Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY MARTYRS TARACHUS, PROBUS, AND ANDRONICUS
Tarachus was by origin from Claudiopolis in Syria; Probus was from Side in Pamphylia; and Andronicus was the son of a distinguished citizen of Ephesus. All three were tortured together by the proconsul Numerius Maximus in the time of Emperor Diocletian. Tarachus was sixty-five years old at the time of his torture. When the proconsul asked him his name three times, all three times he answered: "Christian." First they were beaten with rods, then, bloodied and wounded, they were cast into prison. After that they were brought out again for torture. When the proconsul counseled Probus to deny Christ, promising him honors from the emperor and his own friendship, holy Probus answered: "I want neither the emperor's honors, nor do I desire your friendship." And when they threatened Saint Andronicus with yet greater bodily torments, the young martyr of Christ answered: "My body is before you, do with it what you will." After prolonged torture in various places, these three holy martyrs were thrown before wild beasts in the arena. Before them, other condemned men in the same arena had been torn apart by the beasts. But the beasts would not harm the saints; rather, both the bear and the fierce lioness fawned upon them. Seeing this, many believed in Christ God and cried out against the proconsul. Enraged with fury, and fiercer than the beasts themselves, the proconsul ordered soldiers to enter and hack Christ's warriors to pieces with swords. Their bodies remained mingled with the dead bodies of the other condemned men. Three Christians — Macarius, Felix, and Verius — who had been present at the slaying of the holy martyrs, came that night to take their bodies. But since the bodies were mingled together, and the night was very dark, they were at a loss as to how to distinguish the martyrs' bodies. They prayed to God, and suddenly three candles appeared above the bodies of the saints. And so they took them and buried them with honor.
2. SAINT MARTIN, BISHOP OF TOURS
Born in Pannonia, in a city of Styria, in the year 316, of pagan parents. His father was a Roman officer, and thus young Martin was also given, against his will, to military service. Meanwhile he had already been enrolled as a catechumen in the Christian Church, which he loved with all his heart from early childhood. Traveling one winter with his companions toward the city of Amiens, he saw before the gates of the city a beggar who, all but naked, was trembling from the cold. Martin took pity on him, fell behind his companions, took off his military cloak, and with his sword cut it in two: one half he gave to the beggar, and with the other he wrapped himself, and went on. That night the Lord Christ appeared to him in a dream, wrapped in that half of his cloak, and said to His angels: "Martin is still only a catechumen, and yet he has clothed Me with his own garment!" Upon leaving the army, Martin was immediately baptized and baptized his mother as well. After that he was tonsured a monk in the diocese of Saint Hilary of Poitiers and led a life of true asceticism. He was extraordinarily humble, and because of his humility God gave him an abundant gift of wonderworking, so that he even raised the dead and cast out evil spirits. Against his will he was appointed Bishop of Tours. After abundant labor in the vineyard of the Lord, after a painful struggle with both pagans and Arian heretics, Saint Martin surrendered his holy soul into the hands of his Lord in 397.
3. VENERABLE COSMAS OF MAIUMA
By origin from Jerusalem. A companion of Saint John of Damascus, whose parents took him in as an orphan and raised him. As a monk he helped Saint John of Damascus compose the Octoechos. He himself also composed many canons to the saints. His canons for Lazarus Saturday, for Palm Sunday, and for Holy Week are distinguished by particular beauty and depth. He was bishop in the city of Maiuma, near Gaza in Palestine. He outlived Saint John of Damascus and ended his life in deep old age.
“My body is before you, do with it what you will.”
Hymn of Praise
SAINT MARTIN, BISHOP OF TOURS
Saint Martin, child of Pannonia,
And a great luminary of Gaul,
Despised the honors of the earthly emperor,
Became a servant of the Heavenly King.
Of mighty will, as of some giant,
Was Martin, yet of a merciful heart.
With ashes Martin would cover himself,
On wretched ashes he would sleep,
Out of love for his God,
Who was crucified for the sins of men.
And Martin too was crucified to the world
Only that he might attain the goal.
Martin waged battle with demons,
He did not yield to their temptations.
He waged battle with insolent men,
With heresies dark and dishonorable.
A knight was Martin the Orthodox,
A wondrous and glorious conqueror.
The battle is past, the knight rests
With his thoughts beside Christ the King,
Yet still he raises prayers to God
And comes to the aid of those in need.
Reflection
By what, above all, did the saints so greatly exalt themselves and become glorified in the eyes of heaven and of men? Chiefly by humility and service. Saint Martin, even before his baptism, when he was an officer, had a servant whom he regarded more as a brother than a servant. Often he served his servant, not being ashamed of it but, on the contrary, rejoicing in it. When Saint Hilary wished to ordain him a priest, he declined that honor with tears and implored the bishop only to allow him to be a monk in some remote place. Once Saint Martin was traveling from France to Pannonia to visit his parents. When he was crossing the Alps, robbers seized him and wished to kill him. When one robber raised his hand to cut him down, Martin was not frightened, and did not flinch, and did not beg for mercy, but was perfectly calm, as though nothing were happening. The robber was astonished at such behavior, lowered his sword, and asked Martin who he was. Martin said that he was a Christian, and that he was not frightened because he knew that God in His great mercy is always near to men, and especially in moments of danger. All the robbers marveled at the rare virtue of this man of God, and the one who had raised his sword against Martin came to believe in Christ, was baptized, and later became a monk. When the episcopal see of Tours became vacant, all wanted Saint Martin to be bishop, but Martin would not hear of it. Yet certain citizens of Tours lured him from the monastery by a ruse and carried him off. Namely, they came before the gate of Martin's monastery and told the abbot that a certain sick man was waiting before the gate and asking the saint to come out and bless him. When Saint Martin came out, they took him and carried him off to Tours and made him bishop. Foreseeing his approaching death in old age, he announced this to his brethren, and they wept bitterly, begging him not to leave them. The saint, to comfort them, prayed to God before them and said: "Lord, if I am still needed by Thy people, I do not refuse the labor. Let Thy holy will be done!"
“Often he served his servant, not being ashamed of it but, on the contrary, rejoicing in it.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous deed of the Apostles Peter and John (Acts 3), namely:
1. How a beggar, lame from birth, sought alms from the holy apostles;
2. How Peter said that they had neither silver nor gold;
3. How the apostle took him by the hand and said: In the name of Jesus Christ, arise and walk! And how the sick man was healed.
“How a beggar, lame from birth, sought alms from the holy apostles.”
Homily
on evening weeping and morning joy
In the evening weeping shall come to dwell, but in the morning joy (Psalm 30:5)
God chastens, and God makes glad. One penitent thought already softens the wrath of God. For God does not grow wrathful at men as an enemy grows wrathful, but as a father at his children. His wrath is momentary, His mercy infinite. If He chastens in the evening, by morning He already gives joy. That men may know Him both in chastening and in caressing. O my brethren, if men always knew and acknowledged God as a benefactor, they would never know Him as a chastiser and judge. Behold, even God Himself rejoices more that we should come to know Him by His mercy rather than by His wrath. But there are men who are very ungrateful and thoughtless, who never remember God when God gives and caresses, but remember Him only when He begins to strike and chasten them, whether by illness, or by death in the family, or by failure and shame among men, or by fire, or by the sword, or by earthquake, or by flood, or by the many other rods and switches with which He lashes the unawakened, admonishes the ungrateful, brings the dulled to reason, and reminds one and all that He is the Creator and Lord and Giver and Judge. In the evening weeping shall come to dwell, but in the morning joy. Furthermore, these words mean that the night is for weeping and prayer and repentance and meditation on God. Especially is the night for repentance, and there is no true repentance without weeping. At night a man thinks undisturbed about his deeds, about his words and thoughts, and repents of everything he has done against the law of God. If at night one weeps in penitence, by day he shall rejoice, he shall rejoice as one newborn, as one bathed, as one relieved of the burden of sin. But if he spends the night in sin and senseless merriment, the day will dawn for him sorrowful and full of tears.
O Lord Jesus, our Savior and Teacher, chasten us, but forgive us; scourge us, but save us. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“In the evening weeping shall come to dwell, but in the morning joy.”