Saint Babylas of Antioch (24 January): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

St. Babylas of Antioch stands among the greatest bishops of the early Church, remembered for his courage, humility, and martyrdom during one of Rome’s most brutal persecutions. In this episode from The Lives of the Saints, traditionally attributed to Fr. Alban Butler, we explore the life of St. Babylas, Bishop of Antioch in the mid-3rd century, successor to Zebinus and spiritual heir to St. Ignatius of Antioch. St. Babylas is most famously remembered for refusing entry to an emperor, rebuking imperial crime with meek authority, and enduring imprisonment and death for the faith. His relics would later silence the pagan oracle of Apollo at Daphne — a moment so powerful that even the Apostate Emperor Julian could not ignore it. This reading covers: The controversial reign of Emperor Philip the Arab Early claims of imperial Christianity and public penance The Seventh General Persecution under Decius St. Babylas’ martyrdom in chains The translation of his relics and the destruction of Apollo’s temple The saint’s enduring veneration in East and West A powerful witness to episcopal authority, martyrdom, and the triumph of Christ over idols. 📅 Feast Day: January 24 (Latin Church) | September 4 (Greek Church) 00:00 – Introduction to St. Babylas of Antioch 00:27 – His episcopacy and succession after St. Ignatius 00:38 – Emperor Philip the Arab and his rise to power 01:15 – Claims of Philip’s Christianity and public penance 02:12 – The emperor’s crimes and contested conversion 02:42 – Growth of the Church before the persecution 03:02 – Decius and the Seventh General Persecution 03:16 – St. Babylas bars an emperor from the church 03:44 – Imprisonment and martyrdom of St. Babylas 04:40 – Burial with chains and early veneration 04:51 – Translation of relics to Daphne 05:12 – The silencing of Apollo’s oracle 05:23 – Julian the Apostate and pagan sacrifices 05:46 – Removal of the relics by imperial command 06:18 – Destruction of Apollo’s temple by lightning 06:58 – Julian’s rage and failed persecution 07:18 – Feast days and later history of the relics https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/january/st-babylas-bishop-of-antioch-and-martyr/ Get Butler's Lives of the Saints here: https://loretopublications.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=102&url=1 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 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 🔴 SpiritusTV - https://spiritustv.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 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/ 🔴 LBRY.tv --- https://lbry.tv/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GabTV - https://tv.gab.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶ 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 🔴 YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 🔴 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-podcast/id1477010758 #StBabylas #LivesOfTheSaints #CatholicSaints #EarlyChurch #ChristianMartyrs #ChurchHistory #CatholicTradition #RomanPersecutions #SaintsOfA