(d.526) Saint John I was elected 53rd Pope in 523. He crowned the Byzantine Emperor, Justin I, in Constantinople and was imprisoned by King Theodoric’s soldiers during his return to Rome. Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths (and Italy at the time), fancied himself the protector of Arianism, a heresy that was corrected at Nicaea two hundred years earlier. He wanted Saint John I to support Arianism. Saint John I refused and died as a martyr in their custody.
Opposing heresy in the Church is seeking integrity, a unified will. It is being entirely ready to have God remove defects, in a sense. On a personal level, this is the hard work of Steps 4-7. We learn what the truth about our condition actually is and seek action to pursue it. Finding a good sponsor and working the Steps, especially when it is uncomfortable, is essential to a solid recovery program.
Saint John I, you were unyielding to what you knew to be true about the Faith. Pray for us, to have that same courage and desire for what is right in our recovery. Amen.
Reflection by Brad Farmer