November 13 / October 31
1. The Holy Apostles Stachys, Amplias, Urban, Narcissus, Apelles, and Aristobulus, of the Seventy
They were all of the Seventy. Stachys was an assistant to St. Andrew the First-called. St. Andrew appointed him Bishop of Byzantium. He established the church in Argyropolis and governed his flock faithfully and zealously. After sixteen years as bishop, he entered peacefully into rest in the Lord. Amplias and Urban worked likewise with St. Andrew, and were ordained bishops by him—Amplias in Lydda of Odyssopolis in Judea, and Urban in Macedonia. Both died as martyrs for Christ the Lord. Narcissus was appointed Bishop of Athens by the Apostle Philip. St. Apelles was Bishop of Heraclea in Trachis. Aristobulus, brother of the Apostle Barn- abas, preached the Christian Faith in Britain and reposed peacefully there.
2. The Holy Martyr Epimachus of Pelusium (250)
He was born in Egypt and labored there in asceticism, ending his earthly life as a martyr. Imitating St. John the Baptist, he withdrew to the wilderness while still a youth. Because of his great love for God, the Spirit of God led him to every truth and, with no other teacher, taught him how to live a life of asceticism. Then, Epimachus learned that the unbelievers were torturing and killing Christians in Alexandria for the sake of Christ.
All aflame with zeal for the Faith, he went to the city and smashed the idols. When the pagans tortured him for this, he cried out: “Smite me, spit on me, put a crown of thorns on my head, put a reed in my hand, give me gall to drink, crucify me on a cross, and pierce me with a spear! This is what my Lord endured, and I too want to endure it.” In the crowd of people who witnessed the torturing of St. Epimachus, there was a woman who was blind in one eye. She wept bitterly, watching the heartless torture of this God-pleaser. When the tormentors scraped the body of the holy martyr of Christ, blood spurted from him, and one drop of blood touched the blind eye of that woman. Suddenly, her blind eye regained vision, and was as whole as the other. Then she cried out: “Great is the God in whom this sufferer believes!” After this they beheaded St. Epimachus and his soul took up habitation in eternal joy, in about the year 250.
3. The Holy New Martyr Nicholas of Chios (1754)
Nicholas was a pious youth and a great zealot for the Christian Faith. He was born in the village of Karyes on the island of Chios, where he was tortured and beheaded by the Turks in the year 1754, and gave his righteous soul to God.
4. The Venerable Spyridon (1148) and Nicodemus (12th ), the Prosphora-bakers
They were monks and prosphora-bakers in the Monastery of the Kiev Caves. Though illiterate, Spyridon knew the entire Psalter by heart and worked many miracles during his lifetime. He entered into rest in the year 1148.
- Martyr Quentin of Rome (3rd-4th ).
- Martyrs Epimachus the Roman and his companion Gordian (361-363).
- James, bishop of Mygdonia (4th c.).
- Maura of Constantinople (436).
- Monk-martyr Foillan, Irish missionary, of Burgh Castle (East Anglia) and Fosse (Gaul) (655).
- Anatolius, recluse of the Near Caves in Kiev (12th c.).
- 100,000 Martyrs of Tbilisi slain under Jalal al-Din (1227).
- Peter Kalnyshevsky, Cossack Ataman (Ukraine) (1803).
- New Hieromartyrs John, archpriest, of Chicago and Petersburg (1917), Leonid, abbot, of the Solvychegodsk Monastery (Vologda) (1918), Euphrosynus, hiero- monk of the Seven Lakes Monastery (Kazan), Anatole, hieromonk, of Dubrovs- koye (Tver), and Innocent, hierodeacon, of Buigorod (Volokolamsk) (1937).
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