Holy Martyr Longinus the Centurion.
Colossians 3:17-4:1. Luke 9:44-50.
Read Colossians 3:17-4:1
Today we commemorate a very interesting saint: The Holy Martyr Longinus the Centurion. He was a Roman soldier who served under Pontius Pilate in Judea. He and his soldiers were present at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, witnessing the miraculous events at His death, which led Longinus to declare, “Truly this was the Son of God.” Tradition holds that Longinus was the soldier who pierced Christ’s side with a spear, receiving healing from an eye affliction when blood and water flowed from the wound.
After Christ’s resurrection, Longinus and his fellow soldiers refused to accept bribes to deny the miracle. Instead, they were baptized by the apostles and left military service to preach the Gospel in Cappadocia. Their powerful testimonies, having been witnesses to Christ’s death and resurrection, spread Christianity rapidly in the region. The Jewish elders, disturbed by this, convinced Pilate to send soldiers to execute Longinus and his comrades. When they arrived, Longinus and his friends willingly surrendered, embracing martyrdom.
Later, a blind widow from Cappadocia, grieving the loss of her son, traveled to Jerusalem to pray for healing. Saint Longinus appeared to her in a dream, instructing her to find his head on a refuse pile outside the city. When she touched the martyr’s head, her sight was restored. Longinus appeared to her again, showing the woman her son in heavenly glory and instructing her to bury his head with her son’s body. Comforted, the widow returned home and carried out the saint’s instructions, receiving not only physical healing but also spiritual consolation.
You might say that if I had been there at the foot of the cross, I too would have converted. But remember, many witnessed the Crucifixion at Golgotha, yet not everyone accepted Christ—only those who were willing to seek the truth in a genuine way, at all costs. We, too, in our hearts and minds can stand at the foot of the cross—for the sacrifice of the Cross is a once and for all eternal event in history. To stand at the food the cross is our natural place as Christians. We stand at the foot of the cross by placing our thoughts, deeds, and even temptations before the Crucified Christ. The Cross then becomes our aid in life’s troubles and keeps us on the straight and narrow. May we, like St. Longinus, stand before the Crucified Christ with a genuine seeking for the Truth.