Saint Benjamin de Perse
Diacre, martyr en Perse (+ 401)
Martyrologe romain
Diacre et martyr en Perse en 420.
L’évêque de Ctésiphon en Perse ayant détruit un temple païen, le roi Yezdigerd déclencha une cruelle persécution de trois années. Benjamin, son diacre, fut arrêté parce que sa prédication convertissait beaucoup de mages zoroastriens. L’ambassadeur romain intervint en faveur de sa libération. On la lui accorda à condition qu’il cesse de prêcher le Christ. Mais il continua de plus belle par les rues et les chemins et les conversions se multiplièrent.
Arrêté de nouveau, il refusa d’abjurer : « Je ne sacrifierai ni à la cendre, ni au feu, Faites de moi ce qui vous plaira et agissez sans tarder. »
On le tortura en lui enfonçant des roseaux aiguisés sous les ongles, puis en l’empalant au moyen d’une broche hérissée de pointes.
SOURCE : http://www.religion-orthodoxe.com/article-saint-benjamin-70637092.html
Profile
Deacon. Imprisoned for
a year for his faith,
he was released on condition that he never speak about Christianity where
he could be heard by any of the royal court.
Benjamin then became a street preacher,
proclaiming the word any place he could find people. For his obstinate evangelization during
the persecutions of king Varanes,
he was arrested, tortured and martyred.
Born
impaled
on a stake c.424 in Persia
Additional Information
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Martirologio Romano, 2005 edition
MLA Citation
“Saint Benjamin the Deacon“. CatholicSaints.Info.
28 May 2020. Web. 29 March 2021.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-benjamin-the-deacon/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-benjamin-the-deacon/
Pictorial
Lives of the Saints – Saint Benjamin, Deacon, Martyr
Article
Isdegerdes, son of Sapor III, put a stop to the cruel
persecutions against the Christians in Persia, which had been begun by Sapor
II, and the Church had enjoyed twelve years’ peace in that kingdom, when, in
420, it was disturbed by the indiscreet zeal of Abdas, a Christian bishop who
burned down the Pyraeum, or Temple of Fire, the great divinity of the Persians.
King Isdegerdes thereupon demolished all the Christian churches in Persia, put
to death Abdas, and raised a general persecution against the Church, which
continued forty years with great fury. Isdegerdes died the year following, in
421. But his son and successor, Varar^s, carried on the persecution with
greater inhumanity. The very recital of the cruelties he exercised on the
Christians strikes us with horror. Amongst the glorious champions of Christ was
Saint Benjamin, a deacon. The tyrant caused him to be beaten and imprisoned. He
had lain a year in the dungeon, when an ambassador from the emperor obtained
his release on condition he should never speak to any of the courtiers about
religion. The ambassador passed his word in his behalf that he would not; but
Benjamin, who was a minister of the Gospel, declared that he should miss no
opportunity of announcing Christ. The king, being informed that he still
preached the faith in his kingdom, ordered him to be apprehended, caused reeds
to be run in between the nails and the flesh, both of his hands and feet, and
to be thrust into other most tender parts, and drawn out again, and this to be
frequently repeated with violence. Lastly, a knotty stake was thrust into his
bowels, to rend and tear them, in which torment he expired in the year 424.
Reflection – We entreat you, O most holy martyrs, who
cheerfully suffered most cruel torments for God our Saviour and His love, on
which account you are now most intimately and familiarly united to Him, that
you pray to the Lord for us miserable sinners, covered with filth, that He
infuse into us the grace of Christ, that it may enlighten our souls that we may
love Him.
MLA Citation
John Dawson Gilmary Shea. “Saint Benjamin, Deacon,
Martyr”. Pictorial Lives of the Saints, 1889. CatholicSaints.Info.
6 February 2014. Web. 29 March 2021.
<https://catholicsaints.info/pictorial-lives-of-the-saints-saint-benjamin-deacon-martyr/>
The Christians in Persia had enjoyed twelve years of peace during the reign of Isdegerd, son of Sapor III, when in 420 it was disturbed by the indiscreet zeal of Abdas, a Christian Bishop who burned the Temple of Fire, the great sanctuary of the Persians. King Isdegerd threatened to destroy all the churches of the Christians unless the Bishop would rebuild it.
As Abdas refused to comply, the threat was executed; the churches were demolished, Abdas himself was put to death, and a general persecution began which lasted forty years. Isdegerd died in 421, but his son and successor, Varanes, carried on the persecution with great fury. The Christians were submitted to the most cruel tortures.
