I happened on a webpage describing the torments of the Japanese martyrs (Aug 25th feast day). Being me I found my way onto the Roman Christian martyology and all the terrible torments the martyrs endured. I have heard that the martydom in the last days will be greater and more severe than all that went before. But the descriptions of the Roman martydom are more horrible than anything I can imagine. I couldn’t even get a bit of the way through before I had to stop reading. Likewise the torments suffered by St Isaac Jogues and St John Breboef. I had to skip bits and the bits I managed were bad enough. . I do not know how I could stand up under this. Does anyone know how the martyrs were able to endure and not apostasise?
Yes but what does that mean in practice? Did the feel the pain and withstood it or somehow miraculously not feel the pain?
Also…there 1000s and 1000s of them. Were they ordinary people to start with? Were they also afraid of martydom? These are just qus that have bothered me
The bottom line is that they had no choice. In the case of St Isaac Jogues and St John Breboef there was nothing they could do to stop the torture, so they surrendered all of it to God.
Not everyone is called to martyrdom so don’t lose sleep over bridges you’re not called to cross.
And I hope I’m not just for that reason I can’t imagine being able to stand it. I scream if I burn my thumb. When that happens I think of the martyrs…how did they endure their whole body burning?
I think St Isaac Jogues actually got away but went back knowing what he would face
Yes, both St Isaac Jogues and St John Breboef got accepted by the majority of Iroquois, but were murdered by a rogue indian who opposed them.
I visited the Shrine of North American Martyrs in upstate New York. I had already read the book, “Saint Among Savages,” before going there. I was surprised that the gift/book shop did not carry that book. The title was insulting to the Native Americans who worked there from what I guessed.
This often goes through my mind too. And I think we need to be reminded of it because we live in a world where forget martyrdom, most people cant be chaste or seem to want to abandon faith when it becomes unpopular, inconvenient or requires a sacrifice. How many times do we hear " what’s the minimum I can do, obey, fast, attend mass etc"
Many, probably most, felt severe pain. A few did not. I remember reading about one of the Jesuit Elizabethan martyrs (Unfortunately I have forgotten which one and cannot find it on Google) who wrote to a relative from prison that he had been tortured but the Lord spared him the pain from the torture. I’m guessing that God could have accomplished this a) miraculously or b) through allowing some nerve ending or pain point to be physically affected so as to create physical numbness or c) through the same mechanism by which some people who have been severely traumatized disassociate/ “leave their bodies” so they are essentially not present/ have no memories of terrible things that are done to them.
Also…there 1000s and 1000s of them. Were they ordinary people to start with? Were they also afraid of martydom? These are just qus that have bothered me
I think in the case of some of the Jesuits and priests and religious order members, they had been trained in their formation to expect and even welcome martyrdom, as they believed that the blood of martyrs would guarantee conversions. There are also cultures in the world where martyrdom is highly valued. I have read that the Japanese Catholics for example were zealous about wanting martyrdom because their culture held it in high regard, and that they would be relatively anxious to get martyred along with their whole families, to the point where it unnerved the European missionaries who were not used to seeing ordinary lay people with this mindset.
In all cases, there were people who broke under pressure and apostatized. I remember reading about a Japanese female martyr and saint who was tortured with several members of her family. The family members gave in and she didn’t.
We do not know what we would do in that type of situation until it is upon us. Best to do as Jesus said and pray that we are not put to the test.
Also, if it disturbs you to read gory accounts of martyrdom, don’t read them. The tale of St. Jean de Brebeuf is particularly awful, and worse yet I have seen holy cards depicting the Native Americans torturing him and his compatriots, that would be considered extremely politically incorrect today but are of course historically accurate. The tribe that killed him considered it a mark of a great man to be able to withstand horrible torture. (gory details blurred)
His behavior was considered very honorable, to the point where one of his torturers wanted to have his same brave qualities and showed this by ripping out his heart while he was still alive and eating it.
No doubt he was aware that remaining brave and praising God would be the best impression to leave on his captors and he tried to do just that.
remember reading about one of the Jesuit Elizabethan martyrs (Unfortunately I have forgotten which one and cannot find it on Google) who wrote to a relative from prison that he had been tortured but the Lord spared him the pain from the torture.
That’s very interesting thanks. Also I have thought it’s possibly how saints lived their lives beforehand. Like the English Carthusians who lived very austere lives out of love and underwent the worst deaths in the reformation but none of them apostasised.
Yes I do pray for them everyday especially Cdl Zen and the faithful Chinese Catholics and those in Egypt Pakistan and Nigeria. My life is easy compared with theirs
I made a thread about this earlier. Japanese martyrs have a common history with the Korean martyrs. My priest said that the martyrs were able to endure the torments because “they knew that they were going to heaven and be united with the Lord”. Their love for God did not allow them to give it up.
Thanks Pulchraes. The last times are supposed to be worse than all the things that have gone before. Someone already said how many martyrdoms happening now. We see non-bloody martyrdoms in the UK with people losing their job and being ridiculed for refusing to go along with PC stuff. Apostasy is spreading like cancer across Europe with the willing acceptance of or fear of standing up to cultural Marxism. I’m not saying this will lead to martyrdom but what’s the betting it will?
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