Memorial of St. Justin Martyr
Jude 17: 20b-25 Mark 11: 27-33
Theme: Trust in God
Today the church celebrates the memorial of St. Justin Martyr, who was martyred in the year 165 during the persecution of Marcus. He is remembered by many for his faith, writings and all he did in defence of the church at the time. Which eventually led to his martyrdom. One thing that is very clear is the fact that there is price to pay for making the choice to go the path of Christ. We see that in the lives of all the holy men and women that we celebrate in the church. It is this same path that we have all chosen as Christians in our own time, so our faith in God always must be unwavering, otherwise we may end up in despair when we are faced with the challenges and difficulties that comes with the choice we have made to follow Christ. However, the good news is the fact that we are not alone, and God is always with us, no matter the situation we find ourselves because of our faith in him. This should always be a source of great strength for us when we find ourselves in such a situation. Also, the fact that he is with us at such moments should give us peace and hope, knowing that everything will end well, to the glory of God and for our own good.
In the 1st reading of today from the letter of St. Jude, he is admonishing us to build ourselves in faith and put into practice in our daily lives the teachings of the Apostles that is rooted in love. That way, we will be living a life of appreciation for what God has done in our lives. In view of this, we need to be mindful of the kind of life that we lead, because we are Gods presence amongst his people and ambassadors for Christ. This is because we are children of the light now and the works of darkness have no place any more in our lives. Suffice it to say that St. Jude is reminding us of what we know already and the need for us to put it into practice in our daily lives. This consciousness will go a long way in making us a true child of God and a better version of ourselves, for our good and to the glory of God.
The gospel of St. Mark presents us the scenario in the Temple, when the chief priests, Scribes and the elders of the people question the source of the power of Jesus. They simply did it to discredit him before the people, not because they are not sure about the source of his power. It comes out clearly when Jesus asks them whether the baptism of John was from heaven or from men? After their deliberations they said they don’t know. This is because they know that whatever position they choose, they will be indicted. Be mindful of the things you do because of envy and jealousy; they can easily lead you astray and place you in a very challenging situation. May the Lord bless his words in our hearts, in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, Amen. Peace be with you.