Relatives of Coptic Christians carry coffins of their relatives who were killed following their funeral service, at Abu Garnous Cathedral in Minya. - Source
I noticed an 'ask father' post on Fr. Z's blog wherein a reader asked, "What if we are alive when Christ returns?" It seemed like a strange question to me, especially in view of the recent martyrs. They were alive when Christ returned for them - they are alive. Christ is alive. We just celebrated the Resurrection - we celebrate it every Sunday.
Fr. Z plugged ad orientem worship in his reply - to face East to greet the Lord. Inserting a plug like that seems so banal compared to the blood of the martyrs and their going to meet the Lord. The martyrs were alive when they met Him, no matter which way they were facing.
Read your catechism...
677 The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection. The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God's victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from heaven. God's triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world. - CCC
Each Catholic can help those killed in Egypt simply by making the sign of the cross while saying the words of the sign of the cross. That obtains in hope partial indulgences for any such people who reached Purgatory. I try to do five an hour all day for murder victims, car accident victims....from the news each week. We all neglect the more complex partial indulgences because the prayers have to be looked up.
ReplyDeleteBut the Enchiridion mentions the sign of the cross as obtaining a partial and its the easiest by heart. Want a Friday penance? Decide to do a given number of signs of the cross all day sporadically....for people in tragedies from the news in case they reached purgatory.
Thanks Bill, good to know and remember. I am convinced, with Pope Francis, that the Copts who were killed went straight to heaven - or in keeping with my theme, realized they were already there.
DeleteCertainly possible but note that they were not testifying to the powerful like St. Stephen but still...what you say is possible.
DeleteI agree Terry. While on their pilgrimage to the Monastery of St. Samuel the Confessor in Minya, Egypt, the bus was stopped and attacked by gunmen in the desert. Witnesses say that the gunman then tried to force the Coptic Christians to recite the Koran or to see who could recite it, the pilgrims reportedly refused and were shot point blank. Among the faithful killed were children, elderly and many women.
DeleteTruly they bore witness to the Risen Lord in their refusal to submit to the demands of these terrorists.
May heaven be theirs forever rejoicing and interceding for all Christians and no-believers and for their enemies in the glory of God all Merciful.