The following is from a homily by St. Bede the Venerable concerning St. John the Baptist,
"Since death was ever near at hand through the inescapable necessity of nature, such men considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus gain the reward of eternal life by acknowledging Christ's name. Hence the apostle Paul rightly says: You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for His sake. He tells us why it is Christ's gift that His chosen ones should suffer for Him: The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us."
Now, far be it from me to try to add to anything that the Venerable Bede has written. But I would like to emphasize a particular point that he makes and what I think it means. The first sentence of this passage concerns the mortality of every man that is ever conceived. We cannot escape death. And St. Bede points out that St. John the Baptist, and others like him, recognize that to such an extent that they willing give their entire lives to the service of Christ. And, they give their lives to such an extent that they witness to Christ by giving up their lives for Him.
I know that not many Christians are called to be martyrs but we could all learn a lesson from what the Venerable Bede has to say about St. John the Baptist. We should all recognize our own mortality in this world and stop concerning ourselves with the things of this world. After all, we can't take any of it with us when we die. Instead, we should be more sincere in our pursuit of Christ and the everlasting life that He won for us. And, if need be, witness to it by giv
"Since death was ever near at hand through the inescapable necessity of nature, such men considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus gain the reward of eternal life by acknowledging Christ's name. Hence the apostle Paul rightly says: You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for His sake. He tells us why it is Christ's gift that His chosen ones should suffer for Him: The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us."
Now, far be it from me to try to add to anything that the Venerable Bede has written. But I would like to emphasize a particular point that he makes and what I think it means. The first sentence of this passage concerns the mortality of every man that is ever conceived. We cannot escape death. And St. Bede points out that St. John the Baptist, and others like him, recognize that to such an extent that they willing give their entire lives to the service of Christ. And, they give their lives to such an extent that they witness to Christ by giving up their lives for Him.
I know that not many Christians are called to be martyrs but we could all learn a lesson from what the Venerable Bede has to say about St. John the Baptist. We should all recognize our own mortality in this world and stop concerning ourselves with the things of this world. After all, we can't take any of it with us when we die. Instead, we should be more sincere in our pursuit of Christ and the everlasting life that He won for us. And, if need be, witness to it by giv
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