Jun 1 – Memorial for St. Justin, martyr
He was born at the beginning of the second century in Nablus, in Samaria, of a pagan Greek family. He was an earnest seeker after truth, and studied many systems of philosophy before being led, through Platonism, to Christianity. While remaining a layman, he accepted the duty of making the truth known, and travelled from place to place proclaiming the gospel. In 151 he travelled from Ephesus to Rome, where he opened a school of philosophy and wrote defences and expositions of Christianity, which have survived to this day and are the earliest known writings of their kind. In the persecution of 165, in the reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, he was denounced as a Christian, arrested and beheaded. The transcript of his trial by the prefect of Rome, Rusticus, has also survived: it can be found in today’s Office of Readings.
Justin treats the Greek philosophy that he studied as mostly true, but incomplete. In contrast to the Hebrew tendency to view God as making revelations to them and to no-one else, he follows the parable of the Sower, and sees God as sowing the seed of wisdom throughout the world, to grow wherever the soil would receive it. When we dispute with people who disagree with us, we would do well to assume that they too are seeking wisdom and have found truth of a kind. Since there is only one God and one Truth, it is our task not to contradict or belittle their achievement, but to show them how their strivings and searches are ultimately fulfilled in Christ. This is harder to do – not least, because we have to take the trouble to understand our own faith thoroughly – but it is ultimately more worthwhile.
– Universalis
1 Cor 1:18-25
Mt 5:13-19
For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
Today’s readings speak to me in a very deep way because I find them to be the heart of what it means to be a Christian. Both the readings encapsulate what is expected of us as Christians, and also the outcome we may have to accept if we see through their real meaning. Our faith is grounded in the crucified Christ. All our actions and behaviours stem from this belief.
St Paul shares with us that this message of the crucified Christ is illogical to the people of his time and yet, the foolishness of God is stronger than the weaknesses of man. Indeed, there are times where I wonder what is the plan which God has for me. There are daily struggles which I face and which I see others face. In the midst of all these issues, there seems to be the feeling that God is absent. Yet, indeed I know that Jesus is with me even in the darkest of times. Sometimes, I am seeking at the wrong places and must continue to search until the Truth is found.
The story of Justin Martyr today is instructive for all of us. St Justin continued to search for the truth, regardless of the different schools of thoughts that were offered. His search came to an end when he finally encountered Christianity. He then dedicated his entire life towards the advocacy and evangelising of this faith, to the point of giving up his life for his belief in Jesus. In our daily lives, we encounter such persecutions on a daily basis. Sometimes, it takes place in the office through nuances and sarcastic remarks; but in all that we do, we must always remember that we suffer this for the sake of Jesus.
The role of the Christian is to evangelise the faith and accept that the message may not be received with gratitude all the time. It is in times like this that we draw strength from our belief in the crucified Jesus, who showed us how love drove Him to die for us. Let our love of Jesus allow us to die to our sinful ways so that others may see in us the example which Jesus showed on Mt Calvary.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
Prayer: St Justin, pray for us.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who preach the faith, regardless of the struggles they encounter.
OXYGEN 
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