Lent Period

Witnessing Christ through spiritual martyrdom

St Augustine says “the martyrs saw what they proclaimed, meaning they won eternal life through suffering with Christ here on earth. They were holocausts of love and vessels f compassion which has enable them attain eternal reward.

This Lenten season followed by Easter celebration has been made holy by the suffering, death and resurrection of Him whom we are witnessing by acknowledging our spiritual paralytic situation and taking all steps to reflect the love of God lost. We resolve to abandon our human frailty and accept the martyrdom of the cross thus imitating our Divine Lord’s example. As Saints Peter and Paul we carrying our cross of martyrdom with Christ, in love for our heavenly Father. I am here speaking of these wide world known heroes of the Church ‘for their fame has penetrated every land and their message has reached the ends of the earth.’ These martyrs saw what they proclaimed. They followed the path of integrity, professed the truth, and died for it. We too, as seniors and witnesses of Christ, should imitate our leader even to the point of ‘losing our life’ so that we may gain it again.

Through our constant life of prayer, faithful observance and performance of our daily apostolate and in communion with our brothers and sisters all over the world at this evening time of our lives for the passionate love of God, we are witnessing with Peter: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Christ will himself be the rock on which we build through the faith we profess. The youth and children who will follow and imitate our way of life will also be disciples and representatives of Christ as they are hopefully expected to be his witnesses after us as their grandparents. Consequently we shall be rewarded by the Lord who has entrusted the care of his sheep (our grandchildren and society) as he entrusted to us. The elderly are not the only disciples worthy of this responsibility but also all who bear the name of Christ through baptism (now and in the future) sent and future witnesses of the divine love of God. Our confession of love must be proclaimed at this time through our faithful observance of this Lenten season ‘so that as we have died with Christ (through penance) we may also rise with him in Easter as his faithful witnesses.

One day is assigned for the celebration of our witnessing and martyrdom here on earth and this is the day for eternal reward.

Lets us prepare the way by our faithful observance of this Lenten season as the step towards our eternal glorification as watchful shepherds of the flock of Christ. I wish you all a blessed Lent and joyful Easter.

Fr. Gregory Mashtaki

Spiritual Adviser Anglo Africa