A LENTEN PILGRIMAGE Rev. Fr. K M George The Martyrs
The world was terribly shocked when the ISIS (Islamic State) army brutally beheaded 21 young Coptic Orthodox Christian workers in Libya recently. They were killed because they were Christians. They did not do any harm to anyone. They left their poor villages in southern Egypt in search of work in order to help their families survive. In the video clip telecast by the assassins, some of those victims were seen to be reciting the name of Jesus moments before their innocent blood mingled with the waters of the Mediterranean just “south of Rome”.
Contrary to all human logic, amazing divine grace, forgiveness and faith prevailed in the families of those young men who died as bold witnesses (martyrs) to their crucified Lord. The mother of the two young brothers, Bishoy and Stefanos, killed along with 19 others, thanked the IS army for letting her beloved children enter the kingdom of God by the gate of martyrdom! There were originally only 20 Coptic Orthodox Christians. The 21st one was a young black African from Chad who, watching the amazing faith of his fellow workers, confessed Christ and was beheaded as a martyr.
The Coptic Orthodox Church has declared the 21 youth as martyrs for Christ and recognized February 15 as the Feast day of their commemoration in the Church calendar. One is reminded of the 40 martyrs of Sebaste brutally killed by the Roman army of emperor Licinius in Armenia in 320 AD. They were young soldiers who refused to renounce their Christian faith, and were thrown naked into a frozen lake. We remember their martyrdom on the fifth Saturday of the great Lent. Their story is touchingly similar to that of the Coptic Christians.
In the Sebaste killings in the 4th century there was also a courageous mother who stood by her son encouraging him to face the cruel death with unswerving faith and hope in Christ. There was also one young man among the 40 who, unable to face torture and death, left his brothers for the warm bath kept ready for anyone who renounced his faith. But a Roman guard, watching the courage of faith of the 39 young men, confessed Christ, jumped into the frozen lake and courted the death of a martyr!
The Sedra prayer for the Feast of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste in the Lent says that the number 40 of the martyrs suits well the 40 Lenten days of the Lord’s fasting and prayer. What can we say about the number 21 of our contemporary Coptic martyrs?
Can we say the number 21 stands for 21st century?
Yes, probably. Christian faith is going to face great suffering in this century. It has started in many places including our own beloved motherland India. What would then be our witness to the Prince of Peace and the Gospel of love? (the Greek word ‘martyria’, cognate of martyr, is translated as ‘witness’).
(Matthew 24:9-13)
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