November 7 / October 25
1. The Holy Martyrs Marcian and Martyrius the Notaries, of Constantinople (355)
These saints of God were clergymen under Paul, the Patriarch of Constantinople, during the reign of Emperor Constantius. With the death of the great Emperor Constantine, the Arian heresy, which until then had been suppressed, revived and gained momentum. Even Emperor Constantius himself leaned toward this heresy. There were two influential noble- men at the emperor’s court, Eusebius and Philip, both of whom were ar- dent Arians. Under their influence, Patriarch Paul was ousted from the patriarchal throne and banished to Armenia, where the Arians strangled him. Then the dishonorable Macedonius seized the patriarchal throne. At that time Ortho- doxy had two bitter struggles: against the pagans and against the heretics. Marcian and Martyrius interceded with all their strength and determination on the side of Orthodoxy. Marcian was a reader and Martyrius was a subdeacon at the cathedral church of Hagia Sophia; under Patriarch Paul they had been patriarchal notaries (secretaries). The Arians at first tried to bribe them, but when these holy men rejected this with scorn, the heretics condemned them to death. When they were brought to the executioner, they raised their hands and prayed to God, giving Him thanks for a martyr’s end to their lives: “Lord, we rejoice that we depart from this life by such a death. Make us worthy to be partakers of eternal life. Thou art our life!” They placed their necks beneath the sword and were beheaded in the year 355. Later, St. John Chrysostom built a church in their name over their miracle-working relics.
2. The Holy Martyr Anastasius the Fuller, at Salona in Dalmatia (3rd ) He was a cloth-maker and a zealous Christian. During Diocletian’s persecution of Christians, this man of God appeared before the judge in the Dalmatian town of Salona (Solin), and confessed his faith in Christ. He was inhumanly tortured and slain, and his body was thrown into the sea but was later found and honorably buried.
3. Saint Tabitha, the widow resurrected by the Apostle Peter
St. Tabitha (which means “gazelle”) was a disciple of the apostles and lived in Joppa. She was full of good works and almsdeeds (Acts 9:36), but suddenly became weak and died. The Apostle Peter was then in the town of Lydda, and the grieving disciples sent for him, imploring him to comfort her kinsmen. Upon his arrival, the great Apostle of Christ told everyone to leave the room where the corpse lay, then knelt in prayer. Then, turning to the body, he said: Tabitha, arise (Acts 9:40) and Tabitha opened her eyes and stood up. Many believed in the Lord Jesus Christ because of this wonderful miracle.
- Front, bishop of Perigueux (2nd c.).
- Martyr Miniatus of Florence (251).
- . Sts. Crispinus and Crispinianus, Romans, martyred under Diocletian at Soissons (289).
- Martyrs Valentine and Engratia, at Sepulveda (Spain) (ca. 715).
- Martyrius, deacon, and St. Martyrius, recluse of the Kiev Caves (13th-14th c.).
- Matrona the Confessor, of Diveyevo (1963).
- (Greek : St. George, bishop of Amastris [ca. 805]. St. Macarius, bishop of Pa- phos on Cyprus).
HYMN OF PRAISE
Saint Tabitha
Tabitha died, not that she might no longer live,
But that the world might be astonished at the miracle which came to pass.
Beside her deathbed Peter humbly knelt,
And uttered fervent prayer unto the Lord.
She was resurrected in body!
And the unbelievers heard
How the Lord hearkened to the apostle’s prayer
And returned the living soul to the dead body.
And Peter turned the unbelievers to the Faith.
O wondrous miracle, of a kind unknown in the world!
By the name of Christ, death was conquered.
Death was conquered, and life rejoices.
The young Tabitha rejoices in life;
And, more than in her own life,
She rejoices that she served as a wonder to the unbelieving world.
She was resurrected in body!
The unbelievers heard,
And their own souls were raised from the dead.
O great Peter, servant of Christ,
Pray to our Savior for us;
Resurrect our souls, buried in the mud—
You, who revived Tabitha by the power of God.
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