THE HOLY MARTYRS PASICRATES

May 25

From the Prologue

They were all Roman soldiers. They all suffered for Christ in Macedonian Dorostol about the year 302 A.D. When Pansicrates' brother Papian, who apostatized from Christ because of fear, began to persuade him to deny Christ and remain alive, St. Pansicrates answered him: "Depart from me, you are not my brother!" Pansicrates and Valentian were beheaded together. At the trial, St. Julius said: "I am a veteran; for twenty-six years I have faithfully served the emperor and since I was faithful to a lesser one, how can I not be faithful to a greater one?" i.e., to the Heavenly King. After that, Nicander was brought before Maximus the Perfect. Nicander's wife encouraged her husband to die for Christ. "Foolish old woman" Maximus said to her angrily, "You just want a better husband." The woman answered him: "If you think that of me, give the order and let them kill me now before my husband!" Marcian was also slain with Nicander. Marcian's wife approached the scaffold carrying her son in her arms. Marcian kissed his son and prayed to God: "O All-powerful Lord, You take care of him!" Following that, they were beheaded and were translated into the kingdom of Christ.(*)

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT THERAPONTUS

Blessed Therapontus, for Christ suffered,

Two heavenly wreaths, for that he received:

As a hierarch of the Church and courageous martyr;

Still, as a flower unfaded, his body remained,

The sick to heal, and the world to aromatize,

The unfortunate to comfort, the faithful to rejoice.

That, the Lord glorified His glorifier,

Of his rational flock, wonderful shepherd.

And that, the Lord made, that it be known and voiced about,

That a forceful death, does not the saint kill,

But with a wreath crowned him and his name proclaimed

Eternally glorified in both churches.

God's glorifier, Therapontus holy,

And wonderful martyr for Holy Faith,

Help us also for the love of God

By your prayers, before the throne most high!