Today the Church celebrates the liturgical memorial of Saints Abdon and Sennen, two Persian nobles who lived in the 3rd century, whose testimony of faith and charity continues to shine through the centuries. Upon arriving in Rome, the two saints did not hesitate to risk their own lives for a mission of extreme Christian piety: assisting brothers imprisoned for their faith and providing a worthy burial for the bodies of martyrs left unburied. Under the persecution of Emperor Decius, their charitable activity was discovered by imperial authorities. Categorically refusing to renounce Christ and offer sacrifices to pagan gods, they faced a cruel martyrdom. Taken to the arena of the Colosseum, they were mauled by wild beasts and finally finished off by the swords of gladiators, sealing their unconditional love for the Gospel and the community of believers with their blood.
