Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and commanding them to observe all that I have commanded you. The last directive by Jesus to his disciples – as recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew – is one that has been carried out ever since the inception of the Church. It is a directive that is carried out by courageous men and women disciples as they strive to witness to the good news of God in the person of Jesus Christ. And while today the directive can be carried out without having to cross borders, it was not the case when the Gospel had to be preached to areas that had not heard of Christ. The missionaries who undertook this task often had to endure so many challenges in order to succeed at their endeavor, often at a great price. Sometimes, that price would be their very lives.
Saints John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and their companions whose memory the Church honors today were 17 ^th century Jesuit and Oblate missionaries who were sent from France to preach the faith in North America. Even though they succeeded in converting many thousands of Native Americans to the faith, they ended up being martyred. It is reported that throughout their ordeal, they exhibited undying fortitude and charity. They were not afraid to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of the Gospel.
The story of John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and their companions is one that is shared in by countless men and women who have given their lives for the faith down the centuries. While their situations always remain unique and particular, the one thing that they all have in common is their willingness to die for the faith. Whereas it is a decision that we cannot assume to be easily arrived at by the martyrs, they found consolation in the words of St. Paul which we have heard in the First Reading.
In the passage, St. Paul does well to remind the Corinthians of the paradox of being a minister of the faith. He tells them that although the content of his preaching is that glorious life which has been won for the world by Jesus Christ, it can never be fully attained in the present life because of the imperfection of the present world. However, this is no cause for alarm. The glorious life won by Christ is hidden in this present, imperfect life. Behind the fragile and earthen life lies the immortal, glorious life.
Perhaps it is such an understanding that the martyrs of the Church have always had. They are not afraid to give their lives because they know that suffering and death constitute the present life, and that for the treasure to be revealed, sometimes the earthen vessel has to be broken. Moreover, having shared in the death of Christ through baptism, they are convinced that they are already sharing in his resurrection.