Homily: June 30 2016 - First Martyrs of Rome - Freedom from Fear

Today we celebrate the Roman martyrs—men, women and children whose names we will only learn in heaven. Yet, what else do we know about them.  We know that they followed Christ and were faithful to the end. 

Their end happened to be particularly gruesome. When the emperor Nero blamed Christians for the great fire in Rome in 64 AD. Many Christians were tortured, some were even crucified or thrown to wild beasts or burned at the stake.  Yet, they were faithful to the end, and they faced their martyrdom with such courage that we celebrate their heroic faith 2000 years later.

Though they were arrested, imprisoned, nailed to crosses, tied to stakes, they were free because they loved Christ.  They were free because they did not let the fear of suffering and death paralyze them or cause them to turn away from Christ.

Most of us have a fear of death. It is natural to run away from suffering—to pull one’s hand away from the flame, to do everything in your power to avoid suffering. Fear of suffering, either physical or emotional suffering, can paralyze us, it can keep us from achieving a noble ideal or a higher end. 

Fear of suffering can keep us from creating beautiful art, lasting friendships, and freedom from addiction. Fear can keep us from going out of our comfort zone to enact the works of mercy.  But, “nothing great can be achieved without suffering.” So we must overcome the natural instinct to avoid suffering, through the supernatural grace of God.

The paralyzed man in this morning’s Gospel was able to break free of his paralysis because he listened to the words of Jesus and obeyed them. Jesus says to all of us, “rise pick up your mat and go” to do the will of God.  And when he speaks, we need to trust him, and obey him.

In the moment of fear, let us all remember the great courage of the martyrs, let us aspire to their greatness, and let us hear the word of Jesus speaking directly to our hearts, who commands us to be free from our paralysis and fears, to work for the glory of God and salvation of souls.