John and Paul
On this day two Roman brothers named John and Paul were beheaded on the order of the Emperor Julian the Apostate. This would have been about the year 362, and within a century the veneration of these martyrs was so entrenched that their names were added to the Roman Canon – the First Eucharistic prayer.
Yet, somehow, their feast day was removed from the universal calendar in 1970, and today it is not even found on the particular calendar of the city of Rome.
Of course, they remain in the Roman Martyrology, so given that there are no other feasts on this day1, any priest could in theory celebrate a Mass for them today. Of course, the modern Martyrology has never been officially translated into English, so the odds of that happening in this country are pretty slim.
And that’s a shame, because there’s a reason why these martyrs were so publicly venerated for more than 1500 years.
This is from today’s third lesson for Matins:
The Roman brothers John and Paul distributed to the poor the wealth they had been left by Constantia, the daughter of Constantine, whom they had served justly and faithfully. Invited by Julian the Apostate to join the members of his household, they boldly declared that they did not wish to live in the house of a man who had abandoned Jesus Christ.
They were therefore given ten days in which to be persuaded to sacrifice to Jupiter. As they steadfastly refused to commit this sin, they were beheaded in their home, at the command of Terentian the judge, thus meriting the palm of martyrdom.
The news of their glorious death was spread abroad by unclean spirits, who began tormenting the bodies of many persons, among them the son of Terentian. He was freed of his diabolical tormentor at the tomb of the Martyrs.
This miracle led both him and his father, Terentian, to believe in Christ; and the latter is said to have written the life of the holy Martyrs.
Almighty God, fill us, we beseech thee,
with the twofold gladness
which doth flow down upon this bright day
from the glory of thy blessed servants
John and Paul,
whom one faith and one suffering
made to be brothers indeed.Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord,
Who with thee liveth and reigneth
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
God, world without end.Amen.