JANUARY 8, 2025 – ST. APOLLINARIS, THE APOLOGIST, BISHOP

• St. Apollinaris the Apologist (175). Bishop. (Historical)
• St. Severin of Noricum (480). Bishop. (Historical) Hermit

CLAUDIUS APOLLINARIS, Bishop of Hierapolis, in Phrygia, was one of the most illustrious prelates of the second age. Notwithstanding the great encomiums bestowed on him by Eusebius, St. Jerome, Theodoret, and others, but little is known of his actions; and his writings, which then were held in great esteem, seem now to be all lost. He wrote many able treatises against the heretics, and pointed out, as St. Jerome testifies, from what philosophical sect each heresy derived its errors. Nothing rendered his name so illustrious, however, as his noble apology for the Christian religion which he addressed to the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, about the year 175, soon after the miraculous victory that prince had obtained over the Quad by the prayers of the Christians. St. Apollinaris reminded the emperor of the benefit he had received from God through the prayers of his Christian subjects, and implored protection for them against the persecution of the pagans.

Marcus Aurelius published an edict in which he forbade any one, under pain of death, to accuse a Christian on account of his religion; but, by a strange inconsistency, he had not the courage to abolish the laws then in force against the Christians, and, as a consequence, many of them suffered martyrdom, though their accusers were also put to death. The date of St. Apollinaris’ death is not known; the Roman Martyrology mentions him on the 8th of January.

REFLECTION: “Therefore I say unto you, all things whatsoever you ask when ye pray, believe that you shall receive: and they shall come unto you.”

WORD OF THE DAY

SABELLIANISM. A third-century heresy called after Sabellius, a theologian of the Monarchian school. His followers advocated belief in one Divine God, the Father who became Man in Jesus Christ and died to redeem the world. Later they modified this single belief to profess that, though only one Person, God had three modes or aspects of manifesting himself as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. This heresy, known in the East as Sabellianism, in the West was called Patripassianism. It was condemned by Pope St. Callistus I but remained in Christian history under a variety of other forms.

Modern Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John Hardon SJ (Get the real one at Eternal Life — don’t accept an abridged or edited version of this masterpiece!)

Christmastide Meditations

Daily devotional meditations on the Birth of Our Savior and Christmastide: Their Journey – Christmas Meditation Day 15 (Jan 8)

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