Stand in solidarity with the martyrs! This prayer card reminds you to offer up prayer and sacrifice for all who are being persecuted for holding to the faith in the Middle East.

About the Orange Cross
The cross, the ancient symbol of all Christians, reminds us of the fact that Christ himself was executed for religious and political reasons by an oppressive government, just as the middle eastern martyrs of today are being executed by ISIS. We believe that the brave Christian martyrs of Iraq and Syria are uniquely united to Christ's own death through their martyrdom, and because of this, they will be uniquely united with Him in the Resurrection as well. On February 15, 2015 ISIS released a video showing the martyrdom of 21 Christians calling them "the people of the cross".

The color orange is used in solidarity with the middle eastern Martyrs who are forced to wear bright orange jumpsuits as they are marched out onto beaches to be publicly beheaded.

On the cross is the Arabic letter "Nun," which is commonly used as an abbreviation for "Nasrani," a term for Christians. This symbol has been painted by ISIS on the homes and businesses of known Christians, preemptively marking those individuals for persecution. Just as the Jewish people were marked and persecuted by the Nazi regime of Adolph Hitler, so are Christians now being marked and persecuted by the Islamic regime of ISIS. ISIS uses the "Nun" as a mark of shame, but we display it as a sign of Christian brotherhood and love. "Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you for My sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven!"
Matthew 5:11-12

( HC-OCP6 )