. . . for if ye believe not that I am He,
ye shall die in your sins.
ye shall die in your sins.
Holy Martyrs Tróphimos, Sabbátios, and Dorymédon;
Saint Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury
Fast Day
In the third century, during the reign of Emperor Probus, when Atticus was governing Antioch, two Christians, Tróphimos and Sabbátios, both eminent and honorable citizens, came to that city. They arrived just as a pagan festival and sacrificial offerings to the idol of Apollo were taking place at nearby Daphne. Atticus made every effort to ensure that all citizens took part in this festivity. When someone noticed that Tróphimos and Sabbátios were not participating in the festivity, he told Atticus. Atticus brought them to trial, and when they refused to renounce Christ he subjected them to tortures, one after the other.
After he beat and tortured Tróphimos, Atticus sent him to Phrygia to Dionysius, an even crueler torturer of Christians. Then Atticus took Sabbátios from prison and began to try him. When the torturer asked Sabbátios who he was and what his rank was, he replied: "My rank and dignity and homeland and glory and wealth is Christ, the Son of God, Who lives forever, and by Whose providence the universe exists and is governed.'' For that, he was beaten and torn and scraped with an iron implement until the bones showed through beneath his flesh. Under these tortures he reposed.
In Phrygia, the torturer Dionysius subjected Tróphimos to great torture, then kept him in prison for even greater tortures. A certain senator Dorymedon, a secret Christian, came to the prison and ministered to Tróphimos. When the torturer learned of this, he began to torture both of them in the same way, and finally threw them to the wild beasts, but the wild beasts did not touch them. Holy Dorymedon even shouted at the she-bear, pulling her ears so that she would tear him apart, but in spite of all that, the bear became gentler. In the end, the torturer ordered that Saints Tróphimos and Dorymedon be beheaded with the sword. The souls of both of these holy martyrs now reign in heaven.
Galatians 3:15-22 KJV
15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Saint Luke 4:1-15 KJV
4 And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
THE THIEF WHO DAILY SUPPLICATED
THE THEOTOKOS
THE THEOTOKOS
By St. Kosmas Aitolos
A man named John was demoralized and he became a thief. He became the captain of a band of one hundred thieves, but he had great reverence for the Theotokos. Each morning and evening he read the service of Supplication to the Theotokos.
Wishing to save him because of the great reverence he had for the Theotokos, the gracious God sent a holy monk who was immediately captured by the thieves.
The monk said to them: “I beg you to take me to your captain because I have something to tell you for your own good.”
They took him to the captain and he said: “Ask all the men to come so that I can tell you something.”
The captain called them and they came. The monk said: “Aren’t there any more?”
“I have a cook,” the captain replied.
“Ask him to come.” But when he came, the cook was unable to look at the monk and turned his face aside.
The monk then said to the cook: “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I command you to tell me who you are, who sent you, and what you are doing here.”
The cook replied and said: “I’m a liar and I always speak falsely. But since you have bound me with the name of Christ, I can’t but tell you the truth. I’m the devil and I was sent by my superior to work for the captain and to wait for the day when he wouldn’t read the service of Supplication to the Theotokos to put him into hell. I have been watching him now for fourteen years and I have never found a day when he hasn’t read the service.”
The monk said: “I command you in the name of the Holy Trinity to disappear and no longer tempt Christians.” And immediately the devil disappeared like smoke.
The monk then taught the thieves. Some became monks, others married and did good works and were saved. This is why I advise you all, men and women, to learn the service of Supplication and to use it in your prayers. And if you wish, take the book "The Salvation of Sinners", which contains the seventy miracles of the Theotokos, of which I told you one so that you might understand.
+ St. Xanthias, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
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