“This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.” (Luke 1:72)
The “red” martyrs of our Church shed their blood as courageous witnesses and loyal stewards of the faith. It is not easy being a Christian in our modern world. It is not easy to go against the grain. It is not easy to do what is right and to have the courage to defend the faith. St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a, is Paul’s testimonial. “Brothers and sisters: Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain”.
The text of the refrain of “You are Near” by Dan Schutte reads, “O Lord, I know you are near, standing always at my side. You guard me from the foe, and you lead me in ways everlasting”. Let us make this our prayer each day.