The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

In the year 64, a  huge firbroke out in the city of Rome, destroying two-thirds of the city in ten days..  Arson was evident and suspicion was directed toward the Emperor Nero, noted for his whims, self-centered-mess and crass cruelty.  It was no secret that he wanted a "new Rome", and certainly as part of his urban renewal, an expansion of his palace and gardens.  He allegedly composed a poem while watching the fire which led to the saying, "Nero fiddled while Rome burned."  When the heat got too hot, pardon the pun, he pointed the finger at the Christians of Rome, had them arrested, nailed to crosses, covered with oil and set on fire as torches to light the pathways of his palace gardens. These are the first Roman martyrs we remember today, 1,950 years later.
However, nearly 2,000 years later, there are still innocent people martyred for their faith: Nigeria, Sudan, China, Syria...the list goes on and on.  The deaths are not as public as the flaming human torches, for these current deaths do not make the headlines.  Done quietly, persistently, methodically the killings continue.  We pray often for peace, and rightly so, but those prayers might also include those who give their lives for the Prince of Peace.  May their blood become the seed of faith.
Bro. Rene