At the beginning of the 4th century, the Catholic Church in Antioch, Asia Minor, was blessed to be under the loyal care of a strong and holy Bishop, St. Erasmus.

Unfortunately, this was not to last. Hell was soon to let loose its fury upon the Bride of Christ through the demonic work of the emperor Diocletian. This man, notorious in the annals of Catholic history for his unrestrained hatred of the Catholic Church, began a long chain of persecutions against the multitudes of Catholics to be found in his empire.

During these black days, Catholics were found and brought to the emperor’s pagan judges, so that they might be bribed or threatened into abandoning their Faith. Those heroes who, by God’s grace, stood firm against the fury of hell and held to Catholicism, were then tortured and killed. This was done as a punishment to them and as a threat to their fellow Catholics.

So after this persecution broke out, St. Erasmus fled to protect his life and his faith. He hid in the mountains of Libanon. There he spent years in prayers, fasting, and other mortifications. In this way, he earned graces and strength for himself, his diocese, and all the other members of the Church.

When God knew that St. Erasmus was strong enough, He allowed the pagans to find the saint. They immediately forced him out of his hiding and brought him before a pagan judge. At first, kind and persuasive words were addressed to the Bishop. But God’s grace was with St. Erasmus, and no offer or bribe could make him deny his Faith. And so, the judge made use of another means.

St. Erasmus was condemned to be tortured to death. His body was torn by scourges. After this torment, the martyr was thrown into a caldron filled with boiling oil, sulphur, and pitch.

But God used this malice to His own glory by protecting the saint in a marvelous way. Immersed in the caldron, St. Erasmus was completely unharmed by it. Instead of driving the faithful away from Catholicism, this amazing scene brought many pagans to embrace this Faith.

Tragically, the judge was not among these converts. In his rage, the judge ordered the holy bishop to be thrown into prison and kept there in chains till he died of starvation.

On one night of this captivity, St. Erasmus was consoled by an angel, not unlike the one that delivered St. Peter. This heavenly liberator exclaimed:

"Erasmus, follow me! Thou shalt convert a great many."

The angel led him out, and he escaped the clutches of the pagan emperor. The holy man used his freedom to spread the Catholic Church. Through his prayers and sufferings he’d already led many to the Faith. But now, traveling to many lands, St. Erasmus converted multitudes as a missionary.

The power of God was in the words and works of this saint. His labors were blessed with many miracles, wrought by God through him, and these went a long way in the conversion of heathens.

At length St. Erasmus came to Italy, where the Emperor Maximin was now persecuting the Faith as fiercely as Diocletian did in the East.

In time, Maximin heard of Erasmus and the conversions brought about by his preaching and miracles. This cruel emperor immediately ordered the slaughter of three hundred of the converts.

In order to put a stop to these conversions, the emperor barbarously tortured Erasmus himself. The demons could use no human or suffering to corrupt this warrior of Christ. And so, once again, he was thrown into prison.

But God brought His noble servant to freedom - a freedom which no power could take away. As the good bishop lived his last moments on earth, he heard a heavenly voice, saying:

"Erasmus, come now to the heavenly city and rest in the place which God has prepared for thee with the holy martyrs and prophets. Enjoy now the fruit of thy labor. By thee I was honored in heaven and on earth."
St. Erasmus looked up toward heaven, where he saw a splendid crown, and the apostles and prophets welcoming him. He then bowed his head, saying:

"Receive, O Lord, the soul of thy servant !" as he peacefully breathed forth his soul on June 2, 308.

It’s hard to know which miracles were greater in the life of St. Erasmus - the deviations to the laws of nature, or the strength to endure excruciating torments without failing in his Faith. All of these stupendous events were used by God to save countless souls from being lost and tormented forever.

It seems that the glories of the martyrs are no longer seen in our time. However, St. Augustine assures us: "Peace also has its martyrs." In our own lives, it seems hard to compare with the sufferings and deaths of the martyrs. But God knows what to ask from each of us. He can use our illnesses, frustrations, and the other pains our lives. He will take these otherwise trifling merits and perform amazing works of grace, if we offer them cheerfully to Him, in union with the works of the martyrs.

And as the martyrs fought to preserve their Faith, so must we pray and fight to preserve our salvation. This is the martyrdom God asks of each of us. And He never asks more than we can accomplish with Heaven’s help. St. Erasmus is Home with God, and all the other martyrs. They are more than ready to help you get there safely, if you ask Them.