January 31: A Great Cloud of Witnesses

A central paradox of the Paschal Mystery (the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus) is this: in order to reach the unending joy and happiness which was offered to Him by His heavenly Father, Jesus underwent the appalling pain of the Cross and the despised terrible shame of such a death, even to the point of hanging naked in a public place as a criminal. Yet, because of this, He now sits at the right hand of the throne of God. A straightforward truth which flows from this, which we sometimes forget, is that if we follow in His footsteps, we, too, can be with Jesus – sharing the same glory.

The Letter to the Hebrews (12, 1-4) offers words of encouragement for all believers who want to remain faithful to our Christian calling and not be forgetful or even tempted to fall back to our old ways. The author of the Letter reminds us of the “great cloud” of witnesses to the faith. He is referring to that impressive list of heroes who still testify to God’s goodness and our need to follow the Lord’s way. Our communion with the Saints, the witnesses who are not mere spectators but intercessors, inspires us – it must!

One such “witness” is St. John Bosco, whose feastday we celebrate today. For more on “Don Bosco” – https://sharecatholic.com/blog/st-john-bosco-feast-day-jan-31

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