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Meatfare Sunday The next Sunday of Preparation, Meatfare Sunday, is the last day on which meat is permitted to be consumed until Holy Pascha. The Holy Martyr Tryphon Born in the village of Lampsacus in Phrygia of poor parents, he kept geese as a child. He also had from childhood great grace from God, healing both people and animals and driving out evil spirits. At that time the Emperor Gordian (238-44) came to the throne in Rome. He had a mad daughter, the source of great distress to her father. Doctors could do nothing to help her. But the evil spirit in the girl broke silence and said that no-one but Tryphon could cast it out. After many other Tryphons in the Empire had failed, this young Tryphon was sent for, by the providence of God. He was taken to Rome, where he healed the Emperor"s daughter. The Emperor heaped gifts on him, which Tryphon gave away to the poor before returning home. This holy youth remained in his village. tending the geese and praying to God.
When Decius, who was violently opposed to the Christian faith, became Emperor, Tryphon was interrogated and cruelly tortured for Christ. But he endured all his sufferings with great joy, saying: 'Oh, when shall I become worthy, through fire and torture, to make an end for the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and God?' No torture was able to harm him, and the torturers finally condemned him to be beheaded. At the moment of his death, Tryphon commended his soul to his Creator, in the year 250.The Holy Martyrs Perpetua, Felicitas and Satyrus, and others with them They were all thrown into prison for their Christian faith in the time of the Emperor Septimus Severus. St Perpetua was of a noble family, and she encouraged all the other captives in the prison to be fearless in their suffering for Christ. Perpetua saw in a dream a ladder stretching from earth to heaven, all thickly set with sharp knives, swords, stakes, hooks, nails and other deadly implements. A terrible serpent lay at its foot. She saw Satyrus run first up the ladder to the top without injury, and call thence to her: 'Perpetua! I'm waiting for you. Come on, but mind the serpent!' Encouraged by this, Perpetua stood on the serpent's head, as if on the first rung, then in her turn hastened to the top. When she reached it, she saw the beautiful court of heaven and rejoiced with great joy. When she recounted her dream to the other captives, they all interpreted it as meaning that death would soon come to them, and to Satyrus the first - which quickly came about. Satyrus was killed first, then Perpetua, then the rest in order. As lambs butchered for Christ the Lamb of God, they received from Christ the eternal reward in the Kingdom of light. They all suffered for Christ between 202 and 203.Our Holy Father Peter of Galateia He left his parents' home for the sake of Christ at the age of seven, and hid himself in the desert. There he became so perfect through fasting and prayer that he was able to perform many miracles by the power of the Spirit of God. He entered into the eternal Kingdom of Christ in about 429 at the age of 99.
Martyr Karion
Venerable Vendemianus the Hermit of Bithynia Saint Vendemianus (Bendemianus) was born in Myzia. In his youth he was a disciple of St Auxentius, one of the Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council. He went to the monastery founded by St Auxentius (February 14) on Mount Oxia, not far from Chalcedon (Asia Minor), where he lived in asceticism for forty-two years at the cell of his teacher in the crevice of a cliff. He spent his life in fasting and prayer, and was tempted by demons. Because of his holy life and spiritual struggles, the saint was granted the gift of healing. He died around the year 512. Martyr Theonas, with Two Children
Saint Timothy the Confessor
New Martyr Anastasius at Nauplion (1655)Saint Basil I the Confessor, Archbishop of Thessalonica (862)
Sts. David, Symeon and George, confessors of Mitylene
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