Martyrs

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've probably heard of the film "For Greater Glory". If you haven't, this is the trailer:

The film is about the Cristero War in Mexico, where Catholics fought against vicious oppression from the government. It got me thinking about those who have fought and died for their freedom and their faith.

Someone once said to me that martyrdom leaves no witness. They were wrong. There are men and women about whom we know nothing but their names and the fact of their martyrdom. Their words, their deeds and their lives have been lost to history but a single fact has remained throughout history. That in itself is the most powerful witness: we know nothing else but that their faith was so strong they chose death rather than renounce it. I remember when I was struggling in my faith it was the witness of martyrs, especially the martyrdom of the Apostles, that spoke so strongly to me. I saw people who believed so strongly that would choose death rather than renounce it. Their martyrdom speaks to the strength and veracity of their faith, more so than words or other deeds ever could.

Viva Cristo Rey!