Daily Catholic Lectio
Fri, 29 August ‘25
Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time, Friday
Passion of John the Baptist – Memorial
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. Mark 6:17-29
Holiness and Courage in Witness
1. Called to Holiness, Not Impurity
Scripture: Paul exhorts the Thessalonians: “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess 4:3). They are to avoid immorality and live in holiness, for God calls them “not to impurity but in holiness” (v. 7).
Church’s Teaching: The Catechism (CCC 2013) affirms that all are called to the fullness of Christian life and the perfection of charity.
Pastoral Application: Holiness is not optional—it is our daily vocation. It begins in concrete choices: respecting our bodies, honouring others in purity, and living as temples of the Holy Spirit. Do my choices reflect my call to holiness?
2. The Cost of Speaking the Truth
Scripture: John the Baptist confronted Herod’s unlawful marriage, even though it risked his life (Mark 6:18). John’s fearless voice cost him his freedom and finally his head.
Church’s Teaching: Veritatis Splendor (no. 94) teaches that some truths must be upheld even at the cost of persecution or death, for fidelity to God comes before all else.
Pastoral Application: Like John, we are often tempted to silence when truth is uncomfortable. But discipleship sometimes demands costly witness—in family, workplace, or society—choosing God’s truth over compromise.
3. Holiness Joined with Courage
Scripture & Feast: John’s passion shows that holiness is not only private purity but public courage. He lived simply, spoke truth boldly, and offered his life as a witness to the coming Christ.
Church’s Teaching: Vatican II (Lumen Gentium 42) honours martyrs as the highest witness to holiness: love for Christ stronger than fear of death.
Pastoral Application: Holiness without courage can become timid; courage without holiness can become harsh. John unites both, showing us that sanctity is faithfulness to God in body, heart, and witness.
Conclusion
Paul calls us to holiness of life; John the Baptist shows the courage to defend truth even to death. On this memorial, we are reminded that Christian life is both sanctity and sacrifice—living pure hearts and standing firm for God’s truth. In a world that prizes compromise, John’s voice still cries out: Prepare the way of the Lord.
In sum, Paul reminds us that God’s will is our holiness, not impurity, and that we must live as temples of the Spirit. John the Baptist shows the cost of holiness by speaking truth to Herod, even unto death. His courage reveals that fidelity to God comes before safety or compromise.
Holiness and courage together make us authentic witnesses of Christ. Like John, let us live in purity, speak the truth boldly, and prepare the way of the Lord.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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