July 10
Our Lady of Boulogne
France (1469)
Gospel: Matthew 10:16-23
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| Image created by Google AI Image Creator. |
Today’s Gospel
is sobering, Jesus tells His disciples plainly that He’s sending them out “like
sheep in the midst of wolves,” warning them they’ll be handed over, hated, and
persecuted simply for following Him. There’s no softening here, no promise that
faithfulness guarantees comfort. He tells them the truth and sends them anyway.
Most of us
would prefer a faith that doesn’t cost anything socially, one that fits quietly
into conversation without raising eyebrows, without risking the relationship,
without the awkward silence after we say what we actually believe. But Jesus
never promised that following Him would be free of friction. He promised just the
opposite and then asked for faithfulness anyway.
Don’t let the
fear of an awkward reaction talk you out of something true today. You don’t
need to be confrontational, but you don’t need to disappear either. Be as
shrewd as a serpent and as simple as a dove, as Jesus says just a few lines
later, wise about how you say it, but honest that you said it at all.
Faithfulness was never going to be universally popular, and He never asked it
to be.
Today the
Marian calendar acknowledges Our Lady of Boulogne, France, 1469, venerated in a
region that knew its share of conflict and uncertainty, and turned to her
anyway rather than going quiet. Our Lady stood at the foot of the cross in full
public view when it would have been easier to disappear. Something to ponder: When
if ever, have you hidden your faith quietly, just to avoid friction? Now dig
deep, were you ashamed of Jesus or were you afraid to have to defend your love
for Him?
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given.
Freely shared.
