Pope salutes ‘everyday martyrs’
June 24, 2013
Pope Francis paid homage to “everyday martyrs” during his Angelus audience on Sunday, June 23.
Reflecting on Christ’s teaching that “whoever loses his life for my sake will save it,” the Pope asked: “What does it mean to lose one’s life for Jesus’ cause?” He answered that the phrase can have two meanings.
First, one can be a martyr for the faith. Pope Francis reminded his audience that martyrdom remains a reality in the 21st century. “Today we have more martyrs than in the first centuries” of Christianity, he said.
However, the same willingness to sacrifice is evidence in those who “generously carry out their service for the Kingdom of God” in their daily lives, the Pope continued. He mentioned mothers and fathers who work for their children and families; priests and religious who devote their lives to the Church. These, he said, are “martyrs of everyday life.”
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