Today, in the liturgical calendar, we have an option to commemorate the first Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church. “The people we honor today had one thing in common: they all gave up their lives for Jesus. They were killed because they were his followers. By the year 64, Emperor Nero’s human rights violations had reached proportions beyond description. When a fire broke out in Rome on July 16, it was commonly believed that the emperor himself had set it. As almost the entire city lay in ruins, the anger of the people grew. Nero became fearful. He needed to blame the fire on someone else, and he picked the Christians.

Tacitus, a well-known historian, recorded that the Christians suffered cruel deaths. Nero had some of them fed to wild animals. Others were tied to posts and became human torches that lit the Roman streets. The exact number of these Christian heroes is not known, but their gift of witness and their holy lives made a lasting impact on the people. Nero was the first Roman emperor to persecute the Christians, but he was not the last. And the more the Church was persecuted, the more it grew. The martyrs had paid the price so that all who would come after them would be free to practice the Catholic faith.” (iMissal, Saint a Day)

We can be grateful that we live in a country in which we are free to practice our Catholic faith. Many other people do not have this same gift. Let’s ask the Martyrs of Rome to help all those who are persecuted because of their faith in Jesus.

To honor their heroic lives, I invite you to reflect on the flowing quotes which might inspire you to persevere in your faith. Only prayer is what we desperately need to win this battle!

❦ “We need no rifles or pistols for our battle but instead, spiritual weapons – and the foremost among these is prayer…. Through prayer, we continually implore new grace from God, since without God’s help and grace it would be impossible for us to preserve the Faith and be true to His commandments….” (Blessed Franz Jägerstätter OFS —1907-1943, Layman Martyr)

❦ “We must be willing to die for our faith, even if the Lord does not grant us this honor.... Giving life does not only mean being assassinated; giving life, having the spirit of martyrdom, means offering it in silence, in prayer, in the honest fulfillment of one's duty; in this silence of everyday life, giving life a little at a time.” (Pope Francis-- Audience with pilgrims from El Salvador giving thanks for beatification of Bishop Oscar Romero, Oct. 30, 2015)

O Blessed Mother Mary, Mary Queen of Martyrs, intercede for us all. Hail Mary full of grace…

I will lift y’all up to the Lord at the Holy Eucharist today. Please stay put, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay connected to Christ through prayers.

Peace in Christ,

Father Vincent-Vuong Nguyen