January 20--St. Sebastian, Martyr

St. Sebastian—January 20

St. Sebastian died a martyr during the worst persecution of the early Church, under the Emperor Diocletian.  He was a soldier in the emperor’s own Praetorian Guard and comforted those who were sentenced to death.  He was eventually discovered and also sentenced to death.  He was shot through with arrows, but did not die.  He is often depicted with the arrows in his body and his arms tied behind his back.  Although left for dead, a saintly woman came to bury him, but discovered he was alive and brought him back to health.  Once he was strong enough, he came before the emperor and denounced him to his face for his cruelty to Christians.  He was then beaten to death on the emperor’s orders.  St. Sebastian is the patron saint of archers, athletes (for his physical endurance), and of soldiers.  He is a model to us of courage and faithfulness and standing up for truth in the face of great opposition.  

We also live in a time of opposition to the truths of the faith: of the sanctity of life from conception to natural death; of the sacredness of marriage as God intended between a man and a woman; of the right to avoid government interference with respect to freedom of religion.  We are often shot through with the arrows of false civil rights and absolute personal autonomy.  We need to pray for the intercession of St. Sebastian for moral endurance and fortitude as we proclaim the good news of love and steadfastly denounce Satan, the father of lies.