Our Fathers the Martyrs
There is no Church that honors the martyrs as much as the Coptic Church honors them.
It is enough that our annual calendar is the Calendar of the Martyrs, and we begin our history with them.
And in our rite, we place the martyrs before the fathers who are shepherds, and before the fathers who are ascetics.
That is because there is no greater love than this: that one should offer himself for his love of God and his faith in Him.
We do not weep for the martyr on the day of his commemoration; rather, we celebrate his feast.
We celebrate the martyr on the day of his torture and killing. It is undoubtedly a feast day,
the day on which he receives the crown of martyrdom and reaches Paradise.
We remember the martyrs because the Church was established upon their blood, as it was said:
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of faith.”
We remember the faith of the martyrs, their courage, their brave defense of the faith, and their endurance of unbearable sufferings with amazing patience.
We remember the martyrs who turned prisons into churches, as they filled them with prayers and praises.
And those who did not leave the Church alone, but supported her with their prayers and assistance.
The Church establishes special feasts for the martyrs, churches are built in their names, and candles are lit before their icons,
remembering how the fire of divine love and the fire of persecution burned within them, until they offered themselves as a ransom.
As we remember the martyrs, we learn from them… We learn how to remain steadfast in the faith.
And we learn how to regard pain lightly, no matter how severe it may be, and how to face even death with courage.
The martyrs were a lesson for humanity, and they were a practical example in their lives and in their departure.
And on the Feast of Nayrouz, as we celebrate the martyrs, we also celebrate a new year.
We pray that it may be a happy and blessed year, and in it we ask for the Lord’s help and a special grace,
so that we may spend it in peace and make a good beginning.
An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III — in Al-Keraza Magazine — Tenth Year (Issue Thirty-Seven), 14/9/1979.
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