Byzantine Saints: Saint Justinian the Emperor (14 November)

About this sermon

St. Justinian the Emperor—commemorated on November 14th—is remembered as one of the most influential rulers in Byzantine history. Revered as a defender of Orthodoxy, a builder of sacred churches, and a spiritual leader, Emperor Justinian (527–565 AD) helped shape the Christian and political world for centuries. Born in the Roman province of Illyricum, Justinian rose to prominence as the emperor who restored the glory of the Byzantine Empire. Under his reign, the empire achieved decisive victories in Persia, Africa, and Italy, helping to end paganism among the Vandal and Visigothic tribes. His policies closed the last pagan schools in Athens and supported widespread Christian missionary work—including the baptism of over 70,000 pagans by St. John of Ephesus. Justinian is most famously known for constructing some of the most iconic churches in Christian history, such as Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and St. Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai. His passion for sacred architecture was matched by his dedication to theological education, ensuring clergy were trained in philosophy, rhetoric, and theology. He played a major role in combating heresies of his time, addressing Nestorianism and Origenist theology. At his command, the timeless hymn “Only-Begotten Son and Immortal Word of God” was incorporated into the Divine Liturgy, where it is still sung today. Justinian also oversaw the Fifth Ecumenical Council (553 AD) and compiled the monumental Corpus Juris Civilis, also known as the Justinian Code, which became the foundation of Western legal tradition. Known for his strict piety, fasting discipline, and devotion to the ideal relationship between Church and State (symphonia), St. Justinian reposed in the year 565 AD, leaving behind an unmatched legacy of faith, law, and empire. 0:00 – Introduction 0:20 – Commemoration: November 14th 0:23 – Justinian as champion of Orthodoxy 0:31 – Early life and background 0:36 – Military victories of Byzantium 0:47 – Ending paganism among the Germanic tribes 0:50 – Closure of pagan schools in Athens 0:52 – Missionary work of St. John of Ephesus 1:02 – Conversions and church-building efforts 1:11 – St. Catherine’s Monastery & Hagia Sophia 1:19 – Churches dedicated to the Theotokos 1:26 – Clergy education reforms 1:34 – Combatting Origenist and Nestorian heresies 1:46 – “Only-Begotten Son” hymn instituted 2:03 – Fifth Ecumenical Council (553 AD) 2:17 – Efforts toward religious unity 2:24 – Legal reforms and the Justinian Code 2:38 – Personal piety and ascetic practices 2:47 – Symphony of Church and State 2:51 – Death of St. Justinian (565 AD) https://www.oca.org/saints/lives #StJustinian #ByzantineEmpire #OrthodoxSaints #JustinianCode #HagiaSophia #ChristianHistory #EasternOrthodox #ByzantineRulers #SaintsOfTheChurch #OrthodoxFeastDays 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶️ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶️ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.com for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶️ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GabTV - https://tv.gab.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium ▶️ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ ▶️ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 Please "Like" our videos so that Youtube shares it to others by clicking the "Like" thumbs-up under the video = 👍🏻 ▶️ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. ▶️ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 SP3RN: https://www.sp3rn.com/community/pages/14-sensus-fidelium 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Bastyon: https://bastyon.com/sensusfidelium 🔴 GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/sensus_fidelium 🔴 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sensusfidelium/ 🔴 Telegram: https//t.me/RealSensusFidelium 🔴 Truth Social - @SensusFidelium ▶️ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic