Today is June 30, the Optional Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church.
We read at today’s Mass, “A scribe approached and said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head'” (Mt 8:19-20).
Today we remember the first martyrs of the Church in Rome — men and women whose names we may not know, but whose witness laid the foundation for Christian life in the Eternal City. These early Christians, many of whom were brutally killed during the persecution of Nero, responded to Christ’s invitation with unwavering courage. They followed him, even unto death.
Transformed by grace
As we bring the month of June to a close — a month steeped in the mystery of the Sacred Heart — it’s fitting that we end by reflecting on love that costs everything. The martyrs of Rome did not rely on their own strength. Their fortitude, their willingness to endure suffering, flowed from the heart of Christ himself. As I walked through Rome this spring and prayed in ancient churches like the Basilica of St. Sabina — home to the relics of the martyr Sabina and others — I was reminded that behind every name is a story of love: love received from Christ and love returned in witness.
This is the key: The strength of the martyrs is not their own. It’s the strength of the Sacred Heart poured into weak human hearts, transformed by grace. Christ’s charity, not human effort, is the true source of their courage.
As we conclude our month meditating on the Sacred Heart, let us carry its fire into the rest of the year. Let the love of Christ embolden you. Let it be your strength in trial, your peace in uncertainty, your courage in witness. The martyrs show us what it means to love Christ completely. May we follow their example.
Let us pray,
O God, who consecrated that abundant first fruits of the Roman Church by the blood of the Martyrs, grant, we pray, that with firm courage we may together draw strength from so great a struggle and ever rejoice at the triumph of faithful love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
