Martyrs are those who stand witness for their beliefs and who give testimony to their faith. Since the early years of the Church, there have been thousands of martyrs; people who never feared, or even if they did, stood their ground for the sake of the principles they espoused and the faith that they lived by and lived for.
Martyrs therefore are the models of the faith, especially those who believed and followed Jesus, the Christ and in effect, were persecuted, imprisoned, tortured and killed. Martyrs did not renounce their faith and remained true to their beliefs even if the consequence meant death.
Today, October 21, 2012, the Catholic Church and all Filipinos worldwide are one in thanking the Lord for the gift of faith and witness of one of our very own. As Christians and as Catholics, we joyfully celebrate the life and faith of Blessed Pedro Calungsod and six others who will be elevated to the altar of God and will be known as “holy men and women” of the Church and in the world. They will be canonized by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and will be declared and given the title fitting to them. As they are declared Saints (or Holy Men and Holy Women), they can now be publicly venerated by the Church.
Saint Pedro Calungsod was a Visayan who joined the missions in the Marianas in the 17th century. He was a lay young man who worked in the evangelization and proclamation of the gospel to the Chamorros, the indigenous people who lived at that time in islands of the Marianas. He helped and assisted Blessed Diego de Sanvitores, a Spanish Jesuit in work of catechesis and in the delivery of the sacraments to the people.
This young man who made a decision to be a missionary gives us an idea of who he is. A person with a certain level of maturity in his faith so that he committed himself to join the mission and dedicated his life in the following of Jesus in his capacity a lay young man. He was not only willing to go but made himself available for others as well. He was a catechist as he taught to the people the Story of Jesus and his saving message of love. We know in history that during those times, going to missions was very hard and it was possible that one would not be able to return. It was really a decision of faith and loving service that he made for the sake of the gospel.
At 17, San Pedro Calungsod was killed on April 2, 1672 in Tumon, Guam together with Blessed Diego de Sanvitores when they were suspected by some villagers that the water used in baptism has poison. Their stories never ended after they died because their lives were the very witness of faith. After 340 years, that young Visayan martyr is recognized by the Church as a “Beloved of Christ” and worthy recipient of the crown of sainthood.
May Saint Pedro Calungsod be our model of faith, of witness, of service. He is not only a model for the young people but for all of us who want to share God’s good news to everyone. May we also follow Jesus and be His witness, like the young martyr named Pedro Calungsod, for at 17 he made a difference in his life and faith.
Saint Pedro Calungsod, pray for us and be our model faith and witness.
source: interaksyon.com
