Martyrdom, today, does not only refer to those who are killed because of their religion. It includes the thousands who are harassed, persecuted, displaced, exploited or abused because of the faith they profess – from Syria, to Ethiopia, from North Sudan to China or Korea. It is undeniable that Christians around the world continue to suffer in various ways merely for practicing their faith.
Last June, in his Angelus reflection, Pope Francis said that the faithful are called to follow the example of the martyrs in losing their lives for Christ, even if they do not suffer violence for their faith. Martyrdom, the shedding of one’s blood, might be a call just for a few. ‘Daily martyrdom,’ however, in the words of Pope Francis, is answering God’s call to all His disciples to carry one’s cross daily (Lk 9:23). Our loving and serving, in the logic of Jesus, is the cross of life and service which we are to carry daily, doing so not out of duty, but out of love.
Parents who put their faith into action in loving sacrifice and dedication to their children; children who sacrifice their time to bring joy, comfort and love to the elderly, the sick and the handicap; priests and nuns who dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to the service of others and the proclamation of the Good News; a number of lay people from different walks of life who, silently, share their time and resources with the poor; groups of volunteers who share their lives with natural calamity victims like the Supertyphoon ‘Yolanda.’ These are only some of the examples of this kind of daily martyrdom that resists the tide of current values which are not in conformity with the path that Jesus Himself walked through.
In our world today, the demands of our Christian faith are, more often than not, at odds with our everyday life experiences. As Christians, we believe in truth, justice, love, forgiveness, and service. But we share life with a society where truth is compromised by personal interest; justice is denied to the poor; love is destroyed by greed and selfishness; forgiveness is clouded with hatred and division; service is either blinded by indifference or becomes more vainglory and self-promoting than a true expression of genuine love.
As Christians, we have to stand for who we believe in: Christ – even to the point of death if we are called to do so. However, our witnessing in the simple things of our everyday life is more vital in the world we live in: we are to be light in the darkness. Pope Benedict stated in his homily six years ago on October 28, 2007, on the occasion of the Beatification of 498 Spanish martyrs who were killed during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39): “This martyrdom of everyday life is a vital testimony in the secularized societies of our own time. It is the peaceful battle of love that all Christians, like Paul, must tirelessly wage: the race to spread the Gospel which keeps us committed unto death.”
