Pere Jean de Brébeuf and Gabriel Lalemant stand ready for boiling water/fire "Baptism" and flaying by the Iroquois in 1649.

• Huron Carol written by Fr. De Brebeuf, sang by Fr. Kevin Vogel
• PDF music

"Fathers Brebeuf and Lallemant and a few Huron warriors were made prisoners. The town was fired. Immediately after their capture the Fathers were stripped of their clothes, and their finger-nails torn out by the roots, and were borne in wild triumph to the village of St. Ignatius, which had been taken the same morning. On entering its gates they both received a share of blows on their shoulders, loins, and stomach, no part of their exposed bodies escaping contumely. In the midst of this cruelty the unconquerable De Brebeuf thought only of others. his eye kindling with fire, he addressed the Christian Hurons who were his fellow-captives: "My children! Let us lift up our eyes to heaven in the midst of our sufferings; let us remember that God is a witness of our torments, and that He will soon be our reward exceedingly great. Let us die in this faith, and trust in his goodness for the fulfillment of His promises. I feel more for you than for myself; but bear with courage the few torments which yet remain. They will terminate with our lives. The glory which will follow them will have no end! "Echon" they replied, " Our hope shall be in heaven, while our bodies are suffering on earth. Pray to God for us, that He will grant us mercy. We will invoke Him even unto death."

Enraged at these words of the heroic Jesuit, the Iroquois led him apart and bound him to a stake. These fiendish savages scorched him from head to foot to silence him, whereupon, in the tone of a master, he threatened them with everlasting flames for persecuting the worshipers of God. As he continued to speak with voice and countenance unchanged, they cut away his lower lip, and thrust a red-hot iron down his throat. He still held his lofty form erect and defiant, with no sign or sound of pain, and they tried another means to overcome him.

They led our Lallemant that De Brebeuf might see him tortured. They had tied strips of bark smeared with pitch about his naked body. When Lallemant saw the condition of his superior he could not hide his agitation, and called out to him, with a broken voice, in the words of St. Paul "We are made a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men." Then he threw himself at De Brebeuf's feet, upon which the Iroquois seized him, made him fast to a stake, and set fire to the bark that enveloped him. As the flames rose he threw his arms upward with a shriek of supplication to heaven. Next they hung around De Brebeuf's neck a collar made of hatchets heated red-hot, but the indomitable priest stood it like a rock. A Huron in the crowd, who had been a convert of the mission, but was now an Iroquois by adoption, called out, with the malice of a renegade, to pour hot water on their heads, since they poured so much cold water on those of others, The kettle was accordingly slung, and the water boiled and poured slowly on the heads of the two missionaries.

"We baptize you," they cried, "that you may be happy in heaven, for nobody can be saved without a good baptism." De Brebeuf did not flinch, and in a rage they cut strips of flesh from his limbs, and devoured them before his eyes. Other renegade Hurons called out to him, "You told us that the more one suffers on earth the happier he is in heaven. We wish to make you happy. We torment you because we love you, and you ought to thank us for it." After a succession of other revolting tortures, they scalped him, when seeing  him nearly dead, they laid open his breast, and came in a crowd to drink the blood of so valiant  an enemy, thinking to imbibe with it some portion of his marvelous  courage. A chief then tore out his heart and devoured it.
Thus died John De Brebeuf, the founder of the Huron mission, its truest hero and its greatest martyr.  (...)
Source: The Catholic Record, Volume 14

Prayer of Saint John de Brebeuf

Jesus, my Lord and Savior, what can I give you in return for all the favors you have first conferred on me? I will take from your hand the cup of your sufferings and call on your name. I vow before your eternal Father and the Holy Spirit, before your most holy Mother and her most chaste spouse, before the angels, apostles and martyrs, before my blessed fathers Saint Ignatius and Saint Francis Xavier–in truth, I vow to you, Jesus my Savior, that as far as I have the strength, I will never fail to accept the grace of martyrdom, if someday you in your infinite mercy should offer it to me, your most unworthy servant...My beloved Jesus, here and now I offer my body and blood and life. May I die only for you, if you will grant me this grace, since you willingly died for me. Let me so live that you may grant me the gift of such a happy death. In this way, my God and Savior, I will take from your hand the cup of your sufferings and call on your name: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Amen.

