Jesus told St. Faustina, “The smallest act of virtue has unlimited value in My eyes because of your great love for Me.” Divine Mercy in my soul # 1489
“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.” Matthew 1:18-21,24
Courage is not easy. Wishful thinking won’t get it done, nor does God magically make the trouble go away. This is moral courage: action in the face of the fear induced by taking on daunting odds, where a person draws on an inner strength that gives no quarter and takes no prisoners in confronting the evil of human-caused misery. It’s courage of action in the face of adversity, of stepping up while others run and hide.
It takes a lot of courage to stand against social norms. St. Joseph could have had Mary stoned, in fact, that’s probably what the town would have preferred. This would have most likely saved face for Joseph. But, he had the courage to stand against that and seek “to quietly divorce her.” His righteousness stood out through his courage to act.
Are you willing to stand in the face of adversity and against public opinion if it means standing for what is right in God’s eyes? Will you stand before the people who desire to persecute you when you say you believe in God?
It takes a lot of courage to live in our Marxist, secular society today. The one true prejudice that remains is against all things God. The family, faith, and life are attacked daily by the secular leaders and society as a whole. Look at the news to see stories of churches burned, and demands to remove simple crosses or manger scenes from view. Try saying “Merry Christmas” in a large company.
Take heart. The Lord carries and strengthens those who stay true and are willing to face hardship for His Name.
“Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12
Stand strong. If you must stand alone against the world – remember, David against Goliath. Stand with God and even the biggest, most deadly giants Will tremble before you. And, know that you are never alone. For God always stands before you.