January 8 | Saint Apollinaris

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine that you are thrown out of a city. You are told never to return. You are beaten up. You are literally exiled. Most people would say, okay, I get the hint. I'm not welcome here. But not this guy. He turns right back around and walks straight into the danger zone, again and again and again.

Today, we are talking about Saint Apollinaris. Now, to understand why Apollinaris was so tough, we have to look at where he came from. According to the legends, Apollinaris was born in a place called Antioch, which is in modern-day Turkey. Antioch was a big deal. The heavy hitters of early history, St. Paul, St. Barnabas, and St. Peter, all preached in Antioch. Imagine seeing those guys walking down your street. It's possible that one of them personally converted Apollinaris to the faith. Tradition tells us that St.

Peter himself, the first pope, the Rock, was the one who ordained Apollinaris as a bishop. Peter saw something in this guy. He saw a fighter, and so Peter gave him a mission. He sent Apollinaris to a city called Ravenna.

Ravenna was an incredibly important town in the Roman Empire. It was rich, it was powerful, and for a new bishop preaching a new religion, it was dangerous. When Apollinaris arrived, he didn't just sit quietly in a corner. He got to work, converting many people through his preaching and by performing miracles. He was changing lives. But when you shake things up in an important Roman city, powerful people get angry. Apollinaris had made many enemies in this town, and they didn't just want him to be quiet.

They wanted him gone. This brings us to the most fascinating part of Apollinaris' life. His resilience. He was beaten cruelly, but did he quit? No. He was exiled, kicked out of the region, on several different occasions. Apollinaris kept returning to his city and his people. He knew they needed him. The torture he endured is like something out of an action movie, but terrifyingly real. The legends say he was forced to walk on burning coals. He was cut with knives. He even had boiling water poured over him.

It sounds unbearable, but... He was absolutely fearless. Eventually, however, his physical body couldn't take anymore, and he died from his wounds. He gave everything he had, quite literally, for the people he was sent to serve. Because he was one of the first bishops of the church, his legacy was massive. In the 6th century, a beautiful church was built in his honor in Ravenna.

If you look up pictures of the Basilica of Santa Polinera today, it is absolutely stunning, filled with gold mosaics that have lasted for centuries. Apollinaris is the patron saint of several places, including Ravenna, obviously, the region of Emilia-Romagna, and Dusseldorf.

But he is also the patron saint for people suffering from specific physical struggles, like epilepsy, gout, and venereal disease. He is a powerful friend to have in your corner if you are dealing with chronic pain or illness, perhaps because he endured so much physical pain himself without losing his spirit. It's easy to be good when things are easy. It's easy to be a friend when everyone is being nice to you. But Apollinaris teaches us about persistence. Think about a commitment you've made or a good habit you're trying to start.

And when it gets hard, dust yourself off and go back to doing the right thing. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.