We recently celebrated the memorial of St. Justin Martyr. The word Martyr comes from the Greek word martus, which literally means witness. A martyr is someone who suffers for his or her beliefs. Like many Christians in the early centuries, St. Justin was killed because of the faith. When I lived in Rome, I often passed by numerous sites where early Christian were killed or beaten because they professed Jesus as Lord and Savior. They were counter-cultural people, swimming against the tide of Roman Polytheism and Pagan practices. Even though Christianity was illegal and early Christians faced persecution and death, they did not give up. They were people of tremendous faith, who were willing to die and witness to Christ.
In our society, we are certainly not threatened with death due to one’s beliefs. We thankfully live in a society that emphasizes Freedom of Religion, not freedom from Religion. However, many of our sisters and brothers in the Middle East and elsewhere are still persecuted because of the faith. In fact, just last year a French Priest named Jacques Hamel, was killed in France during an attack in a church. Till this day, we are provided with heroic Christian models, people who show great courage by refusing to give up on Christ. They are our modern day martyrs.
In our own way, we too are called to become modern day martyrs. Although we may not have to die or suffer physically, we know that modern day culture does not always agree with our religious values. As Christians, we are sometimes mocked because of our faith. The secular world promotes greed and the importance of self, while Jesus calls us to give of ourselves and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The secular culture stresses material wealth, while our faith reminds us that this life is only temporary and a greater kingdom awaits us. I know someone who tries her best not to gossip. Whenever her coworkers gossip about their boss and invite her to join in, she simply walks away or remains silent. One of our parishioners shared that he is tempted to cohabitate with his girlfriend. He said, “It’s hard not to because everyone is doing it! People stress convenience.” However, he decides to listen to his conscience and faith. These two are also examples of how we can be modern day martyrs. It is possible to show courage and not give into the pressures of modern day culture or sinful behaviors. Although we may not be called to do anything big, God appreciates the small and concrete ways we witness to Christ in our daily life. Be a witness!
