Remembering the Martyred Saints

Two thousand years ago, Christians were often hunted down and killed. Amid this darkness, the church began a radical practice. When a brother or sister was martyred for faith in Jesus, the Christian community remembered their date of death as an occasion for celebration and thanksgiving to God. 

This was a new birthday, when the beloved’s body entered the grave in anticipation of resurrection and victory in Christ. The saints were not cherished for inherent moral perfection or superhuman niceness. They were broken and…