"I will sing of your salvation."
Jer 1:17-19
Mt 5:10
Mk 6:17-19
St. John the Baptist, gave his life for the sake of truth. From a worldly perspective, the martyrdom of John is an ugly story. He dies at the word of a weak, lustful man who is motivated by human respect. He has a conscience ---- he knows that John is a holy man, and he is attracted to his words. However, because he is afraid to lose the respect of his guests, he grants the request and has John beheaded.
From a faith perspective, however, this is a great victory for John. We know that the martyrs are crowned with a special glory in heaven. John has stayed true to the end. He has entered through the "narrow gate" and is joined with the saints and angels in the eternal life which God gives to all who make the decision to walk in his way.
We have to be very conscious, very alert, to our own tendency to let what others may think influence our actions. This can greatly hinder our witness to Christ. We need the strength of the Holy Spirit to stand against the tide of opinion, especially from those closest to us, our friends and relatives.
We do well to consider that it is a real failure on our part to be true to our prophetic call if we remain silent when we should speak. We must use prudence in these matters, but if we feel that the Spirit is moving us to speak truth to another, me must not allow human respect, and fear of the other's response to keep us silent. The Lord empowers us to proclaim the truth in all circumstances. Let us put our trust in him and allow him to give us victory over our fears in this areas.♥
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