St. Sebastian and the Virtue of Perseverance
On January 20th, we celebrate the feast day of St. Sebastian, an early Christian martyr and most recognized today as the patron saint of athletes. Sebastian was a devout Christian living in Italy during the era of persecutions. He joined the Roman army in order to protect those being persecuted and served under one of the most severe emperors, Diocletian. His Christian faith was discovered when he openly urged two prisoners, twin brothers Marcus and Marcellianus, to stand firm in their own faith. His conviction not only buoyed the two prisoners but also converted multiple other prisoners, as well as family members of Marcus and Marcellianus. The brothers were eventually martyred.
Emperor Diocletian took a special liking to Sebastian and therefore felt especially betrayed when he found out he was a Christian. In order to make an example of him, Diocletian condemned Sebastian to a particularly brutal public execution. He was blindfolded and bound to a tree, and Roman soldiers were instructed to shower his body with arrows. After being struck multiple times, he was untied and left to die. Fortunately, a woman named Irene (who would later be martyred herself) stumbled upon him and nursed him back to health. Though his friends and family urged him to flee, Sebastian boldly returned to the emperor and admonished him for his persecution of Christians. Once again, Sebastian was sentenced to death; he was successfully beaten to death with clubs.
Sebastian has long been honored in Christian tradition for his perseverance and fervor in faith during an especially trying time to be a Christian. In the modern era, he has been adopted as the patron saint of athletes; as a Roman soldier, he exemplified the physical fitness most athletes try to attain, but more importantly, he persevered in the face of many trials, and willingly met them head on, a virtue most necessary for athletes who wish to excel at their sport. He is also the patron saint against epidemics and for a holy death.
In times where we feel persecuted for our faith, let us pray to St. Sebastian for perseverance!