The Faith of Martyrs (殉道者的信德)
- Jul 12
- 11 min read
The feast day of St. Augustine Zhao Rong (d. 1815) and Companions, also known as the Martyr Saints of China, was celebrated by the whole Church this Thursday, July 9th, 2026. Fr. Joseph Ruan connects the spirit of these martyrs with the finest values of Chinese civilization and the challenge of the Gospel for our time. We invite you to read Fr. Ruan's reflection below, included in Chinese and then in English:
Scripture Reflection in Chinese
中华殉道诸圣
今天，普世教会隆重庆祝中华殉道诸圣。教会将这一百二十位圣人列入圣品，并不是为了追忆一段悲壮的历史，也不是为了歌颂人的英雄气概，而是藉着他们的生命，让整个教会重新默想福音的真理。对于中国教会而言，这是一个充满感恩与希望的日子。因为今天所纪念的，并非遥远时代的传奇人物，而是一群曾经生活在中华大地上的信友。他们说着中国人的语言，遵循中国人的礼仪习俗，深爱自己的家园，也深爱基督。他们当中有主教、司铎、修女、传教士，也有农夫、工匠、母亲、青年和孩童；身份各异，经历不同，却都在生命最重要的时刻，以坚定的信德回应了天主的召叫，为福音留下了永不磨灭的见证。
圣人与我们的距离，并没有想象中那样遥远。他们同样经历过家庭的温暖，也体会过人生的艰辛；曾面对恐惧，也经历挣扎；曾为亲人流泪，也曾在黑暗中祈祷。他们的伟大，并非源于天赋异禀，而是在关键时刻，将生命牢牢建立在基督之上。正因如此，他们的人生成为福音最有力的注解，他们的鲜血成为信德最真实的宣认。
今天福音记载，耶稣站在平地上，向门徒宣讲天国的真福：「你们贫穷的人是有福的……你们现在哭泣的人是有福的……如果为了人子的缘故，有人恼恨你们，排斥你们，并且辱骂你们，你们才是有福的。在那一天，你们要欢欣雀跃，因为你们在天上的赏报是丰厚的。」（参阅路6:20-23）这段福音，始终挑战人的思想，也更新人的价值标准。在人性的本能中，都会追求富足、健康、平安和尊荣，都会躲避贫穷、眼泪、羞辱和迫害。这也是人之常情。然而，耶稣却把人的目光提升到永恒的层面，使我们重新认识什么是真正的福。
福音所说的「福」，首先是一份来自天主的恩宠，是人与天主相契相通所拥有的新生命。它不会随着财富的增减而改变，也不会随着环境的顺逆而消失，因为它植根于天主永恒的爱。一个人的生命与基督结合得越深，内心便越自由；对天国怀抱的望德越坚定，越能够超越现实中的得失荣辱。因此，贫穷并不会自动成为祝福，眼泪本身也没有救恩的价值。真正具有永恒意义的，是人在贫穷中依然信赖天主，在眼泪中依然怀抱希望，在迫害中依然忠于基督。人的境遇或许充满艰辛，信德却能够把这一切转化成为走向永生的道路。
今天第一篇读经《希伯来书》描绘了一幅壮丽的信德画卷。作者回顾旧约历代义人的生命，他们因着信德征服列国，执行正义，获得恩许；有人堵住狮子的口，有人扑灭烈火，也有人遭受监禁、酷刑、鞭打、石击和利剑。他们的人生经历千差万别，信德却始终如一。《希伯来书》最后特别指出：「这一切人虽然因着信德获得了美好的证言。」圣经没有按照他们在人世间获得多少成就来评价他们，而是以他们对天主的忠诚作为生命的尺度。
这里揭示了一项极其重要的真理。整个救恩史所关注的，从不是人的成功，而是人与天主之间的盟约关系。真正决定一个人生命价值的，不是财富、地位或权势，而是他是否忠信到底。十字架正是这一真理最圆满的启示。当耶稣被钉在十字架上时，在许多人眼中，那是一场彻底的失败；宗徒四散，群众讥笑，敌人得意。然而，就在人看来最黑暗的时刻，天主却完成了整个救恩计划。复活并没有抹去十字架，而是赋予十字架新的意义；死亡没有成为终点，反而开启了永恒生命的大门。
中华诸圣正是在基督的十字架内，理解了生命真正的价值。他们深知，人的生命固然宝贵，灵魂更加宝贵；世上的荣耀终将过去，天国的产业却永不衰残。他们怀着这样的信德面对审讯，面对威胁，面对酷刑，也面对死亡。他们心中拥有的平安，并非来自环境，而是来自复活的主基督。
教会自古便相信，殉道者参与了基督逾越奥迹的圆满见证。殉道并非单纯忍受死亡，而是在圣神的扶助下，以整个生命回应天主的召叫。因此，殉道首先是一项信德的行动，也是一项望德的行动，更是一项爱的行动。因为他们深爱基督，所以愿意将自己完全交托给基督。教父戴尔都良曾写下著名的一句话：「殉道者的鲜血，是教会的种子。」这句话在中国教会的发展历程中，获得了深刻的印证。
福音传入中国已经历一千多年。从唐代景教，到元代教会；从明末利玛窦来华，到近代无数传教士和中国教友共同建立地方教会；从义和团时期的流血见证，到近现代各种艰难岁月，中国教会的发展始终伴随着风雨洗礼。历史的道路几经曲折，却始终没有中断；信德的火焰历经考验，却始终没有熄灭。正所谓「疾风知劲草，板荡识诚臣」，越是在艰难的岁月中，越显明信德的坚贞；越是在考验之中，越彰显福音生命的力量。
今天，我们生活的时代已经发生了巨大变化，很多地方不再面对流血的考验，却时时面对信仰的考验。物质主义不断冲击人的价值观，消费文化容易使人迷失生命的方向，个人主义削弱了人与天主、人与他人的关系，相对主义模糊了真理与错误的界限。人在这样的环境中，或许不会因为信仰而失去生命，却可能因为妥协而逐渐失去信仰；不会遭遇监禁，却可能在繁忙中忽略祈祷；不会面对刑场，却可能在日复一日的选择中远离福音。
每一位基督徒都承担着见证福音的使命。家庭是见证的地方，工作岗位是见证的地方，学校、社会、文化生活同样都是见证的地方。诚实守信、敬畏生命、维护公义、关怀弱小、宽恕仇敌、坚持真理，这些看似平凡的选择，都在默默宣讲福音，都在回应基督的召叫。
中华诸圣留给中国教会最宝贵的财富是一份永不褪色的信德。他们证明，福音能够在中华文化中生根发芽，结出圣德的果实；基督信仰能够塑造真正高尚的人格，也能够孕育真正属于中华民族的圣人。他们以生命说明，忠、孝、仁、义等中华文化的优秀传统，在福音光照下能够获得圆满的真理。
今天，当我们仰望中华诸圣的时候，心中充满感恩，因为天主曾在中华大地兴起如此众多忠信的见证人；心中也充满责任，因为他们曾经守护的信仰，如今已经交托到这一代基督徒手中。
祈求中华殉道诸圣为中国教会转祷，使所有信友在任何环境中都能坚守福音，在任何时代都能忠于基督，在任何挑战中都能怀着望德前行。但愿我们以圣人的生命作为榜样，让信德日益坚定，让望德不断成长，让爱德愈加圆满，使基督的福音继续在中华大地结出丰盛的果实，直到主再来的那一天。
Scripture Reflection in English
The Holy Martyrs of China
