A long time ago, between Judea and Syria, there was a place called Sebastes. It was there that forty brave legionnaires from the 12th Roman Legion sacrificed their lives in the name of love to truth.

Arrested for professing Christianity, the forty youngsters marched out of the city, escorted by a number of soldiers.

In front of them, a lake of gloomy and cold waters lay. The sun went down in the horizon and a cold wind blew.

The soldiers played the drums giving rhythm to the march, while the prisoners got inside the water. One step, two, three, ten, twenty. Their feet splashed in the water as they got more and more into the water. Only their heads were left outside.

Their superiors had declared a terrible way to send them to death. Standing still, they were going freeze to death, impassively and silently.

The twilight got wrapped up in a gold mantel and faded away, giving place to a starry evening.

Around the lake, on the shore, relatives and friends silently prayed. Also silent remained their beloved ones inside the water.

Suddenly, in the name of Cesar, an official spoke. He said that those boys were too young to die, that Cesar would take in consideration their lack of experience and forgive them if they swore fidelity to the gods of the Empire.

It was very simple. All they had to do was to burn some herbs in front of the improvised altar erected to Olympic Jupiter on the other side of the lake.

Inside the lake, not even the smallest movement could be seen. The air was getting colder and mist started to rise from the waters.

The guards lightened fires on the shore, clapped their hands while walking around to get warmer. However, the forty legionnaires were still.

Then, they started singing, their voices were stronger than the wind, their hymn went up as a victorious shout.

It was like a cascade of hope made of faith, tenderness and renouncement.

On the course of the hours, one by one, those flames flicked away from the Earth to start flickering in the spiritual world.

When morning arrived, only one youngster was alive. A guard got close to a woman and told her that her son still lived; therefore, his life would be spared.

She was allowed take him out of the water, and in his name, she should offer a sacrifice to the Roman gods.

“Never”. She answered. “If he did not do it when conscious, how could I take advantage of his agony to betray him?”

She walked firmly into the water and stayed there with her son until his heart stopped. Soon after, holding him in her arms, she took his body and put it by the guard’s feet.

*   *   *

Two thousand years ago, in Judea, a Man loved and died for loving too much.

The amazing faith He woke up had the power of modifying lives.

His voice invited us to live the true life, the life that unfolds itself into the afterlife.

Amongst His teachings, we remember: He who endures to the end will be saved. Who believes in Me, even if dead will live.

His message survived through the centuries and remains alive until today, establishing a secure route to His followers.

His is the message of love, faith and faithfulness until the end.

Text written by the Spiritist Moment Team based on chapter XXVIII from the book “A esquina de pedra”, by Wallace Leal Rodrigues, publishing house: O Clarim.