|
|
The Holy Martyr Paramon, and 370 others with himIn Asian Bithynia, the governor, Aquilinus, was ferociously persecuting Christians. He once seized three hundred and seventy Christians and took them with him in bonds to some place where there was a temple to the god Poseidon. Here, the wicked governor tried to force them to offer sacrifice to idols. Although he threatened with death any who refused to obey his command, not a single one of the Christians submitted to it. At that time, there passed along the road running beside the temple a respected man called Paramon. He stopped beside the group of bound men and learned what was happening, then cried out: "Oh, how many innocent and righteous men does this foul governor desire to slaughter because they will not bow down to his dumb and dead idols? Paramon then continued on his way, and the furious governor sent servants to kill him. They caught up with him and seized him, first piercing his tongue with a thorn and then stripping him and stabbing him all over. Holy Paramon, with prayer in his heart, gave his soul into God"s hands. After that, these three hundred and seventy martyrs, great sons of God and innocent lambs, were beheaded with the sword and thus entered into the immortal Kingdom of Christ the Lord. They suffered in the year 250. Our Holy Father Acacius of SinaiIn his famous book, "The Ladder", St John Climacus records the life of this saint. The young Acacius was a novice with an evil elder in the monastery on Sinai. The foul-tempered elder daily groused and grumbled at Acacius, and often beat him, tormenting and illtreating him in every possible way. Acacius did not complain, but bore it all patiently and with trust that it would work for his salvation. When anyone asked him how he survived, he replied : "Well, as before the Lord God". After nine years of obedience and ill-treatment, Acacius died. The elder buried him and then went off to lament to another elder, a holy man, saying: "Acacius, my disciple, is dead. "I don"t believe it" replied the holy elder , "Acacius is not dead." They then both went to the dead man"s grave, and the holy elder called out: "Brother Acacius, are you dead?" The obedient Acacius, obedient even in death, replied: "I am not dead; the obedient cannot die." Then the evil elder repented and shut himself in a cell near Acacius"s grave, where he spent the rest of his life in repentance and prayer. The Holy Martyr Dionysius, Bishop of CorinthA well-known pastor and teacher, he was beheaded for Christ the Lord in 182.
St Tiridates, King of ArmeniaHe was a contemporary of Diocletian . He at first persecuted Christians with great ferocity, but God"s punishment fell on him and he went mad and became like a beast, as happened aforetime to Nebuchadnezzar. St Gregory miraculously healed him of his madness (see Sept. 30th). From that time until his death, Tiridates spent his life in repentance and devotion. He died peacefully in the fourth century.
The Holy Martyr ApolloniusHe was a Roman senator. Denounced for his faith, he confessed it before the entire senate, for which he was beheaded in the year 186.
Hieromartyr John of Persia
Hieromartyr Abibus, bishop of Nekressi in Georgia (6th c.) Saint Abibus of Nekresi was one of the Thirteen Syrian Fathers who arrived in Georgia in the 6th century under the leadership of St. John of Zedazeni. With the blessing of his instructor, St. Abibus began his apostolic activity in Nekresi, a village set among the hills in the eastern region of Kakheti. For his virtuous deeds, St. Abibus was soon consecrated bishop of his diocese... Martyr Philumenus of Ancyrahe Holy Martyr Philumenos suffered for Christ in the year 274, during the persecution against Christians by the emperor Aurelian (270-275). Saint Philumenos was by occupation a bread merchant in Ancyra. Envious persons reported to the governor Felix, that Philumenos was confessing the Christian faith, and he thus came before a judge. Saint Philumenos did not renounce Christ. For this they hammered nails into his hands, feet and head, and they forced him to walk. The holy martyr bravely endured the torments and he died from loss of blood, giving up his soul to God. Venerable Pitirim of Egypt (4th c.)Abba Pitirim directed a group of ascetics who led a very austere life in the arid mountains of the Thebaid. He was himself a disciple and third successor of Saint Anthony the Great (17 Jan.) in his hermitage. He ate no more than a little flour mixed with water twice a week, and so persevered in spiritual labours that he gained abundant graces from the Holy Spirit. Among other things, he taught that to each passion there corresponds a demon who tries to stir up that passion within us through different temptations. In order to get rid of these demons and of evil thoughts, Abba Pitirim said that we must first free our hearts from passions.
St. Urban of Macedonia, bishop
Martyr Valerian (274)
Martyr Phaedrus (274)St. Nicholas, archbishop of Thessalonica
St. Pancosmius, monk
Venerable Nectarius the Obedient of the Kiev Caves (12th c.)The Monk Nektarii of Pechersk, a monk of the Kievo-Pechersk monastery, pursued asceticism during the XII Century. For his unquestioning obedience to the will of elder brethren and his zeal for work he was termed "the Obedient". The monk Nektarii was buried in the Antoniev Cave. His memory is also 28 September and the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent. St. Mardarije of LibertyvilleBorn in village of Kornet, Ljesani County, in Montenegro, on November 2, 1889, to pious parents Petar and Jela Uskokovic, he was baptized in his village church dedicated to St. George and received his baptismal name Ivan. His mother was from the well-known Bozovic family. Both of his parents were well respected in their community holding the office of leadership and particularly his father was a captain of their clan.
|