St. Polycarp was a disciple of St. John the Apostle, and a friend of St. Ignatius of Antioch; his influence on the early Church was profound. When in his old age he was arrested and put to death, his fellow Christians celebrated Eucharist at his tomb on the anniversary of his death every year for years after. He was a profoundly holy man, and the written account of his martyrdom is one of the earliest tales of its kind an ancient literature.
“There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me.” Let this passage from our Gospel be an encouragement to you to live out your Christian vocation today. How many Christians keep their faith to themselves, or do not think that have anything to contribute to the building of the Kingdom, because they feel that they are not good enough, holy enough, and so on. Yet if even the lowliest among us does some good, we will be speaking well of the Lord we seek to serve: in action, more so than word. Polycarp, pray for us!