silver-glass:

““Lord God, Father of our blessed Savior, I thank Thee that I have been deemed worthy to recieve the crown of martyrdom, and that I may die for Thee and Thy cause!””

— Polycarp

The prayer of St. Polycarp before his martyrdom.

The martyrdom of St. Polycarp was written for the edification of the early church. It was shared widely and read (presumably) aloud to the congregations.

After his body was finally burnt, by cover of night, his disciples came and took his bones. For them, even his bones were holy.