I was in middle school the first time my faith was opposed, and it began within my family. I was with my dad, as it was his weekend for custody, and we were running errands before he was due to drop me off to my mom for the week. We always met her in the church parking lot before the evening Mass that she and I would attend together.

I remember telling him that we were cutting it close on time and should head to the church so I wouldn’t be late. His response was simply, “It’s just church. You can walk in late.” For the first time in my life, I had to explain my faith and how I shouldn’t show up late to Mass even if at the time I couldn’t articulate the reasons why. We ended up making it in time, but it was the first of many times my non-Catholic dad opposed my faith.

While I am not a prophet like Jesus refers to, Jesus knew this feeling well and, in fact, says it is expected. The people around him who grew up with him and knew his family still would not believe that he was the Son of God. He was welcomed into foreign places, but those who knew him best refused to have faith.

Despite this, it didn’t prevent him from teaching in the synagogue. It did not prevent him from talking about the faith.

Am I willing to live out my faith even in the face of opposition?

Heavenly Father, please grant me the strength to be unafraid to be faithful and for the courage to lead others closer to you even in the midst of fear. Amen.