Manche Masemola

04Feb
Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the Lord.
-Psalm 118:19


Today we remember Manche Masemola, a South African Christian martyr, born in 1913. As a young girl, she was drawn to the teachings of the Anglican missionaries in her home country. Her parents and siblings, however, were not impressed. On the contrary, they feared that Christianity would separate Manche from their traditional way of life. And their fears moved them to drastic measures. To dissuade Manche from practicing her new found faith, her parents severely beat her multiple times. On one occasion, they hid her clothes to keep her from venturing out of the house for baptism. In the face of this opposition, Manche remained steadfast in her beliefs. Eventually, in 1928, at the age of 15, she was killed by her parents, who feared she would be baptized against their will.


Mancha was never baptized in life, but the Anglican Church considers her a martyr who was "baptized in her own blood." In 1975, she was officially recognized as one of the martyrs of the 20th century by the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (now the Anglican Church of Southern Africa). In 1998, her statue was placed among the ten modern martyrs above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey in London. 


I am not sure how I missed the row of statues memorializing the ten modern martyrs above the door of the Abbey. It is precisely the type of detail that my wife says I would file away and, for years to come, describe for anyone who might listen. In researching this meditation I looked it up and found that among the ten are some names familiar to me, to-wit: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Romanoff. These individuals are not of the distant past. Their stories are not buried in the scriptures with scant details as described in the KJV of the Holy Bible. They walked this earth in the times of my parents or grandparents. And, as I read more about them, I am reminded of how blessed we are today. The modern martyrs' stories will help me as I strive for more gratitude in 2025.  


Musical Reflection - Witness Me - Jacob Collier


Almighty and everlasting God, who kindled the flame of your love in the heart of your faithful martyr Manche Masemola; Grant to us your servants, a like faith and power of love, that we who rejoice in her triumph may profit by her example; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PsalmsSaints

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