Lives of the Saints
1. THE HOLY TWELVE MARTYRS
These are the Holy Twelve Martyrs, who suffered during the time of Emperor Diocletian. The first of them, Pamphilus, presbyter of the church in Palestinian Caesarea, a learned and pious man, corrected the text of the New Testament from the errors of various copyists; he himself copied this salvific book and gave it to those who desired it. The second was the deacon Valens, old in years and gray with wisdom. He was an excellent authority of Holy Scripture, and knew it almost by heart. The third was Paul, an honorable and distinguished man, who once before had been cast into fire for Christ. In addition, five more brothers in body and spirit, who were born in Egypt were returning from forced labor in the Cilician mines to their homeland. At the gate of the city of Caesarea they said they were Christians, for which they were brought before the court. When asked what their names were, they said: "The pagan names which our mother gave us, we have cast off and we have called ourselves Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel." When asked where they were from, they said: "From the Heavenly Jerusalem." All these were beheaded, and with them also suffered the youth Porphyrius, who sought their bodies to bury them. He was burned in fire, as well as Seleucus, who came and kissed the martyrs before the sword fell on their heads. Seleucus had earlier been an officer. Also martyred was the elder Theodulus, servant of the Roman judge, who at the funeral kissed one of the martyrs. Lastly, Julian, who kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and praised them. And thus they gave the little for the great, and the cheap for the precious, and the mortal for the immortal, and departed to the Lord in the year 308.
2. SAINT MARUTHAS
Saint Maruthas was bishop of the city of Tagrit in Mesopotamia. He was known for his faith and goodness. Maruthas softened the anger of the Persian Emperor Yazdegerd toward Christians, obtained from him the relics of four hundred martyrs in Persia, and founded a special city, Martyropolis, where he laid these holy relics. In that city he ended his earthly course in the year 422 and departed to the Lord.
3. HOLY VENERABLE MARTYR ROMANUS
Romanus was a simple and illiterate peasant from Carpenesion. Learning of the heroism and glory of Christ's martyrs, young Romanus desired martyrdom for himself. He went to Thessalonica where he began on the street to praise the Christian faith, and to call Muhammad a fabulist. The Turks terribly tortured him, then sold him to a certain galley captain. Christians ransomed him from the captain and sent him to the Holy Mountain where Romanus became a monk with the renowned elder Akakios, but he still desired martyrdom for Christ. With the blessing of the elder he went to Constantinople, pretended to be a fool and began to lead a dog through the Turkish streets. When asked what he was doing, Romanus answered that he was feeding that dog just as Christians feed the Turks. The Turks threw him into a dry well where he spent forty days without bread. Then they pulled him out and beheaded him. From his body light shone forth for three days. A certain Englishman took the body and carried it to England. And a certain monk dipped a towel in the martyr's blood. That towel is preserved even today in the monastery of Docheiariou. This glorious soldier of Christ suffered in the year 1694.
“And thus they gave the little for the great, and the cheap for the precious, and the mortal for the immortal.”
Hymn of Praise
Martyrs of Christ, noble flowers,
That forever will not wither.
Martyrs of Christ, living evergreens,
That toward heaven stretch, stained with blood.
Martyrs of Christ, fragrances of incense,
And oil lamps, illumined by God.
You pursued Christ's beauty as in a race.
You are forever in Paradise with Christ.
The world will be then cease to be, but you will be
In Paradise with the Lord eternally rejoicing.
Reflection
In a meadow the most important thing is grass. In a field, grain. In a garden, greens. No one boasts of the fence of a meadow more than of the hay. Nor does anyone boast of the hut in a field more than of the grain. Nor does anyone boast of the trenches in a garden more than of the vegetables. Why do people boast of states? And of roads in the state? And of trenches along the edges of the state? And of cities in the state? And of everything else that is no more important than the fence in a meadow, nor than the hut in a field, nor than the trench in a garden, when compared with the main crop, with people? People are not for the sake of the state, but the state for the sake of people. Christ did not come to save states but people. From good citizens the state receives value. But what do evil people receive from a great state? They are thorns in a vast field!
“From good citizens the state receives value. But what do evil people receive from a great state? They are thorns in a vast field!”
Contemplation
Contemplate the Lord Jesus how in the dark nights alone in the mountains He prays for my salvation and yours and all people's, namely:
1. How He raises His hands to heaven, how He bows to the earth and how He kneels in prayer many nights, in prayer for my salvation and yours and all people's;
2. How He sweats in prayer and weeps for my salvation and yours and all people's;
3. How He keeps vigil and watches in prayer and torments His body without sleep and rest for my salvation and yours and all people's.
Homily
on the terrible stone
Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (Luke 20:18)
The cornerstone is Christ the Lord. Judas fell on that stone, and was broken. Herod fell on that stone, and was broken. Julian the Apostate fell on that stone, and was broken. Arius fell on that stone, and was broken. The deniers and mockers of Christ fall on that stone, and are broken like pottery vessels.
On Sodom and Gomorrah that stone fell, and Sodom and Gomorrah were ground to powder. On Egypt that stone fell, and Egypt was ground to powder. On Jerusalem that stone fell, and Jerusalem was ground to powder. On the Jewish people that stone fell, and the Jewish people scattered into pieces. On many sinful generations and kingdoms that stone fell, and those sinful generations and kingdoms crumbled into dust and ashes.
Seventy times seven, and more, the Lord forgives sinners, but if even beyond that sinners remain sinners, will the Lord save them against their will? He will not, for that is not the principle of saving people. The principle is that people voluntarily consent to salvation from God. If people seventy times seven, and more, will not desire salvation from God, then God will not either. Then people are broken on the stone, which cannot be passed by, and are ground to powder by the stone, which they lifted up to cast far from themselves. Can it be said that God is unmerciful, who saved the repentant thief on the cross? Can it be said that He is unjust when He handed over to destruction the thief who mocked Him even in his dying hour?
Almighty Lord, save us! To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“Seventy times seven, and more, the Lord forgives sinners, but if even beyond that sinners remain sinners, will the Lord save them against their will?”