The martyr as an ideal of spirituality

In the presence of the 'lack of sense' and the 'nonsense' and the nihilism which afflict more and more people, especially in wealthy societies, martyrs teach us a great lesson: to live and learn to suffer with grace, elegance, generosity, to struggle, accepting suffering and tragedy, without hate, and without losing hope. This attitude 'of the martyr' should be an inherent constituent in all authentic spirituality. Martyrdom should not, from this, be considered as an extraordinary sacrifice, reserved for the few. It is an ideal of human spirituality well beyond personal stories.

Source: Editorial, in Teresa Okure, Jon Sobrino & Felix Wilfred (dir.), Repenser le martyre. Enjeux historiques et spirituels, Bayard, Concilium, 2008, p. 12-13.