Today the universal Church celebrates the feast of a philosopher turned martyr, "one of the noblest personalities of early Christian literature," St. Justin. He was put to death near the middle of the second century for proclaiming his faith in Jesus Christ and refusing to sacrifice to idols. His is a rare case because we actually have an authentic account of his trial! When asked about his faith, Justin confessed: "Yes, I am a Christian ... I hope that I shall enter God's house if I suffer...For I know that God's favor is stored up until the end of the whole world for all who have lived good lives ...No one who is right-thinking stoops from true worship to false worship...We do not sacrifice to idols."

Our first reading praises people like St. Justin, godly men and women, whose unforgettable virtues ensure that their memory will never die and "their glory will never be blotted out." I suggest that we reflect upon our own lives today, our discipleship, our fidelity, our endurance. Am I willing to be counted among those who follow Jesus even unto death? What is my way of bridging the world of faith with the secular, pluralistic, consumer world I am part of? How do I give witness to the values of Jesus Christ? Am I willing to speak the truth that sets us free even at the cost of suffering and separation from people and things I love?

Then I suggest we take a careful look at the Gospel passage featuring Jesus' cursing of the fig tree as an image of the faith we are called to profess. The truly extraordinary promise of Jesus, that faith can indeed move mountains, that confident, believing, ardent prayer always gets what it asks for -- provided we always practice forgiveness -- is it not a deep call to us all to trust more fully in the power of prayer, which is God's power? Again, this is a good time for each of us to examine how confidently we are responding to the invitation of Jesus: "Have faith in God," and "Have faith also in me" (the Gospel of John). Even as his apostles were astonished at this strong teaching of Jesus about the power of prayer, I can allow my own heart to skip with joy and once again commit myself to what is supposedly also the motto of our country: "In God do we trust."

So, on this feast day of St. Justin, Martyr, we pray for the same grace he received back in the century after Christ was crucified and rose to new and everlasting life, the grace to live constantly and daily a life of faith. In this first week of Ordinary Time after Easter, let us remember that time is no longer ever ordinary; it is always the time of Resurrection, a time when our prayers will unfailingly be answered whenever we pray with all our hearts!