Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY MARTYRS EUSTRATIOS, AUXENTIOS, EUGENIOS, MARDARIOS AND ORESTES
These five brave men shone like five brilliant stars in the dark time of the Christ-fighting emperors Diocletian and Maximian. Saint Eustratios was a Roman general in the city of Satala, Eugenios was his companion in the army, Orestes was also a distinguished soldier, Auxentios a priest, and Mardarios a simple citizen and fellow countryman of Eustratios, both being from the city of Aravraca. The imperial governors Lysias and Agricola tortured first Auxentios as a priest. Seeing the innocent suffering of Christians, Eustratios himself came forward to Lysias and declared that he was a Christian. During the torture of Eustratios, Eugenios stepped before the judge and cried out: *Lysias, I too am a Christian! And when Eustratios was being led with the other martyrs through the city of Aravraca, Mardarios saw them from the roof of his house, bade farewell to his wife and two small children, and rushed after them, crying out to the torturers' faces: I too am a Christian like my lord Eustratios! * And from the bosom of Saint Orestes a cross fell out when he was shooting at a target before Lysias, by which Lysias recognized that he was a Christian, which Orestes himself openly confessed. Orestes was a young and handsome soldier, and in stature surpassed all the other soldiers. Auxentios was beheaded, Eugenios and Mardarios died in torments, Orestes expired on red-hot iron, and Eustratios in a fiery furnace. Before his death, Saint Blaise communed Saint Eustratios in prison (see February 11). Their relics were later transferred to Constantinople and buried in the church of their name—of the Holy Five Martyrs. In that church they were seen alive, and Saint Orestes also appeared to Saint Demetrius of Rostov (see October 28). From Saint Eustratios there remains a beautiful prayer which is read at the Saturday midnight office: Magnifying I will magnify Thee, O Lord.
2. HOLY MARTYR LUCIA (LUCY) THE VIRGIN
Lucia with her mother visited the tomb of Saint Agatha in Catania, where Saint Agatha appeared to her. Her mother, who suffered from hemorrhage, was then miraculously healed in the church. Lucia distributed all her property to the poor, which embittered her betrothed, who denounced her to the judge Paschasius as a Christian. The evil judge ordered that she be taken to a brothel to be defiled. But by God's power she became immovable as if nailed to the ground, and a multitude of people could not move her from the spot. Then a certain enraged pagan stabbed a sword into her throat, and she gave up her soul to God and passed into the eternal kingdom. She suffered in the year 304.
3. HIEROMARTYR GABRIEL, PATRIARCH OF SERBIA
In the terrible time of Turkish rule over Serbia, this great hierarch went to Russia, where he participated in the Council of Moscow in the year 1655. Returning, he was accused as a traitor. In addition, certain evil Jews brought a charge against him because he had converted several Jews to the Christian Faith. In their accusation the Jews alleged that he was working to baptize Turks, so as to embitter the Turkish authorities all the more. Brought to trial, he was condemned to accept the Muslim faith. But as Gabriel would not even hear of this, after imprisonment he was condemned to death and hanged in Bursa in the year 1659. And thus he went to his beloved Christ, to receive from Him a double crown, both as hierarch and as martyr.
Hymn of Praise
The Five Martyrs, Christ's warriors,
Fearless heroes, honorable martyrs,
Mockeries and tortures, fire and gallows,
All this for you was like child's play.
To Roman dishonor not one consented,
With joyful hearts you suffered for Christ.
Wondrous Eustratios, valiant general,
Despised the emperor's mercy and this tearful world,
With him as with living fire that burns leaves,
The other companions went into torments.
Auxentios the priest, Christ's faithful servant,
For Christ endured countless mockeries:
Eugenios the soldier and wondrous Orestes
Mocked death, conscious of resurrection
Mardarios left his wife and children,
And both them and himself glorified forever
O heroic race, children of grace,
Such people only the Church can give,
Such hearts only God's Spirit creates,
He who transforms dark abysses into flame!
Glorious martyrs, remember us also,
By your prayers strengthen the Church.
“Such hearts only God's Spirit creates, He who transforms dark abysses into flame!”
Reflection
To give alms from what a person needs is true almsgiving. Not to sin when one is most exposed to sinning has value before God. When Saint Lucia saw her sick mother miraculously healed, she proposed to her that she use her property for alms to the poor. To this her mother replied that she did not wish to part with her property until her death, but agreed that her property after her death could be used for whatever purpose Lucia wished. First cover my eyes with earth, said the mother, then do whatever pleases thee with the property. Lucia said to her: *Not very pleasing to God is he who gives Him what he cannot take with him (to the grave) nor what he himself does not need, but if thou wouldst do a God-pleasing deed, give Him what thou thyself needest. After death thou needest nothing, and then thou offerest Him what thou canst not take with thyself. But while thou art alive and well, give to Christ what thou hast; and all that thou hast intended for me, begin immediately to give to Him*. The good mother of the wise daughter agreed to this. When the torturer Paschasius was forcing this holy virgin to bodily sin, Lucia would not consent to it even in thought. And when the torturer threatened that his men would defile her by force, saying with mockery: When thou art defiled, the Holy Spirit will flee from thee. To this Lucia, filled with grace, answered: Never can the body be defiled without the consent of the mind. And Saint Lucia went to her death, having previously distributed all her property and not having defiled her young and pure body.
“Never can the body be defiled without the consent of the mind.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the fulfillment of Noah's words over his posterity (Gen. 9), namely:
1. How the Japhethites (the white race) spread over the whole world;
2. How they settled in the tents of Shem, that is, in the Church, in the spiritual tent of Christ, which began with the Semites, the Jews;
3. How the Hamitic tribes have remained to this day in a subjugated position.
Homily
on Isaac
And the Lord appeared unto him and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee (Gen. 26:24)
From time immemorial, brethren, narrow has been the path upon which the righteous walk. From time immemorial they have been oppressed either by those who do not believe in God or by those who believe wrongly. Abel was oppressed by his brother Cain. Noah and Lot by a completely corrupt generation, and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by unbelievers. But God does not leave the righteous man alone on the narrow path. We see this also with Isaac. I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not. These significant words Isaac understood. By these words God both encouraged him and admonished him. That is to say: because of Abraham I will bless thee also; and as I protected Abraham among unbelievers, so will I protect thee; and further: be faithful to Me as thy father Abraham was. And Isaac followed the example of his father and did not depart from God his whole life. He was a tiller of the soil and a herdsman like his father; he was righteous and meek, avoiding quarrels with people and doing good to people. We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee (26:28), his haters and persecutors finally had to admit. And Isaac was deemed worthy that God should be called his God; just as He was called the God of Abraham, so afterward He was also called the God of Isaac.
O Lord, wondrous in Thy saints, remember our names also along with the names of the righteous and Thy saints in Thy Kingdom. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“God does not leave the righteous man alone on the narrow path.”