Readings for the Day:
Sermon:
Original Manuscript:
In the Gospel for today, we see Jesus in one of His most human moments. He knows the difficulties that lie ahead, mainly His death, and He doesn’t want to go there, as none of us would. Yet at the same time, He is willing to allow His Father’s will be done.
The Martyrs of Lyons were similar. The were a group of early Christians, from back in the 2nd Century. They included people ranging in status from a bishop, Pothinus, and a slave, Blandina. They suffered some of the worst torture and punishments Christians have endured. Yet they didn’t give up. They never accepted the mantle of “Christian” as anything less than good.
This life of serving God through Christ our Lord is not an easy one. Those of us who have walked down this road know that. We also know that going on this path is necessary to serve God to our fullest.
It’s okay to be scared of what it takes to serve God. Jesus was. The Martyrs of Lyons probably were too. Don’t let that fear keep you from doing what God has given you to do. Keep charging forward, as Jesus and the Martyrs of Lyons did to see the depth of the joy that God will bring.