Antiphona 1

This antiphon quotes Matthew 16:24 verbatim from Christ's teaching immediately after Peter's confession. The three imperatives - 'abneget' (deny), 'tollat' (take up), 'sequatur' (follow) - form the essential pattern of martyrdom: self-renunciation, embrace of suffering, imitation of Christ. The subjunctive 'vult' (wishes/wills) indicates not command but invitation - martyrdom is offered, not imposed. At Vespers, the evening hour recalling Christ's burial, this text places the martyr's death within Christ's own descent into death, making clear that following Christ means following him to Calvary.