Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr
From the Acts of the Martyrdom of Saint Justin and his companion saints:
The saints were seized and brought before the prefect of Rome… (He) said: “…Gather around then and with one accord offer sacrifice to the gods.” Justin said: “No one who is right thinking stoops from true worship to false worship.” The prefect Rusticus said: “If you do not do as you are commanded, you will be tortured without mercy.” Justin said: “We hope to suffer torment for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so be saved…” In the same way, the other martyrs also said: “Do what you will. We are Christians; we do not offer sacrifice to idols.” …Glorifying God, the holy martyrs went out to the accustomed place. They were beheaded and so fulfilled their witness of martyrdom in confessing their faith in their Savior.
When I read this account, I was both inspired and convicted. It can be tempting to dismiss the examples of the martyrs as acts too lofty for us, little regular folk, to aspire to. But the Church elevates them as examples for us. The words that spoke to me today were: “No one who is right thinking stoops from true worship to false worship.”
Are there places in our hearts where we stoop down to false worship? In today’s Gospel, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders chose not to answer Jesus’ question because they “feared the crowd.” True worship comes from fearing God.
“I have seen so many people with sensitive hearts, high intelligence, a generous will who became slaves without realizing it and, for fear of hurting anyone, became guilty, first in a passive manner, and then, freely and willingly!” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard)
Eucharistic worship corrects our thinking and re-orients us to discover the love of God.
Let us pray:
My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. Thus will I bless you while I live; lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name. As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied, and with exultant lips, my mouth shall praise you. (Responsorial Psalm)
