At the time of the Protestant Revolution in England, life was very hard and painful for the British Catholics, who were viciously persecuted. Yet, in the face of their suffering and bitter trials, these brave men and women clung to their Faith with hope and heroism. They continued in their beliefs: secretly hiding priests, obtaining the sacraments, and passing on the True Faith to their children. The courage of these secret and disguised priests was a great strength and consolation to the Catholic laity. Many proved their love and fidelity to Jesus as martyrs. One of these holy Saints was a certain English Jesuit - famed today as the talented poet Robert Southwell. He was martyred for his Catholic Faith at the age of 34, after about 3 years of imprisonment and torture. His God-given talent for poetry, enhanced by his love for God, was beautifully illustrated in his renowned piece of work: The Burning Babe: a touching testimony to the exessive love and intense sufferings of Christ; both of which were passionately shared by the holy martyr Southwell.

As I in hoary winter’s night stood shivering in the snow,

Surpris’d I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow;

And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near,

A pretty Babe all burning bright did in the air appear;

Who, scorched with excessive heat, such floods of tears did shed

As though His floods should quench His flames, which with his tears were fed.

"Alas!" quoth He, "but newly born, in fiery heats I fry,

Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel My fire but I!

My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding thorns,

Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame and scorns;

The fuel Justice layeth on, and Mercy blows the coals,

The metal in this furnace wrought are men’s defiled souls,

For which, as now on fire I am to work them to their good,

So will I melt into a bath to wash them in My blood."

With this He vanish’d out of sight and swiftly shrunk away,

And straight I called unto mind that it was Christmas day.