Martyr’s Blood

You are not signed in as a Premium user; you are viewing the free version of this program. Premium users have access to full-length programs with limited commercials and receive a 10% discount in the store! Sign up for only one day for the low cost of $1.99. Click the button below.

See All Plans

The truth is worth dying for. That's evident from the example given by every single martyr from St. Stephen all the way up to our times.

By the virtue of their baptism, Catholics have a duty to profess the truth outwardly when necessary. In the Gospel of St. Matthew, Our Lord said, "So then, let your light shine in the sight of men so that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father, Who is in Heaven."

He also teaches, "What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light. And what you hear whispered in the ear, preach above the rooftops." 

Knowing that people would suffer and die for proclaiming the gospel, Our Lord forewarns, "And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But instead, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell."

"Do not be afraid," Our Lord adds, "Everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father, Who is in Heaven."

But He condemns those who refuse to profess the Faith, "But whoever will have denied Me before men, I also will deny before My Father, Who is in Heaven."

Both St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher put everything on the line when it was demanded of them. Both were beheaded by order of King Henry VIII in 1535 when they refused to acknowledge his annulment from Catherine of Aragon.

They both had much to lose in this world. Moore was a family man, having two daughters and a son, along with his wife. He was a well-known lawyer and so known for his honesty that he was appointed chancellor of England.

Thomas More is commonly better known than St. John Fisher, especially due to the 1966 film A Man for All Seasons based on the play by the same name.

Fisher was the bishop of Rochester and spent his episcopal career there, teaching the faith and opposing Protestant revolutionaries like Martin Luther.

But once the question of Henry VIII's marriage became the talk of the town, Fisher was the only bishop to stand up to the king, saying he was willing to die for the indissolubility of the sacrament of matrimony.

Right now, matrimony is merely one of the sacraments that's being challenged both from within and from outside of the Church. God needs people to speak out now more than ever. The priesthood and the Holy Eucharist are under attack, and they are linked. Pray for priests and bishops.

Learn more by watching The Download—Martyr’s Blood.

Have a news tip? Submit news to our tip line.

We rely on you to support our news reporting. Please donate today.