“And he bowed his head and breathed his last” – my Lord Jesus, you died and you died for us…
If we truly believed that, how we would wish to die, and that as martyrs! How we would desire to die in suffering, instead of being afraid…!
Whatever the reason for which we die, if we accept an unjust and cruel death as a blessed gift from your hand, if we thank you for it as for a sweet grace, for the blessed following of your end, if we offer ourselves as a voluntary sacrifice, if we do not try to escape according to your words: “do not resist the evil” and according to your example: “he submitted and did not open his mouth” let himself be not only shaved but also slaughtered, then, whatever the reason for our killing, we will die out of pure love and our death will be a sacrifice with a very pleasant aroma. And if this is not martyrdom in the narrow sense of the word and in the eyes of men, it will be martyrdom in your eyes and a perfect image of your death…, because if we do not shed blood in such a case for our faith, we will shed it and offer it with all our heart for love of you…
(Charles de Foucauld /1858–1916/, En vue de Dieu seul)
