Martyria as One of the Christian Aspects of the Helping Worker

Abstract

IntroductionMartyria, or witness to God, is any action by which Christians testify to their faith in God, by word and deed. 2 Th e lexical basis of the word martyria in European languages is etymologically taken from Latin, with an emphasis on pain and suff ering. On the other hand, the Greek meaning of the works means witness. Th e associated terms are martyrion -testimony, evidence; martyrein -to witness, testify; and martys -a witness. 3 In various places in the Bible the faithful are challenged to witness to their faith, to proclaim the gospel -the good news of God's Kingdom (cf. 1 Pet 3:15b; Mt 28:19f;[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Proclamationwitnessing to the gospel -can take many forms in contemporary society. Besides education in families, religious instruction, preaching, preparation for Sacramental celebration, it also includes evangelisation by means of radio, television, the internet or the print media, as well as personal witness in everyday life, and the participation of Christians in debates on political and social topics, into which they are expected to bring basic ethical criteria, such as love of God and of neighbour, the Decalogue, the creation of the human being in the image of God, and, not least, Christian commitment wherever human dignity, freedom, peace and solidarity are endangered, since 'evangelisation would not be complete if it did not take account the unceasing interplay of the Gospel and of man's concrete life, both personal and social' . 4 According to the theologian Leo Karrer, it is necessary to witness to faith at all levels of ecclesial life and in various forms, since when diakonia is connected by means of proclamationmartyria with the Christian message that God has become human and has entered history as one who saves and rectifi es -it will become clear that justice, reconciliation and solidarity belong to the essence of being Christian. 5 Articles 21 and 31 of Paul VI's apostolic exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi speak in a similar manner: it is impossible to accept 'that in evangelisation one could or should ignore the importance of the problems so much discussed today, concerning justice, liberation, development and peace in the world. Th is would be to forget the lesson which comes to us from the Gospel 1 Th e paper was written with fi nancial support of the Grant Agency of the University of South Bohemia, project 157/2016/H, 'Kontexty současné teologie' . 2 Ad gentes 11. 3 Cf.