Saturday July 9/22 ns 2023 • Holy Hieromartyr Pancrátios, Bishop of Taormina > Rom. 12:1-3; St. Matt. 10:37-11:1 > QUOTE from SAINT ISAAC THE SYRIAN

Holy Hieromartyr Pancrátios,

Bishop of Taormina

Saturday July 9/22 ns 2023 

Pancrátios was born in Antioch during the time when the Lord Jesus Christ walked as a man among men on earth. Hearing about the miracles of Christ, the parents of Pancrátios desired to see the Lord, the miracle-worker. Together with Pancrátios, they traveled to Jerusalem where they saw Jesus, heard His words and witnessed His miracles. It was in Jerusalem that Pancrátios became acquainted with the Apostle Peter.

After the Ascension of the Lord, both parents and Pancrátios were baptized in Antioch. Pancrátios withdrew to a cave in Pontus where the Apostle Peter found him and in agreement with the Apostle Paul he was appointed as the Bishop of Taormina in Sicily. In Taormina, St. Pancrátios worked many miracles, destroyed the idols, baptized the unbaptized, strengthened the baptized and governed well the Church of God.

A heathen commander by the name of Aquilinus heard that the entire city of Taormina became Christian and set out with an entire army against this city in order to destroy it. St. Pancrátios encouraged the faithful not to be afraid and he, alone, with the clergy went outside the city carrying in his hands the invincible weapon, the Honorable Cross. When the army approached the city, darkness befell them and the soldiers were overcome with great fear. A great confusion then began among them and the attackers turned against one another and pierced and slaughtered each other with their swords. Thus Pancrátios, the chosen one of God, saved the city and his flock by the power of his prayer before the Lord. In the end, Pancrátios was stoned to death by envious and evil heathens and found rest in the Lord. His holy relics repose in Rome.

Taormina near Sicily

Romans 12:1-3 KJV

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.


Saint Matthew 10:37-11:1 KJV

37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

11 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.