The faith of martyrs and saints, were they given special graces?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MarthaSo
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MarthaSo

Guest
Hi.
I’ve been thinking about several martyrs who died gruesome deaths and at the same time I think about news stories like that of 13 children being starved in their home and toddlers dying because some awful people torture them (it seems random to connect these two thoughts but…) when I think of the martyrs or St. Therese or Maximillian Kolbe who faced death in suffering and evil… their love of God and trust in Him… how did they achieve that level? I feel as though God must have perhaps granted their prayers for strength and faith, OR, are some people just gifted more faith in God, naturally, by God, and if so, is all we can do to deal with our own suffering when we find it to be so less valiant is to pray. How were they able to have such love, such faith…and others weak…and others evil.
I’ve just begun to wonder, if God would grant me the faith of St Therese or the martyr who had boiling water poured over his head…then I would be stronger in the face of my trials … but if God doesn’t grant me this gift (I attend Mass and pray) than how can I ever have that kind of faith, the kind that would face being eaten alive by lions because I will see God as did Justin Martyr (I believe it was him).
I’m just sad because there exists such evil, I can’t imagine anyone starving a toddler, the pain of that precious child… breaks my heart… then I think of Jesus whom I love in my weak way … did Jesus see them do that to that poor baby…what will He do?
Thanks for listening to my postpartum hormonal thoughts…,to be fair I have thought of this before.
 
‘The saints and friends of Christ served the Lord in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, in work and fatigue, in vigils and fasts, in prayers and holy meditations, in persecutions and many afflictions. How many and severe were the trials they suffered—the Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and all the rest who willed to follow in the footsteps of Christ! They hated their lives on earth that they might have life in eternity.’ - The Imitation of Christ
 
Exactly. I am weary of this world too but I don’t have their precious faith. Was their faith a gift that I can obtain? How?
The evils I mentioned about the children for example…don’t strengthen my faith in Jesus. I know evil exists… but… I somehow can’t run towards a lion in my zeal for God because the suffering of that poor baby who no one would feed until he ultimately passed on keeps coming to my heart and mind.:cry: Gosh that just hurts my heart! I know people will say (rightly) well there’s evil in the world, but somehow that’s not closing this hiccup in my faith. But the saints and martyrs don’t have this problem, somehow the evils of the world did not affect their faith. How ?
 
Last edited:
Faith is a gift, pray for it with an open heart. St Teresa of Avila said through prayer we obtain all gifts and graces.
 
I have and will continue to do so. I’ve added to my previous post since you responded. Thank you for your reply.
 
Well, Jesus does tell us not to give thought to the future, that today has cares of its own and to ask our Heavenly Father for our daily bread.

I suspect that the saints maybe didn’t get “extra” or “special” graces, so much that they were cooperative with the graces they got and it was sufficient for their need.

I do believe we need to keep ourselves ready to meet with trials of all sorts, and this is done he frequent confession and communion, by diligent prayer and Bible study, done with right intention.

There’s a book called The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom. She was a Protestant (Dutch Reformed) who sheltered Jews in her home during the Nazi occupation and wound up in a concentration camp. She recalls when she was a little girl and was very anxious about something she was afraid might happen in the future, and her father told her to the effect that just as you wouldn’t hand a little child their train ticket long before the trip, because they don’t need it yet, God, as the best of Fathers, would give her her “ticket” at the very moment she needed it.
She remembered this when she went to the concentration camp and found it was true—that courage and grace came to her when she most needed it.
 
MarthaSo said:
But the saints and martyrs don’t have this problem, somehow the evils of the world did not affect their faith. How ?
Click to expand...
Because they trusted in God’s judgement. We know evil must exist in order for humanity to have free will, but ultimately evil is a mystery.
 
I remember this from reading about Corrie ten Boom, thank you for reminding me. I just feel like my faith would be stronger if I could ignore the evil if that makes sense, and since I can’t ignore the pain in hearing about what happened to that poor baby (as an example) I feel stuck in my same place faith… where I am afraid and not bold. I believe in Jesus and do love Him…but then I remember the baby for example and I wonder and become afraid. I’ve discovered it is stopping me from zeal.
 
It sounds crazy that I could love Jesus and at the same time wonder if Jesus saw what they did to that baby.
It worries me actually, this type of reasoning I have because it’s illogical.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top