March 24 / March 11
1. Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem (638)
Sophronius was born in Damascus of distinguished parents. Having acquired worldly wisdom, he was nevertheless unsatisfied and went to seek and acquire spiritual wisdom. In the Monastery of St. Theodosius, he found himself in the company of a monk, John Moschus, whom he chose as his teacher. Together with him, Sophronius traveled about and visited the monasteries and ascetics in Egypt. His watchword was: “Each day learn more spiritual wisdom.” All that they had learned they wrote down and later published in two books under the title, The Spiritual Meadow. Later they traveled to Rome, where Moschus died, leaving a testament with Sophronius to have his body taken either to Sinai or to the Monastery of St. Theodosius. Sophronius fulfilled the desire and wish of his teacher and translated his body to the Monastery of St. Theodosius. Thereafter he remained in Jerusalem, which had just been liberated from the Persians. He was present at the Translation of the Honorable Cross from Persia, which the Emperor Heraclius carried on his shoulders into the Holy City. The aged Patriarch Zacharias, who had also returned from bondage, did not live long before he took up his habitation in the other world. Patriarch Zacharias was replaced by Modestus, who died in 634. Modestus was replaced by Blessed Sophronius. Sophronius governed the Church for ten years with exceptional wisdom and zeal. He rose up in defense of Orthodoxy against the heresy of Monotheletism, which he condemned at his Council in Jerusalem before it was condemned at the Sixth Ecumenical Council. He wrote The Life of St. Mary of Egypt, compiled The Order of the Greater Blessing of Water, and introduced several new hymns and songs in the various liturgical services. When the Arab Caliph Omar captured Jerusalem, Sophronius begged him to spare the lives of the Christians, which Omar insincerely promised. When Omar immediately began to plunder and maltreat the Christians in Jerusalem, Sophronius, with lamentation, prayed to God to take him from among the living on earth, so that he would not witness the desecration of the holy places. God heard his prayer and took Sophronius to Himself, into His heavenly mansion, in the year 638.
The Holy Martyr Pionius, priest, of Smyrna, and others with him
Pionius was a priest from Syria. He suffered in Smyrna during the time of persecution under He was condemned to be crucified, for which he was exceedingly glad. As soon as the soldiers formed a cross and laid it upon the ground, Pionius freely laid himself upon it, stretched out his arms, and ordered the soldiers to nail him in the hands with spikes. The cross was inserted in the ground upside down, and a fire was ignited under the head of the martyr. Many people gathered around. Pionius closed his eyes and prayed to God within himself. The flames of the fire did not even set aflame the hairs of his head. When at last the fire was extinguished and when everyone thought that Pionius was dead, he opened his eyes and cried out rejoicing, “O God, receive my soul,” and expired. This saint wrote The Life of St. Polycarp of Smyrna, with whom he rejoices in the Kingdom of Christ. He suffered and was glorified in the year 250.
3. The Venerable George the Sinaite
George was the abbot of Mount Sinai, a great ascetic and a just man. On the vigil of Pascha, an angel of the Lord conveyed him to Jerusalem for the divine services and returned him to Sinai the same day. He reposed peacefully in the sixth century.
- Translation to Constantinople of the relics of Martyr Epimachus of Pelusium (250).
- Oengus (Angus) the Culdee, bishop, of Clonenagh (Ireland) (824).
- Hieromartyr Eulogius of Cordoba (859).
- George the New, wonderworker of Constantinople (ca. 970).
- Theodora, queen of Arta, wife of Despot Michael II of Epirus (ca. 1275).
- Sophronius, recluse of the Kiev Caves (13th c.).
- Euthymius, archbishop of Novgorod (1458).
- Sophronius, bishop of Vratsa (Bulgaria) (1813).
- Alexis of Goloseyevsky Skete, Kiev Caves (1917).
- New Hiero-confessors Patrick (Petrov), hieromonk of Valaam Monastery (1933) and Michael (Galushko), schema-archimandrite, of Svyatogorsk Monastery (1961).
- (Greek : Hieromartyrs Trophimus and Thalus, priests, of Laodicea [300]).
HYMN OF PRAISE
Saint Pionius
Pionius speaks while being tortured:
“O citizens of famous Smyrna,
Fellow townsmen of the renowned Omar,
I know that which all of you know,
But not one of you knows that which I know:
I know the sweet pleasure of dying,
And sweeter yet, of hoping in Christ.
I know that death will not destroy me
But only separate the body from the soul.
I know that the angels are waiting for me
In the mansions of the Heavenly King,
Together with prophets and saints,
Many armies of those chosen by God,
And the wonderful martyrs for Christ.
I know that I am returning to my homeland,
Whence I came here.
I know the goal of my suffering
(But you know not why you are torturing me!)
Seethe,O malice, and against me rage!
With outstretched arms, the Savior awaits me.
Strike me, all of you, with greater tortures.
The more difficult the suffering, the sooner the dawn;
The quicker the death, the more joyful the soul.”
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