May 21—St. Cristóbal Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

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Would the state ever decide to make the celebration of Mass or the reception of Baptism a crime? It happened in North America just about one hundred years ago, in Mexico. Today’s saint, Cristóbal Magallanes and his 24 companion martyrs, were victims of the anti-Catholic government of Mexico between 1915 and 1937. Mexico was afraid of the power and influence of the Catholic Church and outlawed seminaries, Masses, and the sacraments. St. Cristóbal responded to the closure of the seminary he was trained at by opening his own. He preached and ministered to the faithful in secret. He was also a member of the Cristero movement, which was tied to a violent rebellion against the state for persecuting Catholics. He was accused of trying to start a rebellion, even though he preached against any violence. He was arrested on his way to celebrate Mass, convicted without a trial, and executed on May 21, 1927. His last words were, “I die innocent, and ask God that my blood may serve to unite my Mexican brethren.”

Governments are instituted by God for the benefit of the common good of the people in order to protect divinely instituted human rights and the dignity of every person, to bring about the well-being of society, and serve the needs of the people, especially the poor and needy. Governments are NOT about the manipulation of people, the maintenance of power, or the imposition of discovered and dictated supposed “freedoms”. Serving God and bringing about the Kingdom of God on earth is for the good of the world. We do that by sharing our faith, whether it be freely or under the duress of persecution. It is up to the state to determine how believers will proceed.
*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cristobal.jpg