Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY GREAT MARTYR ARTEMIUS
This glorious saint was an Egyptian by birth and the chief commander of Emperor Constantine the Great. When the victorious Cross, surrounded by stars, appeared to Emperor Constantine, and Artemius also saw that Cross, he believed in Christ the Lord and was baptized. Later, in the time of Emperor Constantius, this emperor sent him to Greece to transfer the relics of Saint Andrew from Patras and Saint Luke from Thebes to Constantinople, which Commander Artemius joyfully carried out. After that, Artemius was appointed Augustalis and imperial governor of Egypt, in which office he served both during the time of Constantius, son of Constantine, and for a certain time under Emperor Julian the Apostate. When this God-opposing emperor set out to war against the Persians, he stopped in Antioch and ordered that Artemius also come to Antioch with his army. Artemius came. At that time the emperor subjected two Christian priests, Eugenius and Macarius, to torture. Seeing this, Saint Artemius was stirred in his whole heart, stepped before the emperor and said to him: "Why, O Emperor, dost thou so inhumanly torture innocent and God-consecrated men, and why dost thou compel them to renounce the Orthodox Faith?" And Artemius further prophesied to the emperor: "Thy destruction is near." The enraged emperor sent those two honorable priests into exile in Arabia, where they soon died, and he stripped Commander Artemius of his military rank and ordered him to be flogged and torn. All wounded and bloodied, Artemius was thrown into prison, where the Lord Christ Himself appeared to him, healed him and comforted him. Then the emperor ordered that he be stretched out upon a stone and that another heavy stone be pressed upon him, so that the body of Saint Artemius was entirely crushed and flattened like a board. Finally his head was cut off, in the year 362. And Emperor Julian went against the Persians and perished shamefully, as Saint Artemius had prophesied to him.
2. HOLY RIGHTEOUS ARTEMIUS
Born in 1532. The son of Russian peasant parents, Cosmas and Apollinaria, from the village of Verkola in the Dvina district. From the age of five he distinguished himself from other children by his extraordinary piety and meekness. When he was thirteen years old, the boy was walking with his father through a great forest. From a violent storm, Artemius died in the forest, and his grieving father, unable to dig a grave, covered his body with branches and departed. After twenty-eight years a certain man saw in that forest an extraordinary light, approached the light, and found the undecayed and incorrupt body of Artemius. Many sick people were healed of their illnesses as soon as they touched the body of Saint Artemius. His holy relics repose in a monastery near Pinega in the province of Archangel.
3. VENERABLE GERASIMUS THE NEW
From Trikala in the Peloponnese, of the illustrious Notaras family. Born in 1509. He practiced asceticism on Athos, then in Palestine, where he fasted for forty days. After that he settled on the island of Cephalonia, where he also founded a women's monastery. By prayer he brought down rain, healed the sick, and foresaw the future. He reposed in the Lord on August 15, 1579. A wonderworker both during his life and after his death.
4. VENERABLE NEW MARTYR IGNATIUS
From Eski-Zagora in Bulgaria, from that illustrious Zagora which gave the Church of God many holy ascetics and martyrs. He practiced asceticism in the Skete of Saint John the Forerunner on Athos. He voluntarily surrendered himself to the Turks for torture for Christ. He was hanged in Constantinople on October 8, 1814. His relics are wonderworking. His head is honorably preserved in the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon.
“All wounded and bloodied, Artemius was thrown into prison, where the Lord Christ Himself appeared to him, healed him and comforted him.”
Hymn of Praise
The holy commander Artemius
Did not hide his faith before the emperor,
But courageously declared his faith,
And glorified Christ God before the emperor.
The apostate emperor forgot God
And subjected his commander to torment.
The saint of God devoted his mind to God,
And barely felt the cruel tortures.
Greater is the torment for the sinner who tortures
Than for the righteous one who endures the tortures!
