THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
We require eternal assistance in this life. Yet, has it ever been otherwise? Now, as we endure hardship, let us earnestly call upon God to grant us aid. Let those who pursue my very essence be troubled and fearful. Christ speaks through both the Head and the Body, affirming His message: ‘Why do ye persecute Me?’ (Acts 9:4). He reiterates, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto Me (Matthew 25:40). Thus, the voice of this Man resonates as the voice of the whole, both Head and Body, a truth that does not require frequent mention. He proclaims that those who seek my soul should be ashamed and afraid.
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In another psalm, He laments, I looked to the right and saw, and there was no man that sought to know Me: the flight from Me is gone, and there is none to seek My soul. While it is said that none sought His soul among the persecutors, here we urge that those who seek my soul experience shame and fear.
And where is that instruction from your Lord: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you? (Matthew 5:44). Observe that you suffer persecution yet curse those through whom it comes; in doing so, you mirror the passions of your Lord who, while hanging on the cross, proclaimed, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34). To those who utter such sentiments, the martyr responds, ‘You have set before me the Lord’s example: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do; recognize my voice, that it may resonate with yours as well. What have I said about my adversaries?” Let them know confusion and fear. Such retribution has already been enacted upon the foes of the martyrs. Saul, who once persecuted Stephen, found himself bewildered and terrified. He breathed out threats, seeking whom he might drag off and kill, until the voice from above rang out, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? (Acts 9:4). He was brought to shame and humbled, called to obedience, ignited in fervor for the faith. This, too, embodies the martyrs' hope for their adversaries: may they also find themselves confounded and dismayed.
So long as they remain unashamed and unafraid, they will justify their actions, believing themselves to be glorified through oppression, binding, scourging, and killing; through their mockeries, they may temporarily gain a sense of triumph that ultimately leads them to confusion and dread. For in their shame lies their path to conversion; they cannot turn unless they first experience this humiliation and terror. Let us wish for this transformation for our enemies, and let us do so without trepidation. I reiterate, let all who persist in reveling, mocking, and taunting the martyrs be confounded and filled with fear; may they, at last, strike their breasts within these walls of realization.