[In Catholicism, the martyr is one who gives his life in circumstances that without that self giving others lives/or salvation be lost. So one gives his/her life so that others may live and/or be saved. It is never an act of giving one’s life to destroy those who reject God.-ed.]
To live martyrdom we must tame ourselves
The word of God is blunt: “one who has denied me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.” (Matthew 10.33).
On judgment day, before the father, Jesus will become counsel to those who stood on His side. There is a victory to reach, so it is important that you know the Lord. In this way and in that career you are in, he wants to train you, because you’re not ready to face the courts of men and declare yourself in favor of Jesus. In this respect, we enter the dimension of martyrdom: you give your life or you do not when you are forced to plead for Jesus before human tribunals.
We’re not prepared for martyrdom. We have an attachment to life and later we defend it, but when it comes to die for the cause of Christ, we “tune ourselves”. It seems that instinct takes over, and we run the great risk of, unfortunately, not declaring ourselves as servants of Jesus; on the contrary, we may deny Him.
Martyrdom is grace, but pay attention, grace that has long prepared through training. There is a way to go, there is a career for you to get the victory. Die or not in martyrdom, you already need to be trained. So I say that we must live a martyrdom of everyday life by dying to self so that we can prepare ourselves for when the true martyrdom arrives. And it will arrive.
With my blessing,
Your brother,
Monsignor Jonas Abib
Founder of the Canção Nova community