St.Sebastian, Mt 10, 28-33

Emphasize that martyrdom is a great act of love in response to God’s infinite love.  What is martyrdom based on? The answer is simple: it is based on the death of Jesus and his ultimate act of sacrifice on the cross, through which he gave us life (cf. Jn 10:10). Christ is the suffering servant referred to by the prophet Isaiah (cf. Is 52:13–15): ‘He gave himself as a ransom for many’ (cf. Mt 20:28). He encourages his disciples, each individually, to take up their cross daily and follow him on the path of love for God the Father and humanity. ‘Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me, he says. ‘Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it’ (Mt 10:38-39). This is the logic of the grain of wheat that dies to sprout and bring forth life (Jn 12:24). Jesus himself is ‘a grain of wheat that came from God, a grain of wheat of God that falls to the ground and allows itself to be crushed and destroyed by death — and precisely through this, it opens itself up and can bear fruit for the whole world’ (Benedict XVI, visit to the Lutheran Church in Rome, 14 March 2010). The martyr follows the Lord to the end, freely accepting death for the salvation of the world—the ultimate test of their faith and love (cf. Lumen Gentium 42). But where does one find the strength to undergo martyrdom? From a deep and intimate union with Christ. Martyrdom and the call to martyrdom are not simply the result of human effort; they are a response to God’s initiative and call. They are a gift of his grace, a visit that enables people to sacrifice their lives for their love of Christ, the Church, and the whole world. Reading the lives of the saints, we are fascinated by their composure and courage in the face of suffering and death. The power of God is fully revealed in the weakness and misery of those who trust in him alone (cf. 2 Cor 12:9). However, it is essential to emphasize that God’s grace does not suppress or diminish the freedom of those who undergo martyrdom. On the contrary, it enriches and elevates it. The martyr is a completely free person, free from the power of this world. In a single, definitive act, they give their life to God. In a supreme act of faith, hope, and love, they place themselves in the hands of their Creator and Savior. They sacrifice their life to unite themselves entirely with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. In short, martyrdom is a great act of love in response to God’s infinite love. It is the logic of the grain of wheat that dies to sprout and bring forth life (cf. Jn 12:24). Jesus himself is “a grain of wheat that came from God, a grain of wheat of God that falls to the ground and allows itself to be crushed, destroyed by death – and precisely through this it opens itself and can thus bear fruit for the whole world” (Benedict XVI, visit to the Lutheran Church in Rome, 14 March 2010). The martyr follows the Lord to the end, freely accepting death for the salvation of the world – as the most challenging test of his faith and love (cf. Lumen Gentium 42). Once again, where does one get the strength to undergo martyrdom? From a deep and intimate union with Christ, because martyrdom and the call to martyrdom are not simply the result of human effort, but are a response to God’s initiative and to God’s call: they are a gift of his grace, which makes man capable of sacrificing his own life for love of Christ and of the Church, and therefore of the whole world. When we read the lives of the saints, we are fascinated by the composure and courage with which they endure suffering and death: the power of God is fully revealed in the weakness, in the misery of those who trust in him and place their hope in him alone (cf. 2 Cor 12:9). However, it is essential to emphasize that God’s grace does not suppress or diminish the freedom of those who undergo martyrdom. On the contrary, it enriches and elevates it: the martyr is an entirely free person—free in relation to the power of this world; is a free person who, in a single definitive act, gives their own life to God and, in a supreme act of faith, hope and love, places themself in the hands of their Creator and Savior; they sacrifice their own life to unite themself completely to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. In short, martyrdom is a great act of love that responds to the infinite love of God.