It is one of the most shocking stories in the lives of the saints. After St. Jean de Brébeuf was martyred in 1649, the Iroquois warriors who had tortured him cut out his heart and ate it.
Why?
According to the earliest historical accounts, Brébeuf endured an unimaginably brutal martyrdom with remarkable peace and courage. His captors had mocked his faith, poured boiling water over him in imitation of Baptism, and inflicted terrible tortures. Yet witnesses reported that he continued to encourage fellow captives and proclaim Christ throughout his suffering.
The warriors were astonished. Within their traditional warrior culture, it was believed that consuming the heart of a courageous enemy allowed one to share in that person's bravery and strength. So impressed were they by Brébeuf's fortitude that they removed and ate his heart, hoping to acquire the courage they had witnessed.
It's a startling story, but also a profound testimony. The enemies of this great saint could take his life, but they could not take his faith.
In fact, they recognized a strength in him they knew they themselves did not possess.
The courage they admired did not come from Jean de Brébeuf himself. It came from Christ, whom he had spent years preaching among the Huron people and whom he refused to deny, even in the face of death.
This remarkable story reminds us that authentic Christian courage has always been different from worldly strength. It is not the absence of fear or suffering but the grace to remain faithful through both.
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