Justin Time

St. Justin Martyr was a Pagan philosopher who converted at age 30 by reading the Scriptures and witnessing the heroism and faith of martyrs. Justin used his philosophical skills to dispute with pagans and explain the faith, becoming one of the first great Christian apologists. He opened a school of public debate in Rome and was beheaded at Rome in 165 A.D. Today is his feast day.

Here is an excerpt from his First Apology in Defense of the Christians, written around 155 A.D. Note the clarity of his description of the basics: Christology, repentance, forgiveness, baptism.

"Through Christ we received new life and we consecrated ourselves to God. I will explain the way in which we did this. Those who believe what we teach is true and who give assurance of their ability to live according to that teaching are taught to ask God's forgiveness for their sins by prayer and fasting and we pray and fast with them.

We then lead them to a place where there is water and they are reborn in the same way as we were reborn; that is to say, they are washed in the water in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the whole universe, of our Savior Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit.

This is done because Christ said: Unless you are born again you will not enter the kingdom of heaven, and it is impossible for anyone, having once been born, to reenter his mother's womb.

An explanation of how repentant sinners are to be freed from their sins is given through the prophet Isaiah in the words: Wash yourselves and be clean. Remove the evil from your souls; learn to do what is right. Be just to the orphan, vindicate the widow. Come, let us reason together, says the Lord. If your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as wool; if they are like crimson, I will make them white as snow. But if you do not heed me, you shall be devoured by the sword. The mouth of the Lord has spoken."

The apostles taught us the reason for this ceremony of ours. Our first birth took place without our knowledge or consent because our parents came together, and we grew up in the midst of wickedness. So if we were not to remain children of necessity and ignorance, we needed a new birth of which we ourselves would be conscious, and which would be the result of our own free choice. We needed, too, to have our sins forgiven.

This is why the name of God, the Father and Lord of the whole universe, is pronounced in the water over anyone who chooses to be born again and who has repented of his sins. The person who leads the candidate for baptism to the font calls upon God by this name alone, for God so far surpasses our powers of description that no one can really give a name to him. Anyone who dares to say that he can must be hopelessly insane.

This baptism is called "illumination" because of the mental enlightenment that is experienced by those who learn these things. The person receiving this enlightenment is also baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and in the name of the Holy Spirit, who through the prophets foretold everything concerning Jesus."

Giving the Blessed Virgin Mary Her Due

As a Protestant I was taught growing up that all of this Mary "stuff" was a late addition to, or more precisely a degeneration from, a true "Biblical" Faith.

According to this reading of history Constantine converted, and the downward slide began from there. The Church became a big evil organization, and the Dark Ages descended. In those Dark Ages Mary began to be worshipped and adored with the reverence which belongs only to the Triune God.

Wrong.

Here is a wonderful excerpt from Justin Martyr, who died in 165 A.D., written less than sixty years after the death of the last Apostle. Note the exalted position already given to the Mother of God even at this early date.

True, there has been development and change in the veneration of Mary over the many centuries of the Church's existence. But, like every great teaching of the Church, the seed was there from the very beginning.

Behind Justin Martyr stand the Scriptures themselves,

Mary....
beside Christ at Cana encouraging His vocation,
mourning at the foot of the Cross with young John as Mother of All Disciples,
crowned finally in the book of Revelation with a place of pre-eminent honor,
yet submitted fully to Her Son who is to rule the world.

She is the new Eve.
She is the God-Bearer.
She is the Spoiler of Satan' power.

"We realize that Jesus became man through the Blessed Virgin, and the disobedience caused by the snake ended in the same way in which it had begun.

Indeed, Eve, virgin and intact, conceived of the snake’s words and gave birth to disobedience and death; the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived of faith and joy when the Angel Gabriel announced to her that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon her and that the virtue of the Almighty would cover her with His shadow, so that the Holy One conceived in her womb would be the Son of God.

And Mary answered: “Let it happen to me as you have said.” Therefore Mary gave birth to the Child foretold in the Holy Scriptures… By Him, God ruins the snake’s empire as well as that of angels or any people who choose to resemble the snake. God frees from death all those who repent from their sins and believe in Him."

P. S. Tomorrow is St. Justin Martyr's Feast Day. So you'll be reading more from him tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'll close this special Feast Day with a prayer in the Spirit of the Day for Our Lady.... it expresses a true faith in God and our Mother Mary: