St. Justin Martyr Novena

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St. Justin Martyr was a philosopher who lived in the second century. He was a convert to Christianity. After his conversion, he wrote many important works on apologetics

St. Justin Martyr was one of the early Christians who gave up his life for the Faith. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy martyr in your life!

About St. Justin Martyr

St. Justin Martyr was born around the year 100 in Samaria. He was of Greek descent, and it is likely that his family members were pagans. He considered himself a Gentile and referred to himself as a Samaritan.

When Justin was a young man, he studied many different pagan philosophies. He found that he was most attracted to Plato’s school of philosophy, and he adopted Platonism. But he eventually encountered a man who challenged his worldview by discussing God with him. This man illustrated to him that Christianity was more reliable than the pagan schools of philosophy to explain the world.

Justin was moved by the man’s arguments and chose to dedicate his life to God. Justin was inspired in his new way of life by the examples of the other early Christians and of the early martyrs for the Faith.

Justin did not abandon philosophy but instead wore a philosopher’s mantle and began to teach, using both the truths of Christian theology and the good elements of Greek philosophy. He held that the truths contained in Greek philosophy were derived from the teachings of the Old Testament. He considered a philosopher to be a teacher who was to lead others to Jesus. 

Justin soon started his own school in Rome. Tatian, a Christian writer and theologian, was one of Justin’s pupils there.

During the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Christians were being persecuted. Justin engaged in a debate with a philosopher named Crescens, who was known to attack Christians. Crescens denounced Justin for his Christian Faith, turning him in to the authorities.

Justin was tried for his crime of being a Christian with six other men. The authorities ordered them to sacrifice to the gods, and Justin replied that no one in their right mind would do so. When threatened with merciless torture, Justin replied that he desired to be tortured for Christ.

Justin and his six companions were beheaded for their Christian Faith. The date of Justin’s martyrdom is not known for certain, but it is likely that it occurred between the years 162 and 168. 

During his life as a Christian, Justin made many important contributions to Christian apologetics. Most of his writings have since been lost, but two apologies and a dialogue that he wrote are still in existence today. His apologies were addressed to the Roman emperor and the Senate. Of his other writings, only some fragments of his texts still exist.

St. Justin Martyr’s Feast Day: June 1st

Why Pray the St. Justin Martyr Novena?

St. Justin Martyr is the patron saint of philosophers. You can seek his intercession if you are a philosopher or are studying philosophy. You can also ask him to pray for someone you know who is a philosopher or who is studying philosophy.

St. Justin Martyr is also the patron saint of lecturers. You can ask him to pray for you if you are a lecturer, or you can ask him to pray for someone you know who is a lecturer. 

Additionally, you can seek St. Justin Martyr’s intercession if you are a convert to Christianity, since he converted to Christianity as a young man.

You can pray the St. Justin Martyr Novena for any intention!

St. Justin Martyr Novena Prayers

St. Justin Martyr Novena - Day 1

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Justin Martyr as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in opening himself up to Your will for him when he chose to convert to Christianity.

St. Justin Martyr, you were born into a non-Christian family and did not have the benefit of an upbringing in the Faith. But as you grew in knowledge, you opened yourself up to God’s grace and chose to serve Him.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you chose to serve!

Your worldview was challenged by a Christian who began discussing God with you. You chose to follow God’s call in your life and dedicated yourself to Him.

Pray for me, that I may open myself up more to God’s will in my life each day. Pray that I may be eager to dedicate my life to God.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Justin Martyr Novena - Day 2

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Justin Martyr as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed by choosing to convert to Christianity.

St. Justin Martyr, you were not raised as a Christian. When you were exposed to Christian doctrine and thought, you chose to convert to Christianity and to dedicate your life to God.

Please bring my petitions before God to Whom you dedicated your life!

You became a devout Christian, and you began to teach others about the Faith. Despite persecution for your Faith, you held fast and refused to renounce your Faith. Ultimately, you chose to give up your life for the Faith as a martyr.

