Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”

God doesn’t leave us out to dry. He doesn’t abandon us. He is always with us no matter where we go or what trials we face. He gives us every grace we need to overcome the obstacles in our way, to keep the faith, to remain hopeful, and to love Him and others with all our hearts. Because of this, we should all take courage. God is with us in good times and bad. He is especially at our side when we bear witness to Him and suffer for it. He sees in our willingness to be persecuted for His sake a reflection of Himself, of His Beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. It is when we imitate Christ that we bear the best witness to God’s Love and Mercy and live up to our calling to be good and faithful sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.

Are we courageous in our faith? How can we bear a better witness to God’s Divine Plan? In what ways can we more perfectly imitate Christ, who is the Perfect Witness to the Good News?

O Lord, grant us the courage we need to bear witness to your cause.

Amen.