St. Polycarp - January 26th
St. Polycarp was a beloved disciple of St. John the Evangelist. Like St. John he was good and kind to everyone, but he avoided the company of bad men. Once when someone was preaching something different from what Our Lord said, Polycarp plugged his ears! All that he learned from St. John, he taught to others. When Christians were being put to death, St. Polycarp, too, was captured. He gave a meal to the men who came to capture him and then asked them to let him pray awhile. The judge tired to make him save himself from death by cursing Jesus. “I have served Jesus eighty-six years,” answered the Saint, “and He has never done me any wrong. How can I curse my King who died for me?”
The soldiers tied St. Polycarp’s hands behind his back and placed him on a burning pile. But the fire did not harm him! One of the soldiers then stabbed a lance into his heart. And so the holy martyr went to be forever with the Divine Master he had served so well.
Let us at once break off a friendship with anyone who gives bad example, and let us keep only good friends. Their example will help us to be the kind of boys and girls Jesus wants.
