وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

[Mary Naeem]

By H.H. Pope Shenouda III



The martyrs therefore have the depth of love for God whom they loved more than their lives. They also have the depth of faith. The faith which they held onto until death and this faith was not stopped by any threats or sufferings. They fulfilled the true depth of our Lord Jesus Christ’s command, “you shall be witnesses to Me” Act 1:8. 



[Mary Naeem]

By H.H. Pope Shenouda III




Furthermore they were an incredible example to all the generations in witnessing to the faith and being steadfast despite all the torture and persecutions. They are the ones who preserved the faith for us with their blood until it was given to us intact. This is why we consider the martyrs to be the seeds of faith, and the foundation of faith in the church. 



[Mary Naeem]

By H.H. Pope Shenouda III




It is possible for any one to witness to the Lord but it is not possible for just any one to die because of their witness to the Lord. They were therefore an example to all the believers in their love, and in their faith, and in their witness to the Lord, and also for their courage. When you read the stories of each one of these saints you find that they had complete faith in their witness to the Lord, and they had exceptional courage. In their steadfastness and bearing their sufferings they were brave. 



[Mary Naeem]

By H.H. Pope Shenouda III




Martyrdom began from the beginning of Christianity and has remained with her throughout her journey through time. It started from the beginning of Christianity for as our Lord said, “In the world you will have tribulation” Jn 16:33. Many are those who tried to run away from this tribulation but the martyrs did not run away from tribulation, rather they bore it and persevered through it. He said to them, “the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service” Jn 16:2. He also said to them, “I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves” Mt 10:19. When Our Lord Christ called people to Christianity, He did not call them to a path strewn with rose petals, but He told them you will be taking a path containing tribulation and the threat of death.

[Mary Naeem]

By H.H. Pope Shenouda III





Despite this they bore, and were patient, and steadfast all their lives. There even came a time when death was desired by people. It was not just the overcoming of the fear of death but it had become a desire for them to depart this world and be with Christ. As St. Paul says, “having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” Phi 1:23. To the extent that once 30000 Copts went out of Damanhour towards Alexandria seeking martyrdom and they sang hymns and praised God on the way. Death had become a desire to them. 



[Mary Naeem]

By H.H. Pope Shenouda III





When the day of St. Fam the Soldier had arrived he wore his finest clothes, and when they asked him about why he had done this he said that today was the day of his wedding feast and that he was going to the wedding feast. St. Antony, the father all of all the monks also sought martyrdom, despite monasticism being an escape from the world it was never an escape from martyrdom. He came out of the wilderness to Alexandria seeking martyrdom. He would on many occasions strengthen the believers publicly in front of the people, but God did not permit for him to be martyred for God had preserved him for another purpose.

[Mary Naeem]

By H.H. Pope Shenouda III





What is amazing is that someone like St. John the Baptist received his martyrdom whilst Christ was still on the earth. It was possible for Christ to have save him if He so wished. However Our Lord allowed for him to be martyred so that He can add to St. John’s crowns the crown of martyrdom. 



[Mary Naeem]

By H.H. Pope Shenouda III

From those martyrs who loved martyrdom there is also the great St. Ignatius the Bishop of Antioch and who the Antiochian patriarchs are named after to this day. They take the name Mar Ignatius as well as another name. This saint was being taken to Rome to be martyred, and the believers in Rome wanted to save him from death, and kidnap him from his captors and prevent him from being brought before the emperor. St. Ignatius sent them a remarkable letter which can be found in the writings of the apostolic fathers, as he is considered an apostolic father. In it he tells them quite plainly that he feared that their love for him was going to cause him harm. Having laboured all this way in his life to this point are they going to cause him to begin the journey again? They are going to throw him to the lions and that if the lions did not eat him, he will provoke them into eating him. It is a wonderful letter in the writings of the apostolic fathers. This saint was ultimately thrown to the lions that devoured him, but in that night he appeared in the spirit to the believers and strengthened them.

[Mary Naeem]

By H.H. Pope Shenouda III

The people by martyrdom use to feel the approaching joy of meeting Christ, and meeting those in heaven, and this was for them far more important than the joys of this earth. So in addition to their faith in Christ and Christianity they believed in heaven and the angels, etc…

[Mary Naeem]

By H.H. Pope Shenouda III

They use to consider death the quickest way to paradise. The strike of the sword took a minute or part of a minute. This was insignificant compared to finding themselves in the arms of Christ all of a sudden. Even the mothers would encourage their children with this understanding as they faced martyrdom. Martyrdom enlisted all types of people from the community: children, youth and elders, women and men. For example, St. Demiana was martyred and the forty other virgins with her. She rebuked her father initially when he fled from martyrdom; he then returned and gained the crown of martyrdom. Her father was a ruler over the area of Zaafaran.