There are many voices in our lives - the voice of family, friends, co-workers, social media, local culture, myself. However, it is not always easy to know which voice is coming from Christ.

In the Gospel, King Herod is intrigued by John the Baptist. He knows that John is a good and holy person. However, because Herod is afraid of being embarrassed in front of his guests, he agrees to have a righteous man executed. Herod bows to fear and social pressure. He follows a voice that is not from God.

Today the Church celebrates the Japanese martyrs. Saint Paul Miki and companions knew that if they followed Christ, others would misunderstand and even hate them. In the midst of great pressure to abandon their faith, they chose to persevere and follow Christ's voice. For this choice they were killed. Yet, their faith in Christ provided these martyrs with much grace and peace. As he hung on the cross dying, Paul Miki forgave his torturers.

One way of identifying Christ's voice in our lives is the sense of peace it brings in our hearts, even if what Christ is asking us to do may not be easy.