It was with the depth of courage that they witnessed

[Mary Naeem]

By H.H. Pope Shenouda III



It was with the depth of courage that they witnessed to Christ publicly even though the consequences of that witness may have lead to their death. This is why St. John the Baptist for example, whom the Lord described as, “among those born of women there was not risen one greater than John the Baptist” Mt11:11, was a witness and a martyr at the same time. It is very likely that the term ‘martyr’ came from the term ‘to witness’, to witness to the faith, even if this ultimately lead to the person’s death for the sake of that witness.