“We do not pray for the martyrs as we pray for those others, rather, they pray for us, that we may follow in their footsteps.” (St. Augustine)
The glory of the martyrs lies in their desire to conform completely to the will of the Father. They exemplify Jesus’s difficult message today, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” If we follow Him, we may not either. The point of this interaction is to remind the crowds that following Jesus is more than just receiving. They have been following Him during his public ministry and witnessing amazing signs and wonders. Their hearts are burning with hope and joy, but Jesus challenges them to dive into a deeper reality.
God desires our healing, reconciliation, and restoration to new life, but His work doesn’t stop there. Even more, He desires us to live the call of sainthood battling against the terrors of sin. Our call is not one of creature comforts or security. Quite the opposite, as Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed, “You were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” Great things require great sacrifice, as the first holy martyrs demonstrate.
You will likely not experience a martyr’s death, but you do have to endure daily sacrifice. Do you choose it? Every small act of combating laziness, complaining, being right or in “the know” is a form of martyrdom. When we fully accept all the teachings of the Church, even against our own understanding, that’s when we live the will of the Father. By choosing to deny our impulses to gossip or write an angry letter to our pastor we step out into that vulnerable place of martyrdom which Jesus himself lived. Surrendering control over our children, future assets, or unaccomplished dreams is walking the road that Jesus walked – the road of absolute trust and conformity to the Father’s will.
In the previous chapter Jesus teaches that only, “he who does the will of my Father,” will enter the Kingdom. Are you giving yourself totally over to the will of the Father? Is there anything you are keeping from Him? Beg for the intercession of the holy martyrs that you may have the grace to love God wholeheartedly.
Daily Reading
Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading I Genesis 32:23-33 In the course of the night, Jacob arose, took his two wives, with the two maidservants and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the…
Saint of the Day
Sts. Aquila and Priscilla
Sts. Aquila and Priscilla
Feast date: Jul 08
Saints Aquila and Priscilla were a Jewish couple from Rome who had been exiled to Corinth, and were friends of St. Paul in the first century. They hosted St. Paul on his visit to that city and were probably converted by him. They are mentioned a few times in the New Testament in glowing terms by their friend Paul, who calls them “my helpers in Christ, who have for my life laid down their own necks” (Romans 16:3-4).They were tentmakers, thus sharing the same profession as Paul, and because of this it is thought that Paul may have worked with them. Acts 18:18-19 tells us that they accompanied Paul to Ephesus and stayed there with him for three years.In the era of house churches – when Mass was always celebrated in the house of one of the Christian community – their house was an important one.According to tradition they were martyred in Rome on their return, probably around the same time as St. Paul.