I am not ashamed, for I know him in whom I have believed // 2 Timothy 1:12

The crowd cheered behind me as I made my way toward the back door. I wanted to escape quietly, to slip out without anyone noticing. 

I held my head down as I bolted through the lobby and almost made it out to freedom before I heard my name being called from behind. I turned around and saw a friend looking at me with questions in her eyes. “Where are you going? You’re going to miss the biggest dance competition of the entire weekend.” 

I knew that when I signed up to go to this event, I’d have to miss the largest part, the culmination of the whole thing. It was on a Sunday morning, and the local church only offered a couple of Masses. 

“I’m going to church,” I said with a little bit of embarrassment in my voice. Because the truth is that going to church at such an event was a lonely endeavor; it was one that many people didn’t understand, and I was keenly aware of that fact. 

In today’s First Reading, Saint Paul tells us, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:7-8). 

Following Christ can be difficult, especially when you are outnumbered. People may not understand and some may even make unfair assumptions about you just because of your faith. 

Do not be ashamed, dear sister. Allow the Holy Spirit to empower you to keep bringing Christ’s light to the darkness. The world needs your strength, even if you tremble a little.