"The Christian is not simply a student of Christ; discipleship consists not simply in hearing and applying the teachings of Christ, as if he were simply another sage. To be a disciple of Christ is to imitate Christ, and the key event in the life of Christ was his death and resurrection. The Christian who is most fully conformed to that death and resurrection is the best imitator of Christ: the martyr therefore most clearly fulfills the Christian call...
"The two great martyrs, Ignatius of Antioch [d. 107] and Polycarp of Smyrna [d. 155], left their imprint on all later accounts of martyrs. The martyr is the new athlete, the new soldier. His passion is not passive, but active, a battle. The Church felt, therefore, that martyrdom was, properly speaking, a masculine activity." (Leon Podles)
This article sums up the life and death of a modern man, who came to realize he needed to honor and follow the Eternal Son of God -- the Savior of mankind who vanquished the dragon.
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