egyptian Coptic Christians, and one man from Ghana was not Christian. The terrorists threatened to kill all the 20 Coptic Christians if they did not abandon their faith in Christ. None of them abandoned their faith; they chose martyrdom instead. They were praying and praising God until they were met with death.
The man who was from Ghana, who wasn’t even Christian, didn’t have to die. The only reason he chose to die alongside the Coptic Christians was that when he saw the Coptic Christians’ unwavering faith and their willingness to die for it, he chose to become a Christian at that moment and face martyrdom with them. The last thing that he said before he died was, “Their God is my God.”
Today, all 21 of them are recognized as saints and martyrs, both by the Coptic Church and Roman Catholic Church.
Compared to some of our Christian sisters and brothers who are faced with immense challenges for being a Christian, it does not require much sacrifice on our part to practice our faith here in North America.
It’s been said that New Zealand has the most nonflying birds in the world simply because food was abundant and there were no natural predators. So, not having a need to fly, they lost their ability to fly.
In the same way, if we don’t practice our faith and keep prioritizing everything else before God, putting our family, friends, sports, and convenience first, we may not only risk losing our faith, but also the kingdom of God that was promised to us.
Every now and then, I run into people who gave up on their faith because they’re disappointed in God. They felt that their struggles in life were proof that God didn’t care. They’re expecting their faith to remove all their struggles and challenges, turning their life into a smooth sail.
I think it’s important to make the distinction: God does not intentionally put obstacles on our path just to make our life difficult. But God does allow them in our life because they serve a purpose.
Cardinal Newman said, “Things grow by opposition.” Without gravity, there would be no weightlifting. Without weightlifting, there could be no muscle building. It’s only through trials that we mature and grow stronger.
Often, experiencing life’s challenges is not proof that God doesn’t care, but proof that he is present in our lives, promoting growth in us. Just as pressure and fire transform carbon into diamond, so does God use trials to transform us and make us ready for his kingdom.
And remember, God doesn’t have grandchildren. We cannot enter the kingdom of God by association or merits of our parents. Each of us needs to belong to Christ. It’s a conscious decision we have to make because loving God requires a real commitment.
