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On the Third Sunday of Easter our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Revelation (6;1-17) entitled "The Lamb opens the seals of the book of God". Our treasure, which follows is from the first apology in defense of Christians by Saint Justin, martyr.
Saint Justin, known posthumously as Justin Martyr was born around A.D. 90–100 into a Greek family, in the city known today as Nablus near the ancient biblical city of Shechem, in Samaria, Palestine.
Saint Justin is best known as one of the earliest and most important Christian apologists, a philosopher who defended the faith using reason and explained it to the Roman world. Writing in the 2nd century, he showed how Christianity fulfilled the deepest truths sought by Greek philosophy and gave one of the earliest detailed descriptions of the Mass. He ultimately sealed his witness with his life, being martyred for refusing to renounce Christ, and is remembered for helping the Church clearly articulate and defend its beliefs in a hostile culture.
The "First Apology" by Saint Justin Martyr is a addressed to the Roman emperor, explaining that Christians are not criminals but rational people who worship the true God and live moral lives. In it, Justin argues that Christian beliefs are consistent with reason, shows how Christ fulfills what philosophers sought, and describes Christian worship—especially the Eucharist—to correct misunderstandings. Its main purpose is to seek justice for Christians and to present the faith clearly and persuasively to a skeptical pagan world.
In today's first reading, from the Book of Revelation (6:1–17), the opening of the seals reveals that suffering, conflict, and judgment are part of human history under God's sovereign plan, symbolized by the four horsemen and the trials that follow. Yet the passage also shows that God sees the suffering of His faithful and will ultimately bring justice, as the martyrs cry out to Him. The main teaching for Catholics is to remain faithful and trust in God even amid turmoil, knowing that evil and suffering are not the final word—God's judgment is real, His justice will prevail, and those who persevere in faith will be vindicated.
