The Holy Martyrs

Today is the Memorial of the First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church. "In the first persecution against the Church, begun by the Emperor Nero after the burning of Rome in 64, many of the faithful were tortured and slain. The pagan writer Tacitus testifies to these events in his Annales (15,44), as does Clement, bishop of Rome, in his letter to the Corinthians (chapter 5-6)" (Magnificat, 410). These early men and women of the church show us an example as they made the ultimate sacrifice for the glory of God and the sake of the gospel. They firmly believed in Christ, they were strong defenders of the faith, and they were not afraid to give their lives for the cause. As the Entrance Antiphon for this day says, "The saints are happy in heaven because they followed Christ. They rejoice with him for ever because they shed their blood for love of him." May the holy martyrs intercede for us as we continue our journey of faith and building up the Kingdom of God in our midst.