Faith, Courage, and the Cost of Truth

A light in the Darkness!

I had a totally different blog planned for this week. The final draft was almost done, even if I was a little late getting it out. But maybe there was a reason for that delay. Then the news came about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and suddenly those other words didn’t matter. My mind and my heart shifted. What can I even say? What are the words needed now?

This morning, as I prayed the Rosary, I prayed for Charlie. It was Thursday, the day of the Luminous Mysteries, and I couldn’t stop thinking of him. When I reached the Third Mystery, the Proclamation of the Kingdom, I thought, that was Charlie.

That mystery is about Jesus announcing that the Kingdom of God is at hand. He called people to repent. He healed the sick. He forgave sins. He spoke in parables that cut to the heart. He showed people a better way to live. That’s the kind of witness Charlie gave too. He proclaimed the Kingdom in his own way, even when it cost him.

Then the Fourth Mystery, the Transfiguration. I pictured him there, standing with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, shining in the presence of God. I prayed that he is with the Lord now, and that the seeds he planted will grow in others who will rise with courage to proclaim the Gospel.

And as I prayed for him today, my thoughts went back to yesterday. The moment I first heard the news of this tragedy, I was filled with questions. Really? Why him? What did he do? He didn’t attack people. He didn’t go after anyone. He spoke. He gave a voice to those who had none. He brought God into conversations where He was missing. He spoke truth. He cleared up confusion.

Charlie was an evangelical Christian, not Catholic like me. But even though our traditions were different, we shared the same convictions. We both believed in the Gospel. We both believed every life has dignity. We both believed in speaking the truth, even when it was hard. That is what ties us together.

Violence is not the answer. Yet we see it again and again. Churches shootings. Stabbings on the subway. Hatred toward God’s people. Now even assassination. This is the evil one trying to silence the Gospel. But the Gospel cannot be stopped.

Charlie’s life shows me that evangelization is not about arguing or winning debates. It is about speaking the truth of Jesus Christ with love. It is about living in a way that points back to Him. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). Even one small light pushes back the darkness.

Saint Paul wrote, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Charlie finished his race. Now the work falls to us.

So today, I pray for the repose of his soul. And I pray for the courage to live with the same conviction.

Lord Jesus, receive Charlie into Your Kingdom. Bring peace to his family and to all who mourn. Let the seeds of faith he planted take root in us. Give us the courage to speak Your truth with love and to shine as Your light in the world. Amen.