Saint Sebastian:

Feast day : 20 January

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Sebastian who is one of the most celebrated martyrs of the Church. He lived during the period 256-288 and was martyred under the rule of Emperor Dioclesian. During the time he served in the army, he helped many of the early martyrs to stand firm in their faith. When the Emperor discovered his faith, he too was sentenced to death. Though he was tied to a pole and shot at with arrows all over his body, he did not die. After he regained his health, he again approached the Emperor and publicly reprimanded him for persecuting Christians. The Emperor astonished that he was still alive ordered him to be beaten to death and his body to be thrown into the sewer. His body was later recovered by a pious woman who saw the Saint in a vision and buried the body in the catacombs where a Church was later built by Pope Damasus. His intercession is invoked against plagues and illness.

Life in the Early Church:

Saint Sebastian was born at Narbonne, in Gaul in the year 256. He was a devoted Christian and was brought up in his native Milan, Italy. In the year 283 he joined the army under Emperor Carinus. It was a period when Christians were being persecuted for their faith and Saint Sebastian being a devout Christian assisted the confessors and martyrs in their sufferings.

It is believed that when Marcus and Marcellianus were being influenced by their family and close friends to give up their faith to avoid the death penalty, Saint Sebastian, inspired by the Holy Spirit, made a long exhortation to them. On hearing him speak, Zoe, the wife of Nicostratus who was the Master of rolls, fell at his feet. She was suffering from a palsy in her tongue and had lost her speech for six years. As soon as St. Sebastian made a sign of the cross on her mouth, she was healed instantly and began speaking. On that day, Zoe, her husband Nicostratus, the parents of Marcus and Marcellianus, the jailor Claudius and sixteen other prisoners were converted to Christianity. Nicostratus himself took them all to his house where Polycarp, a holy priest, baptised them. On being baptised, Tranquillinus, the father of Marcus and Marcellinus was healed of a gout he had been suffering for long. On hearing about his healing, the then Governor of Rome, Chromatius too came alongwith his son, Tiburtius to Saint Sebastian and were baptised. Chromatius who was suffering from gout was healed on being baptised. He later resigned from his official duties and retired into the countryside alongwith some converts.

In the year 285, Emperor Carinus was defeated and killed by Dioclesian. However, the persecutions against Christians continued. Dioclesian being unaware of his faith, admired Saint Sebastian for his courage and virtue and honoured him with the captaincy of his praetorian guards. In the following year, the persecutions against Christians became even more severe. The Pope and many others hid themselves in the imperial palace, in the apartment of Castulus, a Christian officer of the court. Zoe was arrested whilst praying at St. Peter’s tomb on the feast of the Apostles. She was choked to death by being hung by her heels over a fire. Tranquillinus was arrested when he was found praying at St. Paul’s tomb and was later stoned to death. Nicostratus, Claudius and two others were tortured and thrown into the sea. Tiburtius, the son of the converted Roman Governor, was beheaded. Marcus and Marcelllinus were nailed to a post and shot with arrows and Castulus was buried alive.

Martyrdom:

Saint Sebastian helped all these martyrs to remain firm in their faith till their death. He too was soon called to martyrdom. He was impeached by Emperor Dioclesian and sentenced to death. The soldiers tied him to a post and he was shot at by archers from Mauritania with several arrows that covered his whole body. He was left to die but Irene, the widow of Castulus found him still alive and nursed him back to health. When he regained his health, Saint Sebastian met Emperor Dioclesian on the stairway and reproached him for his unjust cruelties against Christians. The Emperor was astonished to find him still alive and ordered for his execution. He ordered his soldiers to beat him to death and throw his body into the sewer. It is believed that a pious lady named Lucina, removed the body and buried it in the catacombs. A Church was later built over his relics by Pope Damasus.

Saint Sebastian is one of the most celebrated martyrs of the Church. His intercession is invoked against plagues and illnesses. In the year 680 in Rome, Milan in 1575 and Lisbon in 1599, plagues and similar calamities were miraculously conquered through his intercession. His feast day is celebrated on January 20.