Seven brothers and their mother had strong faith in the resurrection, which they were able to remain faithful to the law and even to suffer persecution and martyrdom.

One of them said to his persecutor: “Inhuman fiend, you may discharge us from this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up since it is for his laws that we die, to live again forever.”

Another at the very moment he was asked for his tongue promptly thrust it out and his arms as well, saying: “It was heaven that gave me these limbs; for the sake of his laws I disdain the; from him I hope to receive them again.”

One of the others as he neared his end cried: “Ours is the better choice, to meet death at men’s hands, yet relying on God’s promise that we shall be raised up by him, whereas for you there can be no resurrection, no new life.”

This story of seven brothers and their mother highlights the extreme situation in which the Christian may find himself, even when the outcome is not quite so messy or dire, when he has to choose between God’s law and personal gain or any lesser good.

When faced with such a choice we can only pray for a share of the courage of Christ, and to be strong in our faith in the resurrection. St Paul said to his people: “The Lord is faithful, and he will give you strength and guard you from the evil one, and we, in the Lord, have every confidence that you are doing and will go on doing all that we tell you.”

Jesus himself spoke about life after death. He said after death we will be equal to angels: “The dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels.”

So whatever happens to us, there is always comfort and hope in living the life of faith. Whether it is in the dark night of trial, or in the very sleep of death, the faithful who persevere are hidden in the shadow of God’s wings.

They rest in the knowledge that they will see God’s face and be filled when they awake with the sight of God’s glory, the light of the risen Christ.