Dear Friends:
JUNE AND THE MARTYRS: Following the great feast of Pentecost (we celebrated last Sunday), the month of June is filled with the feasts of Saints who were martyrs. We wore red vestments last Sunday for the pouring forth of the fire of the spirit. Now, during daily Masses in June, we wear red again because we celebrate many martyrs who shed their blood for Christ. We see RED for the fire of the Spirit and RED for the blood of martyrs. June 1st was St. Justin the Martyr, a brilliant philosopher and theologian, who shed his blood in 165. We have the actual court transcript wherein Justin affirms his loyalty to Christ which led to his martyr’s death. Then the 2nd, 3rd and 5th of June – all feasts of martyrs. Sts. Marcellinus, a priest, & Peter, an exorcist, martyred in 303. June 3rd we celebrate the 22 Ugandan Martyrs, Charles Lwanga and his companions. They remained faithful to the Church as the King tried to stamp out Christianity. They were court pages martyred in 1886 faithful to Christ and not to the king’s sexual demands. June 5th is the feast of St. Boniface, Apostle to Germany. Martyred there in 754. We honor on June 22nd, St. Thomas More, a lawyer, and St. John Fisher a bishop, the two hero martyrs for standing up to Henry VIII. Their heads were placed on London Bridge to scare those loyal to the Pope. Their example inspired more. June 28th is the feast of St. Irenaeus, Bishop Martyr of Lyons, put to death in 200 for his fidelity. The  Pillars of the Church, Peter and Paul, are celebrated on June 29, both of whom shed their blood for Christ in Rome around the year 67. Peter was crucified but upside down, feeling unworthy to die as Jesus did. Lastly, June 30th is the celebration of the first martyrs of the Church of Rome. The Emperor Nero hated the Christians and blamed a fire in Rome on them in the year 64. He rounded up 979 Christian and put them to death. Many were burt alive or thrown to the wild beasts. Christians were used as human torches. We honor those who had the honor to shed their blood for Christ.