The emperor beheaded the glorious commander,
The Lord glorified His servant:
He raised him to the heavenly Kingdom,
Gave him power to drive out demons,
To heal every sickness and torment,
By the power of God, without effort or word.
Whoever loves and believes in Christ,
Holy Artemius helps him.
“The apostate emperor forgot God and subjected his commander to torment. The saint of God devoted his mind to God, and barely felt the cruel tortures.”
Reflection
Wondrously does the merciful God guide those who surrender themselves to His holy will and His care. As a candlemaker makes from soft wax candles of whatever kind he wishes, so the all-wise God makes from His surrendered servants immortal lights in the heavenly Kingdom. Saint Ignatius the New Martyr was wholly given over to God even as a boy, and he yearned to be a monk and to be a martyr for the Faith. In the time of the uprising of Karadjordje, the Turks were gathering troops throughout Bulgaria against the Serbs, and they came also to the house of George, the father of Ignatius, to see if there were anyone for the army. Seeing George, a well-built and strong man, they wanted to take him into the army. But George firmly told them: "I cannot go against my fellow Christians." The enraged Turks immediately killed him on the spot. Young Ignatius hid in a neighboring house, then escaped to Romania; but the desire for monasticism led him to the Holy Mountain. Yet he wished for something still more than monasticism -- he wished for martyrdom. Praying with tears one night before an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, that She might arrange for him the path to martyrdom, he heard a sound before him and saw how from that icon a radiant crown separated itself and came upon his head. Soon after that he suffered as a martyr at the hands of the Turks and received the crown of eternal glory.
“Praying with tears one night before an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, that She might arrange for him the path to martyrdom, he heard a sound before him and saw how from that icon a radiant crown separated itself and came upon his head.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the wondrous appearance of the Lord to the Apostle Ananias and to Saul (Acts 9), namely:
1. How the Lord appeared to Ananias and directed him to Saul in the street called Straight;
2. How Saul at that very same hour saw in a vision Ananias, placing his hands upon him that he might receive his sight.
“How the Lord appeared to Ananias and directed him to Saul in the street called Straight.”
Homily
on the old and new accounts of God's wonders
Thus King David speaks in the name of his people. And the king enumerates several great works of God which God performed for the people of Israel. Of all those works of God we too have heard, brethren, from the Holy Scriptures -- and of how many more and what kind, of which David did not know, for they came to pass after him! Beyond what David had heard, did we not hear of incomparably more wondrous and greater works of God's Providence and God's love for mankind? The Son of God was incarnate of the Most Pure Virgin and lived as a man among men, poured forth wisdom, wrought miracles, slew death, put the devil to shame, and gave power to His followers. This David did not hear, but we have heard, for our spiritual Fathers have told us: the apostles and evangelists, martyrs and righteous ones, and all the saints in turn from that time, from the time of old, to the present day. And not only have they told us, but every day the Spirit of God tells us through the holy Church, through the grace-filled mysteries, through miracles innumerable and innumerable. Here we have reason for great joy, but also for great fear. For we have been given much, and much will be required of us. We have been given more spiritual riches than all who lived before Christ: more wisdom and knowledge, more of the glory and power of God, and more, far more examples of God's love toward man and man's love toward God. Ask yourselves, O you rich above all the rich, what have you given and what do you give to God for all this? Strive, therefore, that you may not be put to shame at the Judgment of God. As a dream, all your days on earth are slipping away and will soon have slipped away. And soon the sound of the angelic trumpet will summon all peoples and all men to the Dread Judgment of God. Strive that you may not be put to shame. For you will not be able to excuse yourselves: we did not know, or we did not have! You know and have more revelations than David and Solomon had. And more will be required of us than of them. O Son of God, great and wondrous Lord God and Savior of ours, remind us every day and every hour of Thy Holy Blood, shed for us. That we may not forget, O Lord, and be eternally condemned. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“For we have been given much, and much will be required of us.”