As we come to this last day of the month of June the Church remembers the First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church. This memorial recalls the first persecution against the Church by the Emperor Nero after the burning of Rome in 64 AD. Many of the faithful were tortured and slain (Magnificat, 416). The entrance antiphon for today speaks well of this holy martyrs: "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." Even the opening prayer for Mass speaks of us finding strength from their courage. These holy martyrs lived the call of Christ to "Not be afraid." We pray that their courage, their strength will help us in our journey of life and faith, especially when trials and tribulations arrive. We need to be patient, have faith and trust as we continue our journey towards the kingdom.
Yesterday, I focused on the pallium and the new archbishops who received that from our Holy Father. It was also a special day in the life of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, because it was his 60th Anniversary of being ordained a priest. We congratulate our Holy Father and keep him in our prayers as he continues to lead and guide the Roman Catholic Church. Blessings to all!
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