Lives of the Saints
1. THE HOLY MARTYRS TERENCE, AFRICANUS, MAXIMUS, POMPIUS, AND THE OTHER 36 WITH THEM
They suffered for Christ and were crowned with the crown of glory in the time of Emperor Decius. By the emperor's command the governor of Africa proclaimed to all the people that all must offer sacrifice to the idols; otherwise the governor threatened terrible torture for every obstinate one. Having heard of these threats, many fell away from the faith and worshiped the idols. But these forty martyrs remained steadfast, on account of which they were subjected to torture. Saint Terence encouraged his companions with these words: "Let us take care, brethren, that we do not deny Christ our God, lest He also deny us before His heavenly Father and the holy angels!" The governor divided them into two groups: the thirty-six, after flogging and scraping and pouring salt on their open wounds, he beheaded by the sword. And the first four he cast into prison with heavy chains about their necks, on their hands, and also on their feet. But an angel of God appeared in the prison, touched the chains of the fettered ones, and the chains fell off. Then the angel set an abundant table before them and fed them. Again they were brought out and tortured, and again locked up in prison. The governor further ordered the sorcerers to gather as many venomous creatures as possible — serpents and scorpions — and to shut them in the same cell with the martyrs. But the creatures would not touch God's servants; instead they huddled into one corner and there lay for three days. When on the third day the prison was opened, the creatures rushed at the sorcerers and bit them. Finally the governor pronounced the death sentence upon the four martyrs. When they were led out to execution, they joyfully sang psalms and praised God, Who had deemed them worthy of a martyr's death. They suffered honorably and were deemed worthy of the Kingdom in the year 250.
2. THE HOLY 6,000 MARTYRS IN GEORGIA
In the wilderness of David-Gareja in Georgia there were twelve monasteries, in which many monks had labored ascetically through the centuries. In the year 1615 Shah Abbas I attacked Georgia and laid waste to all of it, and slaughtered countless Christians. Once, going out to hunt at the very dawn of Pascha, he beheld in the mountains numerous lights. These were monks from all twelve communities in procession around the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, with candles in hand. When the Shah learned that these were monks, he asked with astonishment: "Has not all of Georgia yet been put to the sword?" and he ordered the soldiers to go at once and cut down all the monks. An angel of God appeared at that moment to Abbot Arsenios and announced to him their imminent death. Arsenios communicated this to all the brethren. Then all partook of the Most Pure Mysteries and prepared themselves for death. At that moment the attackers arrived, and hacked to pieces first the Abbot, who came out first before them, and then all the rest. All suffered honorably, and were crowned with unwithering crowns in the year 1615. Thus ended the history of these renowned monasteries, which for more than a thousand years had served as a hearth of spiritual enlightenment for the Georgians. Today only two remain: that of Saint David and that of Saint John the Forerunner. The Georgian King Archil gathered all the relics of the martyrs and reverently buried them. Those relics to this very day exude a healing myrrh and heal the sick.
Hymn of Praise
THE HOLY 6,000 MARTYRS IN GEORGIA
Six thousand of God's faithful servants
Rejoiced in the radiant Resurrection,
Six thousand human hearts,
An entire flock of guileless lambs!
With candles they processed around the church,
Sweet hymns to the Resurrection they sang.
Until a fearsome wolf from the midnight dark
With hungry cubs did pounce,
To slaughter the guileless lambs.
Yet these were not lambs but shepherds
Of the long-suffering Georgian nation,
Sanctifiers and enlighteners,
All monks, wondrous ascetics.
Arsenios foresaw death for all,
And thus he spoke unto the monks:
-- My brethren, sons of Georgia,
The hour has come to drink the cup,
The sweet cup of suffering for Christ.
Behold, the wolves rush through the mountains!
Quickly, brethren, to the Most Pure Communion,
And after that -- to a baptism of blood!
Repent for yourselves and for the people,
And direct all thoughts toward God,
Forgive those who do you evil,
The gates of Paradise open before us,
Let every brother forgive every brother.
Christ is risen -- that we too may rise,
We are faithful to Him till our last breath!
“Christ is risen — that we too may rise, we are faithful to Him till our last breath!”
Reflection
When a man detaches his mind from the earth and opens it toward God with a desire to please God, then God reveals His will to him in various ways. Saint Peter of Damascus writes: "If a man has the wholehearted intention of pleasing God, then God teaches him His will either through thoughts, or through some other person, or through Holy Scripture." Such a man becomes attentive and watchful, and awaits from within and from without the guidance of God. For him, chance ceases to exist. And the whole world becomes for him like a ten-stringed harp, which produces not a single sound without the finger of God.
“The whole world becomes for him like a ten-stringed harp, which produces not a single sound without the finger of God.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the risen Lord Jesus, namely:
1. How He appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and how they did not recognize Him;
2. How the hearts of the two burned while He spoke to them, and how they recognized Him only when He blessed and broke the bread;
3. How the Lord suddenly became invisible to their eyes.
Homily
on the living hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3)
Who has a dead hope, brethren, and who has a living hope? He has a dead hope who hopes in dead things; and he has a living hope who hopes in the living God. And further, he has a dead hope who hopes in himself and in other people; while he has a living hope who hopes in the living God. And further, he has a dead hope who hopes in happiness and prosperity in this brief earthly existence, and extends no hope beyond the grave; while he has a living hope who hopes in the resurrection and in immortal life in the Heavenly Kingdom. Truly, a living hope is better than a dead hope, as life is better than death; as light is better than darkness; as health is better than sickness; as reason is better than folly. But who brought and showed to men the living hope -- who, and how? The Apostle Peter answers this question: our Lord Jesus Christ, and that by His resurrection from the dead. No one other than the Lord Jesus Christ; and by nothing else so much as by His own resurrection from the dead. By His resurrection the Lord gave wings to the all-but-extinguished hope of mankind, and extended it beyond the grave, and showed it the aim and purpose and fruit beyond the grave. All this is affirmed not by some credulous man but by an apostle who long wavered in faith, and who three times denied Christ. Therefore his testimony concerning the risen Lord and the significance of His resurrection is inexpressibly precious for us.
O risen Lord, Conqueror of death, root out from us the dead hope and implant the living hope, by the prayers of Saint Peter, Thy great apostle. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“He has a dead hope who hopes in dead things; and he has a living hope who hopes in the living God.”