This week’s Saint of the Week is Saint Sebastian who lived in the 3rd century. He was a Roman soldier, whose accomplishments as a soldier earned him a position with the Praetorian Guard, responsible for protecting Emperor Diocletian. The Emperor was openly hostile to Christians and when he discovered one of his own guard was converting people to Christianity, he had Sebastian tied to a tree and used for target practice by his archers. Witness accounts described Sebastian as "full of arrows as an urchin." 

Left for dead, Sebastian was taken down and nursed back to health by fellow Christians. After recovering from his wounds, Sebastian literally cornered the Emperor in a stairwell and berated him for his persecution of Christians. Think about that the next time you’re embarrassed about praying before a meal in public! After recovering from his initial shock the Emperor ordered Sebastian beaten to death with clubs. This Sebastian did not survive.

St. Sebastian is also the Patron Saint of my son, Jason!

Feast day: Monday January 20

Patron Saint of: Soldiers, athletes, archers and those desiring a saintly death.

Prayer to St. Sebastian:

Glorious Sebastian, martyr and saint, I call on your strength and courage to help me through this difficult trial. Your faith was so deep, a multitude of arrows could not finish you. I ask for your intercession that I may also survive that which threatens to destroy my beliefs in the mercy of Christ. Amen.

Saint Sebastian, pray for us!