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Fellow Pilgrims in Christ,

Imagine standing in rank as a Roman soldier — disciplined, loyal, and sworn to defend the Empire. Now imagine being told to sacrifice to pagan gods or even to persecute your fellow Christians. This was the trial faced by St. Maurice and his companions, the Theban Legion, in the late 3rd century. Their choice was stark: obedience to an emperor or fidelity to Christ. They chose Christ.

The year was around 285 AD, during the reign of Emperor Maximian. The Roman Empire was demanding not only military service but also religious conformity — sacrifices to the gods of Rome, to Jupiter, Mars, and even to the divine image of the emperor.

Maurice, a Christian officer from Thebes in Egypt, commanded a legion composed of thousands of Christians. They were stationed at Agaunum in the Swiss Alps (modern-day Saint-Maurice, Switzerland). Ordered to join in pagan rituals and persecute Christians, Maurice and his soldiers stood firm.

At first, Maximian punished them with a decimation — every tenth man executed to break their resistance. Yet the legion remained steadfast. Again and again, they refused, declaring their loyalty to the Empire in all things except disobedience to God. Finally, the emperor ordered the slaughter of the entire legion — some 6,600 men, all giving their lives for Christ.

Maurice encouraged his soldiers with words like: “We are your soldiers, but we are also God’s servants. To Him we owe our first allegiance.” Their martyrdom reminds us that true courage is not only found on the battlefield but in fidelity to the Cross.

Their sacrifice turned Agaunum into a holy site, and throughout the centuries, the memory of the Theban Legion inspired countless Christians to put Christ before worldly powers.

At the very moment the Theban Legion shed their blood, the Roman Empire was at its height of military might, but spiritually fractured. Less than thirty years later, Constantine would issue the Edict of Milan (313 AD), granting Christians the freedom to worship. In this sense, the blood of St. Maurice and his companions watered the soil of Europe, preparing it for the eventual triumph of the Gospel.

St. Maurice and his legion challenge us: To whom do we give our first allegiance? In a world that often pressures us to conform, their witness reminds us that our loyalty must always rest in Christ, even when it costs us dearly. They embody the words of Christ: “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Prayer

St. Maurice and holy martyrs of the Theban Legion, pray for soldiers, for all who serve in authority, and for us, that we may be faithful to Christ above all.