We live in a world where the devil works fiercely for our souls. He desires our surrender to him and our betrayal of the Creator. Living in a country where my religious freedoms are protected, it is easy to feel as though I would never renounce my Faith in exchange for comfort and protection.

When in Barcelona, I heard a story of St. Eulalia, a tender, God-fearing, thirteen-year-old martyr. She lived during a time when Jesus’ name was not respected and honored as it is in modern-day Barcelona; instead, citizens were given the option of death or renouncing their Faith. Not only did she stand firm in her Faith, but she didn’t run. She held firm in her beliefs in a city that sought to destroy it. St. Eulalia suffered thirteen horrendous tortures, one for every year she lived, and survived each one until finally she was crucified upside-down. During her crucifixion, thirteen white geese flew down to protect her body.

St. Eulalia continued to proclaim the Word of the Lord with grace despite her continued abuse. Years after her death, thousands of individuals, some of the men who actively participated in her demise, converted to Christianity when they realized they had killed an innocent girl. Finally, to this day, thirteen white geese still reside in Barcelona and have continued to protect the city from invasions of the physical church.

After I was told this story in graphic detail, I found that I was standing over her grave. As if the story didn’t already wreck me, I felt intimately connected to this woman and her undeniable strength and devotion to the Gospel.

When I think back to my day in Barcelona, this story is what takes precedence. I can’t help but ponder: if we have genuinely experienced the wondrous sovereignty and relentless love and mercy of Jesus, shouldn’t we have this child-like Faith, a faith so strong that not even the gravest of torchers can touch it?