Saint Benjamin the Deacon and Martyr

Saint Benjamin was born around AD 329, and served the Church as a deacon in Persia. He lived during a long and bitter persecution of Christians that stretched across the reigns of the Persian kings Isdegerd I and his son Varanes V, when many believers were pressured to renounce Christ through fear and violence. Benjamin was arrested for his faith and endured a year of imprisonment. Through the intervention of the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II, he was released on one condition: that he would no longer preach or speak openly about Christianity. Benjamin, however, could not accept silence. With the courage of a true servant of the Gospel, he declared it his duty to proclaim Christ, whatever the cost. For his steadfast witness he was seized again and subjected to brutal tortures, remaining faithful until he died a martyr around the year 424. The Church venerates him as a model of fearless preaching and unwavering fidelity. His feast day is March 31.