Calendar

ATTALUS OF LYON
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19
1 Corinthians 4:1-13

Matthew 27:26-31

 

“…when he had scourged Jesus,

he delivered him to be crucified.”

 

ATTALUS OF LYON
 
The persecution in Lyon in AD 177 was one of the fiercest outbreaks of hostility against Christians in Roman Gaul (modern-day Lyon, France) during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Many believers in Vienne and Lyon were Greeks from Asia, and even before the violence erupted, Christians were forbidden from public places such as the marketplace, forum, and baths. If they appeared in public, they were mocked, beaten and robbed. Their homes were vandalised, and they were slandered with accusations of cannibalism and incest.
 
Amid this storm of persecution, one man stood out: Attalus, a deacon described as a pillar and support of the church. Arrested for his faith in Jesus Christ, he endured cruel torture for two days in the Roman amphitheatre. He was roasted alive in an iron chair, yet when asked about the God of the Christians, he boldly declared:
 
“Where there are many gods, they are distinguished by names; but where there is but one God, no name is necessary.”
 
Attalus was then exposed to wild beasts, but they did not touch him. Finally, he was executed, stabbed through the throat, and according to some accounts, beheaded. His stedfastness became a testimony of unshakeable faith in the face of unimaginable suffering.
 
Attalus reminds us that the strength of the martyrs was not their own, but the gift of an immutable God who never changes. Their faith was anchored in eternity, while the world around them was consumed with temporal things. His life challenges us to lift our eyes beyond the fleeting pleasures of this world and to live as living sacrifices, wholly devoted to God.
 
THOUGHT: Do I look forward to the Kingdom of God? Or am I consumed by the temporary things of this world?
PRAYER: Father, grant me the grace to live as a living sacrifice, willing to serve and suffer for Thee. May my heart be fixed on the eternal Kingdom, and may I follow the example of Christ, who gave the greatest sacrifice for me.

Search