THE VENERABLE MARTYR ONUPHRIUS OF HILENDAR MONASTERY

January 4

From the Prologue

In his youth, Onuphrius became angry with his parents and declared before the Turks that he was going to convert to Islam. Immediately following that, he repented because of these words and went to Hilendar where he was tonsured a monk. Tormented by his conscience, Onuphrius decided for martyrdom. Because of his determination and with the blessing of his spiritual father, he departed for Trnovo, Bulgaria where he reported to the Turks, proclaimed himself a Christian, and ridiculed Muhammad. Because of that, Onuphrius was beheaded on January 4, 1818, in his thirty-second year. The body of this spiritual knight is not preserved for the Turks tossed it into the sea.

HYMN OF PRAISE

THE SEVENTY HOLY APOSTLES

O knights of the Cross, sons of light,

You have not yet passed, O children of the future,

For you are not dead, as Christ is not,

But lives with life that never decays.

The Lord, You the Wreath-giver, beautifully crowned you

Because His Name, you loudly proclaimed

Before emperors and princes, before executioners terrible.

God, you served; but with torment, the world repaid You.

You walked after Christ, O bees of Christ!

The world you filled with honey; the vessels you filled!

Souls you alleviated; passions you calmed,

With Evangelical sweetness you sweetened life,

With the aroma of Christ, you censed the earth,

Salt, light and incense to the world, you were.

Seventy Companions, all with the same love,

As branches with the tree, with Christ, you were attached;

Seventy Stars, around the Sun - Christ,

And there, the angels are and the Virgin All-Pure,

There, unutterable delight, joy unseen,

Glorious victors of this transitory time.

Holy Apostles, glory and thanks be to you.

From your blood, justice blossomed.