Jeremiah 1:17-19 / Mark 6:17-29
It is easy to stand with the crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone.
Such can be said of St. John the Baptist. He had the courage to break away from his priestly heritage (his father Zechariah was a priest) and to go off into the wilderness to live a solitary life.
When his time came to carry out his mission, he was the lone voice crying out in the wilderness, calling the people to repentance and baptized those who repented.
Shortly after he had baptized Jesus on the banks of the Jordan, John the Baptist had denounced king Herod, telling him that it was unlawful to marry his brother's wife.
No one dared to point that out to cruel and unpredictable king Herod, for fear of their lives. No one but St. John the Baptist who had the courage to stand alone for it.
And in the end, it was because king Herod who wanted to be with the crowd that St. John the Baptist was innocently beheaded.
But in the end, it goes to show who was the coward and who had the courage.
There are many various situations in life that we rather not face. But courage doesn't mean that we are not afraid; rather it means we face what we fear or dislike.
And courage doesn't always roar. Often it is just that little voice telling us to try again.
May St. John the Baptist pray for us that we will face the difficult people and the difficult situations courageously, even if we have to stand alone for it.