Day 5:  The Martyrs of Alexandria

During the years 249-262 AD, hundreds of thousands of people died from a pandemic that swept through the Roman empire.  During its peak, 5,000 people were dying per day in the larger cities of the empire.  One such city was Alexandria in northern Africa.  

Most people in the city were not Christian, so fear of contagion led people to abandon their family members, friends, or roommates when they became ill.  They literally pushed them out into the streets to die alone.  Bodies of the dead piled up with no one making any attempt to give them a dignified burial.

Shock spread among the non-Christians in Alexandria when word got out that a group of people were going about the city, voluntarily serving the infected.  Everyone else was running away from the sick and abandoning them, but these people were reaching out to the ill.  They nursed the sick and comforted the dying.  They buried the dead whose bodies had been abandoned on the streets. These bold volunteers were Christians: priests, deacons, and several lay persons.  Many of these Christian volunteers contracted the virus as they cared for the suffering.  While most names of these volunteers are not known, they were quickly considered “martyrs of charity” by those who survived the pandemic.  Their feast day in the Catholic calendar is February 28.

Many people during the COVID-19 epidemic have followed in the footsteps of these martyrs of charity.  Healthcare workers have risked contamination to provide care to the ill and the dying.  Funeral workers have provided the deceased with dignified burials.  Many Christians have gone out of their way to provide practical assistance to those in need. 

Questions for Reflection

The martyrs of Alexandria volunteered to serve the ill and dying not for the sake of recognition or affirmation.  Their service work was not a resume-builder.  It was not a publicity stunt.  They did it for Jesus who said: “Whatever you did to these least brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).  How is Jesus asking you to serve in humble, hidden ways that probably won’t receive recognition or affirmation from others?

Every vocation is a call to serve other people.  Who are the “martyrs of charity” you have met in your own life?  How do they inspire you?  How can you follow their example of generosity?

Prayer

Lord God, 

You raised up the Martyrs of Alexandria to serve their suffering brothers and sisters.  Enflame our hearts with the same charity, to serve even when we will not be thanked, to sacrifice even when we will not be recognized, to do good even when you will be the only one who notices.  

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Martyrs of Alexandria, pray for us!