Among those who suffered was St. Benjamin, a Deacon, who had been imprisoned a year for his Faith. At the end of this period, an ambassador of the Emperor of Constantinople obtained his release on condition that he would never speak to any of the courtiers about religion.
St. Benjamin, however, declared it was his duty to preach Christ and that he could not be silent. Although he had been liberated on the agreement made with the ambassador and the Persian authorities, he would not acquiesce in it, and neglected no opportunity of preaching. He was again apprehended and brought before the king. The tyrant ordered that reeds should be thrust in between his nails and his flesh and into all the tenderest parts of his body and then withdrawn. After this torture had been repeated several times, a knotted stake was inserted into his bowels to rend and tear him. The martyr expired in the most terrible agony about the year 424.
SOURCE : http://www.ucatholic.com/saints/saint-benjamin/
Saints of the
Day – Benjamin the Deacon
Article
Died on March 31, c.421. Yezdigerd (Isdegerdes), the
king of Persia, put an end to the cruel persecution of Christians under his
father Sapor (Shapur) II, and there followed 12 years of peace. Bishop Abdas
then burned down the Pyraeum, or Temple of Fire, the chief object of worship of
the Persians. The king threatened to destroy all Christian churches unless
Abdas rebuilt it. The bishop refused, and the king put him to death and
initiated a general persecution of Christians, which continued for forty years
and intensified under his son Varanes. An account of the terrible cruelties was
given by a contemporary, Theodoret (Ecclesiastical History).
Benjamin, a Persian deacon, was beaten and imprisoned
for a year for preaching Christianity during the persecution. He was released
at the request of the Emperor of Constantinople, who promised he would stop
preaching to Varanes’ courtiers. As soon as he was released, Benjamin again
began proclaiming the Gospel, was arrested and tortured after he said that he
would not be silent if again released.
At his trial, he asked the king what he would think of
a subject who would renounce his allegiance and join in a war against him. The
king ordered reeds thrust under his nails and into the most tender parts of his
body and then withdrawn. After this was repeated several times, a knotted stake
was inserted into his bowels to rend and tear him. He expired in terrible agony
(Attwater2, Barr, Benedictines, Davies, Delaney, White).
He is depicted as a deacon with reeds thrust under his
nails; sometimes impaled by knotted stake (Roeder).
MLA Citation
Katherine I Rabenstein. Saints
of the Day, 1998. CatholicSaints.Info.
28 May 2020. Web. 29 March 2021. <https://catholicsaints.info/saints-of-the-day-benjamin-the-deacon/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saints-of-the-day-benjamin-the-deacon/
March 31
St. Benjamin, Deacon, Martyr
From Theodoret, Hist. Eccles. l. 5. c. 39. &c.
A.D. 424.
ISDEGERDES, son of Sapor III., put a stop to the
cruel persecutions against the Christians in Persia, which had been begun by
Sapor II., and the Church had enjoyed twelve years’ peace in that kingdom,
when, in 420, it was disturbed by the indiscreet zeal of one Abdas, a Christian
bishop, who burned down the Pyræum, or temple of fire, the great divinity of
the Persians. King Isdegerdes threatened to demolish all the churches of the
Christians, unless he would rebuild it. Abdas had done ill in destroying the
temple, but did well in refusing to rebuild it; for nothing can make it lawful
to contribute to any act of idolatry, or to the building a temple, as Theodoret
observes. Isdegerdes therefore demolished all the Christian churches in Persia,
put to death Abdas, and raised a general persecution against the Church, which
continued forty years with great fury. Isdegerdes died the year following, in
421. But his son and successor, Varanes, carried on the persecution with
greater inhumanity. The very description which Theodoret, a contemporary
writer, and one that lived in the neighbourhood, gives of the cruelties he
exercised on the Christians, strikes us with horror: some were flayed alive in
different parts of the body, and suffered all kinds of torture that could be
invented: others, being stuck all over with sharp reeds, were hauled and rolled
about in that condition; others were tormented divers other ways, such as
nothing but the most hellish malice was capable of suggesting. Amongst these
glorious champions of Christ was St. Benjamin, a deacon. The tyrant caused him
to be beaten and imprisoned. He had lain a year in the dungeon, when an
ambassador from the emperor obtained his enlargement, on condition he should
never speak to any of the courtiers about religion. The ambassador passed his
word in his behalf that he would not: but Benjamin, who was a minister of the
gospel, declared that he could not detain the truth in captivity, conscious to
himself of the condemnation of the slothful servant for having hid his talent. He
therefore neglected no opportunity of announcing Christ. The king, being
informed that he still preached the faith in his kingdom, ordered him to be
apprehended; but the martyr made no other reply to his threats than by putting
this question to the king: What opinion he would have of any of his subjects
who should renounce his allegiance to him, and join in war against him? The
enraged tyrant caused reeds to be run in between the nails and the flesh both
of his hands and feet, and the same to be thrust into other most tender parts,
and drawn out again, and this to be frequently repeated with violence. He
lastly ordered a knotty stake to be thrust into his bowels to rend and tear
them, in which torment he expired in the year 424. The Roman Martyrology places
his name on the 31st of March.
