First Martyrs of the Church of Rome

"Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord." Lam 2:19

Grieving is a necessary and very painful dimension of every life. Whether it is the loss of a friend or the death of a child, we all know the awful pain of letting go into faith without condition. No matter how much we want to hold onto that which brings us peace and joy, we cannot. We must submit ourselves in faith to what life brings us.

This was surely true for the first martyrs of the the church of Rome. Only a generation after the death of Jesus, Nero blamed Christians for a fire that destroyed half of Rome and put them to death. What must have been these first martyrs thoughts as they became the target of the emperor's wrath? No matter how peaceful their cause, it did not matter to Nero who needed a scapegoat for his own failures.

Unfortunately, this pattern continues in our day as we grieve all those Christians who, like Ita Ford, Maura Clarke, Dorothy Kazel, Jean Donovan and Oscar Romero continue to stand as witnesses in lands where their desire to live faith filled lives of compassion and justice expose them to ridicule and violence.

Today, gently mourn all those who have been lost to violence.

How have you learned to grieve deeply in faith?