It’s Not Easy to Be a Real Martyr

martyr

When the Columbine massacre occurred on April, 20th, 1999, I had only been Catholic for a few months. I was still getting tuned in to the Christian world, so I may not have picked up right away on the “martyr story” of student Cassie Bernall. The teenage was reportedly asked by the gunman at point blank range, “Do you believe in God?” to which she responded in the affirmative. And he shot her dead.

Apparently, much like the Matthew Shepard gay-martyr narrative, things didn’t happen that way. Bernall’s classmate, Valeen Schnurr, was the one who was asked this question, and though she was shot, she survived. The stories got conflated, but the Cassie Bernall “She Said Yes” narrative persisted.

Reverend Dave McPherson, Youth Pastor at Cassie’s congregation at West Bowles Community Church, told the journalist, “You will never change the story of Cassie…. The church is going to stick to the martyr story. You can say it didn’t happen that way, but the church won’t accept it.” The narrative spurned a wave of “I will die for Jesus” sentiment among zealous Evangelical teenagers, akin to the Promise Ring trend in the 1990’s.

Objective Criteria

One thing among many that I appreciate about the Catholic Church is the objective criteria she uses to determine what is what. Objectivity encompasses such things as the criteria for the validity of sacramental marriages; the canonization process of a would-be saint; the conditions for determining a miracle; the authenticity of a vision; the conditions for mortal and venial sin; and, in this case, what makes a martyr.

Dominican Fr. Benedict Ashley writes:

True martyrdom requires three conditions: (1) that the victim actually die, (2) that he or she dies in witness of faith in Christ which is directly expressed in words, or implicitly in acts done or sins refused because of faith, and (3) that the victim accepts death voluntarily. They are not martyrs who do not actually die, or die from disease, for the sake of merely natural truths, or heresy, or for their country in war, or through suicide, etc.

“Martyr” is often used loosely of anyone who dies for the sake of any cause. But the Christian cause is in fact objectively true, and not a subjective illusion, as are many of the causes for which persons die sincerely but deludedly. Thus those who die for the sake of fanatical religious cults, or as terrorists, or for their own glory, however sincere, are not genuine martyrs, but are objectively suicides. Nor are those who die for a noble but merely human motive, as the parent who dies to save a child, or a soldier for his country, since such virtuous acts can pertain simply to the order of natural virtue.

If my pious friends are anything like me, they may occasionally daydream of meeting the Lord and being greeted by the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” This life is not worth much to me, and so I look forward to the day when I can offer it to the Lord – but only in the way He calls it from me.

The Reality of Witness

When I think of the Columbine story, it seems that being asked “Do you believe in God?” and answering “Yes” is the lowest level of witness. Even the demons believe in God and would answer the same. But such “opportunities” (if we think of it like that) are few and far between.

As Americans, we are more likely to be dragged through the courts or sued into destitution than strung up from a tree limb to be used as an example to others. We don’t live in Roman times; we are not missionaries in the Middle East. At least for the time being, the odds of any of us dying for the faith as true martyrs are as likely as winning the Powerball, I would think.

And yet, we massage the daydream, because it’s a distraction from the slog of living the virtues day in and day out on the long, narrow road to sanctification. The little things we suffer could feed an illusory martyr-complex; i.e., imagining ourselves as persecuted with our first-century brothers and sisters whom we read about.

We also have the unfortunate tendency to conflate nationalism with aspects of the faith, and in other aspects are quick to draw Nazi or “gold-star” imagery to draw attention to our plight. We could imagine ourselves a martyr for a cause, or may take a hit standing up to a totalitarian overstep by government, but we are not promised a martyr’s crown as a result.

Daily Martyrdom

One telling sign of the false martyr complex is its lack of joy. Our Lord criticizes these types for having a gloomy continence when fasting (Matthew 6:16) because there is too much self in the act. The Pharisees are evidence of that. A hero is grim and righteous and determined to win glory for himself or his cause. A saint is weak and dependent on God’s grace alone, knowing that in a time of testing his own strength could fail and he could easily fall away.

They “joy” of the true martyr is not a false happiness that derides suffering and ridicules opponents. A martyr’s joy is the deep sense of peace that comes with any suffering we unite with His. It is “a peace the world cannot give” (John 14:27).

Socrates, who sacrificed himself to make a bold statement to his countrymen is in an entirely different category than, say, Joan of Arc who sacrificed herself to remain true to Christ and died with His sacred Name on her lips.

Although I’m hopeful for the future, I’m also realistic and can read the signs of the times. Our country – in fact, our world – is gradually being taken over by radicals who want nothing to do with God, and Christians may soon be put into untenable positions in our culture where martyrdom may choose us.

There is a way to prepare for that: it is the way of humble service and obedience.

So I recommend, settling in for the long slog of dying to self every day, quietly doing secret penance in reparation for sin, and loving your neighbor sincerely. Prepare to live a long life, and pray for the peace of a martyr’s conscience if it comes to that, but consider it a blessing if you are taken home early.

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4 thoughts on “It’s Not Easy to Be a Real Martyr”

  1. Pingback: FRIDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit

  2. We can better appreciate what the Martyrs have done when we hear some voluntarily attack the faith without coercion.

  3. I would let poor young Cassie Bernall and poor young Matthew Shepard rest in peace. You insinuate that non-Catholics can’t possibly be martyred, according to the strict definition. Not true. Or you could admit that these two died horrible, unjust deaths. And being shot after answering that “she believed in God” is not, contrary to what you say, a trivial matter. That girl, whether it was Cassie or her friend, was inviting death by her answer.

    Or I could point out that hundreds of Catholic “martyr stories” were in fact complete fabrications, which is why those “saints” are no longer on the calendar. (St. Faith, for example.) The Church does admit that it makes mistakes. As, in fact, does “the Left”. (Note the article in The Nation on the Matthew Shepard book you linked to.)

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