Modern Day Clement

As with many other times with our open communication of sensitive prayer requests here on the Prayer Journal, this request requires you to pray with understanding and insight. This history of the Apostle Clement of the Seventy can help us pray for others enduring similar circumstances today.

Clement was baptized by the holy Apostle Peter and became his zealous disciple and constant companion, sharing his toil and sufferings with him. Shortly before his own sufferings and death, Peter consecrated Clement as Bishop of Rome.

The virtuous life, charitable works and prayerful activity of Clement converted many to Christ. He once baptized 424 people on the day of Pascha. Among the baptized were people of all social classes: slaves, officials, and even members of the imperial family.

The pagans, seeing the success of his apostolic preaching, denounced Clement to the emperor Trajan (98-117), accusing the saint of insulting the pagan gods. The emperor banished Clement from the capital, sending him to the Crimea, to work at a stone quarry near the city of Cherson. Many of the saint's disciples followed after him voluntarily, preferring to go into exile rather than live without their spiritual Father.

Please pray through this history with understanding. Pray for wonderful success, like Clement saw even in his exile.

When he arrived at the place of exile, Clement found many Christian believers there. Many hundreds of people were converted to Christ and a church was built there in the stone quarry, where he served as priest. The apostolic activity of the saint aroused the wrath of the emperor Trajan, and he ordered that Clement be drowned. In the year 101, they threw the martyr into the sea with an anchor tied to his neck.

"He who has an ear, let him hear."