St. Ephrem considering the heroic constancy of the
martyrs, makes on them the following pious reflections: “The wisdom of
philosophers, and the eloquence of the greatest orators, are dumb through
amazement, when they contemplate the wonderful spectacle and glorious actions
of the martyrs: the tyrants and judges were not able to express their
astonishment when they beheld the faith, the constancy, and the cheerfulness of
these holy champions. What excuse shall we have in the dreadful day of
judgment, if we who have never been exposed to any cruel persecutions, or to
the violence of such torments, shall have neglected the love of God and the
care of a spiritual life? No temptations, nor torments, were able to draw them from
that love which they bore to God: but we, living in rest and delights, refuse
to love our most merciful and gracious Lord. What shall we do in that day of
terror, when the martyrs of Christ, standing with confidence near his throne,
shall show the marks of their wounds? What shall we then show? Shall we present
a lively faith? true charity towards God? a perfect disengagement of our
affections from earthly things? souls freed from the tyranny of the passions?
silence and recollection? meekness? almsdeeds? prayers poured forth with clean
hearts? compunction, watchings, tears? Happy shall he be whom such good works
shall attend. He will be the partner of the martyrs, and, supported by the
treasure of these virtues, shall appear with equal confidence before Christ and
his angels. We entreat you, O most holy martyrs, who cheerfully suffered must
cruel torments for God our Saviour and his love, on which account you are now
most intimately and familiarly united to him, that you pray to the Lord for us
miserable sinners, covered with filth, that he infuse into us the grace of
Christ, that it may enlighten our souls that we may love him, &c.” 1
Note 1. St. Ephrem Hom. in SS. Martyres. t. 3.
Op. Gr. et Lat. p. 251. ed. Vatic. an. 1746. [back]
Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). Volume
III: March. The Lives of the Saints. 1866.
SOURCE : https://www.bartleby.com/210/3/311.html
St. Benjamin the PersianSt. Benjamin was a Deacon and martyr in Persia during the Christian persecutions of the fifth century. He was imprisoned, tortured, and impaled on a stake for preaching the teachings of Jesus Christ across the countryside. St. Benjamin displayed the courage and faith of many early Christian martyrs. Christians today are still in awe of his love and faith in Jesus.
St. Benjamin Prayer
October 13th - St. Benjamin Feast Day
Troparion (Tone 4)
Thy martyr, Benjamin, O Lord, by his struggle hath received from thee, our God, the imperishable crown ; because, acquiring thy strength, he demolished usurpers and crushed the powerless might of Satan. Therefore, through his intercessions, O Christ God, save our souls.
(...)
Many Christians give a Saint Benjamin medal, Saint Benjamin necklace, or a Saint Benjamin pendant for Baptism gifts to babies with the name Benjamin or one of its derivatives. The Saint Benjamin medallion is also an ideal gift for a young man making his Confirmation and taking the name Benjamin for Confirmation.
Honoring St. Benjamin
Venerating St. Benjamin is still practiced today, centuries after his brutal death at the hands of the Persian king. Followers of Jesus pray for the intercession of St. Benjamin that he will ask Jesus to bestow upon them the gift of faith and courage in the face of life's adversities. Christians wear a Saint Benjamin necklace or put a Saint Benjamin medal in their pocket as a reminder to remain true to the Christian faith and live a life of Christ.
SOURCE : http://www.patriotic-jewelry.com/st-benjamin.htm
Saint Benjamin, Deacon
& Martyr (d. 421).
Feast Day: 31Mar
Benjamin was a martyr of Persia (modern Iran), a
deacon during the persecution of Christians in the fifth century. The
Christians in Persia had enjoyed twelve years of peace during the reign of
Isdegerd, son of Sapor III, when in 420 it was disturbed by the indiscreet zeal
of Abdas, a Christian Bishop who burned the Temple of Fire, the great sanctuary
of the Persians. King Isdegerd threatened to destroy all the churches of the
Christians unless the Bishop would rebuild it.
