Martyrdom

The idea of martyrdom has been distorted today by a group comprising of the few and the anomalous. Islamic terrorists have somehow been granted the power to redefine the concept of dying for one's faith. The classic example is a suicide bomber, one who wants to die whilst causing the most innocent casualties possible at the same time. Unfortunately, we have had far too many examples of this kind of perverted "martyrdom."

But as I said, this is a distorted view. All we have to do is look to the Christian tradition to see the true examples of martyrdom. Saint Stephen was the first martyr for the Christian faith. Stephen was one of the first followers of the original Twelve after Christ's Ascension. He is described as being "a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost," (Acts 6:5) He spoke before the Jewish authorities "and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke." (Acts 6:10) For witnessing the truth of the Gospel, Stephen was stoned to death. Stephen did not die with words of hate on his lips. He did not resist the authorities that put him to death. He went willingly to his martyrdom in imitation of Christ's meekness before His Crucifixion.

Stephen was only the first of many Christian martyrs. Save for St. John, all of the Twelve (Judas being discounted from their ranks) were martyred. So was St. Paul. The list extends into the thousands, even without venturing beyond the first millennium. Christians faced some of their most persistent persecution at the hands of the Roman emperors, particularly Nero. Tacitus wrote that an "immense multitude" of Christians was put to death by order of Nero. Tertullian wrote that "The blood [of martyrs] is the seed of Christians"  I am seriously unconvinced that any of these blessed martyrs died with a sword in their hands. Not one sought to promote their faith by blowing themselves up and killing innocents.

Christian martyrdom is not a historical phenomenon. It happened in the last century and it is still happening today. Even now, Christians die for their faith in Syria and China, in Iraq and Iran. One of the greatest of these modern martyrs is St. Maximillian Kolbe. He was a Polish priest caught up in the events of the Nazi occupation of Poland. His reward for refusing to be silent about the truths of his faith was a cell in a concentration camp. Long story short, St. Maximillian Kolbe offered to die in the place of another man. He did not lead a rebellion against his Nazi captors, he did not fight back. Maximillian Kolbe gave his life so that another might live. Though broken in body, the spirit and the faith of St. Maximillian Kolbe was never broken. That is the essence of martyrdom.

I propose a new attitude towards martyrdom. It is not a militant act of senseless violence. It is a sacrifice.

Even if you don't live in a place where Christian blood is daily shed, it is still possible to live a life of martyrdom. Sometimes, it takes more courage to live for your faith than to die for it. For we can now die innumerable deaths through the scorn of our peers, through the mocking of the media. Living for Christ involves dying to this world. We die not in body, but to the conventional "morality" of relativism, to the accepted sexual mores, to the judgment of our friends, our family, and our teachers.

Die to the World, but live in Christ.

Deus Volt!