April 28 / April 15
The Holy Apostles Aristarchus, Pudens and Trophimus, of the Seventy*) (ca. 67)
They were numbered among the Seventy Apostles. Aristarchus was Bishop of Apamea in Syria. The Apostle Paul mentions him several times (Acts 19:29, Colossians 4:10, Philemon v. 24). Aristarchus was arrested in Ephesus, together with Gaius, by a multitude of people who had risen up against Paul. The Apostle Paul writes to the Colossians: Aristarchus my fellow prisoner saluteth you (Colossians 4:10). In the Epistle to Philemon, Paul calls Aristarchus my fellow laborer, together with Mark, Demas, and Luke. Pudens was a distinguished citizen of Rome. The Apostle Paul mentions him once (II Timothy 4:21). At first, the home of Pudens was a haven for the chief apostles and later it was converted into a place of worship, called the Shepherd’s Church. Trophimus was from Asia (Acts 20:4), and he accompanied the Apostle on his travels. In one place the Apostle Paul writes: Trophimus have I left at Miletumsick (II Timothy 4:20). During Nero’s persecution, when the Apostle Paul was beheaded, all three of these glorious apostles were also beheaded.
The Holy Martyr Sabbas the Goth, at Buzau in Wallachia (372)
In the land of the Goths there was a brutal persecution against Chris- tians. A certain prince of the Goths entered the village where this devout Sabbas lived and asked the villagers: “Are there any Christians living in your village?” They convinced him, by swearing, that there were none. Then Sabbas stood before the prince and the people and said: “Let no one swear for me; I am a Christian!” Upon seeing Sabbas, wretched and poor, the prince let him go in peace, saying: “This one can neither harm nor benefit anyone.” The following year, around Pascha, a certain priest, Sansa- la, came to this village and celebrated the glorious Feast of Pascha with Sabbas. Upon learning of this, the heathens suddenly attacked the home of Sabbas and began to beat this holy man of God mercilessly with canes. In addition, they dragged Sabbas’s naked body through thorns and then tied both Sabbas and Sansala to a tree, offering them the meat of idolatrous sacrifices to eat. These men of God called to mind the words of the apostles and refused to eat of the unclean, diabolical sacrifices. Finally, the prince condemned Sabbas to death and handed him over to the soldiers. Full of joy, Sabbas arrived at the scaffold praising God. Recognizing him as a good man, the soldiers wanted to release him along the way. Because of this, Sabbas became very sorrowful and told the soldiers they were duty-bound to carry out the order of the prince. The soldiers then brought him to a river, tied a stone around his neck, and cast him into the water. His body was washed up along the shore. Later on, during the reign of Emperor Valens, when the Greek Commander Ioannis Soranos was warring with the Goths, he discovered Sabbas’s body and translated it to Cappadocia. St. Sabbas suffered at the age of thirty-one, in the year 372.
The Holy Martyrs Basilissa and Anastasia of Rome (ca. 68), disciples of Apostles Peter and Paul
Basilissa and Anastasia were two pious and devout Romans. During the reign of Emperor Nero, they gathered the slain bodies of the disciples of the apostles and buried them with honor. They were denounced for this and imprisoned. After prolonged torture, during which their breasts and tongues were severed, they were finally beheaded.
- Martyr Sukia and his companions: Andrew, Anastasius, Thalaleus, Theodoretus, Ivchirion, Jordan, Quadratus, Lucian, Mimnenus, Nerangius, Polyeuctus, James, Phocas, Domentianus, Victor, and Zosima (Chorimos), of Georgia, in Armenia (123).
- Ruadhan, founder and abbot of Lothra (Ireland) (ca. 584).
- Leonidas, bishop of Athens (ca. 6th c.).
- Mstislav-Theodore, prince of Kiev (1132).
- Righteous Daniel of Achinsk, Siberia (1843).
- (Greek: Martyr Pausilipus of Thrace [ca. 117-138]. Martyr Crescens of Myra in Lycia [3rd c.]).
HYMN OF PRAISE
The Holy Martyrs
The radiant martyrs shed their blood
And empurpled the whole black earth with their blood.
Powerful was the fire in which they were burned,
But more powerful the love with which they loved Christ.
To be a martyr is the greatest good;
With what treasure can this be compared?
The All-victorious Christ, the King of the ages,
Welcomed into heaven their brave souls.
He took them to Himself from the hands of the angels,
And all their heavy pains He blessed.
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