Antiphona 4

Matthew 10:28 provides this text from Christ's mission discourse to the Twelve. The prohibition 'Nolite timere' (Fear not) addresses the disciples' greatest fear - death. The contrast between 'corpus' (body) and 'anima' (soul) reflects Platonic-influenced anthropology, but the point is pastoral: persecutors can only reach the body. The limitation 'non possunt occidere' (cannot kill) defines martyrdom's true character - the soul remains beyond human violence. At Vespers, as evening shadows threaten, this antiphon reassures that the worst human evil cannot touch what matters most. The martyrs died fearless because they believed this.