ST ATHENOGENES, MARTYR - 18 JANUARY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JANUARY

Saints celebrated on the 18th of January

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

ST ATHENOGENES, MARTYR 

Saint Athenogenes' name stems from the Greek Αϑηνογένης, which means, "descending from Athena (Minerva)".

HE SANG A HYMN

St Athenogenes, in the Roman Martyrology, is called an 'old theologian'. When this saint was led to his martyr's death by fire, he sang a hymn which he left in writing for his disciples. 

MARTYRDOM IN PONTUS

The time and place of his martyrdom are not known with certainty, although Baronius believes he was martyred in the province of Pontus in Asia Minor.

"OLD THEOLOGIAN"

With regard to the title "old theologian" it should be noted that the same Baronius suggests that our saint is the author of the works attributed to Athenagoras. Bollandus does not agree with this view, but he agrees with Baronius that St. Athenogenes is commemorated on January 18.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, 1858)