What is required is a stronger opposing force.  For that reason moral principles are never so strong as when they are buttressed by a personal devotion to God.  If we are convinced that in the last analysis our loyalty to him is what is really at stake, then we shall clearly see that, when it comes to the point, we have no other course but to stand firm.

Hesitation or wavering is usually the prelude to muffling the voice of conscience, or to making a compromise by coming to terms with wrong at the expense of right.

When, however, our innermost convictions are firmly rooted in the truths and principles of the Christian Faith, and are supported by a personal loyalty and devotion to Our Blessed Lord, then we may face our difficulties and trials with confidence.  For however strong the influences hostile to the truth may be, when we resist them steadfast in the Faith, we are then conscious that we do not resist them alone.

Note

The Castle of Antonia is the traditional site of Jesus’ trial before Pilate, and the Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem start at the site of the Castle.  However, some authorities believe that the trial took place at what was once Herod’s Palace in the Upper City.