What I Learned from Mondays with the Martyrs

by Larry Fraher, Ph.D  |  09/07/2023  |  Images of Faith

It is that time of year when schoolchildren everywhere are writing essays on what they did or learned over the summer. In each of the summers that I have had the privilege of serving this parish, we have presented a “Monday Movies” series. One of the things that many may not realize is how much I learn from those who participate in all of the programs we offer. This year’s series has been no exception. The movies this year dealt with a particularly tough topic: martyrdom. The discussions following the films induced a great deal of reflection and learning for me, and I am grateful to all who participated in the series. So, in anticipation of this week’s Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14), and in union with our young people who must also write such essays, below are some reflections on what the three movies and subsequent discussions about martyrs have taught me.

First, there is a difference between seeking death, and knowing that the path of following Christ may lead to death. Martyrdom requires a bold and firm adherence to the faith and to one’s conscience. Martyrs, especially those who have chosen to follow the faith against the advice of members of society who would take a less extreme stand, are often misunderstood. In each case, St. Thomas Becket, the beatified monks of the monastery of Tibhirine, Algeria, and Blessed Franz Jeagerstatter, the martyrs held firmly to positions of conscience related to their faith, and in each case, lost their lives in the process. In all three situations, the cause of death was the actions of governments or agencies that failed to respect the individual’s choice to follow one’s conscience. Christian martyrs, even though they may see the eventual outcome, as Christ did, do not cause their own deaths.

Second, Christian Martyrs go boldly into death, rooted deeply in the person and work of Jesus Christ. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, the martyrs “form the archives of truth written in blood: ‘It is better for me to die [in order to unite myself] to Christ Jesus than to reign over the ends of the earth. I seek him who died for us; I desire him who rose for us. My birth is approaching.’” (CCC 2474, brackets in original, St. Ignatius of Antioch is quoted). Can we imagine ourselves so deeply rooted in Christ that we might be able to stand for and with Him, even in the face of certain death?

Third, words matter. What we say, the vows and oaths we take mean something. The martyrs clearly understood this reality. There is no inconsistency between the words of their hearts and the words of their lips. This is the type of integrity that Christ exemplified and encouraged when he taught, “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’” (MT 5:37) The martyrs yes is a yes to Christ that embraced their entire being, and it is rewarded with an eternal embrace by Him in Heaven.

When one is chosen as a Cardinal in the Catholic Church, he is vested in the color bearing the same name. The Cardinals are recognized as those leaders in faith whose integrity matches that of the martyrs. The garments they wear symbolize the willingness to shed their blood for Christ and for the faith. While we may never reach such a depth of faith as the Cardinals, the witness of the martyrs gives examples to each of us, to hold boldly to our faith, root deeply in Christ, and live with integrity.

All Holy and Faithful Martyrs: Pray for Us!