The inevitable end will come to us all, we will all fall victim to the looming claws of the grim reaper. But what will we leave behind us... how will we be remembered? Our last words are a keepsake, a memory of us and the lives we lived.
Aldous Huxley wrote in the preface to his book "Brave New World", that one should judge all things as if one saw them from one's deathbed. The following are such perspectives.
The Prophet Amos said: "Therefore prepare thyself to meet thy God!"
And King David said in the Book of Psalms (Ps 90:12):
"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

Please do not think GODSCARE is hostile against the Catholic Church because we display these historic resources. We love our Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ and do not intend with this museum to cause division. Some passages are taken from Foxes Book of Martyrs among other sources.

TESTIMONIES AND THE LAST SAYINGS OF MARTYRS

Stephen the first Christian Martyr, as he was being stoned to death by the Pharisees:

"Forgive them Lord, they don't know what they do. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"  

James, the brother of John, the first apostle to suffer after the martyrdom of Stephen.  His arrester was so moved with compassion that as John went to his execution, he stepped forward and confessed to be a Christian of his own accord. As they were led to the chopping block the man begged Johns forgivness. John turned to him and said, "Peace be to thee, brother;" and kissed him. Both were beheaded together, A.D. 36. 

Bartholomew, died in Albanopolis, Armenia, where he was beaten, then flayed and skinned alive, with each skinning given opportunity to renounce his faith. Afterwards he was crucified and lastly beheaded.

Many famous paintings of this blessed martyr

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The Apostle Peter it is recorded was crucified on a cross the same as the Lord. Fox's book of Martyrs says that Peter asked that his cross be inverted so as not to imitate his mentor, Christ. "Jerome saith that he was crucified, his head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was (he said) unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was."

Sir Thomas More:
English Catholic statesman who was beheaded in 1535 on orders of Henry the Eight, for his convictions, because he wouldn’t endorse Henry's divorce:
"See me safe up (onto the scaffold); for my coming down, let me shift myself"

Anne Boleyn, Protestant wife of Henry the Eight.
Before being decapitated on orders of her husband Henry the Eight, she quipped:
"The executioner is, I believe, very expert; and my neck is very slender"

Henry the Eighth, King of England, d. 1547:
When his turn came:
"All is lost. Monks, monks, monks! So, now all is gone—Empire, Body and Soul!"

Hannibal,
Carthagan leader and enemy of Rome who crossed the Alps on elephants.
"Let us now relieve the Romans of their fears by the death of a feeble old man."

 Duke of Monmouth (to his executioner)
"There are six guineas for you, and do not hack me as you did my Lord Russell."

Malesherbes, to his priest uttering last rites
"Hold your tongue! Your wretched chatter disgusts me."

Georges Danton,
To His Executioner:
"Show my head to the people, it is worth seeing."
 

William Tyndale Born 1484 ? -- Martyred October 6, 1536
Tied to the Stake, and then strangled first by the Hangman, and afterwards consumed with fire in the morning, at the Town of Filford, A.D. 1536; crying at the stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud voice, "Lord open the king of England's eyes."

Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, d.1170
"I am ready to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace."

Johannes (John) Huss of Bohemia, Czech reformist burned by the Roman Catholic Church as a "heretic" on July 6th, 1415 in Constance (Courtesy: Story of Liberty by Charles Carleton Coffin)
 Wood was piled all round him up to the chin. Before applying the torch, Louis of Bavaria and the Marshal of the Empire approached, and for the last time implored him to have a care for his life, and renounce his errors. "What errors," asked Huss, "shall I renounce? I know myself guilty of none. I call God to witness that all that I have written and preached has been with the view of rescuing souls from sin and perdition; and, therefore, most joyfully will I confirm with my blood that truth which I have written and preached."
At the hearing of these words they departed from him.  The fire was applied, the flames blazed upward.
"Do not believe," he says to the people, "that I have taught anything but the truth." No trembling of the lips - no whitening of his cheeks.  "Renounce your error," shouts the Duke of Bavaria. "I have taught no error. The truths I have I taught will seal with my blood." "Burn him." The executioner holds his torch to the fagots. Huss began to sing with a loud voice, 'Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.' And when he began to say the same the third time, the wind so blew the flame in his face that it choked him. What is it that the people hear coming from that sheet of flame? "Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men." It is the song which the angels sung above the pastures of above the pastures of Bethlehem. And this: "We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory." It is Gloria in Excelsis. The smoke blinds him, the flames are circling above his head. Yet the voice goes on: "Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on me." The flames wrap him round, his head falls on his breast.
Huss had given up the ghost.

