“David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”; David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.”;?But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lordof hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”” 1 Samuel 17:32, 37, 45
Was David heroic for defeating Goliath or stepping out upon the field before the giant? Every man of Israel cowered behind the lines for days of Goliath’s taunts, including the king. Imagine the awe inspired in the army of Israel when the little boy stepped out in front of them to confront Goliath.
Is courage running into a battle, dodging bullets and bombs to overcome the enemy? Yes, but, it is so much more. Ask any war hero who has receivers high honors, like the Medal of Honor, and I’d bet that every one of them will say they did nothing courageous. They only did what had to be done in the moment.
Doing one’s duty in the face of certain danger, that is how courage is defined. For me, in these days in which we live and those ahead, we are called to do our duty. As Christians, that duty is to live Christ’s life in every manner of our lives.
At times, the display of heroic courage is necessary. Running into the face of the enemy to save a comrade or into a burning building to rescue a stranger and standing before an immense giant. We see examples of heroic courage every day in our first responders and military.
We Catholics are now called to be courageous. It may not call for us to give our lives but it will call us to surrender our lives. A martyr is someone who stands for their faith in the face of insurmountable odds. We are being called by God to step before Goliath, seen in today’s secular, atheistic society, to be heroes.
God is telling us to arm ourselves just as David did. Not with huge plates of armor or big swords, but, with trust. Our God is a mighty God. Our God is the All-Mighty. Nothing stands before Him that He can’t overcome. Do you think the present world is a challenge to our God, Who overcame death itself? No way!
So, arm yourself with trust and gird yourself in love. God has a way to overcome the mightiest giant and most savage army, He is asking now if you are willing to step out in front and lead His army to victory.
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” Psalm 23:4-6