Saying Yes, Unto Death

Welcome to the first official week of Lent! Today's feast celebrates Saints Perpetua and Felicity: a remarkable story of martyrdom made possible by an ancient text—Perpetua's own diary. We have given you two options based on how much time you have: a great 3-minute summary by our friends at the GIVEN Institute, or the full diary itself, about a 20 minute read.

GIVEN Institute Catholic women's leadership network

In the eyes of the world, Saints Perpetua and Felicity were separated by status: one a well-educated noblewoman, the other a servant or slave. Yet, in life and in death, these two women from early 3^rd century Carthage, North Africa, were sisters in Christ. Both catechumens, they were arrested along with their companions under a decree of the emperor, Septimus Severus, that forbade anyone to become Christian. The group was condemned to death in the “games” of the arena, authentic sporting contests as well as public executions, often by means of wild beasts. These amphitheater killings were staples of the Roman persecutions of Christians.

We know of Perpetua and Felicity’s story because of the diary Perpetua kept while she and her companions were awaiting execution. Not only is this text rare for its account of early Church martyrs in the days leading up to their deaths, but it is one of the earliest first-person narratives by a woman writer. Perpetua’s chronicle is introduced by and completed with the testimony of an eyewitness.
(3 Minute Read)

‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
– Matthew 25:40

As we struggle to respond appropriately to war and violence, let us pray for the courage of the martyrs who have gone before us, and the ones laying down their lives today. We invite you to discover and support our friends at For the Martyrs, who are bringing awareness and aid to persecuted Christians the world over. Below is an excerpt from 5 Ways to Pray for Persecuted Christians on how we can be praying for the “least of these” in these times of peril and persecution:

For the Martyrs Persecuted Christians awareness organization

1. Pray that persecuted Christians will find comfort in the Lord despite hatred, discrimination and violence.

This is the 5th consecutive year that Christian persecution has substantially risen. According to Open Doors’ 2022 World Watch List, 1 in 7 Christians worldwide face persecution for their faith. Many Christians around the globe must navigate injustice and suffering simply because they follow Christ. Pray that they would rely on the Lord and find comfort in Him.

During the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:10-12, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
(4 Minute Read)

Speaking of saying “yes,” meet an entire arsenal of folks sharing their testimonies, conversion stories, favorite saint quotes and more over at Yes Catholic:

Yes Catholic Testimony and conversion conversations

This quote helped me wrap my head around what it truly means to love. In a world full of selfishness, it's the selfless act of willing the good of the other over your own without the expectation of receiving anything in return, and yet being willing to accept that love if and when it is returned. - Blake

Discover more “yeses” at YesCatholic.com and @yes.catholic on Instagram (link removed to protect your Lenten resolutions—if giving up social media is one of them! We'll periodically remind you of this for the sake of newcomers).

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Now go give your YES to the world today!

A.M.D.G.