Poggius, who was secretary to the council, and Aeneas Sylvius, who afterwards became Pope, and whose narratives are not liable to the suspicion of being coloured, bear even higher testimony to the heroic demeanour of both Huss and Jerome at their execution. "Both," says the latter historian, "bore themselves with constant mind when their last hour approached. They prepared for the fire as if they were going to a marriage feast. They uttered no cry of pain. When the flames rose they began to sing hymns; and scarce could the vehemency of the fire stop their singing."

THOMAS BADLY, friend of John Wycliffe, Martyred in the year 1409

This individual was a layman, and by trade a tailor. He was arraigned before the bishop of Worchester, and convicted of heresy. When the king signed the warrant for his death, he was brought to Smithfield, and there being put into an empty tub, was bound with iron chains fastened to a stake, and had dry wood piled around him.

ROGERS MARTYRDOM
Mr. Rogers said, "That which I have preached I will seal with my blood!" "Then," said the sheriff, "thou art a heretic." "That shall be known," said Rogers, "at the day of judgment." "Well," quoth the sheriff, "I will never pray for thee." "But I will pray for you," replied Rogers; and so was brought the same day, which was Monday the 4th of February, towards Smithfield, all the people rejoicing at his constancy, with great praises and thanks to God for the same. And there, in the presence of Rochester, comptroller of the queen's household, sir Richard Southwell, both the sheriffs, and many people, the fire was put unto him; and when it had taken hold both upon his legs and shoulders, he, as one feeling no pain, washed his hands in the flame, as though it had been in cold water. After lifting up his hands unto heaven, not removing the same until such time as the devouring fire had consumed them, most mildly this happy martyr yielded up his spirit into the hands of his heavenly Father.

THOMAS CRANMER, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY. Martyred 12 September, 1555
An iron chain tied about Cranmer, they commanded the fire to be set unto him. And when the wood was kindled and the fire began to burn near him, stretching out his arm, he put his right hand into the flame, which he held so steadfast and unmovable, (saving that once with the same hand he wiped his face,) that all men might see his hand burned before his body was touched. His body did so abide the burning of the flame with such constancy and steadfastness, that standing always in one place without moving his body, he seemed to move no more than the stake to which he was bound; his eyes were lifted up into heaven, and oftentimes he repeated "his unworthy right hand," so long as his voice would allow him; and using often the words of Stephen," Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," in the greatness of the flames he gave up the ghost, in the sixty-seventh year of his age.

26 JAPANESE MISSIONARIES February 5, 1597

Very few history books will mention this date, although it should appear in all of them. It opens a new chapter in the history of the Japanese Church, a chapter written with blood by the 26 Martyrs on the rock of this hill in Nagasaki. These missionaries were all laid upon crosses and erected simultaniusly with family and followers made to look on. A monument of these 26 martyrs remains in Nagasaki.

JOHN HOOPER, BISHOP OF WORCESTER AND GLOUCESTER Martyred 22nd of January, 1555
Being now read, John Hooper looked around on all the people, of whom he might be well seen, for he was both tall, and stood also upon a high stool, and beheld that in every corner lifting up nothing to be seen but weeping and sorrowful people. Then lifting up his eyes and hands to heaven he prayed in silence. By and by, the person who was appointed to make the fire came to him and asked his forgiveness.  "O, sir," said the man, "I am appointed to make the fire." "Therein," said Mr. Hooper, "thou dost nothing to offend me: God forgive thee thy sins, and do thine office, I pray thee." Then the reeds were cast up, and he receiving two bundles of them in his own hands embraced them, and putting one of them under each arm, showed with his hand how the rest should be bestowed, and pointed to the place where any were wanting. Command was now given that the fire should be kindled. At length it burned about him; but the wind having full strength in that place, and it being a lowering cold morning, it blew the flame from him, so that he was little more than touched by the fire. Endeavours were then made to increase the flame. In this fire he prayed with a loud voice, "Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me! Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me! Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" And these were the last words he was heard to utter. Yet he struck his breast with his hands, until by the renewing of the fire his strength was gone and his hand stuck fast in striking the iron upon his breast. So immediately, bowing forwards, he yielded up his spirit. Thus lingering were his last sufferings. He was nearly three quarters of an hour or more in the fire, as a lamb, patiently bearing the extremity thereof, neither moving forwards, backwards, nor to any side; but he died as quietly as a child in his bed; and he now reigneth as a blessed martyr in the joys of heaven, prepared for the faithful in Christ before the foundation of the world; for whose constistancy all Christians are bound to praise God.

