A Forgotten Bi-Ritual Saint, St Longinus the Centurion

Well, sort of. Today in the Menaions of the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches and in the 2004 Roman Martyrology is the Feast of St Longinus, the Centurion who pierced Christ's side with the Holy Lance (Feast of the Holy Lance and Nails, Friday after the First Sunday of Lent). In the earlier Roman Martyrologies, his Feast is kept on 15 March..

From the (unrevised) Roman Martyrology:

At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, the holy martyr Longinus, who is said to have been the soldier who pierced the Lord's side with a spear.

The revised Martyrology doesn't mention martyrdom, saying only, 'At Jerusalem, commemoration of Saint Longinus, who is venerated as the soldier opening the side of the crucified Lord with a lance.'

From the East:

The Holy Martyr Longinus the Centurion, a Roman soldier, served in Judea under the command of the Governor, Pontius Pilate. When our Saviour Jesus Christ was crucified, it was the detachment of soldiers under the command of Longinus which stood watch on Golgotha, at the very foot of the Holy Cross. Longinus and his soldiers were eyewitnesses of the final moments of the earthly life of the Lord, and of the great and awesome portents that appeared at His death. These events shook the centurion’s soul. Longinus believed in Christ and confessed before everyone, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Mt. 27:54).

According to Church Tradition, Longinus was the soldier who pierced the side of the Crucified Saviour with a spear and received healing from an eye affliction when blood and water poured forth from the wound.

After the Crucifixion and Burial of the Saviour, Longinus stood watch with his company at the Sepulchre of the Lord. These soldiers were present at the All-Radiant Resurrection of Christ. The Jews bribed them to lie and say that His disciples had stolen away the Body of Christ, but Longinus and two of his comrades refused to be seduced by the Jewish gold. They also refused to remain silent about the miracle of the Resurrection.

Having come to believe in the Saviour, the soldiers received Baptism from the apostles and decided to leave military service. Saint Longinus left Judea to preach about Jesus Christ the Son of God in his native land (Cappadocia), and his two comrades followed him.

The fiery words of those who had actually participated in the great events in Judea swayed the hearts and minds of the Cappadocians; Christianity began quickly to spread throughout the city and the surrounding villages. When they learned of this, the Jewish elders persuaded Pilate to send a company of soldiers to Cappadocia to kill Longinus and his comrades. When the soldiers arrived at Longinus’s village, the former centurion himself came out to meet the soldiers and took them to his home. After a meal, the soldiers revealed the purpose of their visit, not knowing that the master of the house was the very man whom they were seeking. Then Longinus and his friends identified themselves and told the startled soldiers to carry out their duty.

The soldiers wanted to let the saints go and advised them to flee, but they refused to do this, showing their firm intention to suffer for Christ. The holy martyrs were beheaded, and their bodies were buried at the place where the saints were martyred. The head of Saint Longinus, however, was sent to Pilate.

Pilate gave orders to cast the martyr’s head on a trash-heap outside the city walls. After a while, a certain blind widow from Cappadocia arrived in Jerusalem with her son to pray at the holy places, and to ask that her sight be restored. After becoming blind, she had sought the help of physicians to cure her, but all their efforts were in vain.

The woman’s son became ill shortly after reaching Jerusalem, and he died a few days later. The widow grieved for the loss of her son, who had served as her guide.

Saint Longinus appeared to her in a dream and comforted her. He told her that she would see her son in heavenly glory, and also receive her sight. He told her to go outside the city walls and there she would find his head in a great pile of refuse. Guides led the blind woman to the rubbish heap, and she began to dig with her hands. As soon as she touched the martyr’s head, the woman received her sight, and she glorified God and Saint Longinus.

Taking up the head, she brought it to the place she was staying and washed it. The next night, Saint Longinus appeared to her again, this time with her son. They were surrounded by a bright light, and Saint Longinus said, “Woman, behold the son for whom you grieve. See what glory and honour are his now, and be consoled. God has numbered him with those in His heavenly Kingdom. Now take my head and your son’s body, and bury them in the same casket. Do not weep for your son, for he will rejoice forever in great glory and happiness.”

The woman carried out the saint’s instructions and returned to her home in Cappadocia. There she buried her son and the head of Saint Longinus. Once, she had been overcome by grief for her son, but her weeping was transformed into joy when she saw him with Saint Longinus. She had sought healing for her eyes, and also received healing of her soul.

Troparion — Tone 1

Longinus, you beheld the King of Glory / who was nailed to the Cross, yet shone on those in darkness. / You were enlightened by His rays and became a martyr / and save those who cry: / Glory to Him who gave you strength! / Glory to Him who granted you a crown! / Glory to Him who through you grants healing to all!

