What can be said about Martyrdom? Words are insufficient to describe the horror of the event and the glory, love and respect of the Church. It is, quite simply, breathtaking. Christians do not seek martyrdom - although the charge could be made of some in the early church. However, we have always before us the example of Christ and the Apostles. We are sustained and liberated by the death of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago. The example of the martyrs sustains us too by reminding us of the path we have chosen and the task we are about. This is where singlemindedness in following Christ can lead us.
But to strengthen our hands and our knees, we have the words of Paul ringing in our ears and echoing in our spirits:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written: “ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
