Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY APOSTLES STACHYS, AMPLIAS, URBAN, NARCISSUS, APELLES, AND ARISTOBULUS
Of the Seventy. Saint Stachys was a helper of Saint Andrew the First-Called. Saint Andrew appointed him Bishop of Byzantium. He built a church in Argyropolis and governed his flock faithfully and zealously. After sixteen years as bishop he reposed peacefully in the Lord. Amplias and Urban were also co-workers of Saint Andrew, and by him were appointed bishops — Amplias in Lydda, or Diospolis in Judea, and Urban in Macedonia. Both ended their lives as martyrs for Christ the Lord. Narcissus was appointed by the Apostle Philip as Bishop of Athens. Holy Apelles was Bishop of Heraclea in Thrace. Aristobulus, the brother of the Apostle Barnabas, preached the Christian faith in Britain and there reposed peacefully.
2. HOLY MARTYR EPIMACHUS
A native of Egypt, he practiced asceticism in Egypt, and in Egypt he also ended his earthly life as a martyr. Imitating Saint John the Baptist, he withdrew as a young man into the desert. Because of his great love for God, the Spirit of God guided him into all truth, and without any other teacher taught him how to practice asceticism. But Epimachus learned that unbelievers were tormenting and killing Christians in Alexandria for Christ's sake. Inflamed with zeal for the faith, he went to the city and smashed the idols. When the pagans began to torture him for this, he cried out: "Strike me, spit on me, place a crown of thorns upon my head, put a reed in my hands, give me gall to drink, crucify me and pierce me with a spear — this my Lord endured, and this I too wish to endure." In the crowd of people who watched the torment of holy Epimachus there was a certain woman who was blind in one eye. She wept bitterly from grief, watching the heartless torture of God's servant. And when the torturers scraped the body of the holy martyr of Christ, blood splattered from him, and one drop of blood fell upon the blind eye of that woman. Immediately the woman regained her sight, and her blind eye became as sound as the other. Then the woman cried out: "Great is the God in whom this sufferer believes!" After this they cut off the head of Saint Epimachus, and his soul passed into eternal joy, around the year 250.
3. HOLY MARTYR NICHOLAS OF CHIOS
A pious young man and great zealot for the Christian faith. Born in the village of Kyriacho on the island of Chios, where he was tortured and beheaded by the Turks in 1754, and where he surrendered his righteous soul to God.
4. VENERABLE SPIRIDON AND NICODEMUS
Monks and bakers of prosphora at the Kiev Caves monastery. Spiridon was unlettered but knew the entire Psalter by heart, and worked miracles even during his lifetime. He reposed in the year 1148.
“Strike me, spit on me, place a crown of thorns upon my head, put a reed in my hands, give me gall to drink, crucify me and pierce me with a spear — this my Lord endured, and this I too wish to endure.”
Hymn of Praise
In Epimachus, the saint of God,
In his heart there was no fear,
Neither of men nor of the devil,
And still less of lifeless idols.
Epimachus rejoiced in his torment,
Lashing his judge with mockery.
With his mind above, his body on the rack,
Epimachus adorned himself with wounds.
As Christ he wished to suffer,
As a martyr to stand before the Lord.
What he desired God granted him,
And further endowed him with wondrous power:
To heal diseases upon men,
To gladden people with grace.
A knight of Christ with the sign of the Cross,
A precious stone among precious stones,
Like a star Epimachus shines —
Such souls only Christ nurtures.
O Epimachus, wondrous martyr,
Glorious champion of the true faith,
By thy prayers defend us from evil,
Preserve the Church of God unto the end.
“Like a star Epimachus shines — such souls only Christ nurtures.”
Reflection
If any man take not his cross and follow after Me, he is not worthy of Me, said the Lord (Matthew 10:38). The holy venerable martyr Timothy of Esphigmenou (October 29) was at first a married man and had two daughters. Later, when as a monk he had resolved to suffer for Christ and was already prepared for his journey to martyrdom, he begged the abbot for a blessing to stop in his village of Kisani so he could see and take leave of his daughters. The abbot did not allow this, out of fear that this meeting with his daughters would soften him and turn him from martyrdom for the faith. But Timothy's village lay on the road to the Propontis, where Timothy was headed. When he came to his village, he met a neighbor, talked with him, and through him sent greetings to his daughters. In vain the neighbor invited him to stop and see his daughters and rest. Timothy took his leave and hastened on his way. The daughters heard from the neighbor about their father and rushed to see him. And now a rare and magnificent spectacle unfolded. The daughters hurried to overtake and embrace their father, while the father fled from his daughters, so as not to transgress the command of his abbot. The daughters rushed, but he was faster. The daughters hurried to the embrace of their parent, while Timothy, fleeing from them, hastened into the embrace — of death. The daughters grew weary and returned in despair, while the father escaped. Before his death, Timothy begged his spiritual father Herman to stop in his village and inform his daughters of his martyr's end. Herman fulfilled the request. The Turks beheaded Timothy and cast his body into the river, while Herman managed only to take one garment from the martyr, with which he came to Kisani, found Timothy's daughters, told them of the heroic death of their father, and showed them his garment.
“If any man take not his cross and follow after Me, he is not worthy of Me, said the Lord.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the wondrous guidance of the apostles by the Holy Spirit (Acts 16), namely:
1. How Paul with Silas wished to go from Mysia into Bithynia;
2. How the Spirit did not permit them;
3. How in a midnight vision a man from Macedonia appeared to Paul and called him to come to Macedonia.
Homily
on the certainty of the righteous that they shall not die
Who can say: "I shall not die"? He who holds fast to the living Lord. Who can affirm with assurance: "But I shall live"? He who sees the living Lord before him. Enoch and Elijah did not die, but were taken up into immortal life. The Lord took them by His mercy and as proof to men of immortal life. Christ the Lord died and rose again by His own power and as proof to men of the resurrection from the dead. The apostles and saints died, but many of them appeared from the other world through their love of mankind and as proof to men of eternal life. Thus both those who were taken up and those who died live with the risen Lord Christ in the immortal kingdom. "I shall not die, but I shall live" — King David spoke with great assurance, although he lived on earth before the Resurrection of the Lord and the revelation of the general resurrection of the righteous. With even greater assurance should each of us Christians speak thus: I shall not die, but I shall live, for the risen Lord is the foundation of our faith, and for our eyes have seen and our ears have heard more, much more, than the eyes and ears of King David. After the Cross of Christ the devil has become like smoke; and after His Resurrection death has become like a mist through which one passes out onto the sunlit field of immortality. Blessed is he, brethren, who is deemed worthy to live and to declare the works of the Lord! O living Lord, enliven us and save us. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.”