In the spirit of S. Januarii Episcopi et Sociorum Martyrum
The liturgy for this day, as we commemorate St. Januarius, bishop and martyr, with his companions, unites us to the courage of those who bore witness unto blood for the Name of Christ. The Epistle and Gospel chosen for this feria in the Time after Pentecost (Heb 10:32–38; Matt 24:3–13) illuminate for us the mystery of Christian perseverance in the midst of suffering, and the sure promise of Christ to those who endure.
“Call to mind the former days” (Heb 10:32)
St. Paul exhorts the Hebrews to remember the time of their first fervor: “Call to mind the former days, wherein, being illuminated, you endured a great fight of afflictions.” He reminds them—and us—that the Christian life is inseparable from trial. The Fathers often emphasized that conversion is not the end of combat, but the beginning.
- St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, notes:
“The beginning of faith kindles fervor, but it is perseverance that proves the reality of grace. To suffer joyfully for Christ is the very seal of discipleship.”
For Chrysostom, the Apostle does not merely console but rekindles zeal by urging memory: recollect what God has already given, and let it strengthen courage for what remains. - St. Augustine reflects similarly:
“The love that suffers for the truth cannot perish, for it is rooted in the eternal Good. If you are scorned, imprisoned, or robbed, remember: the city of God advances by such witnesses.” (Enarrationes in Psalmos).
The Epistle culminates in the words: “My just man liveth by faith: but if he withdraw himself, he shall not please my soul.” This recalls Habakkuk and anticipates the very endurance the martyrs displayed. The faithful one lives not by visible consolation but by trust in the unseen promise.
“He that shall persevere unto the end” (Matt 24:13)
The Gospel presents the Lord’s discourse on the Mount of Olives, where He foretells trials: false prophets, betrayals, hatred, cold charity. Here, too, perseverance is the decisive mark: “But he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.”
- St. Jerome, commenting on this chapter, writes:
“The Lord does not say: he who begins, but he who perseveres. For many are enkindled by the word, but when the storm of tribulation arises, they are extinguished.” - St. Gregory the Great adds:
“The weight of endurance lies not only in suffering, but in constancy. The enemy is overcome when we refuse to yield, whether to seduction or to terror.” (Homiliae in Evangelia).
Thus, the Gospel is not merely a prophecy of calamities but a school of steadfastness. The endurance Christ demands is not a grim clinging to survival but a fidelity grounded in charity, which does not grow cold even when iniquity abounds.
Witness of the Martyrs
The feast of St. Januarius and his companions shines as a living commentary on these readings. They faced imprisonment, torture, and death, yet they bore witness with serene constancy. Their blood confirms the Apostle’s exhortation: faith does not shrink back, for it sees beyond the prison and the sword to the eternal inheritance.
The Acts of the Martyrs repeatedly emphasize that what sustained them was precisely the memory of Christ’s promise: “Fear not them who kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul” (Matt 10:28). They believed that “he that shall persevere unto the end” is indeed crowned.
For Our Times
Though few today are called to literal martyrdom, the Church Fathers remind us that there is also the martyrdom of patience, endured in daily fidelity: resisting the spirit of the world, remaining steadfast in prayer, bearing misunderstanding for the sake of truth. St. Cyprian of Carthage wrote:
“To suffer long is itself a form of martyrdom; to stand firm in faith while the world collapses is to confess Christ openly.”
Conclusion
As we meditate on these readings in the company of St. Januarius and his companions, we hear the double exhortation: Remember the days of your first fervor (Heb 10:32) and Persevere to the end (Matt 24:13).
The Epistle looks backward: recall God’s grace and past endurance. The Gospel looks forward: endure to the crown. Between memory and hope lies the present battle, where faith lives.
Let us pray, then, with the martyrs:
O Lord, grant us to remain steadfast in faith, joyful in trial, and persevering unto the end, that we may live by faith and be found pleasing in Thy sight.