Kontakion — Tone 4

The Church rejoices in gladness / on the day of the commemoration of the ever-memorable athlete Longinus! / She cries out: “You are my strength and support, O Christ!”

From the West:

From The Golden Legend of Blessed Jacobus Voragine, translated by William Caxton in 1483.

THE LIFE OF ST. LONGINUS

THE GOOD THIEF

Longinus, which was a puissant knight, was with other knights, by the commandment of Pilate, on the side of the cross of our Lord, and pierced the side of our Lord with a spear; and when he saw the miracles, how the sun lost his light, and great earthquaving of the earth was, when our Lord suffered death and passion in the tree of the cross, then believed he in Jesu Christ.

Some say that when he smote our Lord with the spear in the side, the precious blood avaled by the shaft of the spear upon his hands, and of adventure with his hands he touched his eyes, and anon he that had been tofore blind saw anon clearly, wherefore he refused all chivalry and abode with the apostles, of whom he was taught and christened, and after, he abandoned him to lead an holy life in doing alms and in keeping the life of a monk about thirty-eight years in Cæsarea and in Cappadocia, and by his words and his example many men converted he to the faith of Christ.

ST. LONGINUS BEFORE OCTAVIAN THE PROVOST

And when this came to the knowledge of Octavian the provost, he took him and would have constrained him to do sacrifice to the idols, and St. Longinus said: There may no man serve two lords which be contrary to other; thine idols be lords of thy malices, corrupters of all good works and enemies to chastity, humility and to bounty, and friends to all ordure of luxury, of gluttony, of idleness, of pride and of avarice, and my Lord is Lord of soberness that bringeth the people to the everlasting life.

Then said the provost: It is nought that thou sayest; make sacrifice to the idols and thy God shall forgive thee because of the commandment that is made to thee.

Longinus said: If thou wilt become Christian God shall pardon thee thy trespasses.

Then the provost was angry, and made the teeth of St. Longinus to be drawn out of his mouth, and did do cut his mouth open. And yet for all that Longinus lost not his speech, but took an axe that he there found, and hewed and brake therewith the idols and said: Now may we see if they be very gods or not.

And anon the devils issued out and entered into the body of the provost and his fellows, and they brayed like beasts and fell down to the feet of St. Longinus and said: We know well that thou art servant unto the sovereign God.

And St. Longinus demanded of the devils why they dwelled in these idols, and they answered: We have found place in these idols for us, for over all where Jesu Christ is not named ne his sign is not showed, there dwell we gladly; and because when these paynims come to these idols for to adore and make sacrifice in the name of us, then we come and dwell in these idols, wherefore we pray thee, man of God, that thou send us not in the abysm of hell.

And St. Longinus said to the people that there were: What say ye: will ye have these devlls for your gods and worship them or have ye liefer that I hunt them out of this world in the name of Jesu Christ?

And the people said with a high voice: Much great is the God of Christian people, holy man, we pray thee that thou suffer not the devils to dwell in this city.

Then commanded St. Longinus to the devils that they should issue out of these people, in such wise that the people had great joy and believed in our Lord.

OCTAVIAN ARRAIGNS ST. LONGINUS A SECOND TIME

A little time after, the evil provost made St. Longinus to come tofore him, and said to him that all the people were departed, and by his enchantment had refused the idols; if the king knew it he should destroy us and the city also.

Aphrodisius answered: How wilt thou yet torment this good man, which hath saved us and hath done so much good to the city?

And the provost said: He hath deceived us by enchantry.

Aphrodisius said: His God is great and hath none evil in him.

Then did the provost cut out the tongue of Aphrodisius, wherefore St. Longinus signed unto God, and anon the provost became blind and lost all his members. When Aphrodisius saw that, he said: Lord God, thou art just and thy judgment is veritable.

And the provost said to Aphrodisius: Fair brother, pray to St. Longinus that he pray for me, for I have done ill to him.

And Aphrodisius said: Have not I well told it to thee, do no more so to Longinus: Seest not thou me speak without tongue?

And the provost said, I have not only lost mine eyes, but also my heart and my body is in great pain.

And St. Longinus said: If thou wilt be whole and guerished put me appertly to death, and I shall pray for thee to our Lord, after that I shall be dead, that he heal thee.

And anon then the provost did do smite off his head, and after, he came and fell on the body of St. Longinus and said all in weeping, Sire: I have sinned; I knowledge and confess my filth.

And anon came again his sight, and he received health of his body and buried honorably the body of St. Longinus. And the provost believed in Jesu Christ and abode in the company of Christian men, and thanked God, and died in good estate. All this happed in Cæsarea of Cappadocia to the honour of our Lord God, to whom be given laud and glory in secula seculorum.