Source: Catholicity

Collect: O God, who chose to manifest the blessed hope of your eternal Kingdom by the toil of Saints John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and their companions and by the shedding of their blood, graciously grant that through their intercession the faith of Christians may be strengthened day by day. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Source: Catholic Culture

Saint Firmin

"He was a native of Pampeluna in Spain, initiated in the Christian faith by Honestus, a disciple of St. Saturninus. After a holy youth, he was ordained priest and bishop by St. Honoratus, bishop of Toulouse. A charitable zeal pressed him to preach the gospel to such as were yet in darkness, and he visited many towns in France, and every where with great fruit. He went to Beauvais to comfort the Christians, who were under severe persecution; where, though he suffered much, yet his life was spared. Going afterwards to Amiens, he there chose his residence, having founded there a numerous Church of faithful disciples. He converted there in a short time three thousand souls to the faith of Christ. Upon this, the officers of Dioclesian being exasperated, they beheaded him in prison, to prevent the tumult of the people; and cut his body into pieces, that his relics might not be preserved by the faithful. This is a spirit, which you ought to beseech God to pour forth on all pastors; that they may be zealous for the good of the flock; that they may not think of rest, but of labor; and by daily spending themselves in their duty, sacrifice their lives, without the hand of the executioner.

Learn to be industrious in whatever state you are: be ashamed to be found idle. If you are not obliged to work for bread, work at least for heaven. This is not to be gained but by labor. If a lazy humor ties up your hands from other work, it is to be feared that the same will hinder you from working for heaven. Accustom yourself to be ever employed, that so you may not lay yourself open to the temptations of idleness. Thus you will be in a good way of taking pains in the affairs of your soul. Habitual idleness and intemperance are too common among Christians. Must not you forsake these to be a Christian in earnest? You are not to be invited by the greater number; but to follow the gospel, though the greater number be against you?"The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Fr. John Gother

Padre Pio

Mgr. Giuseppe Petralia, Bishop of Agrigento in Sicily said:

"I believe that the moments in which this priest was truly Christ's Cyrenean were those in which he celebrated Mass. Artists have attempted to interpret the meaning of Padre Pio's Mass and I feel sure that theologians will also have a lot to explore in that extraordinary Mass. I believe that Padre Pio received the grace and the burden not merely of renewing in a mystical manner the sacrifice of the cross but of living over again in his heart and in his body the tragedy of the Passion. He was made to suffer in those moments the agony of Gethsemane, the scourging in the praetorium, the crowning with thorns, the mockery of the crowd, of the Sanhedrin and the Roman soldiers, the humiliation of the unjust sentence, the carrying of the cross, and the crucifixion with all its torments and humiliations. This was Padre Pio's Mass: a genuine participation, a mission of reparation." ------Padre Pio: His Life and Mission, pp. 99-100.

"In fine, to obtain eternal life, the soul must be found, at judgment, to have led a life conformable to the life of Jesus Christ. Whom he foreknew, he predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his Son. (Rom 9. 29) It was this that made Job tremble. What shall I do when God shall rise to judge me? and when he shall examine, what shall I answer him? (Job 31. 14)  Philip II. rebuking a domestic for having told him a lie, said to him: "Is it thus you deceive me?" The domestic went home, and died of grief. What will the sinner do? What answer will he make to Jesus Christ, His Judge? He will, like the man in the Gospel, who came to the feast without the nuptial garment, remain silent, because he will not know what to answer. His very sins will close the sinner's mouth. All iniquity shall stop her mouth. (Ps. cvi 42) St. Basil says that the sinner will then suffer more from shame than from the very fire of hell.

Finally, the Judge will pass sentence. Depart from Me ye cursed into everlasting fire." (Matt. xxv. 41) Oh! what an awful thunder-clap will that sentence be to the sinner! "Oh! how frightfully," says Denis, the Carthusian, "will that thunder resound!" "He," says St. Anselm, "that does not tremble at such thunder, sleeps not, but is dead." Eusebius writes, that the terror of sinners at hearing the sentence of their condemnation, will be so great, that, if they could, they would die again." "The wicked shall be seized with such dismay at the sight of the Judge pronouncing sentence, that, were they not immortal, they should die a second time." There is then no more time for prayer, no more intercessors whom the sinner can invoke. "There," says St. Thomas of Villanova, "there is no opportunity of praying; there no intercessor, no friend, no father, shall assist." To whom will the sinner then have recourse? Is it to God, whom he has so much despised? "Who,"says St. Basil, "shall deliver you? Is it that God whom you have insulted?" Perhaps he may have recourse to the saints, or to Mary? No: for then the stars that is, his holy advocates - shall fall from heaven, and the moon, which represents Mary, shall not give her light. "Mary," says St. Augustine,"will fly from the gate of heaven."

 "O God! with what indifference," exclaims St. Thomas of Villanova, "do we listen to persons speaking on judgment! We appear to feel as little as if the sentence of condemnation could not fall upon ourselves, or as if we were not to be judged. And is it not," says the same saint, "great folly to entertain security in so perilous an affair." My brother, St. Augustine admonishes you not to say: Will God really send me to hell? Say it not, says the holy Doctor; for even the Jews did not persuade themselves that they should be exterminated. So many of the damned did not believe that they would be cast into hell, but afterward the final vengeance came upon them. "An end is come, the end is come...Now I will accomplish My anger in thee, and will judge thee." (Ezek. 7.6) And thus, as St. Augustine says, the same will also happen to you. "The day of judgment will come, and you shall find the threats of God verified."Ps. Lxxiii At present it depends on us to choose whatever sentence we please. It is in our power, says St. Eligius, to determine the character of the sentence which we shall receive. What then must we do? We must adjust our accounts before judgment. Before judgment prepare thee justice. (Ecclus XViii 19.) St. Bonaventure says that, to escape the danger of failing in business, prudent merchants frequently review and settle their accounts. The Judge may be appeased before judgment, but not during judgment," says St. Augustine. Let us then say with St. Bernard: "I desire to present myself before Thee already judged, and not to be judged." O my Judge, I wish to be judged and punished during life, which is a time of mercy and pardon; for after death will be the time of justice."

• Affections and Prayers:

My God! if I do not appease Thee now, there will then be no more time for turning away Thy anger. But how shall I, who have so often despised Thy friendship for miserable beastly pleasures, be able to appease Thy wrath? I have repaid with ingratitude Thy immense love. How can a creature ever make sufficient satisfaction for having offended the Creator? Ah, my Lord! I thank Thee, for giving me in Thy mercy a means of appeasing Thy anger and satisfying Thy justice. I offer Thee the blood and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, and behold! I see a superabundant atonement and satisfaction made to Thee. To appease Thy anger, my repentance is also necessary. Yes, my God! I repent with my whole heart of all the injuries I have done Thee. Judge me now, O my Redeemer! I detest above all things all the offenses I have offered to Thee. I love Thee with my whole heart and above all things, and I purpose to love Thee always, and to die rather than ever offend Thee again. Thou hast promised to pardon all who repent. Ah! judge me now, and absolve me from my sins. I accept the punishment which I deserve, but reinstate me in Thy grace, and preserve me in it till death. Such is my hope. O Mary, my Mother! I thank thee for all the mercies which thou hast obtained for me. Ah! continue to protect me to the end."

Source: The Complete Works of Saint Alphonsus de Liguori: The Ascetical Works, Volume 1 page 247

Carravagio, St. Matthew's Martyrdom

- Saint Matthew was killed at the altar by the Ethiopian King Hirtacus, while offering the sacrifice of the Mass, for refusing consent to the king's marriage to the virgin Eugenia who was dedicated to God. Source: Explanation of the Epistles and Gospels for the Sundays and Holy days by Rev. Leonard Goffine  1880, Vol. 25, St. Matthew page 870

- A Galilean by birth, his name before his conversion was Levi; he was a publican. This profession which consisted in collecting the Roman taxes was very odious to the Jews, who were thus reminded of their dependence. Generally harsh and greedy, the publican was considered by the Pharisees the type of the sinner. Wherefore the Church shows us Jesus as the healer of souls which He calls to penance.

- We read in the Gospel, St. Matthew's own account of his conversion. The Epistle describes the famous vision where Ezekiel saw four symbolical animals in which the four Evangelists were recognized from the earliest centuries. St. Matthew is represented by the animal with a human face, because he commences his Gospel by the line of ancestors from whom Jesus descended as man. His object in writing this book, which is stamped by truly divine wisdom (Introit) was to prove that Jesus realized the prophecies relating to the deliverer of Israel and that He is therefore the Messiah.

