Saint John the Baptist

Witness to the Truth without Compromise

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There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was, and gave his life for him.  His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth.  Nevertheless, he died for Christ.  Does Christ not say:  I am the truth?  Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ.

     From a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable

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As an authentic prophet, John bore witness to the truth without compromise. He denounced transgressions of God's commandments, even when it was the powerful who were responsible for them. Thus, when he accused Herod and Herodias of adultery, he paid with his life, sealing with martyrdom his service to Christ who is Truth in person.

Let us invoke his intercession, together with that of Mary Most Holy, so that also in our day the Church will remain ever faithful to Christ and courageously witness to his truth and his love for all.

     His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

     Angelus, 24 June 2007

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/angelus/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ang_20070624_en.html

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Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he "has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." (John 18:37) The Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord." (2 Timothy 1:8)  In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep "a clear conscience toward God and toward men." (Acts 24:16)

The duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church impels them to act as witnesses of the Gospel and of the obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith in words and deeds. Witness is an act of justice that establishes the truth or makes it known. (Cf. Matthew 18:16)

     Catechism of the Catholic Church,  2471, 2472

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P8J.HTM

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Can we, like John the Baptist, bear witness to the Truth without compromise?  While we may hope to consistently answer “yes,” do we not sometimes imagine it is easier to keep silent while attempting to ignore the nagging of our conscience?  What truth is the Lord calling you to lovingly and courageously express? 

May we be open to the grace of the Holy Spirit in order to always be authentic witnesses to the Truth.

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Please pray for the happy repose of the soul of Mary Catherine “Mary Kay” Horsell, past NCCW President, and past WUCWO Board Member.

Please pray for all those suffering from the devastating effects of nature.