In Syria in the middle of the 3rd Century, Lucian of Antioch was born to wealthy Christian parents. He was well-educated and showed his aptitude as a scriptural scholar. In Antioch, he was ordained as a priest, and he wrote many works. He was also a proofreader of copies of scripture, comparing the copy to older texts written in the original languages, and his recension of the Old Testament and Greek New Testament was used by St. John Chrysostom and the areas of Syria and Constantinople. During the persecution by Diocletian, he was imprisoned, starved, tortured over nine years, and martyred.
CHALLENGE
When St. Lucian was brought to trial for being a Christian, he knew that since he could not deny his faith his fate was sealed. So he answered all questions with the simple statement: “I am a Christian”. Let his words “I am a Christian” echo in your thoughts as you meditate on what that means in your life today, and think about how “I am a Christian” will be on your lips tomorrow.
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