As our world becomes more and more technological and as scientific evidence becomes the standard of what is true, it seems that the popular culture has become more and more entranced with the supernatural.  You might think that this is nothing new, hasn’t the Church always focused on the supernatural – stories of saints and angels?  Now, however, it seems as though the themes of “magic”, supernatural creatures (e.g. vampires, werewolves and the like), witches, sorcerers and even demons have taken over our storytelling.  Aided by computer animation, fantastic makeup, and technological wonders, these themes now take on a new “reality”.  In this atmosphere of fascination with the supernatural, those who claim to be able to control unseen and mystical powers have taken on a new credibility and visibility.  Telling the future, the use of magic charms and amulets or special herbal potions and teas, talking with the dead and revisiting past lives are commonplace and openly accepted in a way that they have never been before. 

None of this is, of course, new – all of these things are old, ancient even.  The Church has always addressed such things with caution.  Even spiritual experiences, visions and dreams and the visitation of angels and saints is met within the Church with the very clear warning to put such things aside and if they persist to submit them immediately to your spiritual father to be judged by him.  We are warned of the craft and deception of demons who try to lead us astray by imitating that which is holy.  However, we are also comforted with the knowledge that if we hold fast to our Lord Jesus Christ and trust in His provision, then none of these things have any real power over us. Many of the saints have faced such supernatural powers and were delivered by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, His holy and life-giving cross and the assistance of the Mother of God and choir of the saints.  This month we have a very clear example of the overwhelming power of our Lord Jesus Christ against such magic, cursings, and even demonic attack in the lives of the martyrs Cyprian and Justina.

Cyprian, as a youth, was dedicated to the service of the “gods” and idols of Mt. Olympus.  He became well versed in the powers of those gods and how to use them.  By his own confession, he delved so deeply into the demonic practices that he came to know Satan himself and impressed with the power that the evil one seemed to have, swore to serve him unconditionally.  In the course of his service to the evil one, Cyprian was given power over the demons – even the powerful princes of demons.  The demons fulfilled his every wish and did his bidding without hesitation.  Because of his great skill in every kind of sorcery and his power over the demons, Cyprian became a mage of great reputation.  There was no magical feat that he could not accomplish and the whole world seemed be subject to his sorcery. 

In the same city of Antioch, there was a young maiden named Justina who was the daughter of a pagan priest.  One day, she overheard a Christian deacon speaking of our salvation.  She heard him speak of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was born of the most pure Virgin, worked many miracles, willed to suffer for the sake of our salvation, arose from the dead in glory, ascended into the heavens, is seated at the right hand of the Father and reigns unto eternity.  The deacon’s words took root in Justina’s heart and she pursued the Christian faith and came eventually to believe in Christ.  Justina shared her newfound belief with her mother and her father who also came to believe.  Her father had a dream in which he beheld Christ who said to him, “come unto Me and I will grant you the Heavnly Kingdom.”  Immediately upon awaking Justina’s father took his whole family to the Christian bishop and asked to be instructed in the Christian faith and to be baptized.  Justina was devoted to the love of our Lord and lived a life of great piety and chastity.

A short time later, Justina caught the eye of a wealthy young man who was inflamed with impure lust towards her.  He attempted to draw her into fornication, but she rebuffed him and resisted his every advance.  Finally the youth, seeing that he was unable to draw Justina into the web of his impure passions, sought out the sorcerer Cyprian, asking him to influence her by magical means that he might fulfill his desire.  Cyprian summoned a demon who had great experience tempting others into enslavement into lustful passions.  This demon boasted that he would soon have Justina under the power of her own passions.  But as soon as she felt the tempest of carnal desire welling up in her, Justina made the sign of the cross upon herself and hastened to fervent prayer.  This is the prayer that she offered to our Lord:

O Lord Jesus Christ, my God, lo, mine enemies have risen up against me and have prepared a snare for my feet!  My soul is brought low, but I have remembered Thy name in the night and am made glad.  When they compassed me round about, I have fled unto Thee, hoping that mine adversary might not rejoice over me, for Thou knowest, O Lord my God, that I am Thy handmaiden.  For Thee have I kept the purity of my body, and to Thee have I entrusted my soul; wherefore preserve Thou Thy lamb, O good Shepherd.  Do not permit the beast which seeketh to devour me to consume me, and grant me to prevail over the evil desires of my flesh.

