Lives of the Saints
1. THE HOLY FORTY MARTYRS OF SEBASTE
All of these were soldiers in the Roman army, yet they believed firmly in the Lord Jesus. When a persecution arose in the time of Licinius, they were brought to trial before a commander, who threatened to strip them of their military rank. To this one of them, the holy Candidus, replied: "Take not only our military rank but our bodies as well; nothing is dearer or more honorable to us than Christ our God." After this the commander ordered his servants to stone the holy martyrs. But when the servants cast stones at the Christians, the stones turned back and fell upon the servants themselves, striking them grievously. One stone fell upon the commander's face and shattered his teeth. The tormentors, fierce as wild beasts, bound the holy martyrs and threw them into a lake, and set a guard all around so that not one should come out. There was a terrible frost, and the lake was freezing around the bodies of the martyrs. To intensify the torments, the tormentors heated and illumined a bathhouse by the edge of the lake, in full sight of the freezing sufferers, in hopes of enticing some of them to renounce Christ and acknowledge the Roman idols. Indeed, one was enticed, came out of the water, and entered the bathhouse. But behold — at night an extraordinary light fell from heaven, which warmed the water in the lake and the bodies of the martyrs, and with that light thirty-nine crowns descended from heaven upon their heads. A guard on the shore saw this, stripped off his clothing, confessed the name of the Lord Jesus, and entered the lake, that he might be counted worthy of that fortieth crown in place of the traitor. And indeed that last crown descended upon him. The next day the whole city was astonished to see the martyrs still alive. Then the wicked judges ordered that their legs be broken, and their bodies cast into the water so that Christians could not take them. On the third day the martyrs appeared to the local bishop Peter and called upon him to gather their relics from the water. The bishop went out in the dark of night with his clergy, and they saw the martyrs' relics gleaming upon the water. And every bone that had been separated from their bodies floated to the surface and shone like a candle. They gathered them and buried them honorably. And the souls of these martyrs departed to the Lord Jesus, who suffered for all of us and rose again in glory. They suffered honorably and were crowned with imperishable glory in the year 320.
2. VENERABLE PHILOROMUS THE CONFESSOR
He lived and struggled in Galatia in the fourth century. It is said of him that he was so perfect in all the virtues that he resembled an angel more than a man. He was especially renowned for his endurance. He was persecuted by Emperor Julian the Apostate and suffered greatly for Christ. But after the death of that wicked persecutor of Christ he lived peacefully, being of benefit to many. He reposed in his eightieth year.
3. SAINT CAESARIUS
Caesarius was the brother of Saint Gregory the Theologian, he reposed in the year 369. Saint Caesarius was also a theological writer. Among other things, he endeavored to answer the question: how long did Adam and Eve remain in Paradise before the expulsion? Some fixed that time at six hours, others at twenty-four hours, and others at three days. Saint Caesarius was of the opinion that the time was forty days. For that reason, he says, the Lord Jesus also fasted forty days in the desert and was tempted by the devil during that time. And while the old Adam could not withstand the temptations of the devil amid the abundance of Paradise, the New Adam withstood them valiantly in the hungry and thirsty desert.
Hymn of Praise
THE HOLY FORTY MARTYRS OF SEBASTE
Martyrs in the lake, bound fast by frost,
Holding firm to the holy faith, illumined by hope,
They cried to the gracious God: Thou who didst astonish the world
With Thy dread sacrifice and resurrection — O revive us!
Thee the vault of heaven praises and every created thing,
Behold, the depths praise Thee, the fires, and hail and snow, ice and heat!
Thou didst help Thy great servant Moses,
And Joshua the son of Nun, and then Elisha,
To subdue the nature of water and to divide it.
Help Thy faithful ones now as Thou hast always done.
Let not the frost be stronger than man,
Lest we forty martyrs become an object of mockery:
For Thou art able, if Thou willest, for Thou rulest over all,
Thou dost turn ice to fire and fire to ice when Thou willest:
The frost devours us like a fierce beast for the sake of Thy name —
O help, that the name of the Almighty may be glorified!
Martyrs in the lake, bound fast by frost,
Were warmed by the divine light from the heavens —
Gloriously they fell and remained the Forty Martyrs,
To the fear, terror, and shame of the dark unbelievers.
Reflection
Conceal your spiritual treasure and do not reveal it without necessity. See how men conceal their material wealth, and how when compelled to declare how much they have, they always conceal the main sums and reveal only the lesser. Very few are those who wish to declare all they have, and fewer still are those who declare they have more than they actually do (and the world regards such as frivolous and foolish). By this it is clearly indicated to you how you should conceal your spiritual treasure — that is, your virtues and good deeds, your fasts, vigils, and prayers. Why do the wise children of this world not reveal their material riches? For two reasons: lest thieves hear of them, and lest they provoke the envy of malicious men. There are thieves and enviers of spiritual treasure too. These are the spirits of malice. The moment you reveal it, they will take care to diminish or dissipate it. Indeed, the moment you reveal it without need — say, out of vanity, to boast — they have seized it and scattered it. And you, a man rich in spiritual treasure, shall imperceptibly and suddenly become a beggar. Many spiritually wealthy men — saints — made themselves appear foolish before the world, that by apparent foolishness they might conceal the great wisdom and power within them. Abba Isaiah writes: "Virtues performed in secret are pleasing to God." And Saint Nilus of Sinai says: "Covered skin on the body is white, while uncovered skin is scorched and black." So it is also with our hidden and revealed good deeds.
“Conceal your spiritual treasure and do not reveal it without necessity.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the Lord Jesus in the hands of the enemies of God, assembled in the house of Caiaphas, namely:
1. How all of them hastily seek false witnesses, for they desire at all costs to kill Christ;
2. How they spit in His face and strike Him across the face;
3. How the Lord endures all of this with unspeakable dignity and without anger.
Homily
on enduring unto the end
But he that endureth to the end shall be saved (Matt. 10:22; 24:13)
O wondrous Lord, Thou didst endure all things — all, unto the end — and therefore Thou didst become not only blessed Thyself but the source of blessedness for all men who desire good for themselves, through ages and ages!
And the apostles endured all things unto the end, and entered into eternal blessedness.
And the martyrs of Christ endured all torments unto the end, and became adopted co-heirs in the Kingdom of Christ.
And the saints endured voluntary hardship and suffering unto the end, and were glorified both in heaven and on earth.
Every founder of a new society recruits followers for himself by promising good fruits and many pleasures, but purposely conceals all the hardships and labors that lead to those fruits and pleasures. The Lord Jesus alone told His followers the whole truth — both the bitter and the sweet side of the truth. He did not promise fruits without service, nor glory without suffering, nor final rest without a thorny path, nor victory without struggle, nor sweetness without bitterness, nor a kingdom without tears and self-denial.
When He had enumerated the many torments that would befall His followers, He did not in the end leave them without consolation. He gives meaning to their suffering and does not leave them in darkness. He says: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. And what that salvation is which awaits those who endure all things unto the end — this He Himself has sufficiently revealed, and many saints have testified and continue to testify to this day: those who have appeared to the faithful from that world in glory, or who, while yet in the body, were raised in spirit to a vision of that glory and blessedness which awaits the faithful, the chosen, and the steadfast.
O Lord, Thou art our strength. Help us to endure all things unto the end with the faith that Thou art with us. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“The Lord Jesus alone told His followers the whole truth — both the bitter and the sweet side. He did not promise fruits without service, nor glory without suffering, nor final rest without a thorny path.”