Feast Day Of The Holy Martyrs Cyprian And Justina. Taken From The Roman Breviary Of 1879 (Summer). 26 September. Red Vestments.

Text from The Roman Breviary.

Translated out of Latin into English by
John, Marquess of Bute, K.T.
Volume II.
Summer.
1879.

Feast Day Of The Holy Martyrs Cyprian And Justina.

   26 September.

Simple.

All from The Common Office for a Simple Festival of Many Martyrs, (page 841,) except the following.

Prayer throughout the Office.

O Lord, let the succour of Thy Blessed Martyrs Cyprian and Juliana never fail us, since Thou never ceasest to look in mercy upon any unto whom Thou dost grant the stay of such helpers.

Through Our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of The Holy Ghost, one God, World without end.

Amen.

Mattins.

Second Lesson.

Cyprian was firstly a warlock and lastly a Martyr. A certain young man having a violent lust after a Christian maiden named Justina, employed him to excite her to join in his lewdness, by dint of incantations and philters.

Cyprian thereupon asked counsel of the devil, how he might best gain that end.

But the devil answered him that these arts are only thrown away upon true worshippers of Christ.

This answer troubled Cyprian, and he began to repent heartily of the course of life he had hitherto led.

And then he forsook his arts magic, and gave himself wholly up to the Faith of the Lord Christ.

Third Lesson.

For this cause, he and the virgin Justina were arrested together, beaten with blows and scourging, and cast into prison, if haply they might change their mind.

Being brought out of the prison, but still standing fast in their Christian Religion, they were dipped in a vessel full of hot pitch, fat, and wax, and in the end beheaded, at Nicomedia, [on 26 September in the year of Our Lord 304 A.D.]

Their bodies were thrown out, and lay unburied for the space of six days, at the end of which time some sailors took them secretly by night on board a ship and carried them to Rome.

They were first buried on the farm of the noble Lady Rufina, but afterwards brought into the City, where they lie hard by the Baptistery in the Church of [the Saviour, built by] Constantine.