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John 17: 11-19
Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying:
“Holy Father, keep them in your name
that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost
except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you.
I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely.
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the Evil One.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them,
so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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It’s amazing what people will do for something – or someone – they believe in.
For example, every year when Apple releases their new iPhone, fanatics camp outside for hours, even days, hoping to be first. The longest recorded wait is ten days!
Imagine that.
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Imagine applying that same determination to the Christian faith.
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Today we celebrate the life of a man who was at least that determined – not for an iPhone – but for Jesus.
Saint Justin Martyr converted to Christianity in the year 130 AD. He spent his adult life teaching and defending the faith, until finally he gave his life for it.
Only two of his writings remain, but they offer some beautiful insights into what some of the first Christians believed. In his Christian Apologia, Justin mentions the following:
Christians believed that baptism makes us a new creation through the remission of our sins.
They gathered every Sunday to commemorate the resurrection. These celebrations included the sharing of scripture, a sermon, prayers, and most importantly, Eucharist.
As Justin himself wrote, “the bread and wine become the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus by the power of his own words contained in the prayer of thanksgiving.”
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These early Christians were clear: the Eucharist is the promised presence of Christ.
Unlike an iPhone, that’s worth waiting ten days in line for.
And if necessary, giving our life for, because the Eucharist is our promise that we shall live again.
Saint Just Martyr, believer in the Eucharist, pray for us.
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Image credits: (1) (2) AZ Quotes (3) St. Paul’s Parish, Albion Park