Denver, Colo., May 29, 2011 / 03:47 am
On June 1, one day before 2011's celebration of the Ascension of Christ, the Catholic Church will honor the memory of the early Christian philosopher St. Justin Martyr.
Justin was born around the year 100 in the Palestinian province of Samaria, the son of Greek-speaking parents whose ancestors were sent as colonists to that area of the Roman Empire. Justin's father followed the Greek pagan religion and raised his son to do the same, but he also provided Justin with an excellent education in literature and history.
As a young man, Justin became interested in philosophy and looked for truth in the various schools of thought that had spread throughout the empire. But he became frustrated with the professional philosophers' intellectual conceits and limitations, as well as their apparent indifference to God.
After several years of study, Justin had a life-changing encounter with an old man who urged him to study the Jewish prophets. He told Justin that these authors had not only spoken by God's inspiration, but also predicted the coming of Christ and the foundation of his Church.