St. Sebastian was an early Christian saint popularized by Renaissance painters and believed to have been martyred during the persecution of Christians by the Roman emperor Diocletian. He was born in Gaul, went to Rome, and joined the army of the emperor Carinus, later becoming a captain under Diocletian. When it was discovered that he was a Christian who had converted many soldiers, Sebastian was ordered to be killed by arrows. The archers left him for dead, but a Christian widow nursed him back to health. He then presented himself before Diocletian, who condemned him to death by beating. His body, thrown into a sewer, was found by another pious woman, who dreamed that Sebastian told her to bury his remains near the catacombs.He is a patron saint of archers and athletes and of those who desire a saintly death. He was also venerated as a protector from the bubonic plague and as a patron of plague victims.
St. Sebastian – January 20
Feast Day: January 20
St. Sebastian is a Christian saint best known as a martyr and a powerful symbol in art and history.
Patron of: Athletes, Soldiers, Archers, People seeking protection from plague and illness.
Who he was
- Time period: 3rd century (died around AD 288)
- Role: A Roman soldier and officer in the Imperial Guard
- Faith: Secretly Christian during a time of persecution under Emperor Diocletian
Martyrdom
- When his Christian faith was discovered, Sebastian was sentenced to death.
- He was tied to a post and shot with arrows.
- According to tradition, he survived this and was later killed after confronting the emperor again.
- Because of this, he is honored as a martyr—someone who died for their faith.
PRAYERS
Prayer:
Lord, fill us with that spirit of courage which gave your martyr Sebastian strength to offer his life in faithful witness. Help us to learn from him to cherish your law and to obey you rather than men. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to St. Sebastian
“O St. Sebastian, guard and defend me, morning and evening, every minute of every hour, while I am still of sound mind; and, Martyr, diminish the strength of that vile illness called an epidemic which is threatening me. Protect and keep me and all my friends from this plague […] O martyr Sebastian! Be with us always, and by your merits keep us safe and sound and protect from plague. Commend us to the Trinity and to the Virgin Mary, so that when we die we may have our reward: to behold God in the company of martyrs. Amen”
Prayer to St. Sebastian
Lord, fill us with that spirit of courage
which gave your martyr Sebastian
strength to offer his life in faithful witness.
Help us to learn from him to cherish Your law
and to obey you rather than men.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to St. Sebastian
Grant us, we pray, O Lord, a spirit of fortitude, so that, taught by the glorious example of your Martyr Saint Sebastian, we may learn to obey you rather than men. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen
Prayer for Saint Sebastian
Dear Commander at the
Roman Emperor’s court,
you chose to be also a soldier
of Christ and dared to spread
faith in the King’s of King’s,
for which you were condemned to die.
Your body, however proved
athletically strong and the
executing arrows extremely
weak, so another means to
kill you was chosen and you
gave your life to the Lord.
May athletes be always as strong in
their faith as you so clearly
have been.
Amen.
Saint Sebastian Guidance Prayer
O Lord, grant us the spirit of fortitude, so that guided by the example of the martyr St. Sebastian, we may learn to bear witness to the Christian Faith and patiently support the sufferings of life. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Prayer to St. Sebastian
Glorious Sebastian, martyr and saint,
I call on your strength and courage
to help me through this difficult trial.
Your faith was so deep,
a multitude of arrows could not finish you.
I ask for your intercession
that I may also survive that which threatens
to destroy my beliefs in the mercy of Christ.
Amen.
Litany of St. Sebastian
Lord, have mercy on us!
Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord, have mercy on us!
Christ hear us!
Christ, graciously hear us!
God, the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us!
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us!
God, the holy Ghost, Have mercy on us!
Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us!
Holy Mary, Queen of Martyrs, Pray for us.
Saint Sebastian, Pray for us.
Invincible Martyr, Pray for us.
Knight, noble by birth and fame, Pray for us.
Glorious warrior and martyr of Christ, Pray for us.
Patron and mirror of Christian soldiers, Pray for us.
Despiser of the world, Pray for us.
Conqueror of Satan, Pray for us.
Comfort of the dying, Pray for us.
Consoler of the afflicted, Pray for us.
Announcer of the word of God, Pray for us.
Protector and Patron of countries and cities, Pray for us.
Saint Sebastian, perfect in virtue and wisdom, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, lover of God and men, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, might in word and work, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who didst strengthen the Christians in torments and death, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who didst fortify those wavering in their faith, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who didst encourage the doubting to persevere to the end, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who, in flamed with love of God, didst despise the pains inflicted by the tyrant, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, surrounded by celestial light, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, instructed by the holy Angels, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, giving speech to the dumb, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who for defending the truth wast wounded by arrows, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who wast put to death with clubs, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who wast crowned with eternal glory, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, great intercessor for us with God, Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, endowed with power from God to avert pestilence and all contagious diseases, Pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: Spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: Graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: Have mercy on us, O Lord!
Christ, hear us!
Christ, graciously hear us!
Let us pray. Mercifully look on our weakness, O almighty God; since the weight of our own evil deeds bears us down, may the glorious intercession of Thy blessed martyr Sebastian be our protection Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.
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