Martyr

 Martyr

    Today (December 26th) is the Feast Day of St. Stephen who was a Deacon in the early church and who was the first to receive the Martyrs crown. He was stoned to death for his teachings of Jesus. Today in the world people are still losing their lives for believing and preaching about Jesus. I ask that we remember all those who have stood up for the beliefs and lost their lives because they did not back down. 

   I think here in the United States we forget that people still lose their lives for Jesus. We take for granted that we are able to walk into our Church without fear each week and for some everyday. There is no looking over our shoulders or hiding where we are going. We walk in and walk out without even a thought on our mind. Yes, for some in our country people can lose family and friends for their beliefs but not their lives. I wonder at times “Would I walk into a Church if I thought I might lose my life after I left?” 

   We do have it easier here in the US but do not often take the opportunities to fully envelop our lives in our Faith. It does sadden me that more people do not take those opportunities to develop and cultivate the faith that is so rich. Sometimes those who have to fear for their lives take a different approach to the faith. It is life for so many of them. I am blessed to have so many opportunities to explore and share my faith and have some people that are able to also explore and share their faith along with me. 

   My Catholic Faith has been life changing and continues to be life changing for me and I hope and pray that more people come to understand what we have in the Church that makes life even more spectacular. 

    Next time as you enter the Church for Mass, think about all those people who lost their lives because of Our Catholic Faith and also remember those who have fought to protect our rights so we may go to Church. What we have here in the US is a blessing and we must Thank God each day for it. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and remember all those who lost their lives for our Faith. 

Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
Lectionary: 697

Reading 1

1 JN 1:1-4

Beloved:

What was from the beginning,

what we have heard,

what we have seen with our eyes,

what we looked upon

and touched with our hands

concerns the Word of life —

for the life was made visible;

we have seen it and testify to it

and proclaim to you the eternal life

that was with the Father and was made visible to us— 

what we have seen and heard

we proclaim now to you,

so that you too may have fellowship with us;

for our fellowship is with the Father

and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12

R. (12) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;

let the many isles be glad.

Clouds and darkness are around him,

justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,

before the LORD of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim his justice,

and all peoples see his glory.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Light dawns for the just;

and gladness, for the upright of heart.

Be glad in the LORD, you just,

and give thanks to his holy name.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Gospel

JN 20:1A AND 2-8

On the first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter

and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,

“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,

and we do not know where they put him.”

So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.

They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter

and arrived at the tomb first;

he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.

When Simon Peter arrived after him,

he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,

and the cloth that had covered his head,

not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.

Then the other disciple also went in,

the one who had arrived at the tomb first,

and he saw and believed.