Holy Martyr Julian

Life

In the time of Emperor Antoninus, St. Julian came from Dalmatia to Campania in Italy. He was a young and handsome youth, with his soul wholly devoted to the Lord. On the way he met imperial soldiers who were going to seize Christians. "Peace to you, brethren!" Julian greeted them. By such a greeting and by the meekness of the young man's countenance, the soldiers concluded that he was a Christian. To their questioning Julian replied: "I am a Christian, by origin from Dalmatia." Julian further openly confessed to them that he was traveling with the purpose of converting idolaters to the one living God. The soldiers mercilessly beat him and finally cast him into a ditch, where he spent seven days without any human food. But an angel of God appeared to him and gave him heavenly sustenance. Brought before the court, Julian remained firm in the faith as a diamond. Seeing his manliness and steadfastness in the faith, thirty men converted to Christ the Lord. Condemned to death, St. Julian knelt and raised a prayer to God, thanking God for his martyric feat and beseeching Him to have mercy upon all those who would honor his memory. He was beheaded with an axe and surrendered his spirit to God.