Sebastian was the son of a wealthy Roman family. He was educated in Milan and became an officer of the imperial Roman army, and Captain of the Guard. He was a favorite of Emperor Diocletian. During Diocletian’s persecution of the Christians, Sebastian visited them in prison, bringing both supplies and comfort. He is reported to have healed the wife of a fellow soldier by making the sign of the cross over her. During his time in the army he converted many soldiers and a governor.

Charged as a Christian in 288 in Rome, Sebastian was tied to a tree, shot with arrows, and left for dead. However, he survived, recovered, and returned to preach to Diocletian, where the emperor then had him beaten to death.

Reflection

[Jesus looked] looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart… Mark 3:5

It’s barely chapter 3 of the Gospel according to Mark, and Jesus has already had enough! God prepared the Chosen People 3000 years for their Messiah, and now, some of them seemingly miss the message—just because Jesus focuses on some poor soul with a withered hand? Maybe it was just too small. Jesus tries to educate them: “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil?” (verse 4). Silence. If they could only see what the author of the Letter to the Hebrews sees in the first reading: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek,” the anchor of the messianic message ever since the days of Abraham. A priest, whose liturgy is healing, unwithering our hard little hearts—that’s our Jesus.