“We Stand Firm In The Lord” by Beth DeCristofaro

“We Stand Firm In The Lord” by Beth DeCristofaro

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

We have been reassured about you, brothers and sisters, in our every distress and affliction, through your faith. For we now live, if you stand firm in the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 3:7-8)

Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. (Mark 6:20)

Piety

Let us pray that we, like John the Baptist, prepare for Christ

God our strength and our hope,
grant us the courage of John the Baptist,
constantly to speak the truth,
boldly to rebuke vice
and patiently to suffer for the truth's sake;

in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit
one God now and forever. Amen.[i]

Study

One of the earliest, most important choices I made was to study abroad during college. It was a series of choices beginning with a friend’s decision to go to England and my snap determination to join her. That instant put many cascading, life-changing consequences into play. I chose a university in France despite my lack of language skills; eventually, I learned to communicate fluently. I made the trip with minimal funds resulting in rationed meals and activities. I journeyed by myself thus experienced deep loneliness far from anyone I knew. However, I began to rely on prayer, asking, and trusting that God would intervene. Therefore, I opened myself to meeting unique people, learning about myself, and encountering God in new, nourishing ways. Most of the many lessons sprouting from those choices I did not anticipate. And my friend? She decided to stay stateside and not travel at all, which was right for her.

John, Paul, and Herod all made choices. Their directions were vastly divergent but all life-changing. Two of them chose to trust in God’s plan of salvation, recognizing Jesus as their lodestar. Herod, on the other hand, had no center except his own insecure, worldly cravings. Both John the Baptist and Paul understood that following Jesus would not be easy.  However, it was the only path their spiritual longings allowed them to take. The Baptist explained to his followers “He must increase; I must decrease.” (John 3:30) Did he realize that Herod would be his murderer? Even so, he stood firm in the Lord. Paul worried for the Thessalonians but cheered that they too stood firm in the Lord. Herod stood only for his flesh, which eventually betrayed him.

Action

Jesus reminded his followers and us that choosing to walk with Him leads to difficulties, suffering, and yet deepening union with God. We can choose to bear a cross because he did that for us and before us. We trust that our walk will end in joy because of the resurrection. What choices do I need to make to more closely walk with Him? How firmly am I standing with Him? Are John, Paul, and our Lord reassured with my choices?

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[i] Liturgy for St. John the Baptist, New Zealand, https://liturgy.co.nz/reflection/652.html

Illustration: “Message Magazine” https://www.messagemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/standing-at-the-foot-of-the-cross.jpg