While serving as a Praetorian Guard, deacons Marcus and Marcellian, twin brothers, were imprisoned for refusing to make public sacrifices to the Roman gods. During their imprisonment, their parents visited them to implore them to renounce Christianity. However, St. Sebastian convinced both parents to convert to Christianity. St. Sebastian also converted several other prominent individuals, including the local prefect. This led to his discovery and he was reported as a Christian to Emperor Diocletian in 286. The Emperor, who was already infamous for ordering the deaths of hundreds of Christians, scolded Sebastian and ordered him to be killed by having him tied to a stake on a training field and used as target practice.
Archers riddled his body with arrows, his body was described as, "full of arrows as an urchin." Believed to be dead, the archers left his body for retrieval and burial. He was recovered by Irene of Rome, whose Christian husband was a servant to Diocletian and also martyred. Irene discovered that Sebastian was still living and she hid him and nursed him back to health. Once well, Sebastian went in search of Diocletian to surprise him. He managed to catch Diocletian by a stairwell and proceeded to criticize him loudly and publicly for his persecution of the Christians. Diocletian, surprised that Sebastian was still alive, was immediately taken aback, but recovered his composure. This time, he would not permit Sebastian to escape with his life. He ordered his former guard to be beaten to death with clubs, then thrown into the sewers. His body was recovered by a Christian woman, named Lucina, and she secretly buried him in the catacombs beneath Rome.
"Martyrdom of St Sebastian" by Girolamo Genga |
St. Sebastian was commonly invoked as a protector against the plague. According to historical records, he defended the city of Rome against the plague in 680. In artwork, St. Sebastian is depicted with arrows shot into his body, often tied to a post or a tree. His second execution is virtually never depicted. St. Sebastian is the patron saint of soldiers, athletes, and those who desire a saintly death.
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-jedaah-elhamdniah
ReplyDeletehttps://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-yanbu
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-najran
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-Jizan
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/jazan