“Hey, You Never Know”

Have you ever heard of Nicholas Postate ……. hmmmmmm neither have I. Well I found out that Blessed Nicholas Postate, a priest & martyr, was one holy man. Listen to this:  “Sweet his behavior, grave his speech … he did by good example teach… serene his look and calm his mind… as angels live, so lived he. 

Using a secret code, Father Postgate brought the Mass and sacraments to the Catholics on the Yorkshire Moors (England) for fifty years. When he was betrayed for twenty pounds, he forgave and blessed the woman, who almost immediately came to beg his pardon. It is said he sang hymns of his own composition while in prison. He was martyred in 1679. For two hundred years after his death, “Father Postgate’s Hymn” was sung at funerals in the Yorkshire moors.” (ref. Magnificat,9-25-23)

There is so much to draw from this wonderful life. “Sweet his behavior, grave his speech”. Isn’t that a great motto for spreading the good news. Certainly the words of Christ are grave, are serious, are not to be taken lightly; yet those who present this magnificent gospel should do it with sweetness and calm and with good  example, never with harshness or rudeness or condescension. He also demonstrated the importance of mercy by immediately forgiving and blessing his betrayer. Wow, what a wonderful example.

We have been recently reading about other saints who were martyrs. They lived in times where standing for Christ would often cause you to suffer torture and death. While we honor the martyrs, we need to remember that not all the Christians were able to stand up to this test. There were men and women who obviously loved the Lord, but the fierce pressure of expected martyrdom caused them to reject the faith. It is reported that many Christians apostatized in the face of the Roman persecutions, publicly renouncing Christ and his Church. I’ve often wondered if I would have the courage to stand in such times as these. I hope so, I would want to, but God only knows. 

Pope Cornelius (253) and Cyprian(258) were martyrs who had to guide the church in caring for those who had lapsed and later repented and sought readmission to the Church. This was a complicated pastoral issue with various opinions. They chose to look with merciful eyes on those who had denied the Lord and later repented. Cornelius and Cyprian both advocated for penance followed by reconciliation. 

There’s a reason these men were saints. They demonstrated  the character qualities of Christ in times of great distress. They were wise and courageous and loving even when their very lives were required of them . They were truly the good shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. (Jn 10:11)

So what’s the point of this BLOG ? What can we learn from these holy men and women who carry the title of saints and martyr? Well for one thing they were magnificent and I’m so proud of them. But if I’m honest I must admit to the Lord that I’m not up to the task of martyrdom; my love and courage just doesn’t stack up. What Father Postate and Saints Cyprian and Cornelius did is beyond me… I’m not there….. but I want to be there. I want to be able, by God’s grace, to stand with Christ in times of desperation. On my own I’m not able to do it. Yet I would wonder if you had asked Nicholas Postate at some earlier times in his life if he could be a martyr, he may have fainted. You don’t get the grace for tomorrow’s challenges today. As Corrie Ten Boom related in her biography (Hiding Place), “my father gave me the ticket for the train when I was ready to board, not 6 months before.”

So let’s not cop out on what God may be calling us to in the future. With the Lord at our side, we can do whatever he calls us to do. And that is very good news.