How St. Polycarp was martyred 168 A.D.
Three days before he was arrested the Lord revealed to him in a dream that he would be burned at the stake. When the soldiers came to get him, his friends insisted on hiding him. Polycarp made it clear that in the future, he would not allow himself to be hidden. Soon the soldiers discovered where he had been taken. When he saw them coming, he went out and greeted them warmly and offered them food. As they were eating, he requested that he be allowed to pray before they took him away. His request was granted. For two hours he prayed fervently out loud, inasmuch that many of the soldiers began to repent, that they were come out against so godly an old man.
 

Polycarp stood for the Lord Jesus Christ to the end, despite all the efforts to persuade him to renounce Christ. One of the judges tried to get him to deny his faith by saying, "Reverence thy old age…Swear by Casear's Fortune. Repent, and say; Take away the Wicked." Polycarp, looking with a stern countenance upon the whole multitude of wicked Gentiles, that was gathered together in the Lifts, and shaking his hand at them, looked up to Heaven, and groaning said, "Take away the Wicked." But the judge was not satisfied with this. He said, "Sware, and I will set thee at liberty; reproach Christ!" It is at this point that Polycarp gives his famous response -- "Eighty and six years have I now served Christ, and he has never done me the least wrong: How then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?"
The judge then angrily urges him to, "swear by the Genius of Caesar." Polycarp refuses, but offered to share his faith in Christ. The judge rejected the offer and threatened, "I have wild beasts ready, to those I will cast thee except thou repent." Polycarp responds calmly, "Call for them then: For we Christians are fixed in our minds not to change from good to evil; But for me it will be good to be changed from Evil, to Good." The furious judge said, "Seeing that thou dispiseth the Wild Beasts, I will cause thee to be devoured by Fire, unless thou shall repent." Polycarp answered, "Thou threatenest me with Fire which burns for an hour, and so is extinguished; but knowest not the Fire of the Future Judgment of that Eternal Punishment which is reserved for the Ungodly. But why tarriest thou? Bring forth what thou wilt!"
The judge loudly cried out three times, "Polycarp has confessed himself to be a Christian." The mob responded in fury, "This is the Doctor of Asia; The Father of the Christians; an the overthrower of our Gods. He that has taught so many not to sacrifice, nor pay any worship to the Gods." At first they cried out that the lions should be loosed on him and then that he should be burned alive. They took Polycarp to the stake and were going to nail him there. He spoke up and said, "Let me alone as I am: For he who has given me strength to endure the Fire, will also enable me, without your securing me by nails, to stand without moving in the pile." They merely tied him to the stake.
He prayed this prayer before the fire was was kindled -- "Lord God Almighty, the Father of thy Well-beloved, and Blessed Son, Jesus Christ, by whom we have received Knowledge of thee; the God of Angels and Powers, and of every Creature, and especially the whole Race of Just Men who live in thy presence! I give thee hearty thanks that thou hast vouchsafed (allowed) to bring me to this Day, and to this Hour; that I should have a part in the Number of thy Martyrs, in the Cup of thy Christ, to the Resurrection of Eternal Life, both of Soul and Body, in the Incorruption of the Holy Ghost. Among which may I be accepted this Day before thee, as a fat and acceptable Sacrifice; as thou the true God, with who is no falsehood, has both before ordained, and manifested unto me, and also hath now fulfilled it. For this, and for all things else, I praise thee, I bless thee, I glorify thee by the Eternal, and Heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ they Beloved Son; whit whom to Thee and the Holy Ghost, be Glory both now, and to all succeeding Ages, AMEN."
Upon the "AMEN" the executioner litthe fire, but something strange happened. The flames arched around Polycarp like a sail of a ship filled with wind and he would not burn. After some time, the command was given to the executioner to stab him with a sword, so he did. The result was that so much blood flowed from the wound that it extinguished the fire. The fire was rekindled and Polycarps body was burned to ashes. Polycarp was faithful to the Lord unto death.

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