Reflections of a beloved son

Often we hear of someone being "moved to tears" when they experience something emotional.  But, have you ever heard of someone being moved to drops of blood?  Jesus sweated drops of blood when He prayed in the garden.  The martyrs of the Church were so moved by the love of God that they were willing to have their blood shed.  Are we so moved by our God to drops of blood? The Chinese martyr saints - St. Augustine Zhao Rong and 119 of his companions were canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in October 2000.  They showed genuine faith and unwavering courage even to the point of death.  They rather die - joyfully - than to apostatize, denying that the God whom they have fallen in love with existed.  They were able to make this courageous act because they were consumed by love.  They were in love with Love its very self.  This love enabled them to see that the life they were living then was only a means to get to the life that never ends.  Th...

What are some things that strike fear into your heart?  For some it may be the thought of death and for others it may the mere presence of a clown or snake.  For some it may be a resemblance of a traumatic incident.  What does this fear feel like?  For the early church, it was the fear of losing their lives for listening to and believing the One whom the disciples were preaching.  Persecution and death was what stroke fear into the hearts of early believers. We are told that everyone scattered "except the Apostles."  These were the men who walked, ate, lived, and spent every waking hour with Jesus - His closest companions.  Though they did not scatter then, they did scatter once - the moment when the guards with the Jewish leaders came and arrested Jesus.  They scattered then because they were afraid what would happen to them.  If they arrested Jesus, their teacher, what would they do with them?  Their faith and loyalty were tested....