Holy Martyr Julian of Tarsus

Life

Of noble, senatorial origin; he lived in Tarsus of Cilicia and suffered in the time of Diocletian. Although he was only eighteen years old when he was subjected to torture for the faith, Saint Julian was already sufficiently educated and established in Christian piety. For a whole year the imperial governor led him from city to city, constantly torturing him and urging him to deny Christ. Julian's mother followed her son from afar. When the governor seized her and sent her to persuade her son to deny Christ, she for three days spoke contrary counsel to her son in prison, teaching him and encouraging him not to falter in spirit but to go to death with gratitude to God and with boldness. The torturers then sewed Julian into a sack with sand, scorpions, and serpents and cast him into the sea, and Julian's mother also died under torture. The waves cast his relics upon the shore, and the faithful transferred them to Alexandria and honorably buried them in the year 290. Later those relics were transferred to Antioch. Saint John Chrysostom himself later delivered a panegyric to the holy martyr Julian. "From the mouth of the martyr," said Chrysostom, "there issued a holy voice, and together with the voice there poured forth a light clearer than the rays of the sun." And also: "Take anyone you wish, demented and raging, and bring him to this holy tomb where the relics of the martyr lie, and thou shalt see how he [the demon] will without fail leap out and flee as from a burning fire." From these words it is clear how numerous miracles must have occurred at the tomb of Saint Julian.

From the Hymn of Praise

When Julius and his brother JulianHad built for God the Most HighTheir ninety-ninth church,Then Julian built a tomb