Little is known about the life of Januarius. He is believed to have been martyred in the Emperor Diocletians persecution of 305. Legend has it that Januarius and his companions were thrown to the bears in the amphitheater of Pozzuoli, but the animals failed to attack them. They were then beheaded, and Januarius blood ultimately brought to Naples.
It is defined Catholic doctrine that miracles can happen and are recognizable. Problems arise, however, when we must decide whether an occurrence is unexplainable in natural terms, or merely unexplained. We do well to avoid an excessive credulity but, on the other hand, when even scientists speak about probabilities rather than laws of nature, it is something less than imaginative for Christians to think that God is too scientific to work extraordinary miracles to wake us up to the everyday miracles of sparrows and dandelions, raindrops and snowflakes.
Blood Banks Naples
