Great Lent provides to us a specific time to reflect more honestly and deeply on the state of our individual and collective faith. Fundamentally, it causes us to ask the ultimate question: "would I give everything for my God who gave everything to me?" Put differently, "would I die for my faith."

This is not simply an abstract question. There are people around the world who die for their Christianity more often than we realize. Here is a case in point.

On 15 February 2015, 20 Coptic (Egyptian) Orthodox Christians, along with one man from Ghana, who also declared that he believed the same as his fellow captives, were beheaded because of their faith. These martyrs were immediately proclaimed saints by Coptic Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria. In 2023, the Catholic Church added their names to the Roman Martyrology. They are commemorated on 15 February (civil calendar) in both churches.

The above icon was painted by Tony Rezk in the Neo-Coptic iconographic style. The martyrs are wearing orange jumpsuits, as they were dressed at the time, and they are kneeling on the Mediterranean coast. The water is red with their blood, and 21 crowns of martyrdom descend from heaven.

Above is a short film about these martyrs. The producers decided to use animation to better portray the spiritual victory won by these modern saints. The 21 film presents "a more accurate narrative of the sainted men’s abduction, detention and execution. Our short film has been developed based on extensive research and multiple conversations with the family members, friends and Coptic clergy who knew the 21." For more background visit About - The 21 Short Animated Film — 21 Martyrs Film.