10-08-24 Ketika Iman Diuji, Cinta Menang: Kisah-Kisah Inspiratif

St Lawrence, deacon and martyr "Jn 12:24-26" Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honour him. In order to give fruit, a seed needs to die and be buried. The disciples of Jesus never forget that the life which really matters is eternal life, Life, with a capital letter. Jesus is reminding us to get our priorities straight and to know where we are going. It's very frustrating for Jesus' enemies that the more Christians they kill... the more Christians appear! The Church has never grown faster than in times of persecution. The more seed that dies and is buried, the more fruit it gives. The Romans were frustrated when they threw Christians to the beasts in the arena of the Coliseum and heard them singing psalms. The 'Acts of the Martyrs' are descriptions of their trials and deaths. They usually describe martyrs as serene and glad to be found worthy to shed their blood for Christ. St Lawrence was one of the seven deacons serving Pope Sixtus II and he was in charge of the treasury. Emperor Valerian arrested the Pope and his deacons. He killed them all except Lawrence, who was commanded to turn over the riches of the Church. So he asked for three days to gather everything together. In that time he sold and gave everything to the poor; on the third day he went to the Prefect accompanied by all the poor and sick people he could gather and said to him, "This is the Church's treasure!" The Prefect wasn't impressed. Feeling fooled, he decided on a special death for him and ordered that he should be grilled to death. St. Lawrence showed his cheerfulness right to the end. It's said that while he was being grilled he told his torturers humorously, "You can turn me over now; I'm done on this side." Mary, Queen of Martyrs, help me to always have the courage to defend my faith with joy. And if God's enemies insist, they will have to flip me over again and again... because with your help I will never give up.