June 1 / May 19
The Holy Martyr Justin the Philosopher
Justin was born of Greek parents in the Samaritan town of Shechem, later called Nablus, 105 years after Christ. He zealously sought wisdom among philosophers, at first with the Stoics and after that with the Peripatetics, with the Pythagoreans and finally with the Platonists. Even though Plato’s philosophy did not satisfy him, nevertheless, he adhered to it the longest time, not having anything else that would attract him more. By God’s providence Justin encountered an honorable elder, who shook his faith in the philosophy of Plato and persuaded him that men cannot know the truth about God unless God reveals it and that God had revealed the truth about Himself in the books of Holy Scripture. Justin began to read Holy Scripture and became a thoroughly convinced Christian. However, he did not want to be baptized or to be called a Christian until he was personally convinced of the falseness of all the accusations that the pagans raised against the Christians. Coming to Rome in a philosopher’s cloak, he quickly attained great respect as well as many followers there. He was present at the martyrdom of St. Ptolemy and St. Lucian. Witnessing the tortures of innocent Christians, Justin wrote an Apologia of Christians and Christian teachings and presented it to Emperor Antoninus and to the Senate. The emperor read the Apologia with care and ordered the persecution of Christians to cease. Justin took a copy of the emperor’s decree and journeyed with it to Asia, where, with the help of this decree, he saved many persecuted Christians. After that he returned to Rome. When a persecution began under Emperor Marcus Aurelius, he wrote another Apologia and sent it to the emperor. A disreputable philosopher, Crescens, a St. Justin the Philosopher (fresco in Ćelije Monastery, Serbia, by Stamatis Skliris) Cynic, out of envy denounced him as a Christian because Justin had always overcome him in their debates, and Justin found himself in prison. Desiring the death of Justin and fearing that he would somehow justify himself before the court, Crescens seized the opportunity and poisoned Justin in prison. So ended the earthly life of this great defender of the Christian Faith, who took up his habitation in blessed eternity in the year 166.
The Holy Martyrs Justin, Chariton, Charita, Euelpistus, Hierax, Paeon, Valerian (Liberianus) and Justus (166)
They all suffered martyrdom in Rome during the reign of Marcus Aurelius and the Roman prefect Rusticus. When Rusticus asked: “Do you think that if you die for Christ you will receive a reward in heaven?” St. Justin replied: “We do not think, we know!” Then they were all beheaded, in the year 166, and took up their habitation in the Eternal Kingdom of
Christ our God.
The Venerable Agapitus, unmercenary physician, of the Kiev Caves
Agapitus was an unmercenary physician. He was a disciple of St. Anthony of the Caves. He cured people through prayer and by giving them greens, from which he prepared bread for himself. In this manner he cured Prince Vladimir Monomachus, because of which Agapitus became known everywhere. Being envious of this, the prince’s physician, an Armenian, began to slander Agapitus. When Agapitus became ill, the Armenian came to him and, examining him, said that he would die within three days and that if he did not die, he, the Armenian, would become a monk. Agapitus said that it had been revealed to him by the Lord that he would die not in three days, but in three months. And so it happened. After the death of Agapitus, the Armenian came to the abbot of the Caves and begged him to tonsure him a monk, for, he said, Agapitus had appeared to him from the other world and had reminded him of his promise. Thus the formerly envious one became a humble monk by the providence of God, Who wishes that all men be saved. St. Agapitus reposed in about the year 1095.
. Martyr Thespesius of Cappadocia (230).
. Martyr Firmus of Magus (284-303).
. St. Mertius the Farmer, of Myra in Lycia (912).
. St. Dionysius of Glushitsa (Vologda), monastic founder (1437).
. Sts. Shio the New, David, Gabriel, and Paul, of Gareji, Georgia (1696-1700).
. St. Justin the New, of Chelije in Serbia (1979). St. Justin the New (by Stamatis Skliris)
HYMN OF PRAISE
St. Justin the Philosopher
Whoever belongs to Christ dies for Christ.
St. Justin, defender of the truth,
Recognized the power of Christ and expressed it,
And fearlessly traveled throughout the empire,
Defending the righteous, admonishing the heathen,
Shining with truth to the entire world.
He was from the city of unbaptized ones, where once ten lepers
Bitterly cried out to Christ the Savior,
And by His word were healed.
Now Justin’s leprosy of falsehood
Was healed by the power of the Faith of Christ.
Like a father he protected Christians;
The foolishness of paganism he unmasked;
To emperors he spoke the truth;
He was a light until the candle burned down,
Until the evil ones took his body,
And the angels raised his soul to Paradise,
That in heaven it might shine like the sun,
As his Apologia also shines,
Glorifying the name of the immortal Justin,
Teaching the world what is the truth.
To read the Reflection, Contemplation, and Homily for this day,
you can purchase your copy of the Prologue of Ohrid at our St. Sebastian Bookstore
or download our Kindle E-Book version at Amazon.com.