God did not put in us a spirit of fear…..Be Bold…..”Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom”

Today at Holy Mass we hear from the Gospel of St Mark…..Jesus officially names his first 12 disciples and calls them Apostles…These were the first bishops of the Catholic Church….”Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons…Two of the 12 Apostles were brothers: James and John…..”He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder”…These two brothers and Peter were Jesus’s inner circle…These were the men who saw with their own eyes at the Transfiguration Jesus revealed in his glory……Peter became the first Pope…James was the first of the 12 to be martyred and tradition holds that James brought the faith to all Spanish speaking people, which rooted from what is now Spain where it is believed he lived and preached - Think about that for a moment, all the people who have a latin background who are Catholic received their faith from St James!…And then there was John, the youngest of the 12…John was a mystic and one can say he was the closest to Christ among the first 12…Jesus called the two bothers, James and John - Sons of Thunder!…Reflect for a moment on the symbolism in that name - Sons of Thunder - Because James and John were just that…..They were bold and fearless men - Their voice was heard above the roar of the crowd……How about us?….We have been given a great gift - Our Catholic faith is a gift….Are we ashamed of it?…..Do we proclaim the Truth in the Public Square - Be damned the consequences!……Are we “Sons of Thunder” too?!?

“Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

Are we bold!….If we are not, we should be…Bevelyn Beatty Williams is an American who was jailed by the Biden Regime for peacefully protesting to end abortion…..As many know, I am a co-host of a radio show and we interviewed Bevelyn……..Bevelyn is a woman who is in love with Jesus Christ and she is not ashamed to say it…She has been arrested many times giving witness to her belief…..Here is a woman who is not even Catholic, yet she OUT DOES us all!……….She is fearless!…..One day we will ALL stand before the Lord - And clearly no one is perfect, however will we be able to say we did our very best!…..Bevelyn Beatty Williams is an amazing person…..Her trust in God is likened to the first 12 apostles….How about us?…..Do we have such trust?…..Do we count the cost?…..I can only speak for myself….This woman’s witness to Christ is like something you read about in books - And she is living it in real time - Right before our eyes!…..This is why Jesus called James and John Sons of Thunder - Because the impact of these two men made the earth shake!…..Bevelyn Beatty Williams is such a person….She was just released from prison and reunited with her husband and child…If I was to guess, Bevelyn is just getting started…Catholics should take note of her example!

“I will put my laws in their minds and I will write them upon their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be my people”

Jesus hand picked 12 regular guys…And with all their flaws, these 12 men gave their life for the Truth…They were bold and “ran the race” until the end!…..They shook the foundations of the earth!…….How about us?…..Do we count the cost?….Are we ashamed of our Catholic faith?……James and John were called the Sons of Thunder…Their witness to God was likened to a force of nature!…..Why not us?…..Are we afraid?…..When Jesus ascended into heaven…These were his words….“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”……God did not put in us a spirit of fear…..Be Bold…..”Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom”