• 
• 
• 
• 

[ABOVE: David Selenica, The beheading of Saint Paul in Saint Nicholas church, Voskopojë, Albania. 1722. Fresco—Wolfgang Sauber / [CC BY-SA 4.0] Wikimedia]

At this Paul turned to face the east. Lifting up his hands to heaven, he prayed for a long time. After he had communed prayerfully with the fathers in Hebrew, he offered his neck without another word. And as the executioner struck off his head, milk spurted onto the soldier’s tunic. When the soldiers and all the bystanders saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given Paul such honor. Then they departed to give an account of these events to Caesar.

So when Nero heard the news, he was utterly astonished and didn’t know what to say. And while many philosophers and the centurion were standing around with Caesar, Paul appeared to them around the ninth hour. Facing them all, he said, “Caesar, behold me here—Paul, the soldier of God! I am not dead but alive in my God. But for you, O wretched man, there will be many troubles and great punishments, because only a few days ago you unjustly spilled the blood of the righteous!” After Paul said this, he departed. Then Nero was so terribly upset by what he had heard that he ordered the release of the Christian prisoners, including Patroclus and Barsabbas Justus and his friends.

Just as Paul had directed, Longus and the centurion Cestus came at dawn and approached Paul’s tomb in trepidation. As they drew near they saw two men praying—and there was Paul in between them! At the sight of this incredible miracle, they were overwhelmed. Yet when Titus and Luke noticed Longus and Cestus approaching, they were seized with human fear and turned to run away.

Longus and Cestus followed them. “Blessed men of God, we’re not chasing you for death as you might think!” they said. “No, it’s for life! We want you to give us what Paul promised—he whom we just saw standing between you praying!”

So when Titus and Luke heard this, they gave them the seal in the Lord with great joy. And they exalted God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

By Anonymous; translated by Bryan M. Litfin

Show more