Saint Andrew Dŭng-Lạc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

"These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been ransomed as the first fruits of the human race for God and the Lamb. On their lips no deceit has been found; they are unblemished." Rev 14: 4-5

Often when we read the history of the church we are startled. When the church first went to Vietnam she did so, not first to announce the Good News to the Vietnamese, but to minister to Japanese Christians who had been driven from their homeland. This simple and innocent act of compassion attracted the Vietnamese but threatened Vietnamese leaders who insisted that the Vietnamese renounce their new found faith by stomping on a crucifix. 

Compassion can be dangerous, especially when it is offered as a free gift to those whom others think of as unworthy. Countless Christians have been martyred because of their desire to be merciful to the lost and lonely. Nevertheless, the openness to offer God's love to those who feel abandoned is a fundamental value of Christian life. Whether our willingness to live the Gospel despite the danger leads to persecution is not the point. That we hand our lives over to God for God's desire for the world is.
Today, ask for the gift of openness to God despite the cost.

Have you known people willing to give their lives for the sake others no matter the price?