February 23 – St. Polycarp
Born: 69
Died: 155
Nationality: Roman Empire (Turkey)
Vocation: bishop
Attributes: wearing a pallium, holding his Epistle to the Philippians
Patronage: earaches
Canonization: pre-congregation
Often identified as a disciple of the apostle John, Polycarp stated in his testimony to his persecutors that he has served Christ for 86 years. He was raised in the true faith and learned from those who personally knew Jesus during a time of heresies spreading about the two natures of Christ.
According to testimonies compiled by the Church of Smyrna, government authorities began to search for Polycarp because he was a renowned Christian teacher in 155. He retreated to a house in the country to pray and received a vision of how he was to die. His location was given to the authorities by a young man who betrayed the secret under torture.
Upon Polycarp’s capture, he was ordered by the government officials to make sacrifices to Caesar and he refused. The officials had him brought to an arena for execution. When he entered the arena, he heard a heavenly voice saying, “Be strong, and show yourself a man, O Polycarp!”
He refused again to worship the emperor saying, “Hear me declare with boldness, I am a Christian. And if you wish to learn what the doctrines of Christianity are, appoint me a day, and you shall hear them. You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour, and after a little is extinguished. But you are ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But what are you waiting for? Bring forth what you will.”
As he was being burned alive, he prayed, “May I be accepted this day before you as an acceptable sacrifice, just as you, the ever-truthful God, have foreordained, revealed beforehand to me, and now have fulfilled.”
The flames miraculously encircled his body and witnesses testified to a sweet odor like frankincense.
His executioners were enraged and began stabbing him to death. From his wound, there came forth a dove and so great a quantity of blood that the fire was extinguished. He is venerated as a Father of the Church.
St. Polycarp, pray for us.