After Pentecost, the Apostle preached the good news in Palestine and in Ethiopia, where he was martyred. The name of St. Matthew is in the Canon of the Mass in the group of the Apostles. Every Parish Priest celebrates Mass for the welfare spiritual and temporal of his parishioners.

Daily Missal with Vespers for Sundays & Feasts by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre

Father Kim Taegon Holy Name Cathedral, Raleigh NC

Biography

• "No matter how fiercely the powers of this world oppress and oppose the Church, they will never bring it down. Ever since His ascension and from the time of the apostles to the present, the Lord Jesus has made His Church grow even in the midst of tribulations." From the final exhortation of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon priest and martyr

• "Why do you practice this religion contrary to the king's orders? Give it up."
  "I practice my religion because it is true; it teaches me to know God, and brings me to eternal happiness: I know of no such thing as apostasy."
  The torture was then applied to me, and the judge said, "If you do not apostatize you shall die under the blows."
  "As you please, but I will never abandon my God. Do you wish to hear the truth of my religion? Listen. The God whom I worship is the Creator of heaven and earth, of men and of everything that is: He punishes sin and rewards virtue, etc. Whence it follows that all men are bound to do homage to Him. For my part, I thank thee, O mandarin, for making me suffer these tortures for His love. May my God reward you for this benefit, and raise you to a higher rank." Gloriaromanorum.blogspot
  

• " This is my last hour of life, listen to me attentively: if I have held communication with foreigners, it has been for my religion and for my God. It is for Him that I die. My immortal life is on the point of beginning. Become Christians if you wish to be happy after death, because God has eternal chastisements in store for those who have refused to know Him." Last words of St. Andrew Kim (Archdiocese of Toronto)

Prayer:

O God, who have been pleased to increase your adopted children in all the world, and who made the blood of the Martyrs Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon and his companions a most fruitful seed of Christians, grant that we may be defended by their help and profit always from their example. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Biopic of Korea's first Catholic priest St. Andrew Kim Taegon 

The Martyrdom of St Januarius, by Artemisia Gentileschi (1636)

Prayer to St. Januarius

O holy martyrs, and thou especially, O Januarius, the leader no less by thy courage than by thy pontifical dignity, your present glory increases our longing for heaven; your past combats animate us to fight the good fight; your continual miracles confirm us in the faith. Praise and gratitude are therefore due to you on this day of your triumph; and we pay this our debt in the joy of our hearts.

In return, extend to us the protection, of which the fortunate cities placed under your powerful patronage are so justly proud. Defend those faithful towns against the assaults of the evil one.

In compensation for the falling away of society at large, offer to Christ our King the growing faith of all who pay you honor. The Liturgical Year: Time after Pentecost by Dom Prosper Guéranger

"Saint Januarius was bishop of Benevento in Italy, when the persecution of Dioclesian broke out. He was apprehended, and with several other Christians exposed to be devoured by beasts in the amphitheater: but none of the savage animals could be provoked to touch them. The people were amazed, but imputed their preservation to art-magic: and the martyrs were condemned to be beheaded. The city of Naples was so happy as to obtain possession of the relics of St. Januarius. That city has often owed its preservation from the fiery eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, to the intercession of the saint. His body still lies in the great church at Naples; where some of his congealed blood is kept in a phial, which being brought in presence of his head, begins to melt and grow fresh, as if newly spilt. Of this, great numbers of travelers have been frequent witnesses.

Adore the power and goodness of God, who is never wanting to his servants in the day of their distress. Let the help which they found, raise up your heart to an entire confidence in your God, as to all present troubles, and whatever are yet to come.

Trust in him; and though he seems to defer his help, yet be assured that he will not forsake you; but will either deliver you, or give you strength to suffer. Leave it to him to do what he knows best. It is his will that you should go through many trials: be not tired, nor faint under them: for by these rough ways he brings his servants to everlasting rest.

While you admire the courage of the martyrs, fail not to follow it. Live peaceably with all, whatever their persuasion be; and only then separate, when something is required which is contrary to your faith. Keep up a good correspondence, and be in charity with all neighbors; but never join in religious worship with those who are separated from the true Church; because it would in fact be acknowledging what your faith will not allow. Courage is necessary for this; but if you have principles, live up to them. Fear not what the world will say; if some revile, the more sober will commend your constancy." The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev. Fr. John Gother