St. Justin Martyr

A pagan philosopher converted as a young man at Ephesus by an old Christian he met on a beach, Justin opened a school of Christian philosophy in Rome and wrote two great Apologies addressed to the emperor, defending the faith from charges of atheism and immorality. His first Apology contains the earliest detailed description of the Mass we possess. He was beheaded in Rome about 165.

Before his conversion Justin wandered through the schools of Stoicism, Aristotelianism, Pythagoreanism, and Platonism, seeking truth in each and finding none sufficient. The encounter on the shore at Ephesus turned him toward the Hebrew prophets and then to Christ, whom he called the fullness of all that philosophy had glimpsed in part.

His insistence that the seeds of the divine Word are scattered through all cultures became a cornerstone of Catholic intellectual life. He went to his death with six companions, refusing the prefect's command to sacrifice. Asked what he expected after execution, he answered simply: "I do not expect; I know."