As Abdas refused to comply, the threat was executed;
the Christian churches were demolished, Abdas himself was put to death, and a
general persecution began which lasted forty years. Isdegerd died in 421, but
his son and successor, Varanes, carried on the persecution with such great
fury. The Christians were submitted to the cruelest tortures.
Among those who suffered was Benjamin, a Deacon, who
had been imprisoned a year for his Christian faith. At the end of this period,
an ambassador of the Emperor of Constantinople obtained his release on
condition that he would never speak to any of the courtiers about religion.
Benjamin started preaching again. He declared it was his duty to preach Christ
and that he could not be silent.
Although Benjamin had been liberated on the agreement
made with the ambassador and the Persian authorities, he would not acquiesce in
it, and neglected no opportunity of preaching. According to his hagiography,
when the king was apprised that Benjamin refused to stop preaching, he was
again arrested and brought before the king. The tyrant ordered that reeds
should be thrust in between his nails and his flesh and into all the tenderest
parts of his body and then withdrawn. After this torture had been repeated
several times, a knotted stake was inserted into his bowels to rend and tear
him. The martyr expired in the most terrible agony.
Bibliography:
Bunson, Matthew and Margaret Bunson. “Encyclopedia of
Saints-Second Edition.” Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 2014.
“St. Benjamin”. Catholic Online. 29 March 2017. Web.
29 March 2017. http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=338
“Saint Benjamin the Deacon and Martyr”. Wikipedia. 29
March 2017. Web 29 March 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Benjamin_the_Deacon_and_Martyr
San Beniamino Diacono e martire
† Ergol, Persia, 420
Anche in Persia i primi cristiani sono malvisti. Nel
420 si consuma il martirio di Beniamino, diacono di Ergol. La tradizione lo
vuole vittima di una rappresaglia dopo la distruzione di un tempio al dio del
fuoco da parte cristiana. Beniamino non abiura e perisce assieme a un gruppo di
fedeli.
Etimologia: Beniamino = figlio prediletto,
dall'ebraico
Martirologio Romano: In località Argol in Persia,
san Beniamino, diacono, che non desistette dal predicare la parola di Dio e,
sotto il regno di Vararane V, subì il martirio con delle canne acuminate
conficcate nelle unghie.
S. Beniamino diacono di Ergol in Persia, fa parte di un gruppo di martiri, uccisi appunto in Persia durante la lunga persecuzione contro i cristiani, che iniziò sotto il regno di Iezdegerd I e finì con quello del successore Bahram-Gor.
Vi sono varie versioni che riguardano questa feroce persecuzione, discordanti fra loro, in buona parte prese dai sinassari bizantini; anche le notizie riguardanti i nomi dei martiri, la data ed il luogo del martirio sono imprecise e discordanti.
L’episodio avvenuto all’interno della lunga persecuzione contro i cristiani in Persia, racconta che verso il 420, lo sfrenato zelo di alcuni cristiani, capeggiati da un sacerdote Hasu, portò ad incendiare ad Ergol (Argul) un pireo, cioè un tempio dedicato al culto del fuoco.
Per questa distruzione venne arrestato il vescovo Abdas, il fratello Papa, i preti Hasu e Isacco, il segretario Ephrem, il suddiacono Papa, i laici Daduq e Durtan; al vescovo Abdas fu ingiunto dalle autorità civili di ricostruire il tempio, poiché egli si rifiutò, furono condannati a morte.
A loro sono associati nella celebrazione altri martiri di quella persecuzione, scaturita dall’episodio dell’incendio del ‘pireo’ e sono Ormisda (Manides), Sahin e il diacono di Ergol, Beniamino.
Su quest’ultimo, il ‘Martyrologium Romanum’ commemorandolo al 31 marzo, riporta la seguente citazione: “In Ergol (Argul) in Persia, san Beniamino diacono, che non desistette dal predicare le Verità della fede, sotto Bahrom-Gor re; consumò il suo martirio venendogli conficcati negli orifizi e sotto le unghie legni sottili ed acuminati”.
Il martirio avvenne verso il 420 cioè nei primi due anni del regno di Bahrom-Gor, perché nel 422 egli fu vinto da Teodosio II, che come condizione di pace pose la libertà di culto ai cristiani di Persia.
Autore: Antonio Borrelli
