Today is the memorial for Bl. Bartolomé Blanco. A martyr of the Spanish Civil War, he was imprisoned when he refused to serve in the army of the Second Spanish Republic. He was sentenced to death for refusal to serve in a time of war and was shot on October 2, 1936. The night before his execution, however, he wrote a letter to his girlfriend. You can read his actual letter in a number of places online, e.g., here.
The Last Letter of Bartolomé Blanco Márquez
Tomorrow I die, and a line of grim men
will shoot bullets in me till I fall;
but my life has been good, and I thank you for that,
and I thank my Lord God above all.
I will remember your face to the dark, silent grave,
and love you with all of my heart;
lovers who love in the glory of God
become of each other a part.
Fear not, Maruja, my darling, my love;
I see death, but I am not afraid.
Remember, Maruja, my dear and my dove,
recall me in life's errant way;
take thought to your soul, my lady and love,
that in heaven we may meet again
and love in the way God meant us to love,
forever in life without end.
