September 4 / August 22
1. The Holy Martyrs Agathonicus and Zoticus and others with them (4th c.)
St. Agathonicus was a citizen of Nicomedia and a Christian by faith. With great zeal, he converted the Hellenes from idolatry and instructed them in the true Faith. At Emperor Maximian’s orders, the regional governor cruelly persecuted the Christians. The deputy captured St. Zoticus in a place called Carpe. He crucified Zoticus’s disciples and brought Zoticus himself to Nico- media—where heal so captured and bound Agathonicus, Princeps, Theoprepius, Acindynus, Severianus, Zeno, and many others. Securely bound, they were all taken to Byzantium. As they traveled, Saints Zoticus, Theoprepius, and Acindynus died of their many wounds and exhaustion. Severianus was slain near Chalcedon. Agathonicus and the others were taken to Silybria, in Thrace. There, after being tortured in the emperor’s presence, they were beheaded, and entered into eternal life and the joy of their Lord.
2. The Holy Virgin-Martyr Eulalia of Barcelona (304)
The virgin Eulalia, born of Christian parents in the town of Barcelona, lived during a time of terrible persecution against Christians in Spain. Completely dedicated to Christ as her Bridegroom, completely immersed in Holy Scripture, Eulalia ceaselessly disciplined herself in voluntary ascesis of the body and spirit. When the torturer Dacian—a merciless killer of Christians throughout Spain—came to Barcelona, Eulalia secretly left from her parents at night, came before the torturer, and, in the presence of many people, rebuked him for slaughtering innocent people. She also ridiculed the lifeless idols and openly confessed her faith in Christ the Living Lord. The enraged Dacian ordered that Eulalia be disrobed and beaten with rods. The holy virgin showed that she did not feel pain from being tortured for her Christ. The torturer then bound her to a wooden cross and ordered that her body be burned with torches. Then the torturer asked her: “Where is your Christ, now, to save you?” Eulalia answered: “He is here with me, but you are unable to see Him because of your impurity.” Under savage torture, Eulalia gave her soul to God. When she reposed, the people saw a white dove ascend from her mouth. Snow instantly fell from the sky and covered the naked body of the martyr-like a white garment. On the third day, St. Felix came and sadly wept before Eulalia’s still-hanging body, and a smile formed on her lifeless lips. Her parents and other Christians honorably buried the body of this holy virgin. Eulalia suffered and died for her Lord, and entered into eternal joy, at the beginning of the fourth century.
3. The Holy Martyr Anthusa of Seleucia and others with her (257)
Anthusa was the daughter of wealthy but pagan parents from Seleucia in Syria. Learning of Christ, Anthusa believed in Him with all her heart and secretly went to Bishop Athanasius, who baptized her. Angels of God appeared to her at her baptism. Soon afterward, Anthusa set out for the wilderness to live a life of asceticism, for she was afraid to return to her parents. She labored ascetically in the wilderness for twenty-three years. She gave up her soul while in prayer, kneeling on a stone under which, according to her last testament, she wished to be buried. Bishop Athanasius and two of Anthusa’s servants, Charismus and Neophytus, were slain sometime later because of their faith in Christ. These events occurred in the time of Emperor Valerian, in about 257. They all reposed honorably and were crowned with heavenly wreaths of victory.
- Symphorian of Autun (2nd c.).
- Hieromartyr Athanasius, bishop of Tarsus in Cilicia, and Martyrs Charesimus and Neophytus (ca. 257).
- Martyr Julian of Heliopolis in Syria (ca. 362).
- Ariadne (515), daughter of Emperor Leo I.
- Sigfrid, abbot, of Wearmouth (ca. 688).
- Bogolep of St. Paisius of Uglich Monastery (16th c.).
- Isaac I, archimandrite, of Optina Monastery (1894).
- New Hieromartyrs Macarius, bishop of Orel (1918), Andrew, archbishop of Ufa and Menzelin, Alexis, archbishop of Omsk, Theodore, bishop of Penza, John, bishop of Veliki Luki, Hierotheus, hieromonk, of Lyubim (Yaroslasvl); John, Hilarion, hieromonks, of Mirzoyan (Kazakhstan) (1937); and Gorazd, bishop of Prague (1942).
- Georgian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (Moscow) (1650).
HYMN OF PRAISE
The Holy Martyr Eulalia
God’s white dove,
And Christ’s martyr— Eulalia desired torture,
To purify her spirit by torment.
What is the body? Weak potter’s clay;
And when the soul bursts out of it,
Dust returns to its dust,
While the soul flies to the angelic world.
Eulalia bore Christ
And endured tortures without sighing,
And in the midst of torment she prayed to God
That she might withstand the torture.
And the dove did withstand,
And the martyr did conquer.
Her wounded body
Was covered with white snow;
Her soul flew off like a dove,
Bound for her Creator.
On her lifeless face,
Covered with white snow,
Was the smile of a victor,
And the smile of an avenger!
With a smile she was illumined,
And proclaimed a new life.
By the prayers of Eulalia,
May God have mercy on us!
To read the Reflection, Contemplation, and Homily for this day,
you can purchase your copy of the Prologue of Ohrid at our St. Sebastian Bookstore
or download our Kindle E-Book version at Amazon.com.