Every November 6, the Church remembers the people who in the twentieth century gave their lives defending their faith in Spain during the 1930s. In our family, 25 Vedruna sisters gave their lives for Life, living in fullness the dream of Joaquina: to work for the glory of God and the good of the neighbor.
In this context, the words of Pope Leo XIV last September 14, during the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross dedicated to the new martyrs and witnesses to the faith, have a special significance:
“Their martyrdom continues to spread the Gospel in a world marked by hatred, violence and war; it is a hope full of immortality, because although they were killed in the body, no one will be able to extinguish their voice or erase the love they gave; it is a hope full of immortality, because their witness remains as a prophecy of the victory of good over evil. Yes, theirs is an unarmed hope. They bore witness to the faith without ever using the weapons of force and violence, but embracing the weak and meek power of the Gospel.”
The witness of our 25 martyred sisters, who were killed in 1936 in different communities in Spain, infuses us with faith and energy, and brings the passion of Christ to life, making present his strength, which saves and nourishes hope. In this Jubilee year, their lives, given as a witness of faith in the Good Jesus, impel us to continue working with hope for a better world.
This was also echoed in the words of Pope Leo XIV when he spoke of people who are currently oppressed, in situations of hostility and violence, pointing out that they thus bear the same Cross on which Jesus has shown us the true face of God:
“They are women and men, religious men and women, laity and priests, who pay with their lives for their fidelity to the Gospel, their commitment to justice, their struggle for religious freedom where it continues to be violated, their solidarity with the poorest.”
United in prayer for the Martyr Sisters
In the celebrations for the Latin American martyrs, the song “Vidas pela vida”, which sets to music the poem by Pedro Casáldiga, is often heard. Today we share it, along with the lyrics, so that we can unite in prayer for the Martyr Sisters, along with so many others who continue to give their lives for the lives of others!
VIDAS PELA VIDA
Vidas pelas vidas
Vidas pelo Reino,
Vidas pelo Reino.
Todas as nossas Vidas,
Such as your life,
Equal to Vida Dele
Oh, Martyr Jesus!
LIVES FOR LIFE
Lives for lives,
Lives for the Kingdom,
Lives for the Kingdom.
All our lives,
Just like his life,
Equal to His Life,
Oh, Martyr Jesus!
