Martyrs of the Twentieth Century (Memorial) –
Martyrs are Christians who have been put to death because they chose to remain faithful to the gospel and counted “the truth as it is in Jesus” dearer than life itself. In the twentieth
century more Christians suffered for this reason than at any other time in the Church’s history — there are the three million Armenian Christians who died under Turkish brutality during the first World War; the million Orthodox who perished in the Soviet Union in the 1920’s and 30’s; the unknown number of Albanians who disappeared in their government’s efforts to suppress Christianity; the hundreds of Germans, both Protestants and Catholics, who died because they resisted Hitler and his Nazi regime; the Burmese Christians who were killed simply because they believed in Christ; the hundreds of African Christians who suffered because they condemned the terrorism of colonial authorities and Black nationalists alike; and the many who were killed because their Christian witness made them oppose racism or social and economic injustices. If we were not careful, the sheer number of martyrs might stagger our efforts to remember them, and why and how they died. So, today’s memorial is meant to be a small act of resistance, a refusal to be silent in the face of terror and injustice. We collect our intentions around a thankful remembrance of the Christian Martyrs of the Twentieth Century and learn anew the ancient truth, that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
Almighty God, who chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, teach us to honour your Martyrs of the Twentieth Century, that we may stand fast in your truth, proclaim your salvation in the world, and fulfil your commandments in love; through Jesus Christ our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The source of this post is not known. It is quoted from my daily devotional reading.
Glory Matters 