Rejoice With Me!

Today is June 1st, which means that it is a special day for me.

Not because it’s the day that the first Superman comic was published back in 1938. (Well, okay, it is.)

But because it’s the feast day of St. Justin Martyr!

YEE-HAW!!!

Justin Martyr is patron saint of apologists, so you can imagine why it’s special to me.

Also, by a strange coincidence that I was unaware of at the time, it is also my report-to-work date from when I started work at Catholic Answers, lo those many years ago.

I’ve always regarded that as providential and consider St. Justin Martyr a special patron of mine as a result. I hope he’s looking out for my apologetic efforts (as well as the personal challenges apologists can face).

So I try to commemorate the day in a special way each year.

LEARN MORE ABOUT JUSTIN MARTYR

AND MORE.

AND READ HIS WRITINGS.

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

23 thoughts on “Rejoice With Me!”

  1. Justin Martyr is one of those old dead guys who lead me back to the Catholic Church after being away from Home for 30 years. If anyone reads the writtings of the Church Fathers,like Justin Martyr, and has an open heart and open mind, it is obvious that they are Catholic Christians.

  2. As a cradle Catholic, I have always believed that the Catholic Church is the Church founded by Christ Himself on the Rock, Peter.
    Yet it has taken Protestant converts to Catholicism, from Newman onwards, who were not gifted with the fullness of the Truth from infancy and who have had to work at it, to help me appreciate, through recourse to the early Church Fathers, just how valid the Catholic Church’s claim to being the one True Church really is and what a tremendous gift God has given me.
    Thanks Jimmy, happy feast day.

  3. Yay, Justin Martyr! Yay, Jimmy!
    June 1 is also a Great Day in my life because 27 years ago today I wed my beloved husband.
    God is good!
    ‘thann

  4. Jimmy,
    Speaking of apologetics when will you get your awards from the Catholic Blog contest?
    St. Justin Martyr pray for us!
    Take care and God bless,
    Inocencio
    J+M+J

  5. I certainly appreciate your hard work , Jimmy. Keep it up!
    Also, congrats to Ruthann. Today is my 10 year anniversary.

  8. Speaking of which, we just had our first of two wedding anniversaries yesterday, May 31, Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth. That’s the date of our wedding in front of a Protestant minister.
    A year later, we get re-married in the church. We didn’t plan it, but it just so happened to fall on June 24, the nativity of John the Baptist (it wasn’t til a year later that we figured this all out.)
    I’m a little concerned about August 29th…

  11. Two years ago, I led a 12 week Beginning Apologetics group that, I think, was highly successful. It happened to start on June 1st, so we put it under the patronage of St. Justin.
    This year’s class starts June 7, but I think I’ll bring in old St. Justin since he was such a big help last time. St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

  12. My husband and I are also celebrating our 10th anniversary while some friends of ours are celebrating their 32nd! June 1 is a great day!

  13. It’s our fourth anniversary today – congrats to all of our, um, concelebrants :). I’ve never read any Justin Martyr, but this looks like a cosmic nudge to give him a try.

  14. DJ – why are you worried about August 29?
    isn’t it St. Augustine’s feast day?
    I am curious because besides Michael Jackson’s birthday… it is also MY bd.
    now I have a bit of angst. Please clarify.

  15. I thought Augustine was August 28th (he’s my patron).
    Congrats, Jimmy! Thanks for all your guidance.
    Justin Martyr, pray for us!

  21. The relics of St Justin are buried in the churchyard of the Redemptorist St Mary’s Church in Annapolis, MD, where I was married and my first daughter was baptised. I don’t know why they’re there. They’re not advertised in any way–I just happened to be in the churchyard one day looking at the gravestones of the deceased Redemptorist Fathers, and among them, there was this monument, proclaiming the presence of the relics. That was a great day for me.

  22. Belated Greetings on your special day. Yesterday was my birthday, today (June 2nd) is my Father’s birthday. I’m delighted to share a birthday with so many of your readers and those who celebrated special anniversaries yesterday.

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