Pray for me, that I may grow to love God more and more each day. Pray that I may never hesitate to serve God with wholehearted devotion.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Justin Martyr Novena - Day 3

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Justin Martyr as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he grew in as he studied You and Your creation.

St. Justin Martyr, you were a devoted student of philosophy from the time you were a young man. When you were challenged in your pagan worldview by a Christian who showed you the truth of Christianity, you chose to become a Christian.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you chose to follow!

After your conversion, you devoted yourself to teaching others about the Faith and about philosophy. You wrote many apologetic works in attempt to defend the Faith against pagans.

Pray for me, that I may always seek to deepen my Faith by learning more about God. Pray that I may grow in love for God each day.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Justin Martyr Novena - Day 4

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Justin Martyr as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he grew to through his study of the Faith and of philosophy.

St. Justin Martyr, you saw the truth contained in Christian doctrine when it was presented to you. Though you were a pagan, you chose to become Christian and you began to serve God devotedly.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served with such devotion!

You saw that philosophy could help others to understand the truths of Christian teaching more clearly. You dedicated yourself to study and teaching, in order to help more people to understand Christian teaching and devote themselves to God.

Pray for me, that I may always do all I can to help lead others to God. Pray that I may be a devoted servant of God each day of my life.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Justin Martyr Novena - Day 5

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Justin Martyr as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in seeking to lead his pupils closer to God. 

St. Justin Martyr, you chose to dedicate your life to God after you realized the truth of the Christian religion. From that time on, you never wavered in your Faith.

Please never waver in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!

As you set about establishing a school and teaching others philosophy, you attempted to lead your pupils to a deeper knowledge of God and love for Him.

Pray for me, that I may always do all I can to bring souls to God in my life. Pray that I may take every opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to others around me.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Justin Martyr Novena - Day 6

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Justin Martyr as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in working to defend the Faith against paganism.

St. Justin Martyr, you converted to Christianity when you were a young man. You saw the truth in Christian doctrine and chose to devote your life to God.

Please continue to bring my petitions before God to Whom you devoted yourself!

You began to teach and to write in defense of the Faith. Though you suffered a lot for your Faith and your work defending it, you held fast and ultimately gave up your life as a martyr. 

Pray for me, that I may always be eager to defend the Faith when necessary. Pray that I may serve God with devotion each day.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us! 

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Justin Martyr Novena - Day 7

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Justin Martyr as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed by holding fast to his Faith amidst persecution.

St. Justin Martyr, you converted to the Christian Faith during a time when it was often dangerous to be a Christian. Despite danger to your life and the threat of great sufferings, you persevered in your Faith.

Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!

You were tried for your crime of being a Christian, and you refused to save your life by sacrificing to pagan gods.You declared that you desired to be tortured for Christ.

Pray for me, that I may always persevere in my Faith no matter what difficulties I might face. Pray that I may hold fast to my Faith even to the point of death if necessary.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Justin Martyr Novena - Day 8

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Justin Martyr as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in courageously holding fast to his Faith to the point of death.

St. Justin Martyr, you were denounced to the authorities because of your Christian Faith. Though you could have saved your life by sacrificing to pagan gods, you courageously continued to hold fast to your Faith.

Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!

You were threatened with merciless torture, but your courageously declared that you desired to be tortured for Christ. You were beheaded because of your Faith.

Pray for me, that I may always practice my Faith courageously, no matter the cost. Pray that I may never waver in my Faith, no matter what sufferings I might face.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Justin Martyr Novena - Day 9

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Justin Martyr as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in choosing to devote his life to serving You.

St. Justin Martyr, you chose to convert to Christianity as a young man. You were moved by the examples of the holy members of the early Church, and you chose to devote your life to God.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served with such devotion!

As the government persecuted Christians, you were denounced for your Faith. You could have saved your life by renouncing your Faith, but you held fast and ultimately gave up your life for God.

Pray for me, that I may be as eager a servant of God and His Church as you were. Pray that I may never allow sufferings to deter me from serving God.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.