Today the universal Church joyfully celebrates the Feast of the Holy Martyrs of China. In canonizing these 120 saints, the Church does far more than commemorate a tragic chapter of history or honor extraordinary human courage. Through their lives, she invites the entire People of God to contemplate the truth of the Gospel anew. For the Church in China, this feast is a day of profound gratitude and hope. Those whom we honor today were not legendary figures from a distant age, but ordinary believers who once lived on Chinese soil. They spoke the language of the Chinese people, embraced the customs of their homeland, loved their country, and loved Christ above all. Among them were bishops, priests, religious sisters, missionaries, farmers, craftsmen, mothers, young people, and children. Though their backgrounds and life experiences differed greatly, they all responded faithfully to God’s call and, at the decisive moment of their lives, bore an enduring witness to the Gospel.
The saints are far closer to us than we often imagine. They experienced the warmth of family life and the hardships of daily existence. They knew fear, struggled through trials, shed tears for those they loved, and prayed in the darkness of uncertainty. Their greatness did not lie in extraordinary natural gifts but in their unwavering decision to build their lives firmly upon Christ. For this reason, their lives became the clearest interpretation of the Gospel, and their blood became the most eloquent profession of faith.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus stands on level ground and proclaims the Beatitudes: “Blessed are you who are poor… Blessed are you who weep now… Blessed are you when people hate you, exclude you, insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven” (cf. Luke 6:20–23). These words have challenged human thinking and transformed human values throughout the centuries. By nature, every person longs for prosperity, health, peace, honor, and security, while instinctively avoiding poverty, sorrow, humiliation, and persecution. Such desires are deeply human. Yet Jesus lifts our gaze beyond earthly horizons and teaches us what true blessedness really means.
The “blessedness” proclaimed in the Gospel is first and foremost the gift of God’s grace—the new life born of communion with Him. It does not depend upon wealth or poverty, success or failure, favorable circumstances or adversity, because it is rooted in the eternal love of God. The more deeply one’s life is united with Christ, the greater one’s interior freedom becomes. The more firmly one’s hope rests in the Kingdom of Heaven, the less one’s heart is dominated by the changing fortunes of this world.
Poverty in itself does not make a person blessed, nor does suffering possess saving power on its own. Blessedness arises when one continues to trust God in poverty, clings to hope amid sorrow, and remains faithful to Christ even under persecution. Human suffering may remain, yet faith transforms suffering into a path that leads toward eternal life.
