March 19 / March 6
The Holy Forty-two Martyrs from Ammorium in Phrygia (845)
These Martyrs, including Constantine, Aetius, Theophilus, Theodore, Melissenus, Callistus, Basoes, and others, were all commanders of the Byzantine Emperor When the Emperor Theophilus lost the battle against the Saracens at the city of Ammoria, the Saracens captured the city and enslaved many Christians. Among them were these commanders. The remaining Christians were either killed or sold into slavery. The commanders were thrown into prison, where they remained for seven years. Many times the Moslem leaders came to them. They counseled and advised the commanders to embrace the Islamic faith, but the commanders refused to listen. When the Saracens spoke to the commanders, saying, “Mohammed is the true prophet and not Christ,” the commanders asked them: “If there were two men debating about a field and the one said, ‘This field is mine,’ and the other, ‘It is not, it is mine,’ and one of them had many witnesses nearby saying it is his field, and the other had no witnesses, but only himself—whose field would you say it was?” The Saracens answered: “Indeed, it is his who had many witnesses!” “You have judged correctly,” the commanders answered. “That is the way it is with Christ and Mohammed. Christ has many witnesses: the Prophets of old, from Moses to John the Forerunner, whom you also recognize and who witness to and about Him, whereas Mohammed witnesses to himself that he is a prophet and hasn’t a single witness.” The Saracens were ashamed and again they tried to defend their faith in this manner: “Our faith is better than the Christian Faith, as is proved by this: God gave us the victory over you and gave us the best land in the world and a kingdom much greater than Christianity.” To this, the commanders replied: “If that were so, then the idolatry of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Hellenes, Romans, and the fire-worship of the Persians would be the true faith, for at one time all of these people conquered the others and ruled over them. It is evident that your victory, power, and wealth do not prove the truth of your faith. We know that God, at times, gives victory to Christians and, at other times, allows torture and suffering so as to correct them and bring them to repentance and purification of their sins.” After seven years they were beheaded, in the year 845. Their bodies were then thrown into the Euphrates River, but they floated to the other shore, where they were gathered and honorably buried by Christians.
The Blessed Job (Joshua in schema) of Anzersk Island (Solovki) (1720)
Job was born in Moscow in the year 1635. Church singing and liturgical services drew him to the Church. He became the spiritual father of Emperor Peter the Great, but because of intrigue, he withdrew to the
Solovki Monastery, where he underwent a life of strict asceticism. In the year 1720, in his eighty-fifth year, he reposed in the Lord. Before his death, he cried out: “Blessed is the God of our Fathers! And, as He is thus, I am not afraid, but I leave this world with joy.”
The Holy Martyrs Conon the Father and Conon the Son, of Iconium (270-275)
When the father was already an old man, the son was a youth of seventeen. During the reign of Domitian, they were sawn in half for their faith in Christ and were glorified and honored in the Church on earth and in heaven. They honorably suffered in the year 275.
- Martyrs Cyriacus and 12 companions, who suffered under Diocletian in Augs- burg (ca. 304).
- The uncovering of the Precious Cross and the Precious Nails by Empress Helen (326).
- Arcadius, monk, of Cyprus (361), and his disciples Julian and Bulius.
- Fridolin, abbot, enlightener of the Upper Rhine (5th-6th c.).
- “Chenstokhov” (Poland) and “Blessed Heaven” (Moscow) Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos.
HYMN OF PRAISE
Saint Conon
The emperor counsels the youthful Conon:
“From old age your father is deranged.
You, young man, do not hearken to his words,
But deny and forget Christ.
Offer sacrifice to the Roman gods,
And then remain with me in honor.”
The youthful Conon courageously replied:
“It is written, O Emperor-torturer,
That the son does what he sees his father do,
And he is not ashamed of his father’s deeds.
My father teaches me the true Faith,
The true Faith and the knowledge of God,
That I know the One God,
My Merciful Creator;
That I know Christ the Savior,
My Redeemer from death.
Whatever you do with the body of my father,
That also do with mine.
But over the soul you have no authority;
Our souls are our possessions
And the possessions of the Son of God.”
To read the Reflection, Contemplation, and Homily for this day,
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