A convert to Christianity, St Justin was born in Samaria. He was martyred during the reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, in Rome, in the year 165.

He said: ‘We pray for our enemies; we seek to persuade those who hate us without cause to live conformably to the goodly precepts of Christ, that they may become partakers with us of the joyful hope of blessings from God, the Lord of all’.

Today, may we follow the ‘goodly precepts of Christ’, and so be brought to the joys of eternal life. May God bless you this day.