To Walk The Extra Mile

I was watching a Hong Kong documentary series called “On the Road”, or better known as “向世界出发”. During the first season, few episodes explored the Vatican City, the smallest city of the world which emanates the light of the Christian faith. In the second season, the guide journeyed to Israel, the holy land of the Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
.
I was awed to see the Wailing Wall, the ruins of the former Solomon’s Temple, destroyed during the wars. The Wall serves as the witness to the tears and bloodshed, pains, suffering and death of the many Jews. Their nation was once destroyed, they were scattered throughout the world. Then there came Adolf Hitler that started the genocide. They were imprisoned in concentration camp, tortured but they persevered. They were forced to cut the scrolls of Scriptures into pieces to make handbags, clothes and to be trampled upon. They were killed in cold blood and their body fat was extracted to make soaps. But they never gave up their faith…

The early Christians too walked through valleys dark as death. They held on to the faith and suffered martyrdom. A man was sawed into half just because he refused to denounce his faith. Another was stoned to death because he was holding the Body of Christ close to his chest and refused to unveil the Host when ordered to. Many were caught and thrown into the Colosseum to be mauled to death by the lions.

I came to realize that the faith that I believe is founded on the blood of so many saints, martyrs and unsung heroes. The Eucharistic celebration that I so often take for granted was the cause of death of so many faithful believers. In those days, the faithful risked their lives celebrating the Eucharist secretly in homes and prisons. Many were killed because of attending Mass.

Since they have clung on to the faith courageously, therefore the Church is what she is today, and I am proud to be part of the Holy Communion.

People died to protect the faith, to pass on the Way and to shine forth in darkness. But then, what have I done for Christ’s sake? Have I done enough for God’s greater glory? I wonder. Am I willing to walk the extra mile?

(Garden of Eden)