The Christian life is not a life of compromise. It is a life that requires some level of spiritual ruggedness, courage, braveness and the readiness to make sacrifices for standing up for the truth and justice. St. John the Baptist, whose death we celebrate today, was a man who courageously stood for the truth, not minding what it might cause him. As a result, he suffered imprisonment and was eventually beheaded by Herod in order to fulfill his promise to the daughter of Herodias, who had been looking for a way to kill John who challenged her evil deeds. Often times as Christian, we turn deaf ears, and blind eyes to the suffering and injustices around us, because we are too afraid to bring some imagined harm upon ourselves. As believers, we must speak out against all forms of evil. We would have failed in our Christian civic responsibility, if people are comfortably undermining the Gospel values because they know that we are too afraid to challenge them.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help me not to compromise my Christian faith because of fear or favour. Amen.