The Golden Legend, compiled by the Dominican friar and later archbishop of Genoa, Blessed Jacobus de Voragine, around 1260, was the single most popular religious text of the Middle Ages after the Bible itself. Encompassing over 170 chapters, it offered vivid accounts of the lives of saints, explanations of feast days, and meditations on the mysteries of the liturgical year, drawing on Scripture, apocrypha, early Christian writings, and popular traditions. Far more than a mere catalogue of saints’ biographies, it wove together miracle stories, moral lessons, and symbolic interpretations, providing preachers and laypeople alike with a rich treasury of exempla to inspire devotion and shape Christian identity. The Golden Legend circulated widely in manuscript form, was translated into nearly every major European vernacular, and became one of the first books to be printed after the invention of the press, ensuring its immense influence on medieval preaching, literature, and religious art. Its enduring appeal lay in its ability to instruct, edify, and captivate, making it the preeminent spiritual companion of Christendom for centuries.Note: at the end of this recording I refer to Jacobus de Voragine as "Saint Jacobus"; however, he was beatified in 1816 but never canonized by the Church, and therefore should correctly be referred to as 'Blessed' but not 'Saint'. Saints Cyprian and Justina were early Christian martyrs venerated together for their dramatic conversion story and steadfast faith. According to tradition, Cyprian was a pagan magician and philosopher from Antioch who was commissioned to use sorcery to corrupt the Christian maiden Justina, but her fervent prayers defeated his spells, leading him to renounce magic and embrace Christianity. Inspired by her purity and faith, he was baptized, ordained a priest, and later became a bishop, while Justina devoted herself to virginity and prayer. During the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century, both were arrested, tortured, and ultimately executed for refusing to renounce Christ, sealing their witness with martyrdom. Their story became a powerful testimony to the triumph of faith over demonic power and worldly temptation.