John 7: 1-2, 10, 25-30 (Friday, March 7, 2008)

Jesus Christ knew the Jews were trying to kill him. He also knew that he has a mission that is greater than his death. For this reason, he went preaching publicly at the cost of his death. It takes courage to do what Jesus Christ did. He stood courageously for what he believes. He was not going to let fear stop him from carrying out his mission. In the martyrs, we have models of people who stood firm in what they believed in. They were ready and willing to offer their lives for their beliefs.

St. Paul tells us that we have not received the spirit of timidity. The Holy Spirit that we have received is a spirit of boldness, of courage to always stand firm and defend our Christian faith and values. Given the wave of anti-Catholicism in America, many people are not confident to boldly say they are Catholic. We must be proud of our Catholic identity, our Catholic heritage. I do not see any gift that I have received that is greater than the gift of my Catholic faith.
I am willing to die for my Catholic and Christian faith. Would you?