Having prayed thus for a long time, the holy virgin put the enemy to shame.  Overcome by her prayer, he fled from her in humiliation and calm returned to Justina’s body and heart.  The flame of desire was quenched, the conflict within her ceased and she chanted a hymn of victory giving glory to God.

The demon, having failed returned to Cyprian with the news of his failure explaining himself saying, “I could not overcome her because I saw upon her a certain sign of which I am afraid.”  Cyprian then summoned another, more powerful demon who again attacked Justina, but she repelled him as well.  Finally Cyprian called one of the princes of demons who undertook to deceive Justina by taking the form of a young maiden and reasoning with her about the chaste life and the blessing and joys of marriage.  Justina, enlightened by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, recognized the deceiver and making the sign of the Cross upon herself began to pray to God.  The prince of demons fled and admitted to Cyprian that all demons “could not bear to look upon the sign of the cross but must flee from it, for like fire it burns us and drives us far away.”  The sorcerer Cyprian tried again and again to overcome Justina but was continually undone by the sign of the Cross and the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Enraged by his failure, Cyprian sought to take vengeance upon Justina by afflicting her with tribulations and trials – attacking not only the maiden but her family and friends and even the whole city, making it known that such troubles were the fault of Justina.  When her friends and others came to Justina to ask her to cease angering the mighty sorcerer, Justina, who had been afflicted with an illness that confined her to her bed, put all her hope on God and assured the others that these misfortunes would soon pass.  She turned to God in fervent prayer and immediately the power of the demons was destroyed.  All were healed of their afflictions and illnesses.

Cyprian, seeing that the power of the devil whom he served was nothing but a deception and that the evil one was impotent before even the sign of the cross made by a young girl, renounced his service of the devil, cursing the evil one and declaring his intent to follow Christ.  The devil fell upon Cyprian and began to beat and strangle him.  Cyprian could not escape the wrath of the devil and, barely alive, remembered the sign of the Cross with which Justina had withstood all the power of the demons.  Making the cross upon himself he cried out, “God of Justina, help me!” and immediately the evil one leapt away from him. 

Cyprian then took all his books of magic and went to the Christian bishop, Anthimus, asking to be baptized.  At first Anthimus was doubtful, but Cyprian confessed all to him and surrendered his books for burning.  Bishop Anthimus received Cyprian into the Christian faith by baptism.  Due to his fervent love of Christ, Cyprian was eventually ordained a priest and then in time was made a bishop.  The devil, however, did not allow Cyprian to get away so easily and he roused up the pagans against him.  These men then went to the prince accusing Cyprian and Justina of opposing the gods and the Emperor.  The prince had Cyprian and Justina brought before him and seeing that he could not turn them from their Christian faith, tortured them all the while seeking to get them to renounce Christ.  Finally the prince sent them to the Emperor who ordered them to be beheaded.

In the lives of these two saints we see the invincible power of our Lord contrasted with the empty appearance of power that the devil projects.  We who belong to Christ and who are under His care and protection have no reason to fear anything that the devil or his servants try to do to us.  There will be those who wish to tempt us to enter into their own sin but if we keep our eyes and hearts focused on Christ, then their words will fall on deaf ears.  The demons may try to inflame your own passions against you to pull you into sin but the sign of the cross and fervent prayer is a sure defense against such an attack.  Make as special note of the prayer of Justina quoted above when faced with this temptation and use it as your own. The servants of the great deceiver may try to deceive you with sweet words and rationalizations, but the Holy Spirit will enlighten your heart to reveal the truth.  If you are familiar with the One Who is Truth, then the lie is made obvious because it does not fit. Even when the evil one stirs up others against you and brings misfortune to you, bear everything patiently and do not let your trust in God waver and He will deliver you and reward you when you suffer for His sake.  You belong to Jesus Christ and He will never cast you away or fail to come to your aid when you call upon Him.  Remember always the sign of the cross and make it frequently upon yourself, for it is an invincible defense against the attacks of the evil one and his demons.  Remember to call for help to the Mother of God and to the saints – especially the holy martyrs Cyprian and Justina – and our Lord will preserve you and protect you from every attack of the enemy.