Note: On Fridays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
We know how the earthly life of St. John the Baptist ended: beheaded after speaking against Herod’s marriage to Herod’s brother’s ex-wife.
We know how the earthly lives of two of the most prominent early followers ended: St. Peter, crucified, head down; 
St. Paul, beheaded. The First Martyrs of the Church of Rome met similar or even grislier fates.
We know how the earthly life of St. Thomas More, patron of the Diocese of Arlington, ended: on the scaffold, beheaded for high treason because he refused to take the oath of supremacy of the British Crown in matters of the church. St. Paul, according to tradition, also was beheaded.
In the sixteenth centuries, Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher were executed because they refused to compromise their beliefs despite their former friendship with Henry VIII, the king who ordered their deaths.
In the twentieth-first century First World, we generally have the luxury of worshipping if and as we choose. But then, so did John the Baptist in the early days of his ministry. So did the early followers of Christ. So did Thomas More and John Fisher before their powerful friend decided he wanted to take a different wife, and set up a new church to accommodate that. Perhaps they were all a bit complacent at some point in their faith lives. But when the moment of truth arrived, they were fearless. Will we be the same?
What are you willing to do to show your faithfulness? Consider setting aside time to participate in the Catholic Church’s Fortnight for Freedom. Check out the Web site for more information.
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