St. Apollonius the Apologist (18 April): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

In today’s reading from The Lives of the Saints by Father Alban Butler, we reflect on St. Apollonius the Apologist, a Roman senator who courageously defended the Christian faith before the Roman Senate during the reign of Emperor Commodus around 186 AD. At a time when Christianity was still persecuted, Apollonius—well-versed in both philosophy and Sacred Scripture—was betrayed by his own slave and brought before the authorities. Refusing to renounce Christ, he boldly delivered a powerful defense of the faith. Though his speech has been lost to history, St. Jerome praised it for its extraordinary eloquence and depth. St. Apollonius ultimately chose martyrdom rather than compromise, offering his life as a witness to truth. His story reminds us that Christianity is not merely professed in words, but lived through heroic virtue and unwavering fidelity. This account challenges us today: Are we living as true witnesses to Christ? Do our lives reflect the faith we profess? The early Christians converted the world not by force, but by the sanctity of their lives. May we strive to do the same. 🙏 “Either change thy faith, or change thy manners.” 0:00 – Introduction: St. Apollonius the Apologist 0:25 – Historical Context: Marcus Aurelius & Commodus 0:47 – Growth of Christianity During Peace 0:54 – Who Was St. Apollonius? 1:02 – Betrayal by His Own Slave 1:11 – Roman Law Against Accusers 1:26 – Ordered to Renounce the Faith 1:36 – Courageous Refusal 1:43 – Trial Before the Roman Senate 1:52 – His Lost Defense of Christianity 2:01 – Praised by St. Jerome 2:08 – Martyrdom by Beheading (186 AD) 2:16 – The Power of Christian Heroism 2:31 – Call to Live as True Apologists 2:47 – Scandal vs. Sanctity 3:02 – How Early Christians Converted the World 3:20 – Warning Against Hypocrisy 3:27 – Final Reflection: Change Thy Life https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/april/st-apollonius-the-apologist/ 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 #StApollonius #CatholicSaints #LivesOfTheSaints #ChristianMartyrs #CatholicFaith #EarlyChurch #Apologetics #SaintOfTheDay #CatholicYouTube #FaithAndCourage