Day 3 –Saint Justin Martyr (c. 100–165, martyred)

Justin was born in Samaria at the beginning of the second century, raised in a pagan household, and trained in philosophy. He searched among the schools of thought for truth — first in Stoicism, then in Platonism — yet none of them fully satisfied his longing for ultimate meaning. It was through encountering Christians, and seeing their courage in the face of persecution, that Justin began to sense that the truth he sought was found in Christ. He was baptized and gave his life to explaining and defending the faith he had discovered.

Known as one of the first Christian apologists, Justin wrote to both Jews and pagans, showing that Christianity was not an irrational superstition but the true fulfillment of Israel’s Scriptures and the deepest longings of human philosophy. In his Apologies and Dialogue with Trypho, he argued that Christ is the Logos — the eternal Word through whom all truth and reason find their source. He also gave us some of the earliest descriptions of Christian worship, including the celebration of the Eucharist.

Justin’s life ended under the same imperial hostility that had drawn him to the faith. Refusing to sacrifice to the Roman gods, he was arrested and executed in Rome, sealing his testimony with his blood. From that day he has been remembered as “Justin Martyr,” his very name joined to his witness.

For us today, Justin reminds us that faith is not opposed to reason but fulfills it. In a world that often pits belief against intellect, his life shows us that the search for truth ultimately leads us to Christ, the true Word. Justin challenges us to engage the questions of our culture not with fear but with confidence that all truth finds its home in Him.