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The Commemoration of the Miracles of the Holy Archangel Michael There was in Phrygia a place called Chonae (plunging), not far from Hierapolis, and in that place there was a miraculous spring of water. When the Apostle John the Theologian, together with Philip, was preaching the Gospel in Hierapolis, he looked at this place and foretold that a spring would gush forth in it, a spring of healing water from which many would be restored to health, and that the place would be visited by Michael, the great archangel of God. This prophecy was very soon fulfilled: a spring of water appeared, which became known far and wide for its miraculous power. A pagan in Laodicea had a dumb daughter, which caused him great grief, but the Archangel Michael appeared to him in a dream and urged him to take his daughter to this spring, that she might be restored to health. The father immediately obeyed, took his daughter and there encountered many people who had come to seek deliverance from various ills. They were all Christians. The man asked how he should seek healing, and the Christians told him: 'In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, you must beg the Archangel Michael.' The father made his petition accordingly and dipped his daughter in the water, and the girl began to speak. Then this pagan was baptized along with his daughter and his whole household, and built a church to the Archangel Michael over the spring.
Later, a young man called Archippus settled there. Pagans did him much malicious harm, for they did not want such power to be felt from a Christian holy place and many people be drawn to it. In their wickedness, they altered the course of a nearby river, so that it innundated the church and the spring. But, at the prayers of Archippus, the Archangel Michael appeared and opened a fissure in the rock at the end of the church, through which the flooding river plunged. So the place was saved, and became known as Chonae plunging - from the river's plunge through the opened fissure. St Archippus lived there in asceticism till the age of seventy, and entered peacefully into rest in the Lord.The Holy Martyr Romulus, and the 11,000 soldiers When the Emperor Trajan was waging war in the East, he once ordered a count of the Christians in his army, and it was found that there were eleven thousand Christians in the imperial army. The Emperor ordered that they all be dismissed from the army and sent to Armenia. St Romulus was an official at the Emperor's court. He went to the Emperor and chided him for these dismissals, acknowledging that he himself was a Christian. The Emperor ordered that Romulus be beheaded. Of the exiled soldiers, ten thousand were crucified and the others died under various tortures.St EudoxiusA commander in the Roman army, he suffered for Christ in the time of Diocletian, being judged and tortured by the governor of Melitene in Armenia. With him suffered his friends Zeno and Macarius, and 1,104 other soldiers whom Eudoxius had brought to the Christian faith. After his death, he appeared to his wife Vasilissa, who was faithful to Christ till her death and entered peacefully into rest. Our Holy Father DavidHe was a robber leader near Hermopolis in Egypt, and only in his later years came to himself, repented and became a monk. He entered peacefully into rest in the sixth century, being worthy of the Kingdom of God through his great asceticism. Hieromartyr Cyril, bishop of Gortyna (3rd-4th c.) The PriestMartyr Cyril, Bishop of Gortineia, lived during the time of the emperor Diocletian and his co-emperor Maximian. As a Christian he was brought to trial before the governor Agrippina and after interrogation he was thrown into prison. By night he heard a voice, which commanded the saint to go to Rome. In the morning the doors of the prison were open, and the idols – overthrown and destroyed...Martyrs Cyriacus, Faustus, Abibus, and 11 others at Alexandria (250)The Martyrs Faustus the Presbyter, Habib the Deacon and 11 other Martyrs accepted a martyr's death for Christ at Alexandria under the emperor Decius (249-251). During the time of persecution, they all of them steadfastly confessed themselves Christians afront the governor Valerius and were beheaded by the sword, in about the year 250. Their bodies were buried by Christians in Alexandria. Martyrs Calodote, Macarius, Andrew, Cyriacus, Dionysius, Andrew the Soldier, Andropelagia, Thecla, Theoctistus, and Sarapabon the Senator, in Egypt (256) All of them are military and are commemorated today with Faustus and all died as martyrs by the swordVenerable Archippus of Hierapolis (4th c.) The Monk Archippos, son of pious Christians from the city of Hieropolis, at age 10 went to pray in the church of the holy Archistrategos Michael and he remained at this temple thereafter to render service as church-caretaker. He led a strict and ascetic manner of life, constantly at fasting and prayer; many a pagan that came to the holy water-spring he persuaded to accept holy Baptism, to forsake pagan impiety, and to turn to the One True God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Tenacious pagans headed by idolous priests repeatedly tried to kill Saint Archippos, but the Lord each time delivered him out of their hands... |
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