Do you ever feel stuck in life? Do you ever get the feeling that you’re living as someone you’re not supposed to be?

To get unstuck, we have to stop making bad bargains with ourselves. What's a bad bargain? When you lose more than you gain. 

The worst bad bargain you can make is anytime you pretend you are someone other than your own wonderful self. As Jesus himself said, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

Saint Bademus did not pretend to be anyone he wasn’t. He was unapologetically Christian during a time of ruthless persecution in his homeland of Persia. As a result, he was thrown in a dungeon.

A Christian prince named Nersan was arrested as well. Instead of being thrown in the dungeon, he was imprisoned in a chamber of the royal palace. At first, Nersan was determined to hold fast to his faith. Then his captors showed Nersan the instruments of torture they were using on other Christians. Nersan’s determination started to break.

Eventually, the King of Persia came up with an idea. He brought Saint Bademus up to Nersan’s chamber, and let the two get to know each other. Then the king told Nersan that if he would kill Bademus, he would be free. Nersan accepted, and was given a sword. 

Nersan attacked Bademus, but guilt and shame weakened his strikes. The entire time, as Bademus endured cut after cut, he didn’t move a muscle. He knew this was the price of truly being who he was: a Christian. Bademus simply said, “Unhappy Nersan! With joy I run to meet death.” Nersan finally succeeded in killing Saint Bademus. Not long after, Nersan killed himself. 

Nersan pretended to be someone other than who he was, and he lost everything. That’s a bad bargain. Saint Bademus paid with his life to stay true to who he was, but he kept his soul and gained eternal glory.

Are you on the cusp of making a bad bargain? Step back and reconsider.

Symbols: Sword

Feast Day: April 10 

Feast Day Shared By: Saint Magdalene of Canossa