<p><em>&ldquo;But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one <span style="text-decoration: underline;">soldier</span> thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out&rdquo; </em>(John 19:33-34).</p> <p><em>&ldquo;From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon&hellip;But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit.&nbsp; And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.&nbsp; The earth quaked, rocks were split&hellip;The <span style="text-decoration: underline;">centurion</span> and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, &lsquo;Truly, this was the Son of God&rsquo;&rdquo; </em>(Matt. 27:45, 50-51, 54).<em></em></p> <p>Tradition holds that this soldier&rsquo;s/centurion&rsquo;s name was Longinus.&nbsp; While Sacred Scripture is silent as to the Roman&rsquo;s name, Sacred Tradition and early documentation (including apocryphal and gnostic texts) identify the soldier as Longinus (<em>cf</em> the gospel of Nicodemus, the Acts of Pilate), as well.</p> <p>An avowed pagan in the Roman Praetorian, St. Longinus was converted by two events.&nbsp; The first event is recorded in St. Matthew and St. Mark&rsquo;s Gospels where it seems that the physical events accompanying Jesus&rsquo; death (the darkness and the earthquake) caused him to believe.&nbsp; However, the second event is connected to St. John&rsquo;s Gospel and is not found in the text.&nbsp; Legend has it that St. Longinus had poor eyesight.&nbsp; When he thrust the lance into Jesus&rsquo; side, the ensuing spray of Sacred Blood and Water trickled into his eyes, immediately curing him of his blindness.&nbsp;</p> <p>While particular cause may be contended, the subsequent effect, the conversion, seems clear.&nbsp; St. Longinus left the Roman guard, sought instruction from the Apostles and retreated to Caesarea of Cappadocia to become a monk who preached and converted many.&nbsp; It was here that he lived until times of persecution intensified.&nbsp; St. Longinus was called before the governor, ordered to make sacrifice to idols, but stubbornly refused.&nbsp; The governor then had his teeth and tongue cut out.&nbsp; However, upon recovering, still in the torturing presence of the governor, his guard, and the idols, St. Longinus rose, grabbing a near-by ax and shattered the idols, miraculously crying out (despite lacking a tongue), &ldquo;Now we shall see whether they are gods.&rdquo;&nbsp; He was then beheaded and martyred.</p> <p><strong>Practical Take-Away:</strong> <em>Christ&rsquo;s Name, the Crucifix and the Holy Home</em></p> <p>When St. Longinus smashed the idols of his persecutors, the legend tells that the demons driven from them entered into the governor and his guards.&nbsp; St. Longinus, was therefore able to converse with the idols, whom he asked, &ldquo;Why take ye up your abode in idols?&rdquo;&nbsp; The demons answered, &ldquo;Where the name of Christ is not heard and the sign of His Cross not imposed, there is our dwelling-place.&rdquo;&nbsp; If you want your dwelling-place (your home, your dorm, your apartment) to not be the dwelling-place of demons, take courage&mdash;put up a Crucifix on your wall, read Scripture aloud, praying in the sanctuary of your home (making Christ&rsquo;s name a regular utterance).&nbsp; By making Him your roommate, your guest, your company, you transform your dwelling-place a domestic Church, wholly unattractive to the Devil and his apostate hosts.</p>