White and Red

Today, May 21st , is the Memorial in the Catholic Church for Saint Christopher Magallanes who was martyred along with 21 diocesan priests and 3 devout laymen.  They were all members of the Cristeros Movement under the suppression of the anti-Catholic Mexican government.
The priest at daily mass today chose the Optional Memorial to honor Saint Christopher and the other men whose lives were taken for their faith.  He spoke about in his homily, Red Martyrdom and White Martyrdom.  I don't really think I have ever been familiar with the phrase of the White Martyrdom before.  He said the red martyrdom is the easy one, you are killed and it is over.  The white martyrdom is the hard one because you have to die to self.  You have to trim the branches of yourself as a tree so that it can get more sun and grow.  Everyday you need to trim yourself : trim your tongue when you speak ill of others, trim your words when they are judgmental, trim your selfishness when you don't want to do something for someone else because it is inconvenient.  When you continue to trim you die to yourselves for Christ and with this comes suffering, this is an ongoing martyrdom.
I thank God for priests who speak with such beauty and truth.  This speaks to all of us who are in the struggle to live in the world but not of the world. May all who are sons and daughters of the church wear the "glow" of White Martyrdom.
Saint Christopher Magallanes and his companions, Pray for Us. Vivo Christo Rey!

I find it interesting these days, that there are quite a number of people who don't genuflect upon entering the church or before they go into the pew.  I imagine it is a result of poor catechesis, but I would hope the adults would have picked up on it by now.  That is why it is so important that those of us who were taught the reverence of the Presence of Christ in the Tabernacle by genuflecting continue and maybe teach those who don't really know.  I think those that went before us proclaiming Christ would find it a little difficult to understand why people find it so difficult to reverence the Lord and adhere to the teachings of His Bride, Our Holy Mother Church.
The following I think had no problem with any of this:
262 martyrs: Feastday March 25, a second group of 262 martyrs are buried on the Via Salaria, their Feastday: June 17th. 47 Martyrs baptized by St. Peter. They also suffered under Nero:Feastday March 14th. 3 soldiers that converted after witnessing St. Paul's martyrdom were condemned and executed. Feastday July 2. A group baptized by Pope St. Alexander I were taken to Ostia and put on a ship and sent out to sea and then deliberately sunk. Nine Hundred martyrs buried in the catacombs of Callistus on the Appian Way:Feastday March 4th. Many Martyrs who suffered because they refused to surrender the Scriptures to the Roman authorities. Feastday:January 2nd.  The list continues until today.  So in the rememberance of those who have given their lives and those today who are giving their lives for their faith, could we at least genuflect in front of Our Lord and Our God?