Pope Francis gave this comforing reminder to the faithful on the Feast of St. Stephen, 26 December, during his Angelus address at noon.
Hours earlier, the Pope had opened a Holy Door and celebrated Mass at a Roman prison, after having opened the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica on 24 December, officially inaugurating the Jubilee of Hope.
The Holy Father recalled that today, the day after Christmas Day, the liturgy celebrates Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who was stoned to death, and as told in the Acts of the Apostles' account detailing his martyrdom, Stephen, while dying, prayed for his killers.
The Pope marveled that, at first sight, Stephen seems to be helplessly suffering violence, but in reality, as a truly free man, he continues to love even his killers and to offer his life for them, like Jesus on the Cross.
In this way, the deacon Stephen, who the Holy Father commended had imitated the Lord's mercy and love even at his moment of death, "appears to us as a witness of that God who has one great desire: that 'that all men be saved' and that none be lost."
'That all men be saved'
St. Stephen, the Pope observed, "is a witness to our Father who wants good and only good for each of His children, always; who excludes no one, who never tires of seeking them out and of welcoming them back when, after having strayed, they return to Him in repentance."
The Father, Pope Francis took a moment to point out, "does not tire of forgiving. Remember this: God always forgives, and God forgives everything."
"Unfortunately, even today," he decried, "there are, in various parts of the world, many men and women who are persecuted, at times, even to death, because of the Gospel."
"What we have said about Stephen," he stressed, "applies to them too. " "They do not allow themselves to be killed out of weakness, nor to defend an ideology, but to make everyone participants in the gift of salvation."
First and foremost, he recalled, they do this for the good of their killers, and they pray for them.
Blessed Christian de Chergé
Blessed Christian de Chergé, a martyr of our time, has left us a beautiful example of this.
He was one of the seven beatified monks of Tibhirine, who were martyred in 1996 during the ten-year civil war in Algeria.
Superior Christian de Chergé and other six monk brothers Luc Dochier, Christophe Lebreton, Michel Fleury, Bruno Lemarchand, Célestin Ringeard, Paul Favre-Miville, were all beheaded and their heads were discovered two months later not far from Tibhirine, but their bodies were never found. Their remains are buried there.
In his spiritual testament, foreseeing his imminent death, Blessed de Chergé, the Pope recalled, "called his future murderer a “last minute friend.”
Some questions to ponder
With all this in mind, the Pope encouraged the faithful to reflect on some questions.
"Do I feel the desire for all to know God and for all to be saved? Do I also want the good of those who make me suffer?" and finally, "Do I take an interest in and pray for the many brothers and sisters who are persecuted for their faith?"
Pope Francis concluded imploring Mary, Queen of Martyrs, to help us to be courageous witnesses of the Gospel for the salvation of the world.