Saints of Peace

This is their feast day! ❤️

We get a newsletter called The St. Anthony Companion in the mail once in awhile. Sometimes I read it, other times it sits in the mail pile. But this time I could not stop looking at these two faces. I started to read the article.

It turns out they are the first martyrs of Peru. They traveled from Poland to Peru to live among the poor people in the mountains. In August 1991 they were dragged from their friary after Mass by a group of revolutionary terrorists call "the shining path".

Sometimes they doubted they were doing any good at all and were tempted to return to Poland. But they stayed with their people and did all the daily things a kind priest would do. Helped the sick, joined in celebrations, taught the children. From the pictures it looked like they were so well loved and had made their home in Peru by daily fidelity and efforts at giving of the small but important everyday kindnesses - the only way real love is forged.

They were taken by surprise that early morning probably as ordinary as the morning before. The terrorists wrote up a death warrant with the Friars' own blood and then they executed them because, "They preach peace and tranquilize the people with religion, through the rosary, Masses, reading the Holy Scripture, and because of that, the people don't want revolution. We must kill those who preach peace."

And when I am tempted to think that there is no more faith or sincerity or depth of character, or kindness, or sweet gentleness on this earth, I can think of these two men....men from our own time.

There are still "shining sparks in the stubble". They are glorious in their simplicity. They died for the peace of Christ.

Their names: Blessed Miguel and Blessed Zbigniew, made blessed by Pope Francis on Dec. 5, 2015

Blessed be God in His Angels and in His saints.