Martyrs for Christ

“Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”—Matt 10:31

For every person, living in the world means coming to terms with fear. Because our lives are full of uncertainty, we all wrestle with fear, whether we know it or not: fear of death, of poverty, of loss, of suffering. Often throughout the Gospels, Jesus exhorts us, “Do not be afraid.” How does one overcome fear? Is it even possible?

The answer lies in trusting the Lord’s love for us. We each have a soul beloved by God, Jesus reveals, and it is this love which gives us value beyond anything in the world. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul,” he tells us. Even the sparrows are known and loved by the Father. Therefore, as the Lord urges us tenderly in today’s reading, “Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Christian Martyrdom and Quo Vadis

This call to trust, rather than fear, has resonated with me in a special way recently. Over the past several weeks I have been re-reading the classic novel Quo Vadis, by Henryk Sienkiewicz. It tells the story of the early Christian martyrs during the reign of Nero in ancient Rome. After the great fire which destroyed more than half of Rome, the Christians are chosen as scapegoats for the crime. What ensues is a slew of bloody games in the arena, in which the Christians are led out by hundreds each day to be slaughtered, as a spectacle for the Romans.

We cannot but shudder as we read of the various forms of killing: many were fed to the lions and other wild beasts; others were crucified, and yet others were placed upon wooden crosses and set on fire. Perhaps even more disturbing than the butchery is the perverse pleasure of those who watched them die.

As I read these scenes of cruel slaughter, I found myself wondering at the senselessness of it all. In these early days of the faith, the flock of Christians was decimated. To what end? Why such bloodshed?

For Christ

Here, we do well to note the way in which these martyrs died. When a pack of Christians entered the arena, they gathered together, dropped to their knees, and began to pray aloud. As the wild animals were released into the arena, the victims did not flee, but began to chant: “Pro Christo! Pro Christo!” For Christ! For Christ!

In their last moments before death, the martyrs consecrated themselves to Christ. They could face the wild animals with a grace-infused courage, knowing they were to become an offering in the name of Christ. How much we can learn from their tremendous example of faith! The natural feelings of terror and fear were quenched by a supernatural trust in the Lord. They knew their deaths were not a defeat, but rather, a holy offering made for Christ.

Their declaration of the lordship of Christ was not lost on those who watched. As the days of slaughter went on, the Romans became perplexed by these Christians who suffered death with such remarkable courage. One of the nobles wonders aloud, “What kind of god is it who gives such strength in the face of death?” Another exclaims, “Tell us, what do they see [when they die]?” The answer, sputtered out by one who has begun to believe, resounds like a thunderclap: “Resurrection.”

Today, nearly two thousand years later, we who follow Christ remain the heirs of these early Christian martyrs. Their deaths bore abundant fruit in the conversion of thousands. Let us remember the example of the martyrs whenever we encounter our own sufferings in life. Ours is a faith anchored in the hope of resurrection, grounded in the love of One who has redeemed each one of us. What shall we fear, when we fix our gaze upon the Lord who loves us?

[Readings: Gn 49:29-32; Ps 50:15-26a; 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7; Mt 10:24-33]