“I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel” by Melanie Rigney (@melanierigney)

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

I am not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for Jew first, then Greek. For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous by faith will live.” (Romans 1:16-17)

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. (Psalm 19:2a)

“Oh, you Pharisees! Although you clean the outside of the cup and dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?”(Luke 11:39-40)

Piety

Lord, I beg for the strength, faith, and wisdom to live the Gospel constantly.

Study

I recently happened upon the story of Blessed Mercedes Prat i Prat, who was

killed in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War because she was a nun. You can find out more about her life in general at a Carmelite site; for me, it was the story I found elsewhere of her final hours that resonated with and convicted me.

The sister who was with Mercedes when they both were arrested survived to share the tale. They were both questioned for hours, then in the evening, taken out to face a firing squad. Mercedes cried out “Jesus, Joseph, Mary” and the Apostles’ Creed as the shots hit her. The final words the other sister recognized from her were, “Forgive us… as we forgive.” Mercedes survived through the night, moaning in pain. It wasn’t until dawn the following morning that the fatal shots were fired.

I thought about Mercedes as I read Paul’s words from Romans 1:16: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel.” We all like to think that if we were in Mercedes’ situation, in imminent danger of death for our faith, that we would react as she did, confident in our faith and what lies beyond this world. But how about in our daily lives? Are we ashamed of the Gospel when we don’t engage in evangelization opportunities? Are we ashamed of the Gospel when we ignore instances to offer service and support? Are we ashamed of the Gospel when we choose to let hurts and anxieties fester, rather than taking them to the Lord in prayer?

May we take the actions of our brave martyrs like Mercedes Prat i Prat to heart… and let the parts of us that resist the Gospel be put to death.

Action

Defend the Gospel today in your actions, words, and thoughts.

Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BlMercedesPrat.jpg.