Saint Onesimus the Slave (16 February): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

St. Onesimus was once a runaway slave and a thief. By Providence, he encountered St. Paul while the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome. There, Onesimus was converted, baptized, and transformed by grace. The man who once fled in guilt would return in humility — carrying St. Paul’s letter to Philemon and beginning a life of heroic sanctity. Tradition tells us that St. Onesimus later became a preacher of the Gospel and even a bishop. The Greeks hold that he was crowned with martyrdom under Emperor Domitian around the year 95. His life is proof that no past sin is stronger than Divine Mercy. Father Alban Butler reminds us that when a sinner is “snatched like a firebrand from the flames,” he often loves with extraordinary fervor. The true penitent does not offer passing emotion or temporary zeal — but constant, heroic charity. This is a story of: • Radical conversion • Courageous humility • Spiritual fatherhood • Restored dignity • The power of sacramental grace If you’ve ever felt disqualified by your past, St. Onesimus stands as a witness: God does not waste repentant men. 0:00 – Introduction 0:20 – Who Was St. Onesimus? 0:34 – Meeting St. Paul in Prison 0:41 – The Letter to Philemon 0:53 – Preacher of the Gospel 1:02 – Martyrdom Under Domitian 1:16 – Confusion with the Bishop of Ephesus 1:35 – The Firebrand Snatched from the Flames 2:04 – The First Love of a True Penitent 2:28 – Constant vs. Passing Fervor 2:43 – God’s Tenderness Toward Converts 3:12 – Growth Through Trials 3:23 – The Warning Against Spiritual Coldness https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/february/st-onesimus-disciple-of-st-paul/ 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 #StOnesimus #SaintOfTheDay #CatholicSaints #RadicalConversion #DivineMercy #CatholicMasculinity #LivesOfTheSaints #ChurchHistory #ChristianRepentance #EarlyChurch