The First Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews presents a magnificent panorama of faith. The sacred author recalls the heroes of the Old Testament: some conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and obtained God’s promises; others shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fires, or endured imprisonment, torture, scourging, stoning, and death. Their earthly lives followed very different paths, yet they were united by one common virtue—faith. The Letter concludes with these remarkable words: “All these were approved because of their faith.”
Sacred Scripture measures human life by a standard very different from that of the world. God does not evaluate people according to their accomplishments, possessions, or social status, but according to their fidelity. Throughout salvation history, what matters most is not worldly success but the covenant relationship between God and His people. The true measure of a person’s life is found neither in wealth nor in power, but in faithful perseverance.
This truth reaches its fullest expression in the mystery of the Cross. When Jesus hung upon Calvary, many saw only defeat. His disciples had scattered, His enemies appeared victorious, and the crowds mocked Him. Yet precisely in that darkest hour, God accomplished the work of redemption. The Resurrection did not erase the Cross; rather, it revealed its deepest meaning. Death did not become the final chapter, but the gateway to eternal life.
The Holy Martyrs of China understood the true value of life through the mystery of Christ’s Cross. They recognized the preciousness of earthly life, yet they knew that the soul is of infinitely greater worth. Earthly glory passes away, but the inheritance of Heaven endures forever. Sustained by this faith, they faced interrogation, threats, torture, and death with unwavering confidence. Their peace did not arise from favorable circumstances but from the living presence of the Risen Lord.
From the earliest centuries, the Church has understood martyrdom as the fullest participation in Christ’s Paschal Mystery. Martyrdom is far more than the endurance of death; it is the complete offering of one’s life to God through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is at once an act of faith, an act of hope, and an act of perfect charity. Because they loved Christ above all else, the martyrs entrusted themselves entirely to Him. The early Christian writer Tertullian famously declared, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” The history of Christianity in China powerfully confirms the truth of these words.
The Gospel has been preached in China for well over a millennium. From the arrival of the ancient Church during the Tang Dynasty, through the Yuan Dynasty, the missionary efforts of Matteo Ricci and his companions in the late Ming period, the witness of countless missionaries and Chinese believers, the Boxer Rebellion, and the many trials of the modern era, the Church in China has continually grown through adversity. Its path has often been difficult, yet the journey has never ceased. Its faith has been tested by fire, yet its light has never been extinguished. As an old Chinese proverb reminds us, “Only a strong wind reveals the strength of sturdy grass.” Times of trial have repeatedly revealed the steadfastness of faith and the enduring power of the Gospel.
Today we live in circumstances very different from those faced by the martyrs. In many places, believers no longer confront the threat of shedding their blood, yet faith continues to face serious challenges. Materialism reshapes human values. Consumerism easily obscures life’s true purpose. Individualism weakens our relationship with God and with one another. Relativism blurs the distinction between truth and error. Many Christians may never lose their lives because of their faith, yet they may gradually lose their faith through compromise. They may never face imprisonment, yet they may slowly abandon prayer amid the busyness of life. They may never stand before an executioner, yet they may drift away from the Gospel through countless small decisions made each day.
Every Christian is therefore called to bear witness to the Gospel. Our homes, workplaces, schools, and communities all become places where faith is lived. Honesty, reverence for human life, the pursuit of justice, compassion for the vulnerable, forgiveness of enemies, and fidelity to truth are not merely moral virtues; they are concrete expressions of Christian discipleship. These seemingly ordinary choices quietly proclaim the Gospel and answer Christ’s call.
The greatest treasure that the Holy Martyrs of China have entrusted to the Church is an unshakable faith. They demonstrated that the Gospel can take deep root within Chinese culture and produce the fruits of genuine holiness. Christian faith forms noble character and raises men and women to true sanctity. Their lives also reveal that the finest values of Chinese civilization—loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness—find their fullest meaning and perfection in the light of the Gospel.
As we look to the Holy Martyrs of China today, our hearts are filled with gratitude because God has raised up so many faithful witnesses from among the Chinese people. Our hearts are also filled with responsibility, for the faith they defended at so great a cost has now been entrusted to our generation.
May the Holy Martyrs of China intercede for the Church in China and for Chinese Catholics throughout the world. May they strengthen us to remain faithful to the Gospel in every circumstance, steadfast in every age, and filled with hope amid every trial. May we follow their example with ever-deepening faith, steadfast hope, and perfect charity, so that the Gospel of Christ may continue to bear abundant fruit throughout China until the day when our Lord comes again in glory.
Fr. (Joseph) Guozhang Ruan was born and ordained in China. After serving in parish ministry in the Diocese of Mindong, Fujian, he pursued advanced studies in moral theology in Rome, earning a doctorate from the Pontifical Lateran University. Since coming to the United States in 2004, he has served in several parishes in the Archdiocese of New York. He is currently the Director of the Chinese Apostolate for the Archdiocese of New York and Parochial Vicar of Holy Rosary Church on Staten Island. His ministry focuses on serving Chinese Catholics, promoting evangelization, and fostering greater understanding between the Church in China and the universal Church.
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