The late Pope John Paul II beatified 117 Vietnamese Martyrs on June 19, 1988. There is very little information about them. Today, the Catholic Church celebrates their feast. What can we benefit from such celebrations?
Nowadays, many countries and cities are prosperous. However, most of them suffer under the curse of their own successes. Prosperity comes with a culture of death. The attitude of many citizens towards life is very negative. Their choices are very short-term. Their temper is very short-fused. Very easily, people commit suicide to runaway from sufferings. Therefore, I feel strongly that we can learn something from the examples of these martyrs. Their deaths (and of course their lives) can be very valuable and positive. A Chinese idiom says, "Death can be weighty as Tai Mountain and lighter than the breast feather of a swallow." Indeed, to be able to die a martyrdom for the Lord is really the smartest investment of a lifetime! Our ordinary and insignificant life is suddenly crowned with the glory and honour of a martyr. Isn't this the best investment strategy?
Nowadays, many countries and cities are prosperous. However, most of them suffer under the curse of their own successes. Prosperity comes with a culture of death. The attitude of many citizens towards life is very negative. Their choices are very short-term. Their temper is very short-fused. Very easily, people commit suicide to runaway from sufferings. Therefore, I feel strongly that we can learn something from the examples of these martyrs. Their deaths (and of course their lives) can be very valuable and positive. A Chinese idiom says, "Death can be weighty as Tai Mountain and lighter than the breast feather of a swallow." Indeed, to be able to die a martyrdom for the Lord is really the smartest investment of a lifetime! Our ordinary and insignificant life is suddenly crowned with the glory and honour of a martyr. Isn't this the best investment strategy?
Today, we read Daniel 2. This is a famous passage and many people have offered their interpretations of the 4 or 5 kingdoms symbolized by the different parts of the statue. A search on the Internet for "Nebuchadnezzar's statue vision" will even yield a lot of pictures and webpages. Therefore, I will not take part in this identification parade.
Biblical scholars agree that the editor of this book of Daniel was actually working in about 160 B.C., during the time of the Seleucid Dynasty. Therefore, this story is not a foretelling of the future but a wrapping up of the current history in a "prophetic" way. The author seemed to be talking about the future but in fact, he was telling the present in code. The author could not name names directly. Otherwise, he would be the first of a company to be summoned and publicly executed.
Usually, prophetic books are collections of oracles which are not arranged in any coherent order. Neither are they arranged chronologically nor geographically. We seldom find large portions of narratives in these books. However, the book of Daniel reads more like a novella than a collection of unrelated oracles. Therefore, it is not put among the Prophets but among the Writings in the Hebrew Scripture.
Biblical scholars agree that the editor of this book of Daniel was actually working in about 160 B.C., during the time of the Seleucid Dynasty. Therefore, this story is not a foretelling of the future but a wrapping up of the current history in a "prophetic" way. The author seemed to be talking about the future but in fact, he was telling the present in code. The author could not name names directly. Otherwise, he would be the first of a company to be summoned and publicly executed.
Usually, prophetic books are collections of oracles which are not arranged in any coherent order. Neither are they arranged chronologically nor geographically. We seldom find large portions of narratives in these books. However, the book of Daniel reads more like a novella than a collection of unrelated oracles. Therefore, it is not put among the Prophets but among the Writings in the Hebrew Scripture.
So, what can we learn from this chapter?
We Christians cherish a worldview in which God is the author of human history. Though He is silent, He intervenes actively in human activities. We are confident that behind and above all kings and rulers, God is working to protect His elected ones. Therefore, the Vietnamese Christians were not afraid to die a martyrdom. They rested assured that God would receive their souls in heaven.
We Christians cherish a worldview in which God is the author of human history. Though He is silent, He intervenes actively in human activities. We are confident that behind and above all kings and rulers, God is working to protect His elected ones. Therefore, the Vietnamese Christians were not afraid to die a martyrdom. They rested assured that God would receive their souls in heaven.
Dear Lord, You, who are the author of human history, help us discern and carry out the will of the Father on earth. Amen.
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