Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.
Saint Justin.
Martyr.
Feast Day 14 April.
Double.
Red Vestments.
English: Saint Justin Martyr.
Deutsch: Justin der Märtyrer (auch: Justin der Philosoph).
Phantasieporträt aus dem 16. Jahrhundert.
Date: 16th-Century..
Source: Saint Justin dans André Thevet,
Author: André Thévet (1502–1590).
(Wikimedia Commons)
The Church, in the 2nd-Century A.D., had to oppose the errors of pagan philosophers and suffer cruel persecution. But God raised up courageous men, known as The Apologist Fathers, who defended Christian Dogma at the price of their lives.
The most illustrious at that time was Saint Justin, who was born at Nablus (Samaria), about 100 A.D. As a pagan philosopher, he examined the teaching of the pagan philosophical systems and only found error and false wisdom; for human intelligence rejecting Supernatural Light soon goes astray (Epistle, Gradual).
Saint Justin then studied The Word of The Crucified God and became a Christian. Seeing in reason a precious auxiliary of Faith, he opened at Rome the first school of Christian Philosophy and there taught "the eminent science of Jesus Christ" (Collect).
He became celebrated especially by the two Apologies which he had the courage (Gospel) to address successively to the persecuting Emperors Antoninus and Marcus Aurelius (Introit).
An edict of Antoninus mitigated the persecution. Marcus Aurelius, on the contrary, caused Saint Justin to be scourged and condemned him to death. He died a Martyr on 13 April, about 162 A.D.
"Let us conform to the teaching of The Blessed Martyr Justin" (Postcommunion) "so that we may remain firm in The Faith" (Collect).
Mass: Narravérunt.
Commemoration: Of The Feria in Lent.
Commemoration: Of The Holy Martyrs Tilburtius and Companions.
Justin Martyr, also known as Saint Justin (100 A.D. – 165 A.D.), was an Early Christian Apologist, and is regarded as the foremost interpreter of the Theory of The Logos in the 2nd-Century A.D. He was Martyred, alongside some of his students, and is considered a Saint by The Roman Catholic Church, The Anglican Church, and The Eastern Orthodox Church.
Most of his works are lost, but two Apologies and a Dialogue did survive. The First Apology, his most well-known Text, passionately defends the morality of The Christian Life, and provided various ethical and philosophical arguments to convince The Roman Emperor, Antoninus, to abandon the persecution of the fledgling Sect. Further, he also indicates, as Saint Augustine did regarding the "True Religion" that pre-dated Christianity, that the "seeds of Christianity" (manifestations of The Logos acting in history) actually pre-dated Christ's Incarnation. This notion allows him to claim many historical Greek Philosophers (including Socrates and Plato), in whose Works he was well studied, as unknowing Christians.
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