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Where Are the Martyrs?
May 19, Saint Peter Celestine V, Pope
Dom Gueranger writes: There is not a century that has not had its martyrs: some for the faith, others for the unity of the Church, others for her liberty, others for justice, others for charity, and others, like our great Saint of today, for the maintenance of morals. The nineteenth century, too, has had its martyrs; scarcely a year elapses without our hearing of some who have been added to the bright list in the far East. At the commencement of the eighteenth century there was little probability of its providing such an abundant harvest of martyrdom as it did. Of one thing we are quite sure: whatever persecutions may arise in the future, the Spirit of fortitude will not be wanting to the champions of truth. Martyrdom is one of the Churchs characteristics and it has never failed her. The Apostles who are very close to Jesus during these days preceding His Ascension drank the chalice which He drank; and only yesterday we were honoring the martyrdom of the favorite disciple-yes, even he had to tread the path prepared for all.
Dom Gueranger is telling us that the path of martyrdom must be tread by all as the road to heaven. True, not all of us will be killed for the Faith, but we must undertake a far more difficult martyrdom, overcoming our lower nature. We must battle against our three-fold enemy of the world, the flesh and the devil. We must stand firm for not a minute while we are beheaded or even for several months as some suffered slow martyrdom in cruel torture. Now we may be sentenced to a life long martyrdom, suffering persecution for our holding firm to the Divine and Catholic Faith.
The Enemy has decided to make no more martyrs. We are not offered the easy out of martyrdom. Rather the Devil has chosen to kill us by inches, hoping that in prolonged suffering we will give in to the world and/or the flesh. So how do we stand firm for a half century or more, when all around us are eating, drinking and making merry?
The Spirit of Martyrdom
Martyrdom is a grace that is earned, not an easy way to save ones soul without combating our lower self. We are all called to martyrdom. A chosen few will give their lives in a glorious combat, which we read about in the Lives of the Saints. A hundred times more will earn heaven so quietly, that few will ever know of their heroic deeds. Few will ever know their fierce combat and glorious triumph. These will only receive their praise at the general judgment.
Dom Gueranger said: Of one thing we are quite sure: whatever persecutions may arise in the future, the Spirit of fortitude will not be wanting to the champions of truth. Today we are called to White Martyrdom. Men are called to be confessors, while women are called to be holy women and some of us are called also to be virgins. The same virtues, which the martyrs practiced in enduring their cruel death we need to live.
One of the most important virtues of a Christian is perseverance. We must live the Catholic Way of Life until death comes, whether by the sword, by disease or at the end of a long life. And we must pray daily for the grace to persevere to the end, and persevere in this prayer until we can no longer speak. Even then, the pray must be on our mind until we can think no longer. Our last conscious act should be an act of prayer, whether it comes immediately before our last breath or before lapsing into a coma or into senility. Our last though must be on Almighty God and given in His holy praise. In order to do this, we should go to sleep each night thinking of God, as if we will not awake in the morning.
Where Are the Martyrs?
Dom Gueranger says every century has had its martyrs. Where are the Twenty-First Century Martyrs? We are all called to be martyrs, either of blood or of patience. And if we refuse to become martyrs for Jesus Christ, we will become martyrs for Satan, that is we will sacrifice our lives for momentary pleasures and earn hell thereby. And how many of us are living a life of ease and comfort, rather than one of penance. The Roman Catechism tells us that the whole life of a Christian ought to be a perpetual penance.
What is the proper preparation for martyrdom? It is the same as preparation for death. Those who think that martyrdom is an easy way out after a lax life are wrong. In the early centuries, many lapsed from the Faith under the test. Some would return to do penance for their defection, and a few even did make the ultimate sacrifice.
In reading the introductory part of Victories of the Martyrs by Saint Alphonsus, we can summarize the marks of a true Catholic:
1. We at first remark that the martyrs were firmly attached to all the dogmas of the Christian faith.
2. By beholding, in devout mediation, the utter contempt in which they held the world and all the allurements of pompous vanities, we are taught to despise the fleeting and unsubstantial pleasures, which it offers to delude its votaries.
3. Placing our confidence totally in God and appreciating the beauties of the Divine and Catholic Faith and the Catholic Way of life.
4. Patience and perseverance are two important marks of a Catholic.
5. In weakness the martyrs teach us to have immediate recourse to Almighty God, our only source of them.
6. The martyrs teach us especially zealous in performing their daily duties as a preparation for martyrdom.
7. But the most important lesson which we learn from the martyrs is the necessity of the love of God: He that loveth not abideth in death. (I John 3:14)
Saint Bernard: The martyrdom of blood appears more cruel, but is less painful in duration than the martyrdom of chastity.
Announcements:
Saturday, May 22nd is the Vigil of Pentecost, which is a day of fast and complete abstinence.
Sunday May 23rd is the Birthday of the Church, when three thousand came into the Church. Let us pray and work for the Universal Conversion, remembering conversion begins at home with ourselves.
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, May 26, 28 and 29 and the Summer Ember Days. All Ember days are fast days with partial abstinence. Of course, abstinence is complete on all Ember Fridays. On Ember Saturday let us recite the Litany of the Saints, which prior to the apostasy was chanted in many cathedrals as Holy Orders was conferred on many men throughout the world. The Ember Saturdays are the ordinary day for conferring the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Laura Update:
Saint John of the Cross: This soul indeed, lost to all things and won over to love, no longer occupies her spirit in anything else. She even withdraws in matters pertinent to the active life and exterior occupations for the sake of fulfilling the one thing the Bridegroom said was necessary (Luke 10:42), and that is: attentiveness to God and continual love of Him. This the Lord values and esteems sohighly that He reproved Martha when she tried to call Mary away from her place at His feet in order to busy her with other active things in His service; and Martha thought that she herself was doing all the work and that Mary, because she was enjoying the Lords presence, was doing nothing. (Luke 10:39-40) Yet, since there is no greater nor more necessary work than love, the contrary is true. He also defends the bride int eh Canticle, conjuring all creatures of the world, referred to by the daughters of Jerusalem, not to hinder the brides spiritual sleep of love, nor cause her to awaken or open her eyes to anything else until she desires. (Canticles 3:50)
It should be noted that until the soul reaches this state of union of love, she should practice love in both the active and contemplative life. Yet once she arrives, she should not become involved in other works and exterior exercises that might be of the slightest hindrance to the attentiveness of love toward God, even though the work be of great service to God. For a little of this pure love is more precious to God and the soul and more beneficial to the Church, even though it seems one is doing nothing, than all these other works put together.
Because of her determined desire to please her Spouse and benefit the Church, Mary Magdalene, even though she was accomplishing great good by her preaching and would have continued to do so, hid in the desert for thirty years in order to surrender herself truly to this love. It seemed to her, after all, that by such retirement she would obtain much more because of the notable benefit and gain a little of this love brings to the Church.
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