STANDING UP FOR MY FAITH

READINGS: TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

In the gospel reading of this 12th Sunday of Year A, (Matthew 10:26-33) Christ says , “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna…Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father . But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father."

My friends, this is not a threat, but an invitation to faithfulness, to bearing witness to what we believe in. Right here, Jesus acknowledges that life can be frightening. People can wound the body, damage reputations, reject our values, and even pressure us to hide our faith. But He reminds us that the greatest danger is not what others can do to us; it is losing the soul while trying to please the world. In a society where many are afraid to stand for truth, afraid to be different, afraid to be judged, and afraid to bear witness to their faith in public, Christ speaks with power and encouragement: “Do not be afraid to witness to your faith.” If God notices the fall of a sparrow, He surely knows our struggles, our pains, our courage, and our tears. We are not invisible to Him, nor are we forgotten in our pain and struggles. We are worth more than many sparrows, little ‘worthless’ birds, and yet He notices every move in their lives.

So, this passage calls us to holy courage. It is asking us not to trade our souls for acceptance. Not to deny Christ in order to gain approval. Not to be ashamed of our faith so as to please the crowd. It is asking us to stand with Christ in our home, our workplace, our community, and in our choices. The world may not always reward our faithfulness, but heaven never forgets it and will reward it. The One who counts the hairs on our head